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Anecdotes Archives | Essay Hell

How to Record Scratch Your College App Essay Stories

by | Aug 24, 2018

                     

How to Background an Anecdote

(Includes 5 writing examples at the bottom!)

If you’ve done your homework on how to write an effective college application essay, you probably know the place to start is with your real-life stories.

The idea is to find moments, incidents and experiences from your past that illustrate a larger point you want to make about yourself in your essay.

Often, the best place to share an engaging mini-story (also called an anecdote) is at the very start of your piece.

The anecdote (mini-story) serves to “hook” or grab your reader’s interest at the start—something you always want in a standout application essay.

However, once you share that little moment, incident or mini-story (anecdote) that you have plucked out of time with little to no introduction, where do you go after that first paragraph or two? (more…)

How to Write Anecdotes: The Story Behind My New Video Tutorial

by | Jun 10, 2015

The Best Way to “Show”
in Your College App Essay

 

When I started as a young reporter at my first newspaper job in Illinois, I was assigned to cover a half dozen small farm towns.

I didn’t think much would happen out there.

But after about a month, there was a gruesome double murder in one of the towns on my beat. (more…)

How to Turn a Real-Life Moment into an Anecdote

by | Aug 19, 2014

 

I confess: I love anecdotes.

These are basically when a writer shares a mini-story about a real-life moment or experience.

Usually, they are plucked out of the past, and presented without much introduction.

Their power is that they draw you into a story, or college application essay, by starting with a punch of drama.

Anecdotes make awesome introductions.

The key is to get as close to the action as possible.

I’ve written tips and advice on how to write anecdotes, but thought I would try to model an example.

They seem so simple when you read them, but they are harder than you might think to craft.

The trick is to practice, and study how other anecdotes are put together.

The most common place to find them is at the start of longer newspaper pieces or magazine stories, or of course, personal (narrative) essays. (more…)

College Application Essay Grabber Trick: Show First!

by | Jun 30, 2014

 

When you write a college application essay, you want to “grab” the attention of your reader from the start.

My favorite writing technique to hook readers is to engage them with an anecdote, which is a real-life moment or incident.

You might have already written your essay, and not noticed that you have one of these magical anecdotes down low.

Chances are you started your essay telling about yourself in your essay, and missed the opportunity to reach out and grab your reader with a real-life anecdote that illustrates your point. (more…)

If your essay starts by relating something that happened, the reader is going to dive right into it and not stop until they are satisfied–until they know what happened.

Read more

Writing Anecdotes: A Crash Course

by | Aug 31, 2013

college application essay

I love anecdotes.

Especially for starting narrative essays for college application essays.

They can take a little practice to compose, but what a deceptively powerful writing tool.

Actually, if you start almost any type of writing with an anecdote–from a college essay to a book report to a press release–your message will instantly rise and shine above other written messages competing for readers’ attention.

They are engaging, accessible and they have a wow factor. Even though you don’t mean to be impressive, people often think you are so creative and accomplished when you wield them. (more…)