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Familiar Essay Guide

The world of essays is as vast as the ocean and as varied as the multitude of fish that inhabit its depths. Among the different species of essays, one often overlooks the humble yet captivating, ‘familiar essay.’ Shrouded in simplicity yet marked by profound insight, this essay form deserves a closer look and deeper understanding.

Definition of a Familiar Essay

A familiar essay, as its name suggests, is a form of non-fiction writing that offers an intimate, conversational exploration of a topic. Unlike formal academic essays , where the goal is to make an objective, evidence-based argument, the familiar essay offers a comfortable space to meander through thoughts and feelings, observations and recollections, much like a friendly conversation.

The familiar essay creates a personal relationship between the writer and the reader, using a conversational tone and an informal style. This form celebrates exploring personal experiences, the mundane and the extraordinary, weaving them together to extract broader insights about life and human nature. The objective here isn’t so much to instruct as it is to engage and evoke, to generate a shared understanding and to foster a sense of camaraderie between the writer and the reader.

The Characteristics of a Familiar Essay

What makes an essay ‘familiar’?

The familiar essay might be perceived as the casual counterpart of its more formal siblings in the realm of essay writing. However, it possesses its own unique characteristics that grant it a distinguished place in literature.

• Informal style: The familiar essay thrives on the element of informality. It is conversational, reminiscent of a friendly chat over a cup of coffee. This style allows a closer connection between the writer and the reader, fostering a relationship characterized by mutual understanding and companionship rather than the traditional didactic dynamic.
• Personal perspective: The familiar essay is marked by its subjective and personal viewpoint. It is less about objective arguments and more about personal reflections, observations, and insights. The writer’s voice is not only present but is central to the narrative, inviting the reader into their world of thoughts and experiences.
• Exploration of everyday life or personal experiences: The familiar essay often draws upon the writer’s everyday experiences, providing a fresh perspective on the mundane or ordinary. It embraces the philosophy of finding the extraordinary in the ordinary, probing the depths of everyday life to extract nuggets of wisdom and insight.

Comparison to other types of essays

In contrast to formal academic essays that argue a specific thesis with systematic reasoning and supporting evidence, the familiar essay is an exploratory journey where the endpoint is not a foregone conclusion but a discovery. The formal essay is a meticulously planned road trip with its map, milestones, and destination, while the familiar essay is a spontaneous hike through the woods, cherishing the beauty of the unexpected.

Unlike narrative essays that emphasize storytelling or descriptive essays that paint vivid pictures, the familiar essay combines these elements, using anecdotes and vivid imagery to enhance the personal exploration of a topic. It’s less about creating a dramatic arc or painting a detailed picture and more about a meditative stroll through thoughts and experiences.

Importance of the familiar essay in literature and education

The familiar essay holds a crucial place in literature for its unique approach to exploring ideas and fostering a bond with the reader. It brings a refreshing variation in style and perspective amidst more formal genres, embodying the spirit of personal exploration and conversation.

In education, the familiar essay serves as an effective tool to foster critical thinking, reflection, and personal expression among students. Decreasing rigid structures and formal language allows students to engage with their topics on a more personal and meaningful level. It encourages them to see the extraordinary within the ordinary, to develop their unique voice, and to create a meaningful connection with their readers. It’s not merely an exercise in writing; it’s a journey of self-discovery and shared understanding.

Stylistic Elements in a Familiar Essay

Language and tone.

The language and tone of a familiar essay significantly contribute to its effectiveness and appeal. As a writer, paying attention to these aspects is essential to write an engaging and relatable piece.

• How to keep language informal yet engaging: In a familiar essay, the language should mirror that of an intimate conversation with a close friend. It should be informal but not lax; relaxed but not sloppy. To keep it engaging, avoid jargon or overly complex language. Instead, use active voice, vivid descriptions, and a sprinkle of figurative language to create a conversational yet stimulating narrative. Remember, informality should not compromise clarity or precision.
• Balancing humor and seriousness: A familiar essay is like a well-brewed cup of coffee – a balance of bitter and sweet. While the conversational tone allows room for humor and wit, it should not overshadow the depth or significance of the topic. Too much humor may risk trivializing the subject, while an overly serious tone might make the essay ‘dry.’ Strive for a balance where humor acts as a catalyst, making the serious parts more digestible and impactful.

Use of Personal Anecdotes

Personal anecdotes are the lifeblood of a familiar essay. They bring color and life to abstract ideas, making them more tangible and relatable.

• Choosing relevant anecdotes: While it might be tempting to include any interesting anecdote, relevance is key. Your anecdotes should serve a purpose – illuminating your topic, highlighting your insights, or revealing your thought process. If an anecdote doesn’t contribute to these objectives, it might be best left out.
• Effectively integrating anecdotes into the essay: Anecdotes should flow seamlessly into your narrative, like threads woven into a fabric. They should not feel like abrupt interruptions or unnecessary detours. To effectively integrate them, use transitions that connect the anecdote to the main topic. After presenting the anecdote, interpret it, explain its significance, and relate it back to your central theme.

Creating Connections with the Reader

Creating a meaningful connection with the reader is a pivotal aspect of writing a familiar essay.

• Techniques for engaging the reader: To engage the reader, adopt a conversational tone and use direct address. Rhetorical questions can stimulate the reader’s thoughts and invite their participation in your intellectual journey. Also, remember to vary sentence structure and length to maintain rhythm and interest.
• Ways to make the reader relate to your experiences or thoughts: Universality is a potent tool for connection. While your experiences are personal, the emotions, insights, or dilemmas they evoke are often universal. Highlight these universal aspects to make your experiences resonate with the reader. Be honest and vulnerable because authenticity breeds connection. The more the reader sees their own experiences and thoughts mirrored in yours, the stronger the bond you will create.

Sample Familiar Essay

Title: “The Art of Waiting: An Exploration of Patience in Everyday Life”

At some point in our lives, we have all been acquainted with the peculiar state of being that I like to call ‘waiting.’ Oh, how well I know it, the twitch of the fingers, the rhythmic tap of the foot, the ticking of the clock that seems to get slower with each passing second. Waiting, in all its various forms, has been an integral part of my life – and I imagine, yours too.

What is it about waiting that we so despise? Why does it feel like a pointless intermission in the grand theatre of life? I’ve often contemplated these questions during my numerous rendezvous with waiting.

Let me take you back to a chilly winter morning a few years ago. The sky was painted with hues of gray, and the air was filled with an expectant silence, the kind that usually precedes a snowfall. There I was, waiting at the bus stop for my ride to work. The bus, much like an elusive lover, was running late, leaving me standing in the bone-chilling cold.

At that moment, frustration was my closest companion. Time, with its ceaseless ebb and flow, seemed to come to a standstill. I found myself spiraling into a pit of impatience, each second on my wristwatch echoing like a loud gong in the theater of my mind.

Just as I was about to surrender to the seemingly infinite loop of waiting, a sudden realization dawned on me. This disdain for waiting, I figured, was not born out of the act itself but rather our perception of it. We view waiting as a barren land, an empty space to be filled, a ‘nothing’ that stands between two ‘somethings.’ But what if, instead, we regarded it as an opportunity?

