Personal Essays
How I Taught Myself to Write in English
Novelist Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau describes what it was like to transition from writing in French (her native language) to publishing her debut YA novel in English.
Writer’s Digest Columns: How to Write a Five-Minute Memoir
Want to write for WD? Here are editor tips on how to submit to one of our most popular columns, 5-Minute Memoir.
Flat on My Back and Writing in My Head: On Writing My Book After a Stroke (and Believing I Was Sherlock Holmes)
Author Timothy Miller explains how his novel came together as he was recovering from a major medical incident—and how dedication to a story can make miracles happen.
Telling Our Family Stories: 4 Reasons Why It’s More Important Than Ever to Write Our Family Narratives
Nonfiction author Mary Beth Sammons explores the questions that cause us to learn more about our ancestries and what we learn about ourselves and each other when we do so.
9 Ways to Crack Into Major Markets With Personal Essays
Follow these 9 simple steps for writing what you already know, and you could get your big break—and a paycheck to match—faster than you might think.
7 Reasons You Should Consider Publishing Personal Stories
Personal writing might sometimes feel too private to publish—but documenting your low points can rocket your byline to the top.