Narrative Essays | Topics & Examples
A narrative essay should tell a personal experience or an entertaining tale of the adventure. Many students find this kind of essay exiting than other recorded works. However, it can be intimidating if you've not previously written one.
Unlike creative fiction, the narrative essay must include a recurring theme that will help you write a clear and compelling story. In this post, we will cover what type of paper is narrative writing and how you can write a compelling one. Read on:
What Is A Narrative Essay?
A narrative paper is a story told through personal experience in an inspirational way to captivate the reader. The writing doesn't follow a chronological setting but follows a storyline with details that focus on a specific theme, plot, and characters.
The narrative essay is based on a central motif that establishes the identity of a personal story that captivates the reader's attention. That's why it should have a well laid down structure and a standard guideline to keep the audience interested.
The Writing Process in a Narrative Essay
Narrative essays draw their inspiration from personal experiences, interesting events, and observations. Here are the general elements of writing a narrative essay;
1. Topic/ theme
Although it's not always easy to pick a topic to write a narrative essay, you can choose a theme from something that motivates you or from personal experience. Since you don't need to research your subject from various sources, you must ensure that it is interesting to keep the reader hooked and engaged.
You can also draw your inspiration on things that bring meaning to you or recall episodes of amazing stories from your childhood, personal hobbies, or your student years. Good narrative writings are based on truth, not imaginary stories.
Besides, the theme must be compelling enough to catch the attention of the reader. Your audience will enjoy an original and creative story. Here are some popular essay topics;
- The moment of success
- First day in college
- A memorable journey etc
Ensure that your theme clearly explains to the reader about the story. It can be expressed as the moral of the story.
2. Making an Outline
Like other essay types, the outline of narrative writing should follow the five-paragraph essay outline - introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Your plot should be divided into four parts;
- The setup
- Main part/ body
- A climax
- A compelling conclusion
When you start to write the narrative essay, your introduction's goal should be to hook the reader and make them continue to peruse the rest of the story. It combines the best of both worlds - storytelling and facts.
The crucial part of the project is the body, which should include the story's main points and a climax. Conversely, your conclusion should contain a delightful punch line that will keep the reader wanting more.
3. Introduction
When introducing a narrative essay, the first paragraph begins the story and must captive the reader. Here you define the setting, introduce the characters, and make the audience anticipate what is to come.
To engage your reader, you can start with a rhetorical question or use a short anecdote related to the subject. There are various ways to hook the audience in the introduction, like providing a compelling fact that relates to the story or starting with a shocking statement.
4. Character
The person writing the essay is the main character when it comes to narrative essay projects. You can also include two or three characters in the plot to drive your story. Set the scene, introduce your feelings from the beginning of the story, and allow your reader to familiarize themselves with the information.
The characters in your narrative essay are responsible for driving your story; they act and speak the dialogue. The details of the topic create a strong effect and a dominant impression.
The setting should also contain different locations where the story takes place and how it associates with that particular location
Unlike other essay types, narratives are written in the first person where the writer shares his personal experiences and helps the reader learn something about themselves. You can also include humor and descriptive language to engage the audience.
5. The body
When describing an event, break the monotony, add spice to your narrative, and use jokes, unpredictable twists, and coincidences. You can use facts and references to make the story more authentic and well developed.
Throughout the story, engage the reader by keeping the plot interesting. Every paragraph should be different from the other to ensure that information flows logically, and the audience understands the flow.
Even if the story jumps around, keep a clear through-line from beginning to end, follow a thoughtful order and plot structure. Also, allocate the significant points of the essay and describe them in the body.
6. Editing
Edit your project and check if you've missed any major points, check the overall structure, and ask yourself is the introduction clear? Does the body include attributes that are flowing logically? Does it have a compelling conclusion?
When you answer these questions, revise the sentences, check for punctuation and spelling. You can read out the narrative to a friend in college to help you point out weak points that you could work on and improve the essay.
Conclusion
A narrative paper is an essay type that your instructor will assign you to your college work. It offers an opportunity to harness your storytelling skills and demonstrate your understanding and knowledge of a subject.
A good narrative should feature a theme, an outline, introduction, characters, and plot, among other elements. The essay's purpose is not merely for entertainment purposes but challenges you to write a captivating story to educate and motivate.
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