Seven Secrets to the Perfect Personal Essay - by Nancy Slonim Aronie (Paperback)

About the Book

"A beloved writing teacher and essayist lays out the rules for crafting a remarkable personal essay, the kind that tells a story, moves readers, and reveals insights into the human condition - the kind that artificial intelligence can't write."--

Book Synopsis

Invaluable advice for writing a knockout essay -- for college admissions or self-expression -- that moves readers and reveals insights into the human condition

Everyone has a story, and helping people tell their stories has been Nancy Slonim Aronie's life mission. Building on her acclaimed Memoir as Medicine, this new guide tackles the short personal essay. With warmth and humor, Nancy provides prompts, inspiration, and hard-won wisdom to empower you to write an unforgettable narrative. You'll learn to begin with an irresistible hook ("kill 'em with the first line") and employ compelling direct quotes, drama, vulnerability, universal themes, and self-reflection to get readers into your corner.

Nancy illustrates her advice with remarkable examples of her own and others' essays. You'll read about actor Tony Shalhoub's unlikely canine savior, Kate Taylor's collaboration with Peter Asher and Elton John in the musical crucible of Los Angeles in 1970, Nancy and her beloved husband's adventures in polyamory, and much more.

In a culture increasingly inundated with generic AI-generated text, a well-crafted personal narrative is more important than ever, a declaration of human connection and meaning. Use Nancy's secrets to stand out from the crowd and get your one-of-a-kind story onto the page.

Review Quotes

"Nancy Aronie writes from a large heart and a powerful brain."
-- Robert S. Brustein, theater critic and playwright

"The best writing advice since Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird."
-- Wally Lamb

"Pulsing with passion and pain, heart and hilarity."
-- Geraldine Brooks

"Moving, helpful, inspiring, and tender."
-- Jack Kornfield

"You will laugh, you will probably cry, but I promise you, you will write!"
-- Carly Simon

About the Author

The author of Memoir as Medicine and Writing from the Heart, Nancy Slonim Aronie is the founder of the Chilmark Writing Workshop on Martha's Vineyard, where she lives. She has been a regular contributor to National Public Radio's All Things Considered as well as a columnist for multiple newspapers. She has taught writing at such venues as Kripalu, Omega, Esalen, and Harvard.

ChilmarkWritingWorkshop.com