Writing a narrative essay

Before being able to write a narrative essay you must actually know what one is. The number one thing to realize is that it is different to a story.

So how can I define narrative essays?

They are essays in which a thesis has to be defined in the first instance. For example, a moral of a story, a lesson learnt, that kind of thing. This will serve to inform the reader about what the essay is going to be about. The rest of the narrative will tell a story but with structured paragraphs and a relation to the thesis outlined in the beginning.

How do I write narrative essays?

Writing a narrative essay can be a way for you to hone your creative skills. The narrative, although structured and including a thesis which will be the prominent theme of your writing, can give you the opportunity to be imaginative. On the other hand, they could give you the chance to tell a story that really happened to you, although you might want to add details and include a spin at the end.

What does a narrative essay outline look like?

• Introduction - a thesis which states the moral of the story for example; never think you can get anything productive done in a quiet library.
• Main body – including as many paragraphs as possible to tell the story. The use of an introduction to the story, the buildup, the climax, and the concluding part are given in as much detail as possible, in chronological order.
• Conclusions – bringing the story back to the thesis at the beginning.

Where can I find a narrative essay rubric?

You could use the following example as a guide for what to include in your narrative. It might be a good idea to use the different areas of your writing as a checklist:

1. Ideas

Brainstorm ideas of personal events that would tell a good story. If this doesn´t work then you´ll have to get creative.

2. Note taking

In rough form, remember or imagine what the moral of the story is, what the thesis might be and what important events you should include.

3. Organization and outline

Structuring your essay is of utmost importance. Make a note of each section of the story and separate them into thesis, setting the scene, developing a plot, the climax, resolution and a conclusion.

4. Grammar and format

Check sentence structure and vocabulary used. Focus also on punctuation and spelling. The formatting of your essay depends on the instructions you were given. Follow them to the letter: typeface, margins, page number and spacing.

What are some narrative essay prompts?

Prompts can be useful for inspiration if you´re having a difficult time thinking about a topic for your narrative essay. Look at the following categories and choose one to focus on:

• Celebrations in your life
• Amazing books and their influence on you
• First experiences and memories
• Competitions won or lost
• Imagining you´re somebody else
• Achievement of a personal goal
• First big change you experienced
• First holiday you had
• The first time you were scared
• The happiest you´ve ever felt

What´s the difference between a personal narrative essay and a literacy narrative essay?

Personal narrative essays have the focus on you and your life, on something significant that happened to you, and what the moral of the story is whereas a literacy narrative essay is a detailed account of the writer´s experience of learning how to read and write. Normally, they include specific books and works that had a significant effect on the experience.