Begin in Delight

(and tell a memorable story!)

The Common App essay prompts have been released, or re-released as the case may be. (Surprise! Nothing has changed!) For many high school juniors, this fact won’t be greeted with much excitement.

But I’m here to say that just maybe it should be exciting? The truth is, which prompt you choose doesn’t matter much. What matters is you and your story.

When I think about personal narrative, I recall those memorable moments in life: when you befriend a stranger on a commuter train, prompt your grandmother with a photo from when she was young, encourage a teenager who tells you this is stupid but…..or, as we did this past Thanksgiving, listen to two different uncles recall encounters with BigFoot?! Shared stories are entertaining; they also create true connections.

As we take the next step and craft a story into written words, we solidify our relationship with a reader while giving substance and meaning to our own experience. Whether you’re a student tasked with college applications, or an adult who itching to examine your life, a committed approach to personal writing can be the entrance to self-discovery as well as the key to an unforgettable college application.

But how do we open that door?

There is no right way to begin writing. However, I have some ideas! First off, as hard as it may seem, forget about audience. The more we let go of trappings of perceived expectations, the more easily we can access our beliefs, examine fears, sharpen our minds. The best essays often exist at the edge of cringe—so take a break from trying to be nonchalant or impress. Just say the thing, and see what happens.

10 years ago my daughter and I crossed the Peace Bridge in Derry, Northern Ireland

(Sounds like the start of a story?)

What is the “thing” you want to say? To find out, start small. You do NOT need to “hook” or “grab” the reader, you can ease them into your world. You might recall a useful piece of advice, dig into a memory, or simply observe an object that matters to you. Take the opening sentences of Hope Jahren’s memoir, Lab Girl:

There is nothing in the world more perfect than a slide rule. Its burnished aluminum feels cool against your lips, and if you hold it level to the light you can see God’s most perfect right angle in each of its corners.

Through her careful description, we learn so much about the writer: her powers of observation, her love of precision, a belief in God. A well-chosen image can let us into a life, in this case, the slide rule opens a door to where Jahren grew up—her father’s lab at the local community college.

Robert Frost once said that a poem “begins in delight and ends in wisdom.” As with many good pieces of poetry advice, this applies to personal essays, too. Clearly, Jahren is delighted by slide rules! And the whole book that follows—please read it, it’s great— might be seen as an attempt to understand why. Frost also offers this useful advice, “No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise for the writer, no surprise for the reader.” Like poetry, personal essays require openness and some level of risk.

It helps to consider that not everything you write will make it into the final draft. In the first draft of a college application essay, give yourself permission to be rough around the edges: complain, make inside jokes, confess your fears. Some of what you write may be too personal or too vulnerable to submit. That’s part of the process. When you structure and edit your narrative through careful revision, you can take control of your spirited words. You alone decide what you want to share.

Remember your life is not the school you attend, the job you get, or the praise you earn from others. Your life is what you make of it, and your story to tell.

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What’s Coming Up?

Build Your Story, Not a Brand: College Application Essay Kickoff

Saturday, March 28, 11 AM Central Time

In this two-part College Application Essay Kickoff, we’ll discuss how college application essays fit into the overall picture of admissions, and I’ll share some sane and effective strategies for getting them written. Learn more and register here.

Poetry and the Personal Statement

Sunday, April 19th, 11 AM Central Time

I’ll be joining the delightful Irena Smith of The Curmudgeon’s Guide to College Admissions for a special poetry month edition of her monthly Zoom chat.

Fool Hearty: Episode 3, The SUN

For those of you who find yourselves in Austin, TX, mark your calendars for the third installation of a tarot-inspired arts pop up I help host: April 28th, 4 PM at Captain Quacks. Subscribe to Typewriter Tarot for updates!