From that day on, I decided to approach waiting differently. The long lines at the supermarket became a chance to observe the fascinating tapestry of human emotions around me. The occasional delays at the doctor’s office turned into moments of quiet reflection or an opportunity to catch up on reading. Waiting ceased to be a tedious intermission; it transformed into a space teeming with potential, a canvas awaiting the brush strokes of my imagination.

By altering my perspective, I discovered a newfound respect for the art of waiting. It was no longer about passive resignation but active engagement. It became a space for observation, reflection, and growth. It taught me patience, yes, but more than that, it taught me the value of the present moment.

So, dear reader, the next time you find yourself caught in the act of waiting, I invite you to shift your gaze. Look beyond the frustration and boredom, and you might just find a hidden treasure. After all, as the adage goes, ‘good things come to those who wait.’ Or should I say, ‘good things come to those who know how to wait?’

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Familiar Essay: Definition and Writing Recommendations

Usually secondary and high school students know nothing about familiar essays because it is considered as a challenging assignment. A familiar essay is focused on one’s own reflection and exploration of a topic such as “Deceiving Oneself” or “Giving Advice”.

What is a Familiar Essay?

Let us define a familiar essay. A familiar essay is a type of nonfiction short story writing in which the author shares a life experience and uses a personal or voice unique to themselves. It is known for being written in an informal manner.

Popular Classic Familiar Essays

• Death of a Pig, by E.B. White
• An Apology for Idlers, by Robert Louis Stevenson
• A Piece of Chalk, by G. K.Chesterton
• The Indian Jugglers, by William Hazlitt
• Getting Up on Cold Mornings, by Leigh Hunt
• Imperfect Sympathies, by Charles Lamb

How to Write a Familiar Essay

The familiar essay uses a unique literary device that involves addressing the reader directly as if they were an acquaintance. When executed properly, this keeps the audience interested and engaged as they read the story. As you begin to define a familiar essay writing process, think about how you can frame the narrative in a way that takes into account the needs of the reader. Using the first-person can be effective, although you should first ask your instructor if it is permitted for the assignment.

The good news when it comes to writing a familiar essay is that it is a far easier assignment than a research paper or most other academic work. Rather than requiring you to seek out sources or read up on a topic, all you really have to do is use your imagination. Of course, coming up with familiar essay topics that the reader would find interesting can be a challenge. In addition, if you lack creativity or the ability to find colorful ways to express yourself, you might struggle with this paper. One way to get started is to think about a passion in your life or a memorable event that you think would make for an interesting narrative. Usually casual slang – typically frowned upon in conventional academic writing – is perfectly acceptable. If you can get the reader to laugh or even cry, you have accomplished your goals.

Audience and Tone of Writing

While writing a familiar essay, imagine that your audience is one person only. Your reader is educated enough to understand the topic and there is no need to prove additional clarifications or explanations. Think that your audience is enthusiastic to hear your opinion on the topic. You can even interact with the reader by using personal pronouns.

Make a Plan

Even if a familiar essay refers to personal writing, you still need to organize your ideas before writing. You can begin with freewriting and create a paper with all ideas that appear in your mind during several minutes. Do not worry about the content. You will extract the most valuable and significant ideas for your outline, which will further transform into a real essay.

Writing a Familiar Essay

Now it is time to use your outline and create the essay itself. Do not underestimate the importance of creating an outline and following it during the writing stage. Since familiar essays are deeply personal in their nature, students often go off the track and forget about the initial topics they tried to address. One of the easiest ways to write a familiar essay is to produce it at once (in one session). It will help you not to lose the focus.

Usage of Sources

Most of the teachers ask students not to use any references in familiar essays. However, please read carefully your instructions to be sure. If allowed, you can rely on the quote of a famous philosopher to prove your point. However, there is no need to introduce an outside argument because the focus of discussion should be your personal reflection.

Revise Your Paper

Always re-read your familiar essay before submission and revise its content. The reader should have a clear understanding of your personal standpoint. You should check the tone and style of writing. Be sure to get rid of all stylistic inconsistencies. For example, if you begin your essay with an enthusiastic tone, the same should be seen in the concluding paragraph. Check your paper for unity and coherence as well.

High Quality Academic Help

Although the familiar essay does not involve doing outside research or collecting data, it is nonetheless a difficult paper if you have trouble expressing your ideas in an entertaining way. Fortunately, when you are feeling stuck you can always buy a familiar essay from the experts at WeWriteOnline.com!

Buy Custom Essay Papers

Sometimes downloading an example of a familiar essay just will not cut it, especially when your own paper has to reflect on aspects of your life. This is why ordering a high quality custom familiar essay is the perfect solution. But where should you shop for paper? With so many writing services to choose from, it is not always easy to know which one is right for you. Here are a few traits that a reputable writing service should always possess:

• The company has developed a solid reputation for creating high quality content and has a high review score.
• The company does not merely send you the same familiar essay examples that they give to all their clients, they provide custom work that cannot be found anywhere else.
• The company understands the importance of keeping their prices low so that their services are accessible to all students.
• The company delivers their work by the deadline, even on the tightest of time frames.

When you look at the custom writing company websites, you will find that many of them are poorly written; containing grammar mistakes and typos. If they cannot even get their webpages right, how can they be expected to deliver an essay that gets you an A? Other websites look perfectly fine, but that also is not an automatic sign that they are reputable. Ultimately, it is important to choose the company carefully.

We at WeWriteOnline.com are the company that you can trust. Whether you need a familiar essay, movie review or even a dissertation, we have talented writers to handle all of your academic and professional needs. Every paper that we produce is original and follows your instructions to the letter. You are free to provide us some information about yourself that your writer will then craft into an entertaining, beautifully written familiar essay that keeps the reader’s attention. Alternatively, you can send us the general requirements of the assignment and we will use our creativity and imagination to do the rest! They will craft a purposeful, coherent story that leaves the audience feeling satisfied. Of course, the ultimate judge (your instructor) is sure to give it a high grade.

You never have to worry about plagiarism either. We scan all of our papers through the latest in plagiarism detection technology, guaranteeing one-of-a-kind work that you cannot find anywhere else. We also understand the importance of receiving your assignments on time. After all, receiving an amazing essay does you no good if your professor is not willing to accept it late.

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Guide: How to write a familiar essay

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• Subject area(s): Types of essay
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The familiar essay is a type of essay that has fallen by the wayside in most primary and secondary school curricula because it is difficult to write. The familiar essay is a personal reflection on an elevated topic, such as “people worth knowing,” or “How religion informs morality.” It is similar to a personal essay because the observations are unique to the author and research is not required. However, the familiar essay diverges from the personal essay because of the philosophical nature of the topics.

Tone and Audience

The author of a familiar essay writes as if they have an audience consisting of one person. They may even interact with their audience by using “you” or phrases such as “dear reader.” This conversational tone helps to create a sense of intimacy and direct engagement with the reader. Because of the lofty nature of the topics for a familiar essay, the tone for this type of essay is typically elevated and geared toward an educated reader. This means that the language used should be sophisticated and the ideas presented should be well thought out and intellectually stimulating.

Planning the Essay

Even though the familiar essay is personal in nature, it is important to gather your thoughts before you begin writing. Many professors and instructors recommend freewriting about the topic or clustering as useful activities for planning a familiar essay. Freewriting involves writing continuously about a topic for a set period without worrying about grammar or structure, allowing ideas to flow freely. Clustering, or mind mapping, involves writing the main idea in the center of a page and drawing lines to related ideas, creating a visual representation of the essay’s structure.

