Home
>
Writing
>
The Makings of a Personal Essay, Really

The Makings of a Personal Essay, Really

Sometimes I can be dense when it comes to realizing the potential of my own life experiences as essays for magazines. I, of course, fully believe that everything in my life is newsworthy, but sometimes have trouble figuring out which experiences will hit home with other people.

I recently learned the secret, and it can be summarized in one word: Really?

My friends know that I can talk. I mean, I can talk! Get me on the phone and Im likely to tell you all about my day, from my breakfast to my editors latest comments to my insomnia. I dont inflict my tendency toward verbosity on everyone, but at least a few trusted souls get to bear the brunt of my solitary lifestyle and my need to dish.

Their reactions tell me whether or not I have the material for a marketable personal essay.

My all-time best-selling essay is a simple story about a boy who won a stuffed animal for his little sister in a crane machine. When I saw it happen, I was so touched I almost cried. When I retold it to my mom, the tears welled up again. I got to the climactic momentAnd then he bent down and gave the stuffed animal to his little sister and kissed her on the foreheadand my mom asked, Really? Thats so sweet!

Bing. Really? translates to Thats a great story.

When I tell mom about the new toy I bought for my cat, she never asks, Really? She doesnt press me for details. She probably cant wait for me to shut up so she can hang up the phone and do something productive that doesnt involve listening to my escapades with my cat. But when Ive hit on something that might actually warrant an article, her reaction wont be a simple Mmm-hmm, or Thats great. Itll be a question, or a plea to share more.

The reactions to listen for, in addition to Really? are:

Then what happened?
What did you do?
How did you (/he/she) react?
Tell me more!
Thats amazing!
Thats so cool!

A few weeks ago, I was talking to Jamie Blyth (Im helping to write his book, Fear Is No Longer My Reality) about how far Ive come in beating my anxiety disorder. One of the things I mentioned was that I used to have an obsessive-compulsive disorder related to food. He wanted to know more. I explained that I went through a two-year phase where I ate nothing but canned foods and other food with really long shelf lives.

Really? he asked.

Oh. I hadnt thought about that phase of mine in quite some time, and had forgotten that it might be intriguing to people whove never experienced OCD. OCD as an overall topic has been done many times, but this detailthe canned foods and my almost deadly diethasnt. It doesnt belong in a how-to article. It works because of the telling, because of the personal nature of the story. And as I sat down to write it, a beautifully marketable essay formed almost effortlessly.

Think about what details of your story set it apart from similar stories. Countless essays have been written about alcoholism, eating disorders, miscarriage, drug abuse, abusive marriages, finding God, giving birth... that doesnt mean you cant tell your story. You just have to find a unique angle, a new way of telling it, a nugget that people will remember.

The same effortless type of story formed when I told people how Anthony and I bought our house. We fell so in love with it that we kept coming to visit and take pictureswe would sit on the other side of the lake, facing the owners backyard, and just hug and dream of what it would be like to live there.

When it came time to make an offer, we were immediately outbid by thousands of dollars and couldnt match the price. We went to say goodbye to the owners, and they told the Realtor to take it off the marketwe were the people they wanted to live in the home theyd loved for 40 years. They had seen us from their back window all the times we came to admire the house from afar, and they knew we would appreciate the gardens, the greenhouse, the lake. So they took a loss of thousands of dollars because they wanted us to live our dream.

Quick, what was your reaction to that story? I hope it was Thats amazing!, because thats the reaction I got from nearly everyone who heard the story. Within a couple of weeks of moving in, I sold the essay to A Cup of Comfort and sent the anthology to the previous owners of the house.

If someones eyes light up when you tell a story, chances are excellent that theres a market for it. If one person finds it interesting, inspiring, hilarious, or moving, others likely will, too.

Consider your friends and family your test audience. Test out your experiences on them. If they dont press you for more details, either the story isnt there, or you need a more compelling way to tell it.

You can also test by e-mail; send a few friends a note about a recent experience of yours and see how many of them react to it. Note, too, how quickly they react. If they respond right after reading it, their interest levels are probably high. If they respond a week later and mention, By the way, that was a nice story, it likely didnt pass the test.

