Personal EssaysPersonal Essays

Lead SentencesLead Sentences

Personal EssaysPersonal Essays

You will need a powerful hook to get readers to You will need a powerful hook to get readers to pay attention. The lead is the doorway through pay attention. The lead is the doorway through which a writer welcomes and orients readers to which a writer welcomes and orients readers to the idea.the idea.

Lead SentencesLead Sentences

Try leading with:Try leading with: a questiona question a quotationa quotation a strong statementa strong statement a metaphora metaphor a descriptiona description

Belief StatementBelief Statement

Laugh everyday! Laugh everyday!

(“(“The top 10 Lessons I Learned From Charlie Brown”, Jim AllenThe top 10 Lessons I Learned From Charlie Brown”, Jim Allen))

Lead SentencesLead Sentences

Question:Question: “Why are so many people “Why are so many people (you and I) so serious about so many (you and I) so serious about so many things?things?

Lead SentencesLead Sentences

Quotation: Quotation: (from someone famous or (from someone famous or from someone significant in your life).from someone significant in your life).

““Laugh and the world laughs with you, Laugh and the world laughs with you, cry/ weep and you cry/ weep alone.”cry/ weep and you cry/ weep alone.”

((Ella Wheeler , 1883; poem Solitude)Ella Wheeler , 1883; poem Solitude)

Lead SentencesLead Sentences

Strong Statement: Strong Statement: (that your essay will (that your essay will either support or dispute).either support or dispute).

Not everything is funny to all people.Not everything is funny to all people.

Lead SentencesLead Sentences

Metaphor: Metaphor: “Laughter is the best “Laughter is the best medicine”.medicine”.

((Perhaps the Bible:Perhaps the Bible:"A cheerful heart is good medicine" "A cheerful heart is good medicine" Proverbs 17:22; Readers’ Digest) Proverbs 17:22; Readers’ Digest)

Lead SentencesLead Sentences

Description: Description: I glanced sideways and there he I glanced sideways and there he was with his head flopped back and mouth was with his head flopped back and mouth opened. Then it happened. A loud snore rang opened. Then it happened. A loud snore rang out going its own way in the silent room. My out going its own way in the silent room. My shoulders began to shake. I shook until there shoulders began to shake. I shook until there were tears sliding down my cheeks. I were tears sliding down my cheeks. I pretended to cough, pretended to have a pretended to cough, pretended to have a crumb stuck in my throat.crumb stuck in my throat.

Your Turn!Your Turn!

Writing Time:Writing Time: Choose one of the quotations that Choose one of the quotations that

appealed or spoke to you for some appealed or spoke to you for some reason and try writing it as a lead reason and try writing it as a lead sentence.sentence.

Try it as a Try it as a question, a quotation, a strong question, a quotation, a strong statement, a metaphor or descriptionstatement, a metaphor or description..

Tips To Add Audience AppealTips To Add Audience Appeal

1. Your essay should be about something you 1. Your essay should be about something you care strongly about.care strongly about.

2. Help your readers relate to what you are 2. Help your readers relate to what you are talking about even if they’ve never been there talking about even if they’ve never been there or done that. What universal truth can be or done that. What universal truth can be found in your personal experience or belief?found in your personal experience or belief?

3. Think of your essay as a camera lens. Start 3. Think of your essay as a camera lens. Start by describing a specific moment and then by describing a specific moment and then opening it up to a wider view. opening it up to a wider view.

Tips To Add Audience AppealTips To Add Audience Appeal

4. Use specific details to draw the reader in.4. Use specific details to draw the reader in.

5. Use all the senses to convey your ideas to 5. Use all the senses to convey your ideas to the reader. (sight, sound, taste, touch and the reader. (sight, sound, taste, touch and smell).smell).

6. Beyond everything else, make sure that the 6. Beyond everything else, make sure that the reader can summarize the MAIN IDEA that you reader can summarize the MAIN IDEA that you BELIEVE.BELIEVE.