From the freewriting or clustering activity, the author can then create an outline to use as a general guide for organizing the essay. This outline should include the main points to be covered in the essay and the order in which they will be presented. Having a clear plan will help to ensure that the essay remains focused and coherent.

Writing the Familiar Essay

As you write, use the outline you created during the planning phase. Working from an outline is important for any essay that is personal in nature because writers have the greatest tendency to ramble or get off topic when they are writing about their observations. The outline serves as a roadmap, keeping the writer on track and ensuring that all the important points are covered.

Many authors find that writing the familiar essay is easiest if it is written in one session. This helps the writer to stay on track and prevents them from losing their focus. Writing in one session allows the author to maintain a consistent tone and flow throughout the essay. If interruptions are unavoidable, it may be helpful to re-read what has been written before continuing, to regain the original train of thought and maintain coherence.

Crafting the Content

In writing a familiar essay, it is essential to balance personal reflection with philosophical insight. The author should delve deeply into their own thoughts and experiences, while also considering broader implications and connections to universal themes. This requires a delicate interplay between the personal and the abstract.

For example, in an essay about “How religion informs morality,” the writer might start with a personal anecdote about a moment when their moral beliefs were challenged. From there, they could explore how religious teachings have shaped their understanding of right and wrong, weaving in philosophical reflections on the nature of morality and ethics.

Most familiar essays do not cite other essays or use references. However, you might make an exception to this rule by discussing a famous author, philosopher, or politician’s point to illuminate your point or to serve as a counterpoint to your assertions. In that instance, you would need to cite the reference.

For instance, if you are writing about “people worth knowing,” you might refer to the writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson to support your views on individuality and greatness. Using such references can add depth and credibility to your essay, showing that your personal reflections are informed by broader intellectual traditions.

Revising the Essay

Like other types of essays, the familiar essay should be carefully revised before it is turned in. Revising is not just about correcting grammatical errors, but also about refining the content and structure of the essay. Pay close attention to the tone of the essay. The tone should remain consistent. For example, if you began the essay with a light-hearted tone, make sure to continue that tone to the end of the essay for consistency. The exception would be if you have good reason to dampen the tone of the essay.

During revision, consider the following questions:

• Clarity and Coherence: Are your ideas clearly expressed and logically organized? Does each paragraph flow smoothly into the next?
• Engagement: Does your writing engage the reader and invite them to reflect on the topic? Have you maintained a conversational tone that addresses the reader directly?
• Depth: Have you delved deeply enough into your topic, providing thoughtful reflections and insights? Have you balanced personal anecdotes with philosophical musings?
• Consistency: Is the tone consistent throughout the essay? If there is a shift in tone, is it justified by the content?

Revising may require multiple drafts. It can be helpful to take breaks between revisions to gain fresh perspective. Reading the essay aloud can also highlight awkward phrasing or unclear passages.

Finalizing the Essay

Once you are satisfied with the revisions, it’s time to finalize the essay. Ensure that all citations are correctly formatted, if you have included any references. Double-check for any remaining grammatical or typographical errors. Formatting should adhere to any specific guidelines provided by your instructor or publication.

The familiar essay is a unique form of writing that combines personal reflection with philosophical insight. Although it is challenging to write, it offers a rewarding opportunity to explore elevated topics in a personal and engaging way. By carefully planning, writing, and revising your essay, you can create a piece that is both intellectually stimulating and deeply personal. Whether you are reflecting on the nature of morality, the qualities of people worth knowing, or any other profound topic, the familiar essay allows you to share your unique perspective with an audience in a thoughtful and meaningful manner.

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Familiar Essay Writing: 10 Tips That Will Make Your Work Easier

• How to structure it?
• What should you write about?
• What writing style should you settle on?

If you have to write a familiar essay, and these or other questions are whirling around in your brain, you have come to the right place. Yes, in this article, you will find all the tips to write a high-quality familiar essay on any topic.

Table of Contents

1. Get a Familiar Essay Example to Get You Started

A familiar essay is a very peculiar genre of the creative writing with some characteristics that are not shared by any other essay type. To simplify a bit, it is a short-form nonfiction text primarily characterized by a strong personal touch, a voice of the author’s persona. Normally, no matter what you write about – be it a book you’ve read, the current state of education industry or environmental protection, you are expected to be fully objective and avoid emotionally colored words (and anything else showing your subjectivity). In an informal essay, you don’t have these limitations – if you need to be emotional to demonstrate your unique take on the problem, so be it. In fact, the more personal your style is, the better it is for you – you can be as witty, funny, and quirky as you like.

To better understand what is expected of you, it would be a good idea to read a few examples of familiar essays. This can be quite informative and will give you the better understanding of how you can go about developing your own writing style – the most important prerequisite of a quality familiar essay. Be careful about the place where you get your writing sample – you cannot just visit any online writing service and say “ Write my familiar essay ” – specialists in this kind of work are relatively rare and are not easy to come by.

2. Look at Familiar Essay Topics That Are Acceptable

Another feature of writing familiar essays is the kind of topics that are covered in them. They should not require any professional or specialized knowledge and have universal human appeal – in other words, they should be understandable and relatable for anybody who would read them simply because they are just as human as the essay’s author. Such topics, for example, include:

• Books Getting Replaced with Digital Sources of Information and What It Means for Every One of Us;
• Community-Conscious Business: Is It Possible in Current Economic Climate?
• Is Writing a Doctoral or MBA Dissertation to Obtain a PhD Degree Worth the Trouble One Has to Go for Its Sake?
• Does History Repeat Itself and Is It a Good Enough Reason to Study It?
• War on Drugs and Its Connection to Teenage Crime Rates;
• Security Concerns vs. the Rights of Individuals in the UK;
• The Most Important Traits Associated with True Leadership.

As you can see, familiar essays can be written about virtually anything – you simply have to avoid topics that require specialized technical knowledge. When choosing what to write about, ask yourself: can it be understood by a person who does not study this subject but has background knowledge of an intelligent, generally well-educated amateur?

3. Use a Proper Familiar Essay Structure

• The hook – the first sentence or two, aimed at grabbing the reader’s attention and smoothly transferring it to the rest of the paper. It plays a special role in a familiar essay because of its high degree of informality – meaning that you have much more freedom of expression than usual. Let your wit roam free and don’t worry about going out of line – it is a part of the course when it comes to informal essays;
• The thesis statement. Nothing special about this – it is no different from what it is in any other type of essay, i.e., an explanatory sentence containing the gist of your entire paper in a definite and clear form.

The introduction is followed by body paragraphs and, again, you are free to organize them in any way you like. It is, however, a good idea to follow the usual rules: don’t exceed a limit of one point per paragraph, have logical connections between paragraphs, support your words with viable evidence. However, the familiar essay is a definition of a freeform assignment, so don’t be afraid to make experiments. Introduce a list or two, use narrative elements – in other words, do everything you need to get your point across, without being restricted by any particular format.

