example of narrative essay title

160+ Best Narrative Essay Topics for Students in 2024

Table of contents

1.1 Personal Achievements and Experiences Essay Ideas
1.2 Narrative Essay Ideas about Community and Home
1.3 School-Related Narrative Essay Topics for Students
1.4 Good Narrative Essay Topics for College Students
1.5 Personal Narrative Essay Topics
1.6 Personal Experience Narrative Essay Topics
1.7 Narrative Essay Topics About Childhood
1.8 Relationship Narrative Essay Topics
1.9 Personal Narrative Stories Ideas on Traveling and Holidays
1.10 Personal Narrative Ideas on Morality and Religion
1.11 Narrative Essay Topics on Politics and Current Events
1.12 Interesting Narrative Essay Topics About Health
1.13 Narrative Essay Topics on Technology and Video Games
1.14 Overview

In academic practice, the narrative essay is probably one of the key elements to train students in expressing their opinions. It teaches well how to tell a story in a clear, concise manner, that’s why it is so welcome in the language and composition classes.

Narrative essays are not only valuable as such: their contribution lies in the ability to elaborate students’ storytelling and narration skills. To touch the reader’s nerves, you should opt for exciting narrative essay ideas. There are plenty of them – but don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! Below you’ll find a comprehensive list of essay ideas.

Narrative Essay Topics for Students

We’ve analyzed trainees’ experience in writing narrative paragraphs and selected narrative essay topics for college and school students. This profound list covers a wide range of subjects, so pick one!

Personal Achievements and Experiences Essay Ideas

How did I overcome my biggest fear?
When did I feel truly independent?
What was the first major decision I made on my own?
What did I learn from my first job experience?
How did volunteering change my perspective?
What challenges did I face while learning a new skill?
How did I achieve a personal fitness goal?
What was the most important lesson from a personal failure?
How did I manage a conflict and what did it teach me?
What role has mentorship played in my personal development?
What was my experience with cultural exchange and how did it impact my views?
What happened when I took a significant risk?
How do I contribute to my community’s well-being?
What were the effects of moving to a new city?
What did I gain from a year off before college?
How did I evolve from shyness to confidence?
How did I achieve a goal I never thought possible?
What did I learn from a financial mistake?
How did a book or movie profoundly change my outlook?
What impact has a family tradition had on my personal growth?

Need help with narrative essay writing? Get your paper written by a professional writer Get Help Reviews.io 4.9/5

Narrative Essay Ideas about Community and Home

Describe a local tradition that feels like home to you.
How did you contribute to a community project for the first time?
Describe a dispute in your community and how it was resolved.
What was the biggest change your neighborhood has undergone?
What is your role in maintaining your home or community environment?
How has a community leader positively impacted your life?
What local issue are you passionate about and why?
Describe your experience of moving from one community to another.
What family tradition has strengthened your family bonds?
How did you help a neighbor in need?
Describe a community celebration that brought everyone closer.
How has the sense of community in your neighborhood influenced your upbringing?
Describe the most peaceful place in your community.
How did your family or neighbors handle a local emergency?
What lesson did you learn from a community elder that has stayed with you?
Describe a character from your town who could be the star of their own show.
What popular misconceptions or jokes might a TV show about your town explore?
Are there any myths or famous stories associated with landmarks in your area?
What is one issue in your community that needs more attention from local leaders?
How do your interactions with diverse cultures enrich your community experience?

School-Related Narrative Essay Topics for Students

High school students normally feel comfortable about describing their study routine. Below you’ll find interesting topics to convey some of the things at school familiar to every pupil.

