Writing Personal Essays: How to Shape Your Life Experiences for the Page [Paperback]

Sheila Bender (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2002 | ISBN-10: 1582971781 | ISBN-13: 978-1582971780

Bender helps writers get under the skin of their memories, discover what they really mean, and tell the truths of their lives in essays.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Sometimes it is difficult to face the truth. It is even worse to write it down. Fortunately, this book shows how to interpret life's powerful memories, overcome the fear of placing private truths before an audience, and, finally, form those experiences into personal essays. Bender uses classroom-tested methods to help professional and amateur authors master eight classic essay structures, including description, definition, narration, and persuasion. In textbook format, each chapter begins with a student's first draft. Then Bender assigns a writing prompt called a "write question" followed by suggestions for modeling poetry, clustering, or timed "freewrites." Writers are encouraged to respond in three ways to their own first drafts: by repeating memorable phrases, reporting what feelings are evoked, and determining what else needs to be told. A final student draft is provided and critiqued to show readers how another writer worked through the same problems they are experiencing. Anyone wanting to submit work for publication will find helpful hints in the final chapter. This is a thoughtful, thorough book in a somewhat neglected genre. Bender's creative, yet practical methods would serve potential E. B. Whites equally well in the classroom, with a writing group, or at the kitchen table. Patricia Hassler --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 260 pages
• Publisher: Writer's Digest Books (January 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582971781
• ISBN-13: 978-1582971780
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,436,803 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

After publishing many books on writing for a variety of publishers, I decided to launch Writing It Real, an online magazine for those who write from personal experience.

I have been publishing the magazine weekly since October, 2001, as well as facilitating others' writing in online classes, phone and email consults, and manuscript evaluations through WritingItReal.com. I also offer help through alliances with IAJW.org and Writers.com and through in-person seminars across the US. Most recently, I've enjoyed teaching for the Whidbey Island Writers' Conference, the Field's End Writer's Conference, the Write on the Sound Conference, Centrum Foundation's Writer's Conference, and the annual Writing It Real conference I do with Meg Files and Jack Heffron. I offer in-person classes regularly at Hugo House in Seattle and The Writers' Workhoppe in Port Townsend, WA as well as at libraries in the area.

In addition to the instructional books I write, I have a memoir out, A New Theology: Turning to Poetry in a Time of Grief. It took seven years to write about the five months following the death of my son in a snow boarding accident. I can think of no better way to heal while grieving than by reading poems and personal essays and stories by others who have suffered similar losses. When we have lost someone dear to us, we must live our lives double, for them and for us, to honor them. Writing toward discovery, as we do in writing poems and memoir, helps us live in this way and brings us energy.

I received my Master's Degree from the University of Washington where I studied with David Wagoner, William Matthews, Stephen Dunn, Stanley Plumly, Colleen McElroy and many other fine poets. I went on to also master the art of prose, and I enjoy each instructional book and article I write as I am constantly learning and sharing that learning with others is a passion. I hope you'll visit my website at www.writingitreal.com as well as my facebook fan pages on which I publish inspirational and informative writing messages as well as publication information: www.facebook.com/writingitreal and www.facebook/anewtheology.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Especially Useful for Critiquing Your Writing, July 21, 2000

By 

C. M. Dempsey "avid reader" (Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Writing Personal Essays: How to Shape Your Life Experiences for the Page (Hardcover)

The author walks the reader through 8 basic types of essays, and provides writing exercises for each of those types. Where this book is most helpful, however, is in the critiquing of the essays written by one of the author's students. Ms. Bender shows you her process of critique in the samples of the student's first draft and second draft.

First, she singles out those "velcro words" (the nouns and phrases in the first draft essay that stick with her) -- and she encourages you to take your own note of your "velcro words". She then walks through her feelings as she reads the essay -- where she is intrigued, for example, or confused by the images the student uses. Finally, she shares this information with the student so that the student can choose to elaborate or minimize certain parts of the essay in a second draft, thus producing tighter writing and more polished images.

I find Bender's process of critique quite useful and relatively painless.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars For all beginner writers., January 3, 2007

By 

C. A. Schneiter (Largo, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Writing Personal Essays: How to Shape Your Life Experiences for the Page (Hardcover)

I have always wanted to learn how to write essays and this book is very good as a foundation type of book for essay writing. I recommend it highly.