4. Talk to Your Reader While Writing a Familiar Essay

A familiar essay, the way it evolved in English literature, is a very personal experience, not just a piece of writing but an informal chat between two people: the writer and the reader. By a reader, we mean not just the grader responsible for reading and evaluating your work, but anybody whom this text will come to hand. So, be personal, address directly to the individual reading your paper, be friendly and don’t try to show yourself as superior to your audience. Demonstrate that your essay is a labour of love, not of pride. Usually familiar essays are written in a way that presupposes the audience of a single reader, which further emphasizes the personal nature of this genre.

5. Use the Simple Language, but Don’t Oversimplify

Your writing should be closer to the everyday speech than in the formal types of essays. But don’t treat this genre’s informality as an excuse to use slang, jargon or rude language. If it is of any help, imagine yourself writing a letter to a good yet somewhat distant friend. Think of how you would report about the latest happenings in your life in such a situation. Then, start writing.

6. Try Freewriting as a Good Method of Preparation

Although familiar essay writing is personal and informal in nature, it doesn’t mean that you should approach working on it haphazardly. Just like with any other kind of writing, it is extremely important to gather your thoughts before you start typing. However, in this case, you may give yourself a certain amount of freedom and start not with a rigid academic plan that looks almost like a thesis proposal, but with freewriting on the general topic you are dealing with.

7. Prepare an Essay Outline

It is especially important if you have to do some research being not very familiar with the essay topic. Having a clear-cut outline before you start working on an essay prevents you from rambling and omitting important points you have intended to mention. Some students resent the idea of writing an informal essay from an outline, but in fact, this stage is even more important in this type of writing than it is for other, more formal essays. The fact is that people are much more prone to steering off the course when they write about something personal in nature. Having a definite plan will help you keep your thoughts collected and cover everything you want but no more. Try it, it will save you a lot of time.

8. Try Finishing Your Work in One Session

9. Use of Some References in Your Familiar Essays

Most familiar essays do without any references at all – they are personal discussions on specific topics, not research assignments. However, you may have been given a task to introduce a certain amount of references in your assignment. Or you can make your own decision to discuss a famous author, and in this case, it will be impossible to avoid using quotations.

10. Don’t Forget to Revise and Proofread

Just like with any other type of academic writing, revising and proofreading are extremely important when it comes to familiar essays. However, in addition to the usual things – checking up on formatting, spelling, grammar, and syntax – here you should pay special attention to the tone of your writing.

• It shouldn’t be overly dry and academic. Think of the way you would talk about a good acquaintance of yours – eliminate overly complex words and structures, divide longer sentences into shorter ones and so on;
• It should be consistent. If you begin writing in a light-hearted tone, keep it this way throughout the whole essay – that is, unless you have a very good reason to change the way you speak and a way to demonstrate that you do it intentionally and not as a slip.
• Give your essay the right emotional vibe. Use informal, sometimes emotional language – the way you would discuss the topic with a living human being, not an abstract audience. At the same time, make sure you are respectful both towards your reader and viewpoints you discuss.

If possible, get an external proofreader – somebody you can trust, somebody who is interested in your success. Ask him/her to give you some feedback on the following aspects of your writing:

• Logic. Are all points connected to each other in a logical and consistent manner?
• Style. Is your style consistent throughout the essay? Are there any words or expressions that seem to be out of place?
• Grammar and syntax. Are there any glaring mistakes you’ve missed during your revision?

Familiar essays are rarely written by college students these days and are considered to be a difficult task. That’s why if you experience difficulties, there is nothing unusual about it – but we hope that these tips will get you through!

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• M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
• B.A., English, State University of New York

This list of 250 "subjects for familiar essays " originally appeared as an appendix to Essays and Essay-Writing , an anthology edited by William M. Tanner and published by the Atlantic Monthly Press in 1917. But don't let the date scare you away.

While a few of the topics are musty ("Our Ragtime Age") and some are a bit perplexing ("Grooves and Graves"), the majority of these topics are as timely (or perhaps timeless) as ever ("The Shrinking Earth," "Illusions We Live By," "Our Nervous Age").

Tanner's brief introduction strikes an encouraging note:

In no other form of prose composition is the selection of a subject so much a matter of the writer's own choosing as in the familiar essay. Though adequate subjects can rarely be assigned by another person, it is possible that the student may find in the following list a few titles that suggest subjects of interest to him and within the range of his observation and experience.

So remain open to these suggestions. Feel free to update a topic--for example, by turning "telephone etiquette" into email or texting behaviors. If you're puzzled by a subject, don't try to decipher what the author intended a century ago. Instead, take a few minutes to explore its possible meanings for you today.

1. On Discovering Oneself 2. On Deceiving Oneself 3. Epidemic Education 4. The Pleasures of Loafing 5. Favorite Antipathies 6. On Wearing New Shoes 7. The Penalty of Violating Convention 8. First Impressions 9. On Acquiring an Artistic Temperament 10. A Model Obituary

11. Uses of Disagreeable People 12. Keeping up Appearances 13. The Psychology of Bargains 14. People Who Make-Believe 15. Conceited People 16. Our Nervous Age 17. Sophomore Apathy 18. The Enchantment of Distance 19. On Being Worth Knowing 20. The Glory of the Commonplace

21. Mental Laziness 22. On Thinking for Oneself 23. The Necessity of Being Amused 24. Man's Opinion of Himself 25. On Giving Advice 26. Silent Talkers 27. My Ailments 28. The Valor of Ignorance 29. An Apology for Bores 30. College Libraries as Social Centers

31. Judging by Appearances 32. On Making Excuses 33. The Pleasure of Escape 34. A Word for Mediocrity 35. On Attending to Other People's Business 36. The Heritage of the Youngest Child 37. Academic Snobbishness 38. On Being Small 89. A Defense of Day-Dreaming 40. Leaders and Led

41. The Excitement of Having a Bank Account 42. By-Products of Church Attendance 43. Fashionable Tardiness 44. The Penalties of Success 45. On Looking One's Best 46. Cultural Immunity 47. Personality in Apparel 48. The Responsibility of Greatness 49. On Recovering from Love Affairs 50. The Passing of the Country Road

51. Mute Eloquence 52. On Choosing One's Ancestors 53. The Psychology of Patent Medicines 54. Helpful Enemies 55. The Tyranny of Trifles 56. Intellectual Alarm Clocks 57. The Monotony of Student Life 58. Table Manners 59. On Holding One's Tongue 60. Dangers of Narrowmindedness

61. The Tendency to Exaggerate Misfortune 62. Outgrown Opinions 63. On Making Apologies for Oneself 64. My Taskmaster--Duty 65. Talkers 66. The Character of Horses 67. Why the Dessert Course Last? 68. On Being Introduced 69. Running on Low Gear 70. Etiquette for Ancestors

71. On Going Barefooted 72. Cast-off Enthusiasms 73. The Joys of the Country Cottager 74. On Answering Advertisements 75. Reflections While Shaving 76. Shams 77. Intellectual Inheritances 78. The Imperious "They" 79. On Knowing When to Stop 80. Personality in the Handshake

81. Hairpins 82. On Taking Oneself Too Seriously 83. A Curse of Cleverness 84. Living Caricatures 85. On Repenting at Leisure 86. Imitations 87. The Joys of Procrastination 88. Popular Fallacies 89. "Men Say" 90. Human Parasites

