<p>ok, so im in the early planning stages of my essay (a year before i have to write it lol) and i have a story i plan to use in my essay. Lots of people warn against using sob stories in essays, but i believe mine can show some of my good qualities. should i use it, or look for something else?</p>
<p>A year before? There is such a thing as overplanning (and overediting, especially considering that it can cause your essay to lose its original voice). But just keep in mind that a lot of people have written and will write about “sob stories,” so you should do what you can to keep it original. Perhaps write using an ironic tone, or some other device, to keep it from being cliche.</p>