Describe an unexpected day off and what you did.
Who was your favorite teacher and why?
What was your most memorable sports event participation?
Describe your toughest debate competition.
What was your best role in a school theater production?
What activities did you engage in after school?
What was the craziest incident on your campus?
How did you fail an exam?
Describe how you successfully got through a challenging exam.
What were the consequences when you got caught cheating?
What was your most transformative moment in high school?
Describe a time when you challenged a popular opinion among your peers.
How did you handle your first significant test of responsibility?
What event marked your transition from childhood to adolescence?
What was your most memorable school trip?
How did a teacher influence your path in a subject you either love or hate?
What was your proudest moment in an extracurricular activity?
Describe the first time you felt that you had let someone down.
How did you cope with peer pressure in a challenging situation?
What lesson did you learn from your first major failure at school?
How did you manage your time between school and a personal hobby?
What was the most unexpected friendship you developed?
How did a particular book or project change your understanding of the world?
What was the biggest risk you took and what was the outcome?
How has technology affected your learning experience?
Describe a moment when you had to stand up for your beliefs.
What does your school ritual before exams look like?
Who in your life has set a remarkable example of courage and integrity?
How has your understanding of global issues changed due to a school project?
What was your most challenging moment while working on a group project?

Good Narrative Essay Topics for College Students

Like high schoolers, college and university students are fond of talking about their everyday matters. Whether a topic about students’ affairs or reflection on new relationships, the most popular narrative topics for college students are collected here.

What did you feel on your first day at higher education?
Describe your emotions on the last day with your high school friends.
Which course at college was your favorite and why?
How did you meet your significant other during your studies?
Share the details of a significant breakup during your college years.
What was the highlight of your high school experience?
Recount how you reconnected with an old friend during college.
Who was your favorite professor and what made them stand out?
Tell us about a humorous event you experienced on campus.
What event during your college years had the most symbolic meaning to you?
Describe the day you moved to college.
How did you travel to your college for the first time?
What were your initial impressions of the college campus?
How did you meet your college roommate?
Describe how you made your first friends in college.
What challenge did you overcome to pursue a college education, and what did you learn from it?
Describe a moment when you changed your major or career path based on a profound experience or realization.
How did participating in a student organization or club fundamentally change your perspective or goals?
What was the most impactful piece of advice you received from a college advisor or mentor, and how did it influence your academic journey?
Recount an experience where you had to advocate for yourself or others in the college setting, and describe the outcome.

Personal Narrative Essay Topics

Each of us had moments in life the story of which would be interesting to others. Develop your narration mastery and tell the world a story about the very best, most memorable, extremely scary, or awkward situations. Our list is here to assist you.

Describe the moment you realized what you wanted to do with your life.
How did a significant event change your perspective on family?
What was a pivotal moment of self-discovery during your teenage years?
Who has been your biggest influence outside of your family, and why?
What experience first taught you about the importance of community?
Describe a time when you had to stand up for your beliefs.
What was your most challenging moral dilemma and how did you handle it?
How has a failure led to success in your personal or academic life?
What was the most enlightening travel experience you’ve had?
Discuss a time when you helped someone in need and how it affected you.
What is your most cherished memory with a grandparent or elder?
Describe your first major responsibility and what you learned from it.
How did a particular book or movie fundamentally alter your outlook on life?
What unexpected friendship has had the greatest impact on your life?
Discuss a tradition in your family that has deep meaning for you.
How have your goals evolved over the past five years?
What was your most profound spiritual or religious experience?
Describe an encounter that taught you something important about prejudice or discrimination.
What is the most difficult decision you’ve ever made, and how did you arrive at your choice?
How did you deal with your first significant heartbreak?

Personal Experience Narrative Essay Topics

Personal experiences are way more exciting for writers. Unfortunately, personal narrative essays are not always just as fascinating for listeners unless they are presented in an entertaining manner. We’re sure that the ideas for personal narratives below will help you pick your topic to maximize readers’ engagement.