Personal experiences dont need to be earth-shattering to be worthy of print. They just need to be interesting, insightful, and emotion-provoking in almost any sense of the word. Your story may make someone happy, mad, upset, horrified, shocked... as long as you can elicit a strong emotion, you can draw readers. And editors like writers who can draw readers.

Go forth and share your experiences. Personal essays are wonderful gifts to share with the world. Really!

About The Author

Jenna Glatzer is the editor-in-chief of Absolute Write (www.absolutewrite.com). She has written for hundreds of national and online magazines, and her latest book is MAKE A REAL LIVING AS A FREELANCE WRITER, which you can find at www.absolutewrite.com. Find out how to get a FREE editors' cheat sheet with this book!

no-contract cleaning service Des Plaines ..

In The News:

A 2025 data breach at fintech company 700Credit exposes personal information of more than 5.8 million people through compromised third-party integration partner.

Retailers lose $76.5 billion annually to return fraud as nearly 10% of U.S. retail returns involve fraudulent activity, with $850 billion in returns expected in 2025.

ShinyHunters claims responsibility for stealing 94GB of Pornhub user data affecting over 200 million records and demands Bitcoin ransom.

ChatGPT 2025 now connects to Apple Music, Canva, Expedia, TripAdvisor and OpenTable through built-in apps that help users create playlists, design graphics and more.

Apple releases emergency patches for two zero-day vulnerabilities actively exploited in attacks. iPhone and iPad users urged to update immediately.

DoorDash launches Zesty, an AI-powered social app that recommends restaurants through conversational search, now testing in San Francisco and New York.

Cybersecurity firm Infoblox reveals that over 90 percent of parked domains now redirect visitors to scams and malware, making simple typos extremely dangerous.

The Fox News AI Newsletter covers the latest artificial intelligence technology advancements, including the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

GPT-5.2 is now live for all ChatGPT users with improved coding, writing and image interpretation, with Kurt Knutsson offering his review.

New iPhone replacement scam uses pressure tactics and fake carrier calls to steal devices from buyers. Criminals claim shipping errors and demand urgent returns.

Amazon Ring's new facial recognition feature sparks privacy controversy as Electronic Frontier Foundation critics argue the AI upgrade expands surveillance risks.

New Android banking trojan Sturnus steals credentials, reads encrypted messages and controls devices.

Denmark's 3D-printed student village proves automation builds 36 apartments faster than traditional methods. Skovsporet project shows housing future.

Discover Android's new Sound Notifications feature that alerts you to smoke alarms, doorbells, and baby cries even when wearing headphones.

New SantaStealer malware reportedly threatens holiday shoppers with password theft. This Christmas-themed info-stealer targets browsers and crypto wallets.

The Christmas season brings a surge in Netflix phishing scams targeting shoppers with fake emails. Stacey P received convincing scam but verified account first.

San Francisco Giants invite Jamie Grohsong to throw ceremonial first pitch at Oracle Park after he learned to play baseball with a bionic hand following an injury.

FBI warns cybercriminals are stealing family photos from social media to create fake proof of life images in virtual kidnapping scams targeting victims.

Instagram's new 'Your Algorithm' tool lets you control your Reels feed in real time. The app now gives you power to customize what videos you see.

Major Marquis fintech breach exposes 400,000-plus Americans' data through unpatched SonicWall vulnerability, with Texas hardest hit at 354,000 affected.

Free up iPhone storage fast by clearing large photos and videos from Messages app. Simple steps for iOS users to delete attachments without losing chats.

Scammers are flooding inboxes with fake tracking alerts that mimic real carriers, exploiting the holiday rush to steal logins and personal data.

The Fox News AI Newsletter brings you the latest news on AI technology advancements and the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Texas family reunites with missing 11-year-old cat Grayson after 103 days using Petco Love Lost's AI photo matching technology and community help.

Tired of AI customer service loops? These insider tricks help you escape "frustration AI" and get real human help when you need it most for urgent issues.

The Makings of a Personal Essay, Really

Writing