Writing Articles from Personal Experience
By Rita Milios
When I first began my professional writing career, I had the same goals as many other writers, amateur or pro. I wanted my work to be read by thousands of people in some of the nation's largest and most popular magazines. And after just four short years, I reached that goal. How could a novice writer achieve such dramatic results in a short period? I found that doors opened widest to me when I submitted one particular type of magazine article--the personal experience piece.
Many of the personal experience articles I wrote in the early part of my career were what I call "emotional stories." Magazines are always looking for emotion, for real life experiences that can inspire or encourage their readers. By filling this need, I was able to quickly establish a successful writing career. Within the first four years, my personal experience articles were published in such magazines as Reader's Digest, McCall's, Lady's Circle and Woman's World.
The potential of such personal experience articles lies not in the nature of the personal experience itself, but in the ability of the writer to turn any experience into an interesting, instructive, moving piece. "Slice-of-life" essays that reflect human nature are sought by many magazines, large or small; and the personal experience piece, because it requires no research, is one of the easiest articles to write.
Here are a few basic steps that I follow when writing personal experience articles, with good results:
STEP 1) Begin your article at a dramatic point.
A good way to hook your reader is with a dramatic lead that appeals to his or her emotions. However, I do not always begin with the most dramatic event. Instead, I start with the one that has true dramatic value and at the same time can provide a good lead into the rest of the article. Often this involves a flashback to fill in pertinent details. But once the flashback has been completed, my piece flows on in a steady forward progression to the end. For example, I began "Our Bond of Love," which sold to Lady's Circle, with my thoughts as I lay in a hospital bed receiving news of my desperately ill newborn son.
The doctor entered the room quietly, cautiously. His eyes held a look of concern and dread that betrayed his calm.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Milios," he said gently. "I'm afraid I bring more bad news."
No! Stop! my mind cried. I don't want to hear it. I can't take any more. Please, why can't you keep it from me? I can't change anything, and it hurts too much to know the truth. Why can't you just lie to me? But I couldn't say that. "What is it?" I asked in a wooden voice.
Clearly, there is a crisis here, and the reader is hooked with both empathy and curiosity. What is the bad news? How will it affect the narrator? What will happen next? Once I had captured my reader's attention, I used a flashback to tell how I got into this situation and what possibilities lay ahead.
STEP 2) Convey your thoughts and emotions.
Since personal experience articles involve emotion and are written in the first person, if you're afraid to show your feelings, this type of writing might not be for you. But strong emotions elicit strong reactions. You have to try to relive the emotion of the experience, to create a scene that rings true and seems real. By recreating the scene complete with thoughts and emotions you can make your reader experience it, vicariously sharing with you all the intensity, insight, and understanding that the experience brings. And by sharing some of your "bad" feelings, you can create a bond with your readers and give them an unexpected "gift," helping them face negative emotions they may have repressed.
On several occasions, friends who have read "Our Bond of Love" have told me, "I had those same feelings and I felt so guilty," or, "Reading your story made me understand that those feelings are normal, that they're O.K."
STEP 3) Choose an experience that readers can relate to.
Not every reader has experienced a flood or a fire or catastrophe similar to the one your are writing about. Yet, most readers relate to these kinds of articles because of the emotion and the insights and understanding the piece provides. Readers look to the problems of others to find solution to their own problems of others to find solutions to their own problems. And every reader has at some time faced fear, love, anger, and some kind of "life's-not-fair" situation.
But what about the lucky writer who has lived a relatively normal life? What personal experiences or everyday events can he or she successfully turn into articles? These can be as effective as a dramatic piece in eliciting a response from your reader. Most readers appreciate a simple anecdote about everyday life that uplifts or inspires them. In "Blackberry Pickin' Time," I used vivid descriptions to create a feeling of nostalgia in an anecdotal article for Yesteryear Magazine:
I remember the day Mama dragged the old coal buckets down from the attic. They were black with soot and laced with cobwebs, for they hadn?t been used since we moved into the new house with the modern oil-burning furnace. But we scrubbed those buckets till they shined.
"We're goin' blackberry pickin'," Mama said.
Religious magazines often buy inspirational first-person anecdotes. "The Day God Rode the Bus," which sold to Aspire, was the story of a simple kindness from a stranger that had far-reaching effects.
"What can I ever do to repay you?" I asked the boy, certain that anything I could do would be inadequate.
He said, "Simply help someone else when they need you."
Normal, everyday experiences often provide the best insight to human nature. And it is these insights that editors and readers are looking for.
STEP 4) Share with the reader the insights and lessons you have learned.
Every crisis, every experience teaches you something about life. What insights or lessons did your experience give you that you can share with your readers to help them face and resolve a similar problem or to understand themselves better? Don't be afraid to spell it out.
My article, "What Did I Teach My Child Today?" written for Living with Preschoolers, is about setting good examples. All parents know that they should set a good example for their children, but how many of us realize the full extent to which our actions are mimicked?
My children, little sponges that they are, soaked up everything that I said or did.
And how many fully realize the responsibilities of parenthood until it is too late?
I suddenly realized that when I took on the job of parent, I also assumed the job of being a full-time adult, even though there are times when I don't feel big or strong or smart at all.
Sharing insights such as these bring reader and writer closer together, and add "significance" to your article.
STEP 5) Marketing the personal experience article.
You've finished your article, but can you sell it? Who will buy it? Almost any general interest, women's, or religious magazine, if you have written the article well. Is the emotion real? Can your reader relate to the feelings? Are they universal? Have you shared the lessons that you learned? If so, you are ready to choose the most suitable market for your story.
Go through the market listings and watch for such phrases as these: ". . . seeking meaningful stories of personal experience: (McCall's); ". . . looking for articles that give practical examples from real life" (Christian Home & School); ". . . want personal narratives that are true and have some universal relevance" (Guideposts).
A knowledge of individual magazine styles is important. For instance, I know that Reader's Digest likes narrow escapes; Woman's Day likes everyday situations with good insights and problem-solving techniques. Redbook likes "Young Mother's Stories," and McCall's often looks for medical miracles. Religious magazines like articles that inspire or uplift. The same experience might have to be written differently for each of these markets to fit in with the editorial style of the particular magazine. Gearing each personal experience article to the proper market requires careful study of each magazine, but it pays off. Good marketing skills mean fewer rejections.
Finally, when querying an editor about a particular personal experience article, make special note of its significance for the readers. Will your piece inspire them? Give them courage? Will it make them feel better to know that they are not alone in their feelings? Will it help them? If so, how?
When writing your personal experience article, make it real. Do your best to move your reader, inspire him; make him cry. Make you story live.
(This article first appeared in The Writer in 1983. I received a nice personal letter from the editor telling me that she had received many positive responses from readers about it. The article was subsequently reprinted in the Writer's Handbook, 1984 edition. Some of the magazines mentioned in the article are no longer in publication, but the information about the craft of writing personal experience essays is as pertinent as ever.)
Rita Milios is a freelance writer, educational consultant and psychotherapist. She is author of more than two dozen books for adults and children. She speaks at schools and writing conferences around the country on topics of creativity, self-growth, writing and publishing. Visit her website at www.RitaMilios.com