91. On Looking Wise 92. Mechanical Pleasures 93. Sponges 94. On Waiting for the Postman 95. Intellectual Pioneers 96. Animal Resemblances in People 97. The Pleasures of Quarreling 98. Bird Music 99. Victims of Charity 100. On Being Misunderstood

101. Some False Impressions of Childhood 102. Rivalry in Gift-Giving 103. Faces and Masks 104. On Posing for My Friends 105. Seasonal Joys 106. The Value of Disagreement 107. The Pleasures of Living 108. Garden Friends 109. Animal Facial Expressions 110. Automobile Society

111. On Outgrowing One's Family 112. The Abuse of the Imagination 113. Humorous Blunders 114. Getters and Receivers 115. On Praying in Public 116. Pleasures of Memory 117. My Selves 118. A Plea for Ghosts 119. On Keeping a Secret 120. Color Antipathies

121. The Art of Eating Spaghetti 122. Pins or Angels? 123. On Going to Sleep 124. Human Blindness 125. Dream Adventures 126. Behind the Teeth 127. On Riding Pegasus with Spurs 128. Butterfly Fancies 129. "Present" 130. The Glamour of the Past

131. Chameleons 132. On Being Good Company for Oneself 133. Face Value 134. The Monotony of Being Good 135. Safety Valves in Student Life 136. On Being Mentally Alert 137. Company Manners 138. Nature's Spring Song 139. Mountains and Molehills 140. Old-fashioned Remedies

141. On Wearing Overshoes 142. The Influence of Proximity 143. Bristles 144. Working Over-Time 145. On Nursing a Grievance 146. Family Expectations 147. Mental Perspective 148. Subway Scenery 149. The Futility of the Practical 150. On Making Up One's Mind

151. The Responsibility of a "Perfect" Baby 152. Domineering Ideals 153. On Living in the Present (Future) 154. Social Misfits 155. Interesting By-Paths 156. Temporal Halos 157. Face Forward! 158. Mental Vagrancy 159. On Hugging a Conclusion 160. An Apology for Polite Lying

161. Preparedness 162. Gasoline and Onions 163. On Stepping Aside 164. Voices 165. Late Arrivals 166. "Next!" 167. Mental Detours 168. Watch Your Step! 169. On Telling Jokes 170. Epitaph Humor

171. The Winged Circle 172. Spring Styles in Freshmen 173. American Aggressiveness 174. Nature's Languages 175. Earthbound 176. On Advising the Almighty 177. Mental Lapses 178. Fashion Bondage 179. Haunted Libraries 180. The Humor of Cartoons

181. Wasting Time 182. On Growing Up 183. Beyond My Horizon 184. Mental Shock-Absorbers 185. After He Was Dead 186. Successful Failures 187. The Dilettante 188. Humorous Dyspepsia 189. On Becoming One's Own Financier 190. Conservation of Social Resources

191. Perfume and the Lady 192. On Being Eye-Minded 193. The Satisfaction of Being Well-Dressed 194. Earth Odors 195. The Life Urge in Nature 196. The Shrinking Earth 197. College Ethics 198. The Triumph of the Machine 199. Human Gadflies 200. The Failure of Success

201. Social Eclipses 202. Adventures While Pursuing an Idea 203. Our Ragtime Age 204. On Boasting of Weakness 205. Discords 206. Suspended Judgments 207. Second Thoughts 208. On Keeping Step 209. Understudies 210. The Vogue of Boredom

211. Smoke Wreaths 212. Traveling and Arriving 213. Echoes 214. Screens, Past and Present 215. Illusions We Live By 216. On Losing One's Grip 217. Poppies 218. Anvil Choruses 219. Interesting Pathetic Fallacies 220. Evidences of Humor and Joy in Animals

221. On Card-Indexing One's Friends 222. Gigglers and Growlers 223. Too Much Momentum 224. Mental Indigestion 225. Diddling 226. Female Orators 227. Laughter as a Social Asset 228. Personal Reactions 229. Grooves and Graves 230. On Taking Thought for the World

231. Blind Optimism 232. Church Theatricals 233. The Skimmed Milk of Human Kindness 234. On Asking Why 235. Canine Expressions 236. On Seeing One's Name in Print 237. Backyard Gardens 238. Curiosity in Chickens 239. The Passing of Modesty 240. On Going to War

241. Telephone Manners 242. Nodding 243. Social Protective Coloring 244. On Arising to the Occasion 245. Human Registers 246. The Responsibility of Being Sane 247. Acid Tests 248. The Pleasures of Eating 249. On Losing One's Freckles 250. Mental Precipitates

• 30 Writing Topics: Analogy
• Periodical Essay Definition and Examples
• What is a Familiar Essay in Composition?
• What E.B. White Has to Say About Writing
• Writer Purpose in Rhetoric and Composition
• What Is a Topic Sentence?
• Definition and Examples of Theme-Writing
• How to Write a Letter of Complaint
• 7 Secrets to Success in English 101
• Definition and Examples of Humorous Essays
• Quotation and Quote
• Heuristics in Rhetoric and Composition
• Definition and Examples of Formal Essays
• What Is Colloquial Style or Language?
• What Is a Personal Essay (Personal Statement)?
• What Are the Different Types and Characteristics of Essays?

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Writing a Familiar Essay

Very often, students at secondary or high school level do not know very much about writing familiar essays since these are considered to be difficult assignments. A familiar essay is a type of writing that focuses on the writer’s own exploration and reflections on such topics as “Providing Advice” and “Being Untrue to Oneself.

Many students think that writing a familiar essay is quite a similar to writing a personal essay. Yet, research is not necessary in a familiar essay. Instead, this type of essay tends to explore the writer’s own philosophical outlook or their attitude, and these do not need to be supported with any evidence or research materials.

When students get a task of writing a familiar essay, they usually ask themselves what kind of an essay it is. Familiar essay writing is a challenging task and that is why many students fail to submit a good version of it.

This type of essay can be defined as a piece of writing based on the personal opinion regarding some topic. For many writers, this essay is similar to personal essay writing. However, the difference between them is that a personal essay requires performing some research. At the same time, familiar essays do not require any supportive arguments and facts. They are based on a personal philosophical perspective, ideas and attitude.

Familiar essays presuppose that the audience already knows the issue you are going to discuss and all they want to hear is your opinion on it. As a result, there is no need to provide detailed explanations and make the audience familiar with the issue. In addition, you can even write your essay in a form of interaction with the readers using personal pronouns.

Organize Your Essay

Regardless of the fact that your familiar essay reflects your own thoughts and ideas it still needs to follow a specific structure and organize your paper in a proper manner. Write down all the ideas you have on the topic and then single out the most interesting ones. After that, create a draft of your paper by writing down all the information in a logical manner. This draft will later be transformed into a final version of the paper.

• Writing process

After the outline is done, it is high time to write a final version of an essay. The role of the outline in the writing process should not be underestimated. Considering the nature of an essay, students often tend to jump from one though to another without actually concentrating on the main topic. In this case, outline serves as a guarantee that the paper will be focused. Try to write your essay at once using the outline to make sure that you will not lose your focus later.

Normally, this essay type does not require any sources. However, it is recommended to check the issue with your professor. There is no need for a familiar essay to discuss some outside researches but using a quote or two does not have to be a problem.

