1. reflective essay
A reflective essay is an exploration of a topic using personal thought and experience. By
using the topic at hand as a springboard, a writer can reflect on world events, personal
history, emotional experience or objective fact. The goal of the reflective essay is
ultimately to weave together reflections in a way that conveys a new thought to the reader.
Ironically, this seemingly flowing essay requires a large amount of planning and structure
during preparation.
How to write a reflective essay:
1
Create your opening paragraph. Just like other forms of essays, your opening paragraph
must be strong. Paint a picture to create a "hook" so that the reader becomes engaged. You
can tell a brief story or weave together various facts with the same theme. End with your
thesis sentence, a cohesive springboard for the reflections to come, rather than a single
point that you will prove throughout the essay.
2
Make a "mind map" on a separate sheet of paper. Draw a circle with your topic written in the
center and draw lines around it, extending out. At each point, create categories such as
"experiences," "facts" and "world events." Draw circles around those categories, each with
lines extending to further, more specific ideas. Brainstorm which personal experiences you
can disclose in your essay, as well as facts or events you might include. From each specific
idea, map out your thoughts and reactions.
3
Prepare and double-check any nonpersonal facts you will be using. The credibility of your
essay will depend not only on the voice you develop as an author but also on the veracity of
your facts or the historic events you recount.
4
Create an outline from your mind map. Select your strongest experiences and points and
group them into paragraphs. Order the paragraphs in a logical way, focusing on the
reflections the reader should absorb to follow the evolution of your thought. For instance,
if you are writing about grief, you would want a paragraph dealing with reactions to death to
precede one that centers on coping mechanisms.
5
Include specific personal experiences. Any experiences you recount should be brief, but
make sure they are unique and concrete. Focus your memories to a short incident or
experience, rather than leaning on vagary. For instance, in an essay about personal conflict,
talk about a specific heated exchange with your father, rather than the fact you simply
"fight a lot."
6
Write your essay using your outline as a guide. As you write, focus on vivid, honest language.
Weave your points and experiences together in cohesive paragraphs. Keep one point or
experience and its reflections to a single paragraph.
7

2. Set aside your work and review it after a break. Smooth out your transitions between
paragraphs. One of the hardest parts of a reflective essay is to keep the reader tracking
with your mental or emotional journey. Ask yourself how the reader would feel with all of
this new information, and try to accommodate the uninitiated. Add explanation where
necessary. Eliminate redundant sentences or paragraphs.
8
Broaden your point into a universal truth. After you have written your essay, write your
conclusion. In the first sentence of your last paragraph, sum up what you have written so
far. Your final goal in the rest of your closing paragraph is to push your essay one step
further, toward a universal truth that applies to the topic at hand. Ask yourself some of
these questions as you conclude your essay: What did you learn through these realizations
and experiences? What action should an individual facing these issues take next? How can
you reconcile your experience with the rest of the world?
9
Edit your work. When you think your essay is short enough, edit some more. First drafts of
reflective essays are prone to rambling. Ensure your transitions are easy to follow and
smooth, and that your points are salient. Seek to eliminate any excess phrasing. Ask friends
to review your essay and to point out any awkward or confusing passages so you can fix
them.