Articles

Show your personal side with an essay

Writing about your life experience helps you connect with readers and break into markets

By Erica Manfred
Published: March 30, 2010
The appeal of personal essays stems from our fascination with the lives of others. The best essays help readers gain insight into their own lives by catching a glimpse into the life of someone else.

At first glance, essays seem easy to write because they’re just your individual opinion and experience. In reality, they can be much more difficult to write than journalistic articles. In an article, you can distance yourself from the subject. In an essay, you are the subject, which is why essay writing takes not only talent but also fearlessness. You have to be willing to really look within and write down what you see.

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