Step-By-Step Guide To Writing A Persuasive Essay On Personal Experience


The persuasive essay on personal experience is often considered to be one of the toughest assignments one will encounter in his or her academic career, this despite the fact that a personal experience can add an enthusiastic or passionate tone on whatever you are trying to persuade the reader into agreement with. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to accomplish this and earn a high grade score in the process:

  • Step 1) Brainstorm Several Interesting Ideas
  • Start by reviewing the assignment prompt and brainstorming several interesting ideas that meet the requirements. You are ultimately trying to persuade your reader to agree with you on a specific issue, but you are trying to do so with a personal experience, so come up with a number of ideas that can be expanded on.

  • Step 2) Make a List of the Best Story Details
  • Once you’ve identified a good personal experience to use in your persuasive essay you need to create a list of the descriptive details. Remember that you are telling a story as well as making an argument. So the more vivid the elements of your essay the more you can make a connection with the reader. You will be limited in the details you use, so make sure to use only the best ones that address the most senses.

  • Step 3) Compose an Outline and a Thesis
  • Take your personal experience notes and create an outline of your best ideas. It’s a great idea to draft a simple thesis to guide the elements of your story and provide a clear sense of direction. Review your outline and make sure you have arranged it in the most effective manner.

  • Step 4) Write the First Essay Draft Quickly
  • According to academic experts, the best approach to writing a first essay draft is to do so quickly. This means you shouldn’t stop to make minor corrections or think too much about getting the words down perfectly. Your main goal should be to get all of your ideas down in one place as efficiently as possible.

  • Step 5) Revise, Edit and Proofread the Essay
  • Set your assignment aside for at least one or two days before you start your revisions. These should be done with a clear mind so that you can better identify content parts that can be improved upon. Then edit for sentence clarity and simple word choice. Your goal is to be concise and direct. Finally, proofread for errors to grammar, spelling, and punctuation.