<p>I once read that the best essays are those that focus on a "slice of life" (specific, make the reader imagine him/herself there) rather than on generalities. As a consequence, I tend to open my essays with a description of a scene or person at some point in time. </p>
<p>Is this a bad thing? My topics are by no means mundane, and I like to think that I'm a pretty decent writer. However, I wasn't sure if a similar opening for my essays would hurt me in any way.</p>