Personal Essays / 6 posts found
What Is a Lyric Essay in Writing?
I saved the lyric essay for April, because April is poetry month, and the lyric essay is a little more on the poetic and experimental side of creative nonfiction writing. In fact, most places that talk about the lyric essay reference poetry. Does that mean only poets can write the lyric essay? Well, that’s one of the topics we’ll address here. (What Is a Personal Essay in Writing?) In this post, we’re going to look at what a lyric essay is, including what makes it different from other types of essays and when writers may prefer to use this style. […]
How to Write Compelling Personal Essays: 9 Ingredients for Spicing Up Your Writing
“What’s so special about you?” It sounds like a playground taunt. But if you want to write personal essays, it’s the most important question you can ask yourself. When you describe some special moment in your life, no matter how small, it should resonate with others, and in doing so, move them. That’s the writer’s payoff, and the reason most of us spend so many hours at our keyboards. (What Is a Personal Reportage Essay in Writing?) Every day, in person, we tell our stories to friends and co-workers in part to get a reaction from them. Like trying to […]
What Is a Personal Reportage Essay in Writing?
Many writers are probably familiar with how journalistic reporting reads, very fact-based with the 5 Ws and 1 H to go along with an inverted pyramid style of placing the most essential information at the top followed by other pieces of information in descending order of importance. Many writers also have a good idea of what a personal essay is. (What Is a Personal Essay in Writing?) In this post, we’re going to look at what a personal reportage essay is, including what makes it different from other types of essays and when writers may prefer to use this style. […]
Brevity: Market Spotlight
Brevity: A Journal of Concise Literary Nonfiction publishes excellent flash nonfiction. That means, Brevity publishes nonfiction essays of 750 words or fewer. And Brevity has been doing so for more than 20 years. The current editor-in-chief is Dinty W. Moore. (Lee Gutkind: The Godfather Behind Creative Nonfiction.) The editors say, “Though still committed to the mission of publishing new writers, Brevity has been fortunate over the years to include the work of three Pulitzer prize finalists, numerous NEA fellows, Pushcart winners, Best American authors, and writers from India, Egypt, Ireland, Spain, Malaysia, and Japan. … Work from Brevity has been […]
What Is a Braided Essay in Writing?
It’s been a while since we’ve looked at a new essay form, so let’s took a look at what a braided essay is, including what makes it different from other types of essays, including the hermit crab essay, graphic essay, and fragmented essay. (What Is a Personal Essay in Writing?) I think you’ll find the braided essay can be fun, even if the narrative structure can be a challenge for both the writer and reader alike. What Is a Braided Essay in Writing? A braided essay is basically like braided hair in that it weaves multiple threads together to make […]
Tracey Michae’l Lewis-Giggetts: On Intentional Expressions of Black Joy
Tracey Michae’l Lewis-Giggetts is the author of 18 books, and the host of the podcast HeARTtalk with Tracey Michae’l. Her writing has appeared in a variety of publications, including The Washington Post, Essence, Oprah Daily, and more. Find her on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Tracey Michae’l Lewis-Giggetts Photo by MaKayla Simone In this post, Tracey discusses how exploring personal joy led her to write her new essay collection, Black Joy, how the writing process for this changed how she’ll approach future projects, and more! Name: Tracey Michae’l Lewis-GiggettsLiterary agent: Cait HoytBook title: Black JoyPublisher: Gallery BooksExpected release date: February 1, […]