After reading through the list of 50 persuasive essay topics, I struggled to feel passionate about any of them. Around that time, my family was dealing with the sudden and traumatic loss of my mother-in-law. I was overwhelmed with anger and grief over what my husband, brother-in-law, and mother-in-law experienced, and that outrage ultimately led me to write about the hidden truths of organ procurement. The idea did not change much as I wrote, but the emotional weight of the topic made the process difficult.

Writing my narrative essay began with simply reflecting on my own life and choosing a story that felt meaningful and manageable within the word count. I originally considered a different, more personal story, but ultimately decided on one that I felt ready to share. That decision happened before I began writing, rather than during the process. One piece of peer feedback that stuck with me was a reminder to watch out for run-on sentences, something I admittedly struggle with when my thoughts move faster than my typing.