Describe a moment that made you exceptionally proud. Why did it have such a significant impact?
Recall your first visit to an opera house. What did you experience, and how did it change your perception of the arts?
Share the story of the strangest accident you ever witnessed. What made it so unusual?
What was your first encounter with Asian cuisine like? Describe the flavors and your reaction.
Detail the most memorable birthday gift you’ve ever received. Why does it stand out in your mind?
Imagine you are a character in your favorite book. Who would you be and what adventures would you have?
Revisit a memory you wish you could experience again. What makes this memory so precious?
If you were a superhero from a movie, which one would you choose and why?
Tell the story of how you lost something that wasn’t yours. What ensued?
Describe your first trip to the sea. What did you feel and discover about the ocean and yourself?
Explore what makes you unique. What are some traits or experiences that set you apart?
Narrate your first journey into the wilderness. What challenges did you face and what did you learn?
Reflect on your first job interview. How did you prepare, and what was the outcome?
Discuss the most significant loss you’ve experienced. How did it affect your life thereafter?
Describe the most memorable Christmas you have had. What happened that year to make it unforgettable?

Narrative Essay Topics About Childhood

Childhood is probably the sweetest period of our lives and the one with the most number of insights. The most powerful experiences come from it, and most of our reflections are related to a child’s perception in this or that way. Check out our list of captivating topics about childhood and pick one.

Describe your earliest memory. What makes it stand out?
What was your favorite game to play as a child, and why was it special to you?
Recall a time when you learned a lesson the hard way. What happened?
Share a story about a childhood friendship that influenced who you are today.
What was your most treasured childhood possession and what became of it?
Describe a family vacation from your childhood that left a lasting impression.
Who was your hero as a child and how did they influence your values?
What childhood book had the biggest impact on your imagination or dreams?
Tell the story of a day you felt you grew up a little bit.
What was your favorite hiding spot as a child, and what did you hide from?
Describe a moment when you got lost as a child. What did you discover during that experience?
Share a story about a childhood event that you looked forward to all year.
What was a typical birthday like for you as a child?
Describe a childhood hobby or activity and why it was meaningful to you.
Recall a significant event at school that shaped your childhood.
Tell about a time you faced a fear as a child. How did you overcome it?
What was your favorite family tradition as a child, and how has it evolved?
Describe a moment when you felt misunderstood as a child.
What was your proudest accomplishment as a child and why was it significant?
Share a story about a time when a seemingly mundane event turned out to be memorable.

Relationship Narrative Essay Topics

Writing about this huge layer of experience – relationships – is surely thrilling. We’ve picked just some of the great variety of narrative topics about relationships for you. Even if you don’t find here exactly what you want to talk about, you’ll definitely hit upon an appropriate idea.

Describe the details of your first romantic date. What made it memorable?
How did meeting your best friend transform your life? Share specific changes.
Discuss the saddest moment you’ve experienced in a relationship. How did it affect you?
Describe a pivotal moment in a significant relationship. What changed after that?
Identify a relationship from a book or movie that you see as a role model. Why does it inspire you?
Share the story of your first romantic relationship. What lessons did you learn?
What do your parents mean to you? Describe their influence on your life.
What is the best piece of relationship advice you have ever received? Who gave it and why was it impactful?
Why is your significant other so crucial in your life? Explore the depth of your bond.
Narrate a situation that helped you mend a damaged relationship. What steps did you take?
What are your most cherished memories with friends? Detail one or two specific events.
Describe the experience of making your first confession. What prompted it and how did it feel?
Share how you supported someone battling depression. What did you learn from the experience?
Discuss a film or book that profoundly affected your views on relationships. What resonated with you?
Have you ever fallen in love at first sight? Describe the experience and the aftermath.
What are the most significant relationships in your life outside of family? Explain their value.
What advice would you give someone who is about to start their first relationship?
How do you navigate the complexities of modern dating? Share your insights and personal rules.
Discuss the end of a close friendship. How did you handle the situation, and what did you learn?
Describe your best friend from summer camp. What made your friendship special?
How did you reconnect with a friend after a significant quarrel? What steps did you take?
Share a story of how you covered for a friend in a difficult situation.
What was it like meeting your online friend in person for the first time? Describe the experience.
How did you help a friend reconnect with a loved one? What role did you play?
Narrate the coolest adventure you’ve had with your best friend. What made it unforgettable?
What was your first visit to your friend’s house like? Describe your impressions and feelings.
Describe the worst quarrel you had with a friend. How did it affect your relationship?
Who is your best older friend, and what have you learned from them?
How did an enemy become a friend? Describe the transformation in your relationship.
What was the toughest situation you and your friend faced together? How did you overcome it?
Describe your relationship with your friend’s sibling. What role do they play in your friendship?
Narrate a situation where you had to choose between two friends. What was the outcome?
How did you meet a friend on the Internet? Describe the journey from online to offline friendship.

