How to Write An Autobiographical Essay

An autobiographical essay is the story of your life.

An autobiographical essay, also called a personal narrative, is often a requirement when applying for college scholarships or for admittance into the school of your choice. Your essay, when written effectively, will give the reader an insight into your personality and highlight an aspect of your life that would otherwise remain hidden. The typical autobiographical essay is between 1,000 and 3,000 words in length, although your situation may require a shorter or longer one. Spend some time choosing your theme and creating an outline before you begin to write.

Instructions

1. Decide upon the theme of your autobiographical essay. Although this is about your life, it is not a chronology from your birth to the present, documenting your every step. Instead, your essay should follow a theme that illustrates an aspect of your personality. Think of the one thing you would most like the reader to know about you that is not apparent from your records. This is your theme.

2. Create an outline surrounding your theme. For instance, if you choose to write about your travels and how they changed your core values, begin your outline with an opening that introduces the reader to the subject. From there, break down the events you want to include in chronological order, using only those that add perspective to your theme. If some of your travels were uneventful, leave them out.

3. Write a rough draft, expanding upon your outline in a way that explains how the events formed your current mindset. It's important to remember you're not writing an encyclopedia entry; you must include the human side of the story. An effective way to do this is to explain how you started out with one mindset but the events caused you to reassess your values.

4. Use descriptive words and terms to allow the reader to "feel" the setting and the emotions as you experienced them. Although most autobiographical essays are written in first person, avoid starting every sentence with the word, "I." For example, instead of writing, "I could tell that he was happy to see me," try writing, "He smiled and hugged me when we met."

5. Re-read your narrative and revise any sentences that don't flow easily. When you're in competition for a scholarship, your autobiographical essay must shine and leave a positive impression on the reader. Cut out anything that does not add to your story. Go through your essay, one sentence at a time and ask yourself, "Does this sentence add to my story?" If it doesn't, delete it.

6. Use your spell checker and correct all grammatical errors before printing your essay. Include your name, address and telephone number in the upper right hand corner of every page and number the pages. If you don't have a spell checker or a thesaurus, you can find one online. (See Resources)

7. Give your essay a title that entices the reader to keep reading. If you are writing about the lessons learned when a parent dies, a title such as "The Day my Dad Died," isn't as intriguing as, "Living my Father's Legacy."

Tips & Warnings

• Be yourself in your essay. An autobiographical essay isn't about impressing the readers with how much money your parents make or what prestigious clubs you frequent. It's about expressing the kind of person you are today and how events in your life shaped your value system.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Read this Article in Spanish
• Spellchecker.net: Online Spell Checker and Thesaurus