• Proofreading

Many students tend to ignore this step. However, it plays an important role if you want your paper to be perfect. First of all, check if your point is clear enough. Make sure you do not have any grammatical mistakes. In addition check how the audience is addressed and whether the correct writing style was chosen.

• Audience and essay tone

If you are asked to write a familiar essay, try to imagine that you are addressing just one reader. This person is sufficiently educated and intelligent enough to understand your topic. Therefore, it is unnecessary for you to provide any further explanations or clarifications. Consider that your reader is keen to know what you think of the topic i.e. they are interested in your opinion. You may even use personal pronouns such as “I” and “you” to fully interact with your reader.

• Create an essay plan

While writing a familiar essay may be similar to writing a personal essay, it is still necessary for the writer to organize their ideas prior to starting to write. You may start by writing freely for a few minutes i.e. by jotting down all your ideas on a piece of paper as they occur to you. You need not worry at this stage about content. Later, your task will be to pick out the most important and valuable ideas for your essay outline. Then you will further fine-tune these until they become your final paper.

Writing Your Essay

The next step is to write your actual essay using the outline you created. The importance of an outline should not be underestimated and this should be followed throughout the entire writing process. Because a familiar essay is very personal in its nature, it is commonplace for students to go off track and away from the topic(s) they were initially meant to focus on. A good tip for writing this type of essay is to write it all in one go (in just a single session). This will help you retain your focus.

A lot of tutors request that students do not use references in familiar essay assignments. You should, however, read the instructions you are given carefully. If your tutor permits it, you may use quotations from renowned philosophers to illustrate or prove a particular point. In any case, it is not necessary to use external arguments since your own reflections should be the focus of your paper.

You should always read back your essays and revise them before submission. Your reader should be able to clearly understand your personal stance. Check the style and tone of your writing. Make sure you eliminate any inconsistencies in style. If, for instance, you start with an exuberant tone, this should be visible in your closing paragraph. Check also that your work is coherent and unified.

Custom Writing Help

Education is important for every person who wants to reach success in life. As a result, students always try to do their best to succeed and show high results. However, considering the high number of tasks students get, they may not be able to deal with all of them timely and properly. Custom writing services will be of a great help in such case.

EssaysLab.com is a place where education and academic career goals are highly appreciated. Our writers are always ready to give you a hand with writing assignment regardless of how complex, long or urgent it may be. We do our best to help you succeed in your academic life and submit only the best papers.

We pay a great attention to the hiring process. As a result, our writers are qualified specialists with a huge experience in writing field. We hire only those writers who really care not only about salary but also about the success and needs of our customers. We hire writers only if they show their dedication and readiness to work with the single goal of delivering high quality paper to the clients.

Expert Writing Team

The writers working on EssaysLab.com are specialists in different fields holding high academic degrees. Their experience helps them create high quality papers and do a great job while working on your orders.

However, writing skills and experience are not the only qualities they use to complete papers. In order to make a paper worthy attention it should be based on reliable information. As a result, while working on orders, our writers make deep research to get as much information on a topic as possible. The result of their work is presented in the form of a reference list and professional content of papers.

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Our writers do not write papers from the top of their heads. Each order we get is written based on specific instructions provided by the customers. We are proud to say that out of thousands of orders we have already delivered to satisfied customers, none of them was duplicated, copies or plagiarized. Every order you receive is a result of a thorough research and writing work. It means that you do not have to worry about originality of paper content and about plagiarism. Order papers from us to get a unique piece of writing.

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Familiar Essay

Nonfiction:  The Familiar Essay

 The discovery of the essay…

Sir Francis Bacon is generally credited with introducing and popularizing the essay in the English-speaking world. Influenced by the French essays of Michel de Montaigne, who first used the term “essais” (or “attempts”) to describe his prose reflections on commonplace topics and occurrences, Bacon published Essays, Religious Meditations, Places of Persuasion and Dissuasion in 1597.

Understanding the familiar essay…

A familiar essay can be easily described as a merging of the expository essay and the true narrative essay.  The familiar essay is written by the first person but does not tell a story based on plot like the true narrative.  The writer of the familiar essay has an interest, if not passion, in her subject.

“Probably not. In short, familiar essays are somewhere between the personal and the critical essay. According to Anne Fadiman, in an interview from All Things Considered , the familiar essay is “autobiographical, but also about the world”. She also says, in an interview on p owells.com , that “one of its hallmarks of that it is about the author, so it is a subset of the personal essay, but it is also about a subject”.

In the nineteenth century familiar essays were at their height of popularity as a culture of interested readers found the familiar essay entertaining and interesting.  With the advancement of society and the reliance on television and computer, the familiar essay has lost its status as a source of entertainment.

“However, it was in the 19th century – a period of material well-being in England , when there was a leisure class who enjoyed literature, when an education was received by many among the masses – that the familiar essay fully came into its own. The familiar essayist, as Sister Mary Eleanore wrote (1923), ‘is a veritable Jaques upon a mossy bank, who, while he watches the world go jostling its way down the river of life, extracts from its seemingly confused and meaningless tumbling bits of loving wisdom and quaint chuckles of fun . . .” He soothes the pains of the world’s tired travel, and does so through his ability to be whimsical, grave, melancholy, through his love of living and sense of humor over “those ridiculous and pathetic incongruities which are such a necessary part of life.’”

The familiar essay reached its zenith with Charles Lamb . Though living a melancholy and often tragic life, Lamb created in his essays a narrator “in love with this green earth,” – Dan Roche

Anne Fadiman revives the Familiar Essay…

I’ll admit that initially I was a bit thrown by the phrase “familiar essays” on the front of this book. I thought that maybe this was a collection of commonly told fables or something akin to that. I didn’t realize that the familiar essay is a type of essay. In my defense, they are not as common as they used to be. However, I would imagine that I have read some and didn’t even know it. Historically, these essays often had titles like “On Boating” or “On Politics Being a Masculine Arena.” They were meant to be informative, while at the same time highlighting pertinent personal experiences of the author.

Fadiman explains her devotion to the familiar form in the book’s lovely Preface: “Today’s readers encounter plenty of critical essays (more brain than heart) and plenty of personal – very personal – essays (more heart than brain), but not many familiar essays (equal measures of both).”

A typical Fadiman essay begins with an engaging personal anecdote before branching out into the history of the subject in question. As her extensive bibliography indicates, research aplenty goes into each piece. But it’s all so delightful, it’s like eating a meal that is both good for you and delicious.

How to write the familiar essay… I could just soon attempt to explain for you how to fly a kite, but begin with inspiration which serves as the wind of your discussion.

The Introduction :  There is not prescribed set form for the familiar essay, although to begin with an engaging personal anecdote, which serves to introduce the point of your discussion, is effective.  The writer will always benefit from providing an analogy or example to emphasize the opening anecdote.  Like the expository essay, the introduction should conclude with a unifying statement that reveals the thesis statement.  The language of the thesis does not have to be mechanical and straightforward, however, the declaring account should embrace the spirit of the discussion which follows in the body and conclusion.

The Body:  Each body paragraph should begin with a topic sentence, what follows is a combination of opinionated observations supported with facts, testimony or examples/analogies.  The transition statement is often used instead of the conclusive statement in an expository essay because the familiar essay is a blend of personality and formality.

