This I Believe Essay Tips

1
This I Believe Essay Tips

• You will need powerful lead-ins /hooks to get
  your readers attention.
• Your lead in is the doorway in which you welcome
  the reader to your idea.
• Avoid starting with This I Believe
• Try various strategies that will make an impact
  on your writing.

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Types of Leads-

• Question When was the last time you went
  without a meal?
• Quotation (from someone famous or significant in
  your life)- Be careful, were the last words my
  father said to me each time I left the house.
• Strong statement (that your essay will either
  support or dispute) If you eat enough cabbage,
  youll never get cancer.
• Metaphor The crows in the back garden are the
  small boys in the playground, impressing each
  other with their new-found swear words. These
  crows all belong to the same biker gang. You
  need to know their secret sign to join the club.
• Description (of a person, setting, or
  situation) Michael once mowed the lawns around
  the court halls wearing a frilly apron, high
  heels and nylons, with a pillow stuffed under his
  sweater so he looked pregnant. And it wasnt
  even Halloween.
• (Taken from This I believe educator guide)

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How Do You Support Your Personal Philosophy?

• Here are some simple writing techniques you can
  use to support your personal beliefs
• D-Dialogue- If you cant say something nice,
  dont say anything at all, my mother told me
  throughout my childhood.
• R-Rhetorical Question-When you are eighty years
  old, what will you regret that you didnt do?
• A-Anecdote-a brief tale that narrates an
  interesting or amusing incident-they are based on
  real life stories.
• P-Personal Experience
• E-Example
• S-Statistic
• (Taken from This I Believe educator guide)

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Tips to Add Audience Appeal to your Essay

• Be sure your essay is about something you truly
  care about or believe enough to elaborate and be
  passionate about.
• While the idea of the essay is personal, make the
  context big enough so that your reader can find
  parallels between your experience and theirs.
  Give the reader a A ha! moment. An effective
  writer must draw in the audience to show a more
  universal implication of that personal belief.
• If you write about a personal occurrence, put
  your idea into a context that gives the reader
  insight to both the small moment and wider
  perspective. Shift focus. Think of your essay
  as a camera lens.
• Use details to draw the reader in. Be
  specific-show, dont tell. Avoid using abstract
  expressions and phrases, cliches, etc. Make the
  emotions real and immediate by noting specifics
  and details that draw the reader into your
  experience.
• Employ all of the senses to convey your ideas.
• Make sure beyond everything you can do for idea
  development, that the main idea you pose is ONE
  YOU TRULY BELIEVE. You must aim to leave your
  reader feeling clear and satisfied-whether they
  agree with you or not. A brief echo of the
  opening is a satisfying clincher to bring your
  personal essay full circle-DONT SAY-What Im
  trying to say is or What I mean is.
• (Taken from This I Believe Educator guide)

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This I Believe Essays

• This is a very difficult process, but it can make
  you a better writer.
• Some of you may find this considerably
  challenging to go beyond vague generalities go
  beyond the surface look deeper in to yourself.
• These essays should hold deep personal belief at
  the heart of your core being.
• Topics could include your view of a certain issue
  or problem, universal ideas, a motto/credo you
  live by, something or someone who inspires you,
  your definition of something, a philosophy you
  hold, something you learned, something youve
  overcome, ideals about yourself, etc-the sky is
  the limit! Try to avoid trite ideas-say
  something, but make it wonderful!