Brainstorming Guide-Questions to Brainstorming Guide-Questions to Think AboutThink About

• What is your personal belief statement?What is your personal belief statement?• What does it do, cause, or make?What does it do, cause, or make?• Does it influence anything? If yes, how?Does it influence anything? If yes, how?• Who, if anyone, is involved with it?Who, if anyone, is involved with it?• Is it helpful or harmful to people?Is it helpful or harmful to people?• Where is it found?Where is it found?• Where does it come from?Where does it come from?• Does it depend on anything?Does it depend on anything?

Brainstorming GuideBrainstorming Guide

Does it occur at a certain time? When?Does it occur at a certain time? When? Why is this belief important?Why is this belief important? What would you like to tell others about it?What would you like to tell others about it?

Turn and TalkTurn and Talk

Use your brainstorm and turn to a partner Use your brainstorm and turn to a partner and share your ideas for writing.and share your ideas for writing.

The speaker shares.The speaker shares. The listener’s responsibility is to The listener’s responsibility is to

summarize what the speaker said:summarize what the speaker said: T- tellT- tell A- ask a questionA- ask a question G- give a suggestionG- give a suggestion

Support/ EvidenceSupport/ Evidence

QuestionQuestion DialogueDialogue AnecdoteAnecdote Personal ExperiencePersonal Experience ExampleExample StatisticStatistic

Source:Source:

www.thisibelieve.orgwww.thisibelieve.org

Mentor TextsMentor Texts

1.I had never been a believer in love at 1.I had never been a believer in love at first sight.first sight.

2.The cool night wind pulls at my hair as I 2.The cool night wind pulls at my hair as I slide into the car.slide into the car.

3.I remember how Natasha hated looking 3.I remember how Natasha hated looking in mirrors.in mirrors.

Mentor TextsMentor Texts

4.I believe in man’s responsibility to care for 4.I believe in man’s responsibility to care for the other residents of our planet.the other residents of our planet.

5.Some months after Hurricane Katrina, my 5.Some months after Hurricane Katrina, my sister-in-law and I were discussing the clips of sister-in-law and I were discussing the clips of animal rescues.animal rescues.

Mentor TextsMentor Texts

6.Have you ever heard the saying, 6.Have you ever heard the saying, “Hindsight is 20/20?”“Hindsight is 20/20?”

7.Last summer I looked out the door of my 100-7.Last summer I looked out the door of my 100-year-old house at my newly planted garden year-old house at my newly planted garden and my adopted dog.and my adopted dog.

Mentor TextsMentor Texts

8.This is what happened to me after I 8.This is what happened to me after I snooped and discovered a letter under snooped and discovered a letter under silky slips and scented soaps in my silky slips and scented soaps in my mother’s dresser drawer when I was mother’s dresser drawer when I was twelve.twelve.

The DashThe Dash

A dash is used to set off information in a A dash is used to set off information in a sentence with a dramatic flair.sentence with a dramatic flair.

AKA: interrupterAKA: interrupter Mentor Text: Mentor Text:

The DashThe Dash

DARKNESS- COLD- CHURNING WATER- roaring like DARKNESS- COLD- CHURNING WATER- roaring like a thousand lions- spinning around and around-bashing a thousand lions- spinning around and around-bashing into rocks-arms wrapped around my face to protect it- into rocks-arms wrapped around my face to protect it- tucking up my legs to make myself smaller, less on tucking up my legs to make myself smaller, less on target.target.

Wash up against a clump of roots- grab hold- the wet Wash up against a clump of roots- grab hold- the wet roots feel like dead fingers clutching at me- a space roots feel like dead fingers clutching at me- a space between the water and the roof of the tunnel- I draw between the water and the roof of the tunnel- I draw quick gasps of breath- current takes hold again-trying quick gasps of breath- current takes hold again-trying to fight it- roots break off in my hands- swept away. to fight it- roots break off in my hands- swept away. (p.5)- (p.5)- Darren Shan, Darren Shan, Cirque Du Freak #6: The Vampire PrinceCirque Du Freak #6: The Vampire Prince

The DashThe Dash

Nothing ever seems interesting when it belongs Nothing ever seems interesting when it belongs to you- only when it doesn’t.to you- only when it doesn’t.

(p.7) (p.7) Natalie Babbit, Tuck EverlastingNatalie Babbit, Tuck Everlasting