How To Write a Personal Essay in 8 Simple Steps (With Tips) By Indeed Editorial Team

Related: How To Write a Powerful Personal Statement

How to write a personal essay in 8 steps
Here are eight steps you can follow when writing a personal essay to ensure it engages your reader and encourages them to learn more about you.

1. 
   Make preparations.
   
2. 
   Get organized.
   
3. 
   Choose your topic.
   
4. 
   Consider your tone.
   
5. 
   Include a lesson or moral.
   
6. 
   Write the introduction.
   
7. 
   Write the body.
   
8. 
   Write the conclusion.
   

1. Make preparations
When preparing to write your personal essay, first consider who your audience is and what you want them to know. Ask yourself questions to determine how your story relates to your goals for writing it. It's helpful to make a list of points you want to convey so you can write an essay that makes your story relative and engaging.
Related: 10 Essay Writing Tips



2. Get organized
Creating an outline is a great way to organize your thoughts and ideas. Outlines can keep you on topic and avoid covering too many ideas so your main points aren't lost. Your essay should follow a sequence of events so the story follows a direct path from start to finish.
Example:

• 
  Introduction paragraph(s)
  

– Opening sentence
– Key points
– Central message

• 
  First body paragraph
  

– Beginning of story
– Describe mood and attitude toward the event

• 
  Second body paragraph
  

– Provide details of the story
– Follow a logical order
– Answer how, what, where, why

• 
  Third body paragraph
  

– Describe the ending of the story
– Expand on feeling and attitude toward the event

• 
  Conclusion paragraph(s)
  

– Repeat the main points of the story
– Provide the lesson or moral