Personal Narrative Stories Ideas on Traveling and Holidays

This segment of subjects covers individual experiences. Respectively, it has to do with reflections, opinions, and feelings. Our list of personal narrative ideas related to trips and celebrations is here for your convenience.

What was your best entertainment during the winter holidays?
Describe your first experience traveling abroad. What did you learn?
How did it feel visiting a warm country for the first time in winter?
Share the story of a time you missed your flight, train, or bus. What happened next?
What was the happiest moment you experienced during the holidays?
How did you make a new friend during a holiday trip? What bonded you?
Describe your first time traveling alone. What were the highlights and challenges?
What made your most memorable holiday ever so special?
What was the saddest incident you experienced on a holiday? How did you cope?
Describe your best visit to a foreign city during a holiday. What did you explore?
What was your best travel experience to a big city? What impressed you the most?
Recount the worst quarrel you had while on holiday. What was the resolution?
What were the best encounters you had during a holiday? Who did you meet?
Describe your best trip to the countryside. What made it unforgettable?
How did you feel returning home after a long vacation? What was the transition like?
How do you make the most of long holiday weekends?
What is your typical Sunday routine during the holidays?
What are your favorite fall activities during holiday breaks?
What traditions do you follow for Halloween? Do you wear a costume?
How do you celebrate Thanksgiving with your family?
What are your tips for enjoying the holiday season to the fullest?
How do you plan to spend your next holiday break?
Do you make New Year’s resolutions? What are your goals for the new year?
How do you combat the winter blues during the colder months?
What has been your most severe weather experience while traveling?
Free unlimited checks
All common file formats
Accurate results
Intuitive interface

Personal Narrative Ideas on Morality and Religion

Strong argumentation is one of the indications of a successful academic paper and a prerequisite for a higher grade. You should pick a topic you are confident in to provide your effective arguments as your objective is to persuade your readers. Opt for a narrative essay topic that speaks to you.

Describe the toughest decision you had to make between right and wrong.
What choice do you regret the most?
How did you help a friend even when it meant breaking the rules?
Describe a situation where you were involved in a conflict between other people.
Share the experience of getting caught lying.
How did you feel when you let down a friend by following the rules?
Describe a time when you shifted the blame to someone else.
What was the toughest yet most important experience you have had?
How did helping someone for personal benefit make you feel?
Describe a prank you played on a friend.
How did you react when you saw someone being bullied?
Share a story about a time your friend took the blame for you.
Do you believe justice truly exists?
Describe a time when you ignored someone’s wrong behavior.
How do you generally help others?
What ethical dilemmas have you faced?
Would you help an injured stranger?
When was the last time you did something nice for a stranger?
Have you ever ‘paid it forward’?
How often do you gossip?
How comfortable are you with lying?
Have you ever taken something that wasn’t yours?
What could you live without that others might find essential?
Do you ever feel guilty about what or how much you throw away?
Do you ever eavesdrop?
How important is your spiritual life?
Do you believe that everything happens for a reason?
Can you be good without believing in God?
Are you less religious than your parents?
What can you learn from other religions?

