This document defines the personal essay and its key elements. A personal essay is a narrative grounded in real experience where the author writes about a significant experience or incident that reveals insight or truth. Personal essays aim beyond just being a diary entry by using literary techniques to create resonances with readers. They are conversational, invite the reader to explore a topic, use descriptive details, and have a first person point of view. Personal essays can be on any topic as long as something is at stake, and the best ones don't focus on grand events but arise from curiosity, self-reflection, and adventure.

2. Introduction
• Everything we read in this course will be a personal essay of
some sort.
• The word “essay” means “an attempt or effort” (from the French
word essai, meaning “to try”). And this is exactly what writers do
when they write essays: they attempt to uncover or understand
something.

3. Definition of a Personal Essay
• A personal essay is typically defined as a narrative (story)
grounded in real experience, in which the author writes about an
experience or incident that is significant and reveals some insight
or truth to them.
• However, personal essays always aim beyond the personal
(otherwise, they’re diary entries). Personal essays typically rely on
literary techniques to create powerful resonances with a reader.

4. Key Elements of Personal Essays
• They are lively and conversational.
• They invite the reader in to explore a topic along with the author.
• They use literary techniques like narration, scene, character, and
atmosphere to connect to readers.
• The writing is descriptive and full of concrete detail.
• Their point of view (POV) is typically first person (i.e., it uses “I”)
• They are deeply personal and individual.
• They can be on any topic.
• Something must be at stake in them.

5. • The best personal essays don’t aim to feature the teller as the
hero of the story, and don’t focus on grand, sweeping events.
• Rather, they arise from a genuine sense of curiosity about
yourself and the world, a capacity and desire for honest self-
reflection, and a healthy sense of adventure. Be prepared to
nurture these qualities over the course of the semester!