{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"701: On Becoming: The Art and Craft of Personal Storytelling (Ep 1: My Desk &amp; Magic) with Amanda McRaven","description":"Welcome to a brand new series here on the podcast I\u2019m calling \u201cOn Becoming: The Art and Craft of Personal Storytelling.\u201d In this series, we\u2019ll dig deep into college essays from past students, talking about why we love them and how they came to be. &amp;nbsp;For me, this title \u201cOn Becoming\u201d speaks not just to the craft of writing (how a story came to be), but to what I believe the personal statement is at its best: a record of becoming\u2026 the beautiful, sometimes messy process of witnessing someone learn to better understand themselves, articulate their values, and claim their voice in the world. Whether you\u2019re a student, parent, educator, or just someone who loves great stories, we hope there\u2019s something here for you. In our first episode, I sit down with Amanda McRaven, a dear friend and one of my first hires at College Essay Guy. In this episode, we dig into:  Two of our favorite essays from former students A little behind the scenes of how they came to be, and The techniques that helped these stories reveal truths about the students who wrote them.&amp;nbsp;  Amanda McRaven is an artist, teacher, theater director, and storyteller living in the Pacific Northwest. She\u2019s a veteran educator and writer with over 15 years of experience coaching students through the college essay process. But what really sets Amanda apart is her approach. She helps students mine their lives for meaning\u2014to find the gold in seemingly ordinary moments, and to connect the dots between experiences in ways that feel alive, honest, and deeply human.&amp;nbsp; We hope you enjoy! &amp;nbsp; Play-by-Play:  3:20 \u2013 Something these two essays have in common 4:32 \u2013 How does Amanda help students find creative ways to tell their stories?&amp;nbsp; 5:50 \u2013 What did early drafts of the \u201cMy Desk\u201d essay look like?&amp;nbsp; 6:45 \u2013 Amanda and Ethan analyze the intro paragraph of the \u201cMy Desk\u201d essay&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;  13:24 \u2013 Analysis of paragraph 2 \u2013 Laptop 19:30 \u2013 Analysis of paragraph 3 \u2013 Stack of books 26:11 \u2013 Analysis of paragraph 4 \u2013 Bead Bracelet 31:59 \u2013 Analysis of the final paragraph \u2013 Conclusion&amp;nbsp;   34:49 \u2013 Ethan introduces the \u201cMagic\u201d essay  41:30 \u2013 What did the student\u2019s writing process look like for the \u201cMagic\u201d essay?&amp;nbsp; 47:55 \u2013 How does the author incorporate values and extracurricular activities together with the topic?&amp;nbsp; 51:22 \u2013 How can students find more uncommon connections or topics to write about in their essays? 56:20 \u2013 What can students take away from the \u201cMagic\u201d essay?&amp;nbsp;   58:34 \u2013 What does Amanda enjoy most about working with students on essays?&amp;nbsp; 1:00:13 \u2013 Closing thoughts&amp;nbsp;  &amp;nbsp; Resources:   \u201cMy Desk\u201d Essay  \u201cMagic\u201d Essay College Essay Essentials&amp;nbsp; College Essay Guy\u2019s Personal Statement Resources College Essay Guy\u2019s College Application Hub    ","author_name":"The College Essay Guy Podcast: A Practical Guide to College Admissions","author_url":"http:\/\/collegeessayguy.libsyn.com\/website","html":"<iframe title=\"Libsyn Player\" style=\"border: none\" src=\"\/\/html5-player.libsyn.com\/embed\/episode\/id\/39962575\/height\/90\/theme\/custom\/thumbnail\/yes\/direction\/forward\/render-playlist\/no\/custom-color\/88AA3C\/\" height=\"90\" width=\"600\" scrolling=\"no\"  allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen><\/iframe>","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/assets.libsyn.com\/secure\/content\/198138435"}