<p>Some of the best essays i have read on the internet have been in the story form. and thats the style most people adopt when writing essays.
I just wanted to ask whether that writing a story-type essay would make it monotonous for a reader or not?
I also think stories sound sort of kiddish, unless they are exceptional; something i did in 9th grade. DO you agree?</p>
<p>I think part of the supreme art of the writer is to show, not tell; but if you're struggling, you shouldn't force it upon yourself, because it can show.</p>
<p>Passion becomes evident more easily than you might think, and if you write in the way that is most comfortable to you, you'll often find ideas and words slip out more readily onto the paper. </p>
<p>..I guess all I'm really trying to say is don't force a story upon yourself. If you have a brilliant idea, go for it, but no great poet ever decided to write poetry simply because it "usually sounded better than writing books"... and you can "show" without writing a story, too.</p>
<p>My DS used different formats to write different essay responses. He wrote what I considered excellent essays both ways. </p>
<p>One of his "story" essays was about when his 6 year old brother was lost for over 6 hours. He was inspired after he found a picture from that day. This incident happened over 7 years ago, but he was able to relate his feelings and emotions from that day, and what it taught him about family. </p>
<p>One of his other essays compared his community service activities, and described in depth the one that he was most proud of and how that one was way outside his comfort zone. </p>
<p>He wrote another one about joining his father on temporary jobs when his father lost his job. It was another "story" type. It starts out sounding like they are on their way to a "fun, dad-son bonding activity" This was very cool. </p>
<p>Basically, write in a format you are comfortable with, but avoid writing a biography. My son focussed on one event/activity for each of his essays and it seemed to work best. I think his weakest essays were the "WHy (name of college) essays", because they didn't conform to his writing style.</p>
<p>Total agreement with jjcddg. I wrote one essay in a sort of narrative (story-like, I guess) way, and I love it. It's kind of telling the story of my average day from my house's perspective. It's a story and I love it because you can have time pass and actual events occur in the essay. </p>
<p>But I also wrote an essay that is completely not like that at all. This one talks about this writing competition that I do every year, and why I stress myself out so much for something with no prize at the end. This one doesn't read like a story at all; it reads like my end of a conversation, essentially. As in, I ask the questions to myself that the reader would ask me (ie "Why do you do this? What's it all about? How far ahead are you?"). I love that one too. Just write in a style that goes with your topic and with your own personal voice.</p>