Ten Tips for Writing Personal Essays (And Getting Them Published)

Although personal essays are not as coveted by editors as they once were, it is still possible to write a personal essay and to find a publication that will buy it. As evidenced by the success of the Chicken Soup series, as long as your personal essay is original, though-provoking, entertaining and interesting, it can find a home in today's literary marketplace. If you are hoping to write or a personal essay, you should first study the personal essays that have been published in recent issues of magazines, and then read articles like this one on how to make your essay as clear and interesting as possible. Following are ten tips on both writing personal essays and getting them published.

1. Start with Something Significant. One of the most important aspects of the personal essay is the "hook" -- the introductory paragraph during which you entice the reader to continue on. The hook should be something significant that pertains to the rest of your personal essay, but also drives the reader directly into the meat of your theme. For example, if your personal essay is about getting arrested in Mexico, you should start your personal essay either with the arrest or with a day in the Mexican jail. This will place your reader directly into the scene you create and will "hook" him or her into reading the rest of your story.

2. Provide Pictures with Your Essay. They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, and even if your essay can stand on its own, you should include pertinent photos to go with it. Editors look for ways to entice their readers, and photographs will do that in ways that words alone cannot. You want people to actually read your essay, but photographs draw them in. If the personal essay is about your childhood, include photographs of you as a child. If it's about an injury you sustained, include photographs of the injury or of the aftermath (i.e. you in a cast).