The Conclusion:  Restate your thesis or the spirit of your thesis.  From here, you benefit by fulfilling the point of your discussion—another analogy or excerpt from your tale, that serves to culminate your discussion is appropriate.  Conclude with the lesson of life declaration of your essay.

5 Useful Tips On How To Write An Engaging Familiar Essay

Publication Date: 06 May 2019

When students face such assignment as composing a familiar essay , they might feel confused and startled. Because it’s not the most popular essay type that students are required to write, many may have only the vague idea of what a familiar essay is.

 What is a familiar essay?

A familiar essay is a type of prose paper, which includes personal reflections on a particular subject. The author expresses his unique observations without claiming to be right and the reader may agree with the writer’s point of view or remain with his own personal convictions.

1. Check quality examples of a familiar essay

If you want to come up with a great paper, you need to have a clear understanding of what exactly a familiar essay should look like. After reading several quality samples you will get the idea and writing your own text will no longer give you a feeling of being lost without knowing in what direction to move further.

2. Choose a suitable topic

A familiar essay can be written on almost any subject as long as it doesn’t require deep expert knowledge from a reader who doesn’t know much about what’s discussed. Ideally, your audience should be able to relate to your words easily so choosing topics that are understandable to many people might be the best bet for such type of an essay.

3. Create an outline

A familiar essay is a personal and thoughtful piece of writing but like any other essay, it needs to be structured and organized. Creating an outline will help you stay on track and follow your main idea. You can adjust it in the writing process but a plan will help you follow the direction. The typical five- paragraph structure is the most preferable for a familiar essay but since this type of paper has a personal touch and you are encouraged to express yourself the way you want, the number of paragraphs and their content depends solely on your decision.

4. Try freewriting

For some students, creating an outline might not be the most suitable option for starting a writing process. In this case, they might find useful to try freewriting. This is an activity during which you write whatever comes to your mind in relation to the chosen subject. The method might seem easy but not everybody can switch off his inner critic and ignore initial imperfection of the text. After you feel like you’ve said it all, stop writing. Now you can reread the draft and structurize your thoughts to make the text coherent.

5. Choose a correct tone

A familiar essay distinguishes itself amongst other academic writings by being personal and even informal. The language used in the text must be simple enough for the reader to get your message straight away without guessing what a particular word or phrase might mean. Imagine that you are talking to your reader like as if you were sharing your thoughts with a close friend. Be honest and open but avoid slang and never be superior or condescending.

Whatever topic you choose, writing a familiar essay must be an interesting task and if you use our tips, composing a memorable paper will be a walk in the park for you. If for some reason you feel that you’re not ready to write such paper, contact us with the request “ do my essay ” and all your worries about your academic assignment will be a thing of the past.

Extended Essay: Formal vs. Informal Writing

• Extended Essay- The Basics
• Step 1. Choose a Subject
• Step 2. Educate yourself!
• Using Brainstorming and Mind Maps
• Identify Keywords
• Do Background Reading
• Define Your Topic
• Conduct Research in a Specific Discipline
• Step 5. Draft a Research Question
• Step 6. Create a Timeline
• Find Articles
• Find Primary Sources
• Get Help from Experts
• Search Engines, Repositories, & Directories
• Databases and Websites by Subject Area
• Create an Annotated Bibliography
• Advice (and Warnings) from the IB
• Chicago Citation Syle
• MLA Works Cited & In-Text Citations
• Step 9. Set Deadlines for Yourself
• Step 10. Plan a structure for your essay
• Evaluate & Select: the CRAAP Test
• Conducting Secondary Research
• Conducting Primary Research
• Formal vs. Informal Writing
• Presentation Requirements
• Evaluating Your Work

Differences Between Informal and Formal Essays

When writing your extended essay you should use language that is formal and academic in tone.  The chart below gives you some idea of the differences between informal and formal essays. See the box below for examples of the differences in tone in informal and formal essays written on identical topics. A PDF of this chart, and the examples below, is in the box to the right , along with a list of tips for avoiding colloquial writing.

Examples of Informal and Formal Tone in Essay Writing

The following examples highlight the differences between formal and informal tone.

Language B - English

• Formal vs. Informal Writing A chart giving the differences between informal and formal essays in seven areas (author's viewpoint; subject/content (sources of evidence); tone; structure; location of the research question; vocabulary; and purpose. Also included are examples comparing informal and formal writing for essays in English, biology, and psychology.
• How to Avoid Colloquial (Informal) Writing While it may be acceptable in friendly e-mails and chat rooms, excessive colloquialism is a major pitfall that lowers the quality of formal written text. Here are some steps/tips that you can follow to help improve your overall writing.
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Definition and Recommendations on Writing a Familiar Essay

The  familiar essay  is mostly given as home task in primary and secondary school curricula. This type of essay is indeed difficult to write. If you have to deal with a familiar essay, writing a personal reflection on a certain topic will be your main task. Another difficulty in the way of writing this essay is the following: you can easily fall into confusion, because the familiar essay in pretty similar to the personal essay. The observations are unique to the author and research is not required. This challenging assignment is often unfamiliar to the pupils. It is considered as a pretty hard and challenging writing because you have to focus on your own reflection and exploration of a topic. There is no way in which you can rely on facts and other investigators in this field. Don’t worry though, you can write it with our help. Say to yourself: «I can write my essay  nicely and fast! »

Here are some pieces of advice that will make your essay look more elevated:

• When writing your essay, imagine that your audience consists of only one person. Your reader is enthusiastic about hearing your opinion on the topic. In this type of essay, there is no need for adding different explanations in order to prove your point of view. You only need to interact with one imaginary reader. You can even try to use personal pronouns.
• Organize your ideas before writing by making a plan. Familiar or not, it is still a piece of writing that has to be well-structured.
• Do not underestimate an outline. it is an important part of essay writing. Make sure to follow it during the writing process. The problem is that students often go off the track and forget about the initial topics they tried to address. That is why it will be good to write your familiar essay in one sitting.
• In familiar essays, teachers will ask you not to use any references or sources. However, you can rely on one quote to prove your point.

10 tips for your familiar essay

We can assure you – the progress will be visible with these tips! Use them to create a nice familiar essay, better than your classmate’s.

– Read the examples of another familiar essay to understand the process. A familiar essay is a pretty peculiar genre of creative writing. Hence, some characteristics might be different than in any other essay type. It would be a good idea to read the few examples of familiar essays to better understand what is expected of you.

– The topic is very important. Topics should not require any professional or specialized knowledge. Try to make them understandable and relatable. Familiar essays can be written about anything – you just have to avoid the issues that require specialized technical knowledge. Make your essay familiar.

– You should use a proper familiar essay structure. Familiar essay is not extremely different from any other type of paper. Usually, an introduction comes first. It consists of the so-called hook (the first sentence or two, aimed at grabbing the reader’s attention) and the thesis statement.

– Remember to talk to your reader while writing a familiar essay. You can use simple language, but remember not to oversimplify. Slang, jargon or rude language will not be acceptable.

– Freewriting can help you, as it is a good method of preparation. Simply sit down, take a sheet of paper and write everything that comes to your head. Free your mind. Don’t worry if the quality of writing is low, you can later improve it.

– Essay outline preparation. If you have to do some research and aren’t very familiar with the essay topic – do the outline. Having a clear-cut prevents you from rambling and omitting important points you need to mention.