Narrative Essay Topics on Politics and Current Events

Describe a time when you participated in a political protest and what motivated you to join.
What local political issue are you most passionate about and why?
Explain how a recent event changed your perspective on government policies.
Share an experience where you volunteered for a political campaign and what you learned.
Describe a time when you had a political debate with someone and the outcome of that debate.
How did a current event influence your view on international relations?
What political figure do you admire the most and why?
Describe an experience where you felt the impact of a political decision on your community.
What recent news story made you rethink your stance on a social issue?
Explain how a political event affected your school or university.
Share a story about a time you felt proud of your country’s actions on the world stage.
How did a significant political change in your country affect your family?
Describe your first experience voting in an election and what it meant to you.
What event prompted you to follow politics more closely?
Explain how a political scandal influenced your trust in government officials.
Describe an experience where you advocated for a cause you believe in and the result.
How did a major political event shape the discussions in your household?
Share a story about a time you met a political leader and what the interaction was like.
Explain how a piece of legislation impacted your life or the life of someone you know.
Describe an experience where you participated in a school or community event about current affairs and what you took away from it.

Interesting Narrative Essay Topics About Health

Describe a time when you had to make a difficult health-related decision and what influenced your choice.
Share an experience where you made a significant lifestyle change for your health.
What was the most challenging health obstacle you faced and how did you overcome it?
How did a health scare in your family impact your perspective on wellness?
Describe a time when you helped someone improve their health.
Explain how a specific diet or exercise program affected your well-being.
What was your first experience with a mental health issue and how did you handle it?
Share a story about how you maintained your health during a stressful period.
Describe a time when you struggled with maintaining a healthy balance between work and life.
How did a health-related event change your relationship with a loved one?
What was your experience with a significant illness or injury and what did you learn from it?
Explain how participating in a health-related event or challenge impacted you.
Describe a time when you had to support a friend or family member through a health crisis.
What was the most memorable health advice you received and how did it influence you?
Share an experience where you discovered the importance of mental health.
Describe a time when you had to advocate for your health needs in a medical setting.
How did a specific health goal motivate you to change your daily habits?
What was your first encounter with alternative medicine and what was the outcome?
Explain how a health awareness campaign influenced your actions or beliefs.
Describe a time when you witnessed the positive effects of a healthy lifestyle on someone close to you.

Narrative Essay Topics on Technology and Video Games

Describe a time when a new piece of technology significantly impacted your life.
How did you first get into video games and what was your initial experience like?
Describe a situation where you relied on technology to overcome a challenge.
What was your most memorable moment in online gaming and why?
Explain how a specific video game helped you develop a new skill.
Describe a time when you experienced the negative effects of technology addiction.
How did you balance technology use with other activities in your daily life?
Share a story about a friendship you made through online gaming.
How did a particular video game affect your relationship with friends or family?
Describe an experience where you used technology to create something meaningful.
What was your first experience with virtual reality and how did it feel?
Share a story about a time you participated in a gaming tournament.
How did a tech-related project at school or work change your approach to tasks?
Describe a time when a malfunctioning piece of technology caused a significant problem.
Explain how you used a video game to escape from a stressful situation.
What was your experience with learning to code and how did it impact you?
Describe a time when you taught someone else to use a new technology.
Share a story about a video game that brought your family together.

When writing a narrative essay, it is important to choose an interesting topic that can engage your readers. Finding the right topic can be a challenge, but there is no need to worry as there are many resources available, such as online essay writers , that can help you choose the best topic for your narrative essay.

Whether a personal experience essay, a story about your best childhood birthday, a narration about your most meaningful travel, or the way you reacted to essential world events, are all worth writing. Bear in mind that each of them requires research, adhering to a structure, and planning. Focus on what’s inspiring for you and may be of interest to your readers, and you’ll get a list of the narrative ideas working best for you.

Readers also enjoyed

WHY WAIT? PLACE AN ORDER RIGHT NOW!

Just fill out the form, press the button, and have no worries!

We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy.

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.

Knowledge Base
How to write a narrative essay | Example & tips

How to Write a Narrative Essay | Example & Tips

Published on July 24, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on July 23, 2023.

A narrative essay tells a story. In most cases, this is a story about a personal experience you had. This type of essay , along with the descriptive essay , allows you to get personal and creative, unlike most academic writing .

