Writing the Narrative Essay

Unlike an argumentative essay the narrative essay expects you to tell your story in prose and it is typical to do this from a personal perspective. Anecdote, experience and personal opinion are all welcome in the narrative essay in contrast to term papers or pure research papers. Another significant difference is writing style or prose. In the narrative essay students are expected to write following a story outline. This means including the usual beginning, end and plot and it also involves character development and setting a scene.

Some key points to remember when constructing the narrative essay:

Point of View

Tell the story from a personal point of view. In a narrative essay it is okay to speak in first person but do be sure to retain point of view consistency throughout the narrative essay. Also remember, just because it is acceptable to say ‘I’ it isn’t necessary and it shouldn’t be overused to make up for lack of ideas.

Make a Point

A narrative essay requires the student to present a viewpoint and to support that opinion with information. This is not the forum for a stream of consciousness personal opinion. Personal opinion is allowed but substantiate that opinion with reasons, experiences and information.

Use Dialogue and other Tools

A narrative essay is a rare opportunity to use dialogue and other writing techniques to facilitate the flow of the story. Enhance the story with floral language, verbs and modifiers and use conflict and sequence to engage the reader. All of the elements of good writing can be used in this instance to set a scene, create tension and to surprise and delight the reader. Include detail in the writing so the reader can visualize where they are and who they are with in the story. Unlike some other essays, for the wordsmith, the narrative essay can be a real pleasure to write.

Choose the Right Topic

The subject of a narrative essay should be one that is universally understood. In other words, choose a topic which others will easily relate to when they read through your essay. Universal themes like family, personal challenge and moments of triumph are all excellent choices. Other good choices for narrative essay topics may include:

• First Day at College
• A Moment of Success
• 15 Minutes of Fame
• A Memorable Journey
• Family Vacation
• Overcoming Adversity
• The Biggest Misunderstanding
• A Difficult Decision
• The Trip of Your Dreams
• A Lesson Learned
• The Day You Decided to Change Your Life

As an alternative to personal experience, narrative essay topics may have a business or academic focus, some excellent suggestions for these:

• Talent Management as a Tool for Industry Leadership
• Ethnography Methods for Cultural Studies
• Child Psychology Changes Over the Past Decade
• Client Needs Before Personnel Needs and Risks to Stakeholders
• Social Constructionist Views and Modern Communication
• A Dynamic Theory of the Electromagnetic Field
• Latin Language Similarities in Formal versus Spoken Language
• Algorithmic Trading and Online Banking Environments
• Defining Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Needs in Public Schools

When writing a narrative essay remember the golden rules of good creative writing; show the story, don’t tell it and answer the five good men. For those who don’t remember that high school English class the five good men are the questions that every creative writer must address. Those questions are who, what, when, where and how. Going back to the basics will always hold you in good form when writing a narrative essay.