1. Format

• Typed- use a processor in a computer like Microsoft word.
• Spacing- double-space your work
• Font size- the standard size is 12-point
• Font style- standard font, Times New Roman.

2. Structure of the Essay

You can divide your script into three parts:

• Introduction

You will introduce your topic and give your thesis statement in one single paragraph. Introduce your topic in the first paragraph, which should guide the reader and give a clear map of the paper. Secondly, give your thesis statement, which is the main point of the essay. Be sure to make it crystal and on-topic. You should do this in one or two sentences at the end of the first paragraph.

• Body

The body houses several paragraphs that support your thesis statement with reason, evidence, and justification. Every paragraph in the body section must have a topic sentence, which is the point you are attempting to get through in the paragraph. It comes first before other sentences in the paragraphs.

• Summary

The summary section is a recap, normally short, of what you are in the essay. You can sum up the body section here in support of the thesis statement. The summary section is normally one paragraph long.

3. General Writing Tips

• Think and Discuss

Before you begin writing, familiarize yourself with content and material. When you get an assignment from your instructor, think about the topic you will use.

• Rough Drafts and Editing

Jot down rough drafts beforehand. It may help you see your ideas more clearly. Have breaks in between when editing. Have a repeat of this process until it gets completed.

• Review/comments

When you get done with your draft, you can give it to someone to look for errors and provide you with the necessary feedback. Many educators urge students to turn in their papers early for comments.

• Style and Punctuation

In general, the paper should illuminate a solid writing process. Try and avoid spelling, punctuation, grammar, tense, and vocabulary errors at all costs. Examples are:

Have punctuation inside quotation marks

1. Place the parenthetical citation after the quotations
2. Make an introduction of quotes
3. Make it a habit of spelling out numbers in your essay.
4. Keep away from the use of abbreviations or notations that are not formal.
5. Write crisp and have a consideration of your readers.

Most common grammar mistakes you should avoid

1. Misusing i.e. and e.g.
2. Having ‘if’ in place of ‘whether’
3. ‘there’ and ‘their’ confusion
4. Verb misconnection
5. Writing with an accent.
6. Proper plural of possessive of names
7. Using semi-colons improperly
8. Having a confusion between ‘then’ and ‘than’.
9. Confusing between its and it’s

Writing guidelines that are humorous

1. Proofread your work to check on mistakes
2. Don’t use sentence fragments
3. Do not write rhetorical questions
4. Avoid using the passive voice
5. Use exclamation marks only when it is necessary
6. Stick to the point. Be more specific
7. Do not use bad grammar
8. Use the apostrophe appropriately
9. Avoid the use of vernacular and archaic languages

4. Citations and References

If your essay involves research, or you quote somebody, you need to mention and cite the sources. There are many citing and reference styles. They are; MLA, Chicago, APA.

Writers are required to give their thoughts and emotions to mimic accurate history, traits, or personalities. A vivid description of experiences also makes the reader feel like they have been in the same space before.

What you can write about

• An experience
• A place or object
• An imagination

Topic Ideas for a Reflective Essay

Places that you have gone to

• Someone’s home
• The beach, mountains, desert
• Old house

Life-Bending events

• New experiences
• Vital memories
• Special dates/occasions
• A conversation

Recurring thoughts

• A dream
• A great emotion
• Embarrassing moments

Impactful Experiences

• Concert
• Vacation
• Post on social media
• Book, movie, TV

Important People

• Best friend
• Teacher/coach
• Grandparent

Organization of a Reflective Paper

How the paper is structured is pretty much the same as other texts.

Introductory Paragraph

You should identify the subject in this paragraph and present the reader with a vivid impression it had you see. Be sure to have a thesis statement.

Body Paragraphs

1. In the first paragraph of the body, note down at least one reason that the object or subject made the above impression and then write the why factor. You can speculate as there are no right or wrong answers in a reflective essay.
2. In the second paragraph, write the second reason here and write about the why factor in it.
3. In the third paragraph, mention the third reason and also mention the why factor.

Conclusion

Have a recap of your thesis statement and the arguments or reasons you provide in the body. Have a summary of your thoughts and give your opinion.

How to Write a Reflection Paper

1. Choose a topic/ idea

The first step in writing an essay is choosing the right topic. Make sure you have a great one.

2. Study your subject

You may need to imagine your character through reading, watching, or listening.

3. Brainstorm

Jot everything you can think about the topic. You can think of a character or subject in terms of taste, noises, and so on. Write down corresponding adjectives to help you in describing.

