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A good personal essay has to reflect the individual experiences of the writer. It also has to illustrate his or her views on a specific problem or question. You can write such a paper in high school or in college, and the ability to write such papers can always come in handy. There are several strategies that will help you cope with this assignment.
 
Personal Essay: How to Engage the Reader
 
One of the most important tasks of a student is to attract the reader’s attention. You can do this in several ways:

1. First, students can ask a rhetorical or controversial question that prompts the reader to take a closer look at a topic or question.
2. Secondly, in personal essays, students can use a quotation that fits the topic they want to discuss.
3. Humor is also an excellent strategy for catching the reader’s interest. Yet, you should make sure that it doesn’t distract the person’s attention from the main point of your paper.

 
Personal Essay: Things that You Need to Avoid
 
If you are working on a personal essay, you should avoid several things which can reduce the quality of such a paper:

1. Colloquial phrases and expressions. Certainly, in this case you will need to use a less formal language, but it’s not a very good idea to include words like gonna, or wanna in this paper.
2. There is no need to start a sentence with a phrase like, “You know “. It sounds too informal, and implies that you are on very friendly terms with the reader.
3. You shouldn’t make your paragraphs or sentences too longs. Admittedly, personal essay writing has to be based on the individual style of the person. It leaves room for creativity, but you shouldn’t try to imitate Proust or Joyce. Such imitation is unlikely to produce good results.
4. It is also necessary to avoid terms that the reader might not know very well.

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What is meant by a writing prompt? This is merely a nudge to help you get started writing. Your professor may assign one, or you can use the following twenty writing prompts to help loosen the fetters of your imagination. Such exercises can awaken your creativity and develop your writing skills?
 
Writing prompts: Section 1 – Warming Up

1. Imagine the memoirs of a library book recounting its adventures as it was borrowed by numerous readers.
2. If reincarnation is possible and you could choose, who (or what) would you like to become in your next life?
3. If allowed to affect one law, what legislation would you like to change?
4. Imagine a monologue spoken by your cat (dog, goldfish, any pet, or appliance) discussing the difficulties and problems he or she experiences in daily life.

 
Writing prompts: Section 2 – History

• You are a journalist announcing the end of the Second World War…
• During a tour of ruins thought to be Mayan, you notice a native hiding in the surrounding jungle…
• On board one of Christopher Columbus’ ship, nearly to his first landfall, the crew is ready to turn back. Marshal arguments to encourage them to continue…
• At the end of the Civil War, after manumission, you see a former slaveholder bidding goodbye to his one-time slaves. All of a sudden, one of the formerly enslaved Africans admits that he is grateful to his master because…

 
Writing prompts: Section 3 – Literature and Art

1. Mona Lisa with her unforgettable smile is sitting for her well-known portrait. All of a sudden she stops smiling, becomes serious and says to Leonardo da Vinci…
2. Visiting an ancient tomb in Egypt, you see a strange painting on the wall. Your guide tells you that…
3. Try to tell a story of Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea from the point of view of a fish.
4. Imagine that Romeo and Juliet miraculously survive. Ten years on, at breakfast, their eldest son enters and astonishes his parents with the news…

 
Writing prompts: Section 4 – Technologies

• One day you find a Facebook message from a friend, offering the opportunity to try out a new application providing unprecedented opportunities. You cannot believe your eyes…
• One day at your secret laboratory, the lead scientist rushes in exclaiming, “We were so close to discovering it. It could change the lives of millions of people, but…”
• You live in the future when innovative methods allow learning a foreign language within one night. There is only one problem with this innovative technology…
• Time travel is possible, but only in one direction. Are you up for it, and where and when would you like to go?

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Brainstorming is a method of generating ideas and solutions; it can be of great use to students working on group projects or individual tasks. People who know how to brainstorm possess a terrific tool for developing solutions faster and more efficiently If you have not used brainstorming techniques, check out these tips for your long term success.
 
How to Brainstorm in a Group: Overcoming Your Fear of Others
 
When your professor assigns a group project or assignment, you will inevitably find yourself involved in many discussions and meetings with your team. You will benefit immensely from knowing some brainstorming rules. Here are some that can facilitate the process.

