2. Select a behavior of your own that could become addictive: exercising, shopping, using the Internet, etc. Write a personal essay in which you explore the boundaries of your relationship with that behavior.
Essay Checklist:
1. Essay is between 700 and 800 words in length with an engaging and unique title. I will count off for papers that go above the word count.
2. Essay has a clearly identifiable main point that is illustrated by the story.
3. First sentence captures the reader’s attention.
4. Essay in written in past tense throughout, using verbs like “slept” or “ran” rather than switching verb tenses from past to present and back again.
5. Paragraphs follow a logical sequence that guides the reader through the story.
6. Description is detailed and vivid, “showing” and not just “telling” the reader.
Bad: My roommate was clearly incredible.
Better: My roommate was clearly incredible because she woke up every morning at 6:30 and made homemade biscuits and fried eggs, and she brought me breakfast in bed. She also washed all the dirty laundry in the apartment, vacuumed the carpet, and trimmed our dog’s hair, all while working at two jobs and going to college full time.
7. No “you” and “your” in essay. You can edit by selecting Ctrl F on your keyboard and searching for these words. Try to use third person instead.
Bad: It was then that I discovered I was suffering from morning sickness. You know what it’s like when you feel nauseous, and the least little thing can make you sick. Your ankles begin to swell, and all you want to do is eat pickles and ice cream. *Note: About half of my audience should be laughing right now because males do not get morning sickness. Take out the “you” in most cases (except for directions).
8. Proper nouns and names are capitalized: Uncle Bubba or my uncle; Granny Menta or my grandmother.
9. Dialogue is used correctly in the narrative. In our reading example, Cisneros’ father said, “Use this, not these.”
10. Proofread for word choice, changing words that are empty, trite, or cliché.
11. Final draft submitted to Paperrater.com to check for misspellings, grammar and punctuation errors, and plagiarism. Plagiarized essays will earn a zero.
12. Essay is formatted according to MLA style, including a relevant title and the page number inserted correctly (see sample below). All essays should be formatted in this style.
