-Give the essay an interesting title.
-Include a clear thesis statement expressing the point of the story. Because this is a personal essay, the thesis should be written in first person. Do not generalize about everyone else. The thesis statement does not have to be the first sentence, but it must appear in the introduction.
Provide all necessary background information. Tell the story in a logical (such as chronological) order.
-Describe important scenes and people in enough detail using specific nouns, verbs, and modifiers. Be sure to include examples, names, numbers, dates, and appeals to the senses of sight, sound, smell, taste, touch.
-Limit the time period the story covers — one day is best. The story may take place over a period of time, but must not include a period longer than one year.
-Leave out extraneous details.
-Include dialogue where appropriate, punctuating correctly.
-Use transitions, repetition, or parallelism to achieve coherence.
-Include a concluding paragraph that wraps things up.”
-Ensure your essay has at least 5 paragraphs.