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text

Upload your document to correct all your mistakes in minutes

What is a narrative essay for, choosing a topic, interactive example of a narrative essay, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about narrative essays.

When assigned a narrative essay, you might find yourself wondering: Why does my teacher want to hear this story? Topics for narrative essays can range from the important to the trivial. Usually the point is not so much the story itself, but the way you tell it.

A narrative essay is a way of testing your ability to tell a story in a clear and interesting way. You’re expected to think about where your story begins and ends, and how to convey it with eye-catching language and a satisfying pace.

These skills are quite different from those needed for formal academic writing. For instance, in a narrative essay the use of the first person (“I”) is encouraged, as is the use of figurative language, dialogue, and suspense.

Receive feedback on language, structure, and formatting

Professional editors proofread and edit your paper by focusing on:

Academic style
Vague sentences
Style consistency

See an example

Narrative essay assignments vary widely in the amount of direction you’re given about your topic. You may be assigned quite a specific topic or choice of topics to work with.

Write a story about your first day of school.
Write a story about your favorite holiday destination.

You may also be given prompts that leave you a much wider choice of topic.

Write about an experience where you learned something about yourself.
Write about an achievement you are proud of. What did you accomplish, and how?

In these cases, you might have to think harder to decide what story you want to tell. The best kind of story for a narrative essay is one you can use to talk about a particular theme or lesson, or that takes a surprising turn somewhere along the way.

For example, a trip where everything went according to plan makes for a less interesting story than one where something unexpected happened that you then had to respond to. Choose an experience that might surprise the reader or teach them something.

Narrative essays in college applications

When applying for college , you might be asked to write a narrative essay that expresses something about your personal qualities.

For example, this application prompt from Common App requires you to respond with a narrative essay.

In this context, choose a story that is not only interesting but also expresses the qualities the prompt is looking for—here, resilience and the ability to learn from failure—and frame the story in a way that emphasizes these qualities.

An example of a short narrative essay, responding to the prompt “Write about an experience where you learned something about yourself,” is shown below.

Hover over different parts of the text to see how the structure works.

Since elementary school, I have always favored subjects like science and math over the humanities. My instinct was always to think of these subjects as more solid and serious than classes like English. If there was no right answer, I thought, why bother? But recently I had an experience that taught me my academic interests are more flexible than I had thought: I took my first philosophy class.

Before I entered the classroom, I was skeptical. I waited outside with the other students and wondered what exactly philosophy would involve—I really had no idea. I imagined something pretty abstract: long, stilted conversations pondering the meaning of life. But what I got was something quite different.

A young man in jeans, Mr. Jones—“but you can call me Rob”—was far from the white-haired, buttoned-up old man I had half-expected. And rather than pulling us into pedantic arguments about obscure philosophical points, Rob engaged us on our level. To talk free will, we looked at our own choices. To talk ethics, we looked at dilemmas we had faced ourselves. By the end of class, I’d discovered that questions with no right answer can turn out to be the most interesting ones.

The experience has taught me to look at things a little more “philosophically”—and not just because it was a philosophy class! I learned that if I let go of my preconceptions, I can actually get a lot out of subjects I was previously dismissive of. The class taught me—in more ways than one—to look at things with an open mind.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

Ad hominem fallacy
Post hoc fallacy
Appeal to authority fallacy
False cause fallacy
Sunk cost fallacy

College essays

Choosing Essay Topic
Write a College Essay
Write a Diversity Essay
College Essay Format & Structure
Comparing and Contrasting in an Essay

(AI) Tools

Grammar Checker
Paraphrasing Tool
Text Summarizer
AI Detector
Plagiarism Checker
Citation Generator

Here's why students love Scribbr's proofreading services

Discover proofreading & editing

If you’re not given much guidance on what your narrative essay should be about, consider the context and scope of the assignment. What kind of story is relevant, interesting, and possible to tell within the word count?

