How to Write a First Person Essay

Academic Writing

10 min read

How to Write a First Person Essay

Explore what makes personal essays comprehensive and how first-person writing connects with readers.

Written by

Kateryna B.

Published on

Jul 22, 2025

Table of contents

First-Person Essay Basics
How to Write an Essay in First Person: 5 Steps
First-Person Essay - Key Aspects
First-Person Essay Example
Conclusion

Table of contents

First-Person Essay Basics
How to Write an Essay in First Person: 5 Steps
First-Person Essay - Key Aspects
First-Person Essay Example
Conclusion

Stay Informed

Get the inside scoop with our latest news!

A first-person essay is a type of personal essay designed for you to share your story using your own voice. Whether you’re sharing a powerful memory, a life lesson, or a meaningful moment, this essay style helps you connect with readers on a deeper level.

We will cover everything you need to know. How to choose the right topic, steps to follow after. You’ll also discover how StudyPro tools can support your writing process. Here’s what we’ll cover:

What makes first-person essays unique?;
5 essential writing steps;
Practical tips and examples;
Tools to enhance your writing.

First-Person Essay Basics

We can describe a first person essay as a type of academic or creative writing where the author is sharing or talking about their own experiences, thoughts, and reflections using preferred pronouns like 'I' and 'we.'

How can we recognize this type of essay? So, unlike analytical or third-person essays, first-person essays are personal essays. They allow writers to connect with readers through real-life examples and reflect emotions using storytelling methods. The tone is often conversational and expressive, making the writing feel more relatable and human. This style is ideal for reflective pieces, personal narratives, or response papers. If you’re wondering how to write an essay, the first step is to start using the first-person perspective.

First-Person vs Third-Person Essay

First-Person Essay	Third-Person Essay
Use pronouns ‘I’ or ‘we’	Use pronouns ‘he’, ‘she’, ‘it’, ‘they’
Expresses a subjective point of view	Expresses an external point of view
Less formal writing style	More formal writing style
Used for personal essays, blog posts, college applications, creative essays	Used for argumentative essays, news reports, scientific articles

What Makes First-Person Essays Different

Use of 'I' and 'we' to convey personal perspective;
Conversational and informal tone;
Inclusion of personal stories and emotions;
Encourages reader audience engagement and empathy;
Suitable for reflective or narrative assignments;
Offers insight into the writer’s individual experience;
Allows for emotional depth and honesty.

How to Write an Essay in First Person: 5 Steps

How to write a good essay using first-person phrases and structure? Basically, you need to follow these steps: choosing a topic, defining tone and voice, creating an outline, writing your draft, and editing effectively.

Step 1 - Choose Your Topic

When you decide how to start a first person essay, your number one task is to choose the topic. Our advice is to select something that interests you and present your personal reflection. A strong topic gives you space to share meaningful experiences, emotions, or opinions. Whether the tone is humorous, serious, or insightful, aim for something authentic that allows you to connect with the reader. Your subject could be about childhood memory, learnt lessons, life challenges, a memorable experience, or your funny story.

Step 2 - Define Your Tone & Voice

Breaking point for any personal essay is to choose the right tone and voice. They reflect your unique research, personality, and perspective, hence, the tone should align with the essay’s purpose: it might be reflective, persuasive, humorous, or informative, depending on what you’re trying to achieve. Finding the right voice adds depth and helps readers connect with your story. A personal tone makes your essay more memorable and impactful. Always think about your intention and audience when writing. Before you start working on your essay, check this list of questions:

Is my tone appropriate for the essay's purpose?
How does my tone sound?
Do I keep the same tone throughout the essay?
Does my essay include interesting facts to keep the reader interested?
Do my personal stories express coherently?
Can the essay reflect only my personal thoughts and ideas?

Step 3 - Create an Outline

Our next step to follow is to create an outline in order to write a persuasive 1st person essay. Why? It is significant as it provides a comprehensive essay structure and helps organize ideas before drafting. Without planning, it's so easy to lose your idea, and your essay can become very chaotic, unlike the third person essays. An outline helps ensure the essay flows logically, stays focused on its purpose, and keeps the reader engaged. Students can create a well-balanced essay communicating their message by mapping out the story, key points, characters, and emotional highs or lows.

Questions to help structure your outline:

What is the purpose of the essay?
Is the purpose stated clearly?
Is the purpose statement placed in the introduction part?
Do I have the gist of my essay?
Have I included the details of the story in the logical order?
Have I combined key arguments and my personal experience stories correctly?
Do I have the introduction and conclusion parts?

Step 4 - Prepare the First Draft

So we have an outline and logically, the next step is to start writing the first person essay. Or in other words, to prepare the first draft. It will serve you as a framework for organizing your ideas and making thoughtful revisions. Drafting allows students to explore their story, feeling free to experiment or make mistakes. This step is also essential for identifying gaps, refining tone, and improving clarity. Please remember to try to keep your essay structured, connected to the main idea, provide examples, and use the same tone from beginning to end.

Guidelines for writing your draft:

Choose the main idea of the essay;
Keep the idea from the beginning to the end;
Choose the structure of the essay and follow it;
Check if you’ve included your personal experiences and stories;
Before submitting your essay, take a break and reread with a fresh perspective;
Take a moment to reflect on how readers would react to your story.

Step 5 - Edit Your Draft

Without editing your draft, you can't submit your first-person essay. We advise reviewing your work with a fresh perspective. This means checking if all ideas are fully developed, personal experiences are expressive, and the voice remains consistently in first person. Rephrase awkward or passive sentences to improve flow and engagement. Once again the as a rule of thumb please use a reliable grammar checker to catch overlooked errors and improve sentence clarity. Don’t forget to assess whether your writing evokes emotion and connects with the reader.