– References in your familiar essay. It is a good idea to add them. It will not be a mistake to show your own decision in order to discuss a famous author, and in this case, it will be impossible not to use some quotations.

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The familiar essay: a delight in the hands of Anne Fadiman

Head and heart join together beautifully in 'At Large and At Small.'

• By Heller McAlpin

July 03, 2007, 12:00 a.m. ET

Would someone please hire Anne Fadiman to edit another magazine so she'll keep writing essays?

As editor at large of Civilization magazine, Fadiman produced the wonderful pieces, mainly about books, collected in 1998 in "Ex Libris," a volume I've probably bought for more people than any other in my life.

She wrote 11 of the 12 essays in At Large and At Small for The American Scholar, which she edited from 1997 to 2004. Their publication in book form is cause for rejoicing.

But it's also a cause for concern, since the flow of essays stopped when (in a move that demonstrates that good grades do not always equal great smarts), the Phi Beta Kappa Society, publisher of The American Scholar, let her go.

Fadiman, a self-proclaimed "enthusiastic amateur, not a scholar," writes so knowledgeably and charmingly about her passions – which include Arctic explorer Vilhjalmur Stefansson, circadian biorhythms and disruption of same by coffee, and "the compulsion to order experience" – manifested in her youthful butterfly collecting – that her readers become passionate about her.

Originally published under the apt pseudonym Philonoë – "lover of intellect" – these essays will be familiar to readers of The American Scholar, though that is not what Fadiman means by "familiar essays." The familiar essay is a genre that reached its heyday in the early 19th century with one of her great crushes, Charles Lamb. His legacy, she laments in "The Unfuzzy Lamb," is kept alive mainly by university English departments, "the ICUs of literature."

Fadiman explains her devotion to the familiar form in the book's lovely Preface: "Today's readers encounter plenty of critical essays (more brain than heart) and plenty of personal – very personal – essays (more heart than brain), but not many familiar essays (equal measures of both)."

A typical Fadiman essay begins with an engaging personal anecdote before branching out into the history of the subject in question. As her extensive bibliography indicates, research aplenty goes into each piece. But it's all so delightful, it's like eating a meal that is both good for you and delicious.

"Mail," for example, opens with a portrait of her father, writer Clifton Fadiman, waiting for his day to really start with the arrival of the daily post. From there, she examines British postal history, noting that mail was delivered 10-12 times a day in pretelephonic 17th-century central London. She recounts her own struggles with e-mail and concludes that we get the level of service we need.

"A Piece of Cotton" is a sensitive meditation on the American flag and Fadiman's newfound respect for it after 9/11. Before tracing its Latin roots to vexillum, she explains that the old farmhouse she and her husband bought the summer before 9/11 came with an American flag.

"On September 13, two days after the attacks, we raised it, with our children's help, to half staff." Being a Fadiman, she adds, "We'd read up on half-masting protocol, which dictates raising the flag briskly to the peak and then slowly bringing it halfway down."

Another classic Fadiman line, in her essay on ice cream, again folds in information as deliciously as blend-ins: "I recently calculated (assuming an average consumption of one pint of ice cream per week, at 1,000 calories per pint, and the American Medical Association's reckoning of 3,500 calories per pound of stored body fat) that had I eaten no ice cream since the age of 18, I would currently weigh –416 pounds."

Then she adds the clincher: "I might be lighter than air, but I would be miserable."

A confessed "loquacious workaholic" and lover of sesquipedalians – long words – Fadiman shares her prodigious vocabulary with her readers, always carefully defining her more abstruse mots justes (such as polysemous, defined as "having multiple meanings") for the less lexicographically lubricated among us.

She also confesses that "in the spirit of participatory journalism," several essays were "written under the influence," though not of alcohol, since she long ago decided she preferred caffeine.

She notes, "I ingested a shocking amount of Häagen-Dazs while I wrote about ice cream. I sustained a terrific caffeine buzz while I wrote about coffee. I wrote every word of the night-owl essay between midnight and dawn."

Would that every writer were so thorough – and half as entertaining.

• Heller McAlpin is a freelance writer in New York .

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On the Familiar Essay

Challenging Academic Orthodoxies

• © 2009
• G. Douglas Atkins

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Table of contents (10 chapters)

Front matter, the observing self, or writing upon something: the character, art, and distinctiveness of the familiar essay, on time, the familiar, and the essay, envisioning the stranger’s heart, e.b. white and the poetics of participation, “the way life should be,” or the maine-ing of existence: e.b. white as familiar essayist, the limits of the familiar: e.b. white and t.s. eliot, toward a familiar literary criticism, of swords, ploughshares, and pens: the return of/to civility, against winning, and the art of peace, the essay in the academy: between “literature” and “creative writing”, essaying to be: higher education, the vocation of teaching, and the making of persons, back matter.

"In this timely revalorization of the form, Atkins shows the unexpected depths of the familiar essay. Far from being the lightweight pieces dismissed by their detractors as trivial, he shows how, at their best, such essays are exquisitely crafted intersections of time and timelessness. Their indirectness, individuality and warmth suggest a way of knowing that at once challenges and complements the clinical prose of conventional academic articles. Essayists, says Atkins, are endeavoring to write personally and artfully about the familiar and through it to approach the universal. His study calls for a meticulous reading of their work in order, ultimately, for the reader to learn from it how to make the most of the short time we have on earth." Quoting extensively from acknowledged masters of this neglected mode of writing, Atkins provocatively questions the adequacy of established educational procedures and champions a pedagogy informed by essayistic ideals." - Chris Arthur, author of Irish Nocturnes, Irish Willow, Irish Haiku and Irish Elegies

"In these pages, Atkins richly models the exploratory, revelatory pursuit that he calls the familiar essay. The essays he celebrates range outward from personal experience to impersonal, even cosmic concerns. They marry literature and philosophy, wisdom and wit. Through illuminating readings of figures as diverse as E. B. White and T. S. Eliot, Atkins confirms his position as the leading interpreter of this various and vitalmode of art." - Scott Russell Sanders, author of A Private History of Awe

"In these deeply felt and elegantly expressed thoughts about the essay, Atkins offers a moving account of the hard work of self examination in a difficult world. His book is also both an apologia for and a gentle critique of Atkins s own vocation to an academic life. But unlike Marxist or disciplinary commentaries on the profession, this essay invokes the much rarer language of spirituality - of value - to engage, disturb, and inspire its readers." - Patricia Harkin, Professor, English and Communication Studies, University of Illinois at Chicago

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Bibliographic information.

Book Title : On the Familiar Essay

Book Subtitle : Challenging Academic Orthodoxies

Authors : G. Douglas Atkins

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230101241

Publisher : Palgrave Macmillan New York

eBook Packages : Palgrave Literature & Performing Arts Collection , Literature, Cultural and Media Studies (R0)

Copyright Information : G. Douglas Atkins 2009

Hardcover ISBN : 978-0-230-62000-1 Published: 18 November 2009

Softcover ISBN : 978-1-349-38259-0 Published: 18 November 2009

eBook ISBN : 978-0-230-10124-1 Published: 26 October 2009

Edition Number : 1

Number of Pages : XIV, 204

Topics : Literary Theory , Social Sciences, general

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