Informal Essay Writing Guide + 10 Great Topics

Most students like writing an informal essay much more than any other kind of paper. The main reason is that this type of essay provides you with the freedom to choose the topic you are interested in, use the informal style of writing, and reveal your personality. First, you may think that you can write the way you like without following any rules. Unfortunately, it is not so. There is a particular structure you should stick to complete a high-quality informal essay.

Before you get started, you are recommended to check whether you have a clear picture of what an informal essay is. Check the helpful guide to writing essays in an informal style, which differs much from the academic style you got used to.

What is an Informal Essay: Clear Picture of It

A clear understanding of the informal essay meaning will help you to create a valuable piece of writing. You are unlikely to write good without a clear picture of what you are writing about and what your purpose is. That's why it is wise to check the informal essay definition before you start working on your paper. An informal essay is an expression of the writer's standpoint in an informal manner, which implies the use of colloquialisms, jargon, simple conversational language. Using the first person is one of the distinctive features of this paper.

You can choose any topic you want to attract the reader's attention to. Keep in mind that it should be interesting for both you and your target audience. This kind of essay allows demonstrating your own personal character to the full extent. Do you wonder how to do this the right way? If you want to reveal your personality through the informal essay, you are recommended to brainstorm ideas on how to express your way of thinking and the attitude toward the world with the help of words.

Formal and Informal Essay: What Is the Difference?

Even if you have written neither a formal nor an informal essay, you will easily guess that they have certain differences in their writing styles. You will succeed in essay writing of any of the types mentioned above only after you clarify which peculiarities and distinctive features they have. So, let's have a look at the difference between formal and informal essay.

The key difference is that compared to the formal writing style, where conversational phrases are forbidden, the same word expressions in the informal style are even appreciated. You shouldn't think hard how to express your thought. The best way to compose a worthy informal essay is to let your ideas flow freely.

Forget about complex long sentences when crafting an informal essay. Instead of difficult constructions, you are expected to use simple, clear and concise sentences. It is obvious that an informal essay shouldn't contain any scientific terms. To cut a long story short, you should imagine that you are talking to a friend and sharing your personal point of view on the specific issue, brainstorming problem solutions aloud organizing ideas in an understandable way.

How to Start an Informal Essay: Effective Ways to Hook the Reader

Wondering how to start an informal essay? The beginning of any paper should be attractive for the reader if you want him/her to hold on reading. First of all, you should identify who your reader is. There are not so many variants to use. Your target audience can be either your teacher and classmates or your employer. Why is it so important to determine the target audience? Only having a clear picture of who your reader is, you will be able to write the introduction that will catch the reader's attention. When writing the essay introduction, you need to brainstorm ideas on how to present the chosen topic in the best way.

The most effective way is to start telling a story that is connected with the topic of your informal essay. Share your own experience. You will succeed if you manage to make it so bright and vivid that the reader associates himself/herself with the author. The task is to hook the reader from the very first words, which is possible if you interact with the target audience.

According to the informal essay format, the next part is the main body, where you intend to highlight the key points of the topic, including analysis, and provide arguments, if necessary, depending on the topic. Finally, summarize everything in the strong conclusion, which shouldn't be longer than one paragraph.

10 Informal Essay Topics: Pick the Best One

Choosing the right topic is of the utmost importance because only being passionate about the topic you will be able to catch the reader's attention. Give preference to the topic you are familiar with and which can remind of some personal experiences. Do you experience difficulties with the selection of an issue? Check the list of the most interesting informal essay topics below and choose the one that can help you to demonstrate your knowledge and writing skills.

1. What is your attitude towards bullying at school?
2. What does God mean to you?
3. Do you think that vegans lead the healthy way of life?
4. Inequality between men and women in the modern society.
5. What is your understanding of harmony inside and outside you.
6. Are there perfect people or does everyone have certain bad traits of character?
7. Is it good to have idols?
8. Do you agree that people who read much manipulate those who watch TV a lot?
9. Which problems require the instant solution in the world?
10. What is betrayal in your opinion?

Informal Essay Outline: How to Plan Your Thoughts?

An informal outline for an essay is a must as for any other kind of paper. That is due to the fact that having a detailed plan, you won't miss anything important when having a flow of thoughts. To have a clear picture of how to craft it the right way, check the example below:

The essay outline on the topic “Money can't buy you love.”

• Introduction (A short paragraph where you agree with the topic idea and explain what you are going to talk about).
• The Main Body:
• Money is power, but love is the most powerful thing in the world.
• You can't buy sincere love even being a millionaire.
• An example from your personal experience serving an argument.
• Conclusion ( Summarize the main ideas).

Remember that an informal piece of writing should also be logical and clear to the reader. Help the reader to plunge into your own world of thoughts, dreams, and feelings, and you will definitely craft an essay that will be evaluated highly!