For deeper refinement, consider StudyPro tools to paraphrase, check for AI-generated text, or detect plagiarism, especially helpful when preparing your final submission.

First-Person Essay - Key Aspects

So if we combine all mentioned above, it’s right to say that when you are writing a first-person essay, it’s a must to combine personal reflection with clarity and structure. This type of essay allows students to express their experiences, emotions, and perspectives using ‘I’ statements, making the content more relatable and authentic.

However, staying focused, maintaining coherence, and aligning tone with purpose are crucial. A successful first-person essay requires more than just storytelling, it involves self-awareness, critical thinking, and meaningful insight. Please remember that you should avoid rambling, clichés, or off-topic tangents, and instead aim to engage the reader with well-structured content that reflects a deeper understanding of the topic.

First-Person Essay: Do’s and Don’ts

Do’s	Don’ts
Clear personal experiences and reflections	Off-topic or irrelevant stories
Consistent tone and voice	Overly formal or impersonal language
Logical essay structure (introduction, body, conclusion)	Disorganized structure
Descriptive details	Generic descriptions
Proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation	Slang, clichés, or overly casual expressions

First-Person Essay Example

Here is the top-notch example of the first-person essay written using all the steps discussed in the article.

The Hardest Decision of My Life

At 17, I stood at a crossroads that felt impossibly wide. Like many teenagers, I was expected to choose a path that would define my future: what to study, where to go, and who I wanted to become. But how did anyone know all that at 17?

I had always loved communication. I imagined myself as a journalist, asking questions, uncovering stories, sharing truths. Journalism excited me, but deep down, I wondered if it was just a phase. Could I really build a stable life doing what I loved? Would there even be jobs for me? These were not abstract questions. They were the kind that kept me up at night.

When I received a scholarship offer to study journalism, I was thrilled. Then I realized it came with a cost I could not pay. The university was in another city, and I could not afford the dormitory. That dream quickly felt like a luxury I could not reach.

So I made a different choice. I enrolled in a university closer to home, where I could commute and feel safer. I chose records management and English translation. Not because they thrilled me, but because they felt secure and useful. I did not make this decision alone. My family helped. My logic helped. I was only 17, and that mattered. Moving to a new city at that age, without support, was too much.

Looking back now, I do not regret the choice. Today, I write articles in English. I use my language skills every day. I have created a career that still lets me communicate and tell stories, even if I did not study journalism officially. Life has a way of circling back.

But I do believe 17 is too young to make such life-defining choices. The pressure to know who you are and what you want at that age is overwhelming. I am grateful that the world is changing. Today, it is more accepted to switch fields, to explore, to start over. Back then, that flexibility did not exist. You had one shot, and you were expected to stick to it.

My hardest decision was not just about university. It was about choosing between passion and practicality, between a dream and a stable path. And though it was not easy, I know now that doing the best I could with what I had and where I was, was the right decision after all.

Conclusion

To conclude our guide it’s fair to say that mastering the first-person essay is about more than just telling a story, but more about crafting a personal narrative that’s engaging, reflective, and structured. From choosing a meaningful topic to editing with intention, each step contributes to clarity and emotional resonance.

Using a platform like StudyPro for grammar checks, AI detection, and paraphrasing ensures your writing remains original and polished. Whether you’re writing for academic, application, or creative purposes, applying these principles helps your voice stand out.

Let's Get Started?

Don't miss your opportunity to start changing the writing game with StudyPro.

Get started now!

Frequently asked questions

To write a strong introduction for first-person essays, start by clearly stating the personal experience or perspective you’ll explore. You can do this by using active voice, first person pronouns, personal examples. You should try to achieve making emotional appeal using your unique writing style. Also, use a hook, such as a question, vivid description, or powerful statement, to draw readers in.

To write an essay in first person, use 'I' to share your personal experiences, thoughts, or use dialogue form. First-person essays are often narrative or reflective, focusing on a specific event, lesson, or opinion. The idea is to start with an engaging introduction, provide detailed body paragraphs that explore your perspective, and end with a thoughtful conclusion. Maintain a clear structure, use more active voice, rather than passive voice, and create a conversation with your reader to connect emotionally with your readers.

In 1st person essays, avoid being overly casual or using slang that weakens your message. Good advice would also be to try not to overuse 'I', especially at the beginning of the sentence. Writers recommend choosing the course to maintain academic tone when needed, and always structure your ideas clearly and purposefully.

Sources:

Rodger, D. (n.d.). Writing in the First Person: A Guide for Anthropology Students. https://www.adelaide.edu.au/writingcentre/ua/media/36/learningguide-firstpersonwritinganthropology.pdf.
Use the First Person. (n.d.). Student Learning Service, University of Aberdeen. https://www.abdn.ac.uk/medical/humanities/pluginfile.php/72/mod_resource/content/1/Use%20the%20first%20person.pdf.
Using “I”: the first person in academic writing. (n.d.). Writing Handouts | Resources for Faculty| Writing Resources | Brandeis University. https://www.brandeis.edu/writing-program/resources/faculty/handouts/first-person.html.
Knox, K. (n.d.). The first person in academic writing. https://twp.duke.edu/sites/twp.duke.edu/files/file-attachments/first-person.original.pdf.

Academic writing

Creating quality content

Practical tips

Writing improvement

Practical advice