1. Pick Reflection Questions
2. What might I have differently?
3. How is this related to my life?
4. How has this changed me?
5. How can I apply this kind of experience to my studies?
6. How can this help me in my career?
7. Would I want this experience again?
8. What did I learn in terms of skills?
9. How has this changed the way I think?
10. How and why did this affect me?
11. Did this expand the understanding of my culture? How ao?
12. How can I pin this experience to my studies?
13. Does someone have the same experience I had?
14. Is this experience that I had good or bad?
15. Why did that experience make me feel this way?
16. How is this similar to an experience I recently had?

4. Answer the Selected Questions

Study the questions that you have written and answer them. You don’t have to be formal in doing this as you want to get as many ideas as you can.

5. Identify the meaning of your experience.

Before you start writing, make sure you decide on what is the most vital lesson you have derived from the experience.

What Is a Personal Essay?

A personal essay describes a life encounter of the writer. Written in the first person pronoun, it comes in either creative nonfiction or formal essay. It is best to write in a conversational tone to bring your readers along. This connection is vital so that readers can be in your shoes to and relate to your story. With this, they can learn a lesson, get inspired, or it serves as a warning to those towing the same path as the author.

A personal essay can cover a variety of subjects. You can write about your first trip, the first day at school, a near-death situation, following bad friends, an event that changed your life, an encounter with a bully, failing exams, drug addiction, or battling with a terminal disease, among others. Meaning you can write about whatever experience you believe could be of interest to others.

How to Structure a Personal Essay

Just like any other essay, a personal story must have an introduction, body, and conclusion. Each segment serves a purpose and shouldn’t be undermined. A typical piece has about five paragraphs; however, personal essays could be less or more. You should avoid starting with quotes or clichés.

Introduction: The introduction to your essay is where you present your topic and a brief of what readers should expect. It must contain a hook to entice your audience to continue reading your story. Try to connect with your readers right from here by making them resonate with your piece.

Body: The body usually comes with at least three paragraphs and gives detailed accounts of your story. The writer develops the story by introducing characters and builds up dialogues. Each section should come with something new

Conclusion: At this point, you conclude your essay by highlighting the points in the body. It would be best if you always had something for the readers to take home.

Tips for Writing a Personal Essay

Outline your essay

Before you even start writing, you first need to outline your work. Drafting makes your job easier. You can layout your points, choose your audience, and set a tone for communicating your message. It also helps you to determine whether your story is worth spending your time on it. Therefore, you should always choose something that has a substantial impact on you and can influence your readers.

Get your intro intact

The introduction is an essential aspect of every essay. It should be attractive, clear, and concise. It should contain a hook that would entice your readers.

Well-detailed body

After you’ve got your introduction done, follow it with a meaty body. It should be detailed enough to encompass all the exciting events in the story. Be specific, and engage your readers.

You can now finish your personal essay by summarization all you’ve said in the body and a take-home brief. Afterward, proofread your work before submitting it.

When you are writing an introduction about anything, the main purpose is to ease them slowly into what you are writing about and why you chose this specific topic/subject. This manual by an expert from WriteMyEssayToday is a clear-cut and brief collection of tips that you can utilize when composing a great persuasive essay.

1. Start out with an open-minded tone

When you are looking to get your opinion across on paper, the first thing that you want to establish with your readers is an open mind. There is absolutely no problem in having a concrete belief in what you are speaking of. However, you do not want to be off-putting to your readers by condemning them in any way just because you do not share the same thoughts. Have an open mind with knowing that you have a firm reason to your opinions, but allow for other to say “Okay, well I understand where he/she is at least coming from.”

2. Choose your language carefully

It is key that when you are writing a persuasive paper introduction that you choose your language carefully. Words and phrases that include vulgar/demeaning language are things that you should definitely stay away from.

3. Make your standpoint clear

With the latter, two tips do not feel as if you cannot make your standpoint clear. The entire point of a persuasive essay is to explain what you personally believe in. When you are making your case, do it from the sense that you are teaching someone why you think that way instead of “telling” them how they should think your way.

As you can see, these tips can be utilized for any type of topic and/or subject that you choose to write about. The introduction is the gateway to your point of view that others should feel welcomed to read. Don’t try to run your readers off before they even get a chance to see why you have your specific opinions. At the end of the day, keep in mind that your introduction can be the deal-maker or deal-breaker (especially to those who may oppose your ideology).