Overview

Personal writing is writing about your thoughts, feelings, and actions. It can take different forms. A poem is one example of personal writing. Poets use poetic language (such as similes and metaphors) and sound techniques (such as rhyming and rhythmmaking) to express ideas and emotions. Traditional poetry has a regular pattern of rhyme and rhythm. Free verse (as the name implies) does not follow a set plan.

In contrast to the formality of poetry, a journal is a far more casual place to express yourself. You can keep a journal as a daily record of what is happening in your life. You can write anything you wish in your journal because it is private. However, if you want to share your opinions with others, you might write a personal essay.

You can use your journal (a private form of personal writing) to begin the writing process for a personal essay (a public form). You may use your journal as a source for ideas. After you write your thesis statement you can draft your essay. Next you should revise your composition to make your writing clearer and proofread it for errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Then you can make it available for others to read.