1. Be assertive and unafraid about expressing your views, no matter how unrealistic or inarticulate. Get your ideas out there – they can be refined, discarded, or adopted later. Your first thought could be the best!
2. Encourage every group member to take an active part in the discussion. This makes you look like a leader in the best way. Additionally, everyone’s participation will increase your group’s effectiveness in the long run. Caution: You might even be graded/marked on the degree of involvement of your entire team.
3. If no one volunteers to write down every idea mentioned, do it yourself. Some notions could come in handy later – you can’t determine this initially.
4. Avoid and discourage criticizing or ridiculing anyone’s recommendations. Such criticism may suppress participation and impair your group’s creativity.
5. If the college setting is uncomfortable or meeting physically together is inconvenient, don’t allow this to inhibit your group’s effectiveness. Use Skype or Facebook to share ideas.

 
How to Brainstorm Alone
 
Although brainstorming is often thought of as a group activity, you can also use it for your own individual assignments. Try these strategies:

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What Is a Research Paper? Everything You’ve Ever Wondered about.
 
“It’s your responsibility,” teachers claim.”
“It’s your nightmare,” students moan.”
“It’s great fun!” professionals say.”
 
What is a research paper? Research paper writing can be as addictive as video games- in fact it is a scientific and creative game. With these few tips in your pocket, you’ll create your own splendid paper!
 
What Is a Research Paper? See a Really All-Embracing Definition!
 
There are only 3 things to remember. Follow along here:

• It’s an analysis: E.g. Therefore, it can be concluded
• of a certain topic: E.g. … that Vonnegut drove postmodernism to splendid absurdity
• with reference to authoritative sources: E.g. … as Johnson (2000) says

 
That’s what a research paper is. That’s not painful at all – right?
 
What Is a Research Paper? Design Your Fascinating Papers Easily.
 
Care for a mini-quiz?
 
Place these elements in the correct order: facts, introduction, conclusion, analysis.
 
Done? Now you’ve answered your own question, “What is a research design framework?”
 
There are several approaches to paper design, however. Remember this shell:

“Beginning: Introduction.
All the other stuff
Ending: Conclusion.”

The remaining structure is largely up to you. For instance, you can:

• Tell all the facts and pass on to the analysis;
• Analyze each fact separately and summarize everything in the final chapter.

 
However, you can also introduce your own inimitable design!
 
What Is a Research Paper? Acquiring the Necessary Research Tools
 

“Shovel is for digging.
Pencil is for drawing.
Research tools are for exploring.”

Simple, isn’t it? A research tool is the device that helps you explore your topic. Here are the steps for research tools use:

1. Define the question;
2. Determine its elements;
3. Single out the main ones;
4. Pick the appropriate research tool;
5. Locate, capture, and present in comprehensible form the data the research tool offers.

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Virtually every student has written a persuasive essay at least once. In this kind of paper, the author has to put forward a solid argument about a specific problem or question. The main issue is that some topics are too well-known, and it is difficult to say something new about them. If you are searching for good persuasive essay topics, you might want to read this article.
 
Good Persuasive Topics: Journalism and Mass Media
 
The role of mass media has always been quite controversial and there are plenty of topics that you may discuss:

1. Do private media companies serve the interests of the community or just promote the interest of their owners?
2. Can journalists be unbiased while reporting or evaluating events?
3. Is it necessary to censor movies with explicit violent or sexual content?
4. Should advertising of tobacco products be prohibited? Will this policy reduce smoking in the country?
5. Can Internet completely substitute television and printed media? Can you imagine the world without television?

 
Good Persuasive Topics: the World of Politics and International Relations
 
Politics and international relations also spark heated debate among many people. There are many problems and questions that still remain unresolved. You may pick some of them for your paper, for instance:

1. Should international organizations like UNO intervene into the activities of state governments? In what cases, can such intervention be justified?
2. Is the very idea of international government realistic?
3. War is an inherent part of the world’s history. Can you imagine the world without wars?
4. Is the idea of human rights universal? Does it vary across countries and cultures?
5. Can modern technologies such as Internet help people understand better international relations?

 
Good Persuasive Topics: Political Correctness and Its Influences

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