The best kind of story for a narrative essay is one you can use to reflect on a particular theme or lesson, or that takes a surprising turn somewhere along the way.

Don’t worry too much if your topic seems unoriginal. The point of a narrative essay is how you tell the story and the point you make with it, not the subject of the story itself.

Narrative essays are usually assigned as writing exercises at high school or in university composition classes. They may also form part of a university application.

When you are prompted to tell a story about your own life or experiences, a narrative essay is usually the right response.

The key difference is that a narrative essay is designed to tell a complete story, while a descriptive essay is meant to convey an intense description of a particular place, object, or concept.

Narrative and descriptive essays both allow you to write more personally and creatively than other kinds of essays , and similar writing skills can apply to both.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Caulfield, J. (2023, July 23). How to Write a Narrative Essay | Example & Tips. Scribbr. Retrieved September 18, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/academic-essay/narrative-essay/

Is this article helpful?

Jack Caulfield

Other students also liked, how to write an expository essay, how to write a descriptive essay | example & tips, how to write your personal statement | strategies & examples, "i thought ai proofreading was useless but..".

I've been using Scribbr for years now and I know it's a service that won't disappoint. It does a good job spotting mistakes”

Main Idea Worksheets
Capitalization
Alphabet Coloring Pages
Preschool Letter Worksheets
Bubble Letters
5 Letter Words
Words for Kids (A-Z Word Lists)
Days of the Week
Phonemic Awareness Worksheets
Phonics Worksheets
Sight Words
Kindergarten Spelling
1st Grade Spelling
2nd Grade Spelling
3rd Grade Spelling
Anchor Charts
All About Me Templates
Christmas Worksheets
Cursive Writing
Frayer Model Templates
Fun Fact Friday
Main Idea Graphic Organizers
Noun Worksheet Maker
Printable Lined Paper
Reading Logs
Sight Words Bingo
Writing Prompts
By grade, concept, theme
By Common Core Standards
By NGLS Standards

100 Narrative Essay Topics

Welcome to our narrative essay topics! A well-crafted narrative essay can transport readers into a whole new world, filling their imagination with vivid imagery and compelling stories! We’ve prepared a list of 100 narrative essay topics that are perfect prompts for students at all academic levels—from elementary to high school. These topics are designed to spark creativity and encourage students to write impactful narratives. Don’t hesitate to copy/paste and print the entire list; it’s a treasure trove of ideas for your upcoming narrative essay assignments!

The list of 100 narrative essay topics that we’ve compiled is a versatile and expansive set designed to inspire students at various educational levels. The topics range from lighter, more relatable experiences like your “first job interview” or “a memorable birthday party,” to deeper, more introspective themes such as “an experience that changed your relationship with your parents” or “a moment when you realized the importance of time.”

The collection is organized to offer a wide spectrum of experiences, allowing students to delve into aspects of personal growth, family, friendship, moral dilemmas, and even social issues. This ensures that there’s something for everyone, regardless of their interests or life experiences.

The aim of these topics is to prompt introspection and storytelling, encouraging students to paint vivid images and evoke emotions through their writing. Whether it’s recounting an adventurous trip that didn’t go as planned, a funny misunderstanding, or a challenging moral decision, each topic is intended to offer a platform for students to showcase their narrative skills and individual perspectives.

Moreover, the topics are adaptable for different age groups. Younger students might find it easier to write about more straightforward subjects like “a memorable snow day” or “your first experience with a pet,” while older students might appreciate the complexity of topics like “cultural shock” or “the experience of failure.”

Overall, the list serves as a comprehensive resource for sparking creativity and facilitating meaningful written expression, no matter the student’s grade level. Feel free to use it as a starting point, and adapt the topics to better fit the specific needs and interests of your students. Be sure to check out our writing prompts and descriptive essay topics too! Planning a debate anytime soon? You’ll also love our funny debate topics !

List of Narrative Essay Topics

Your first encounter with a best friend.
The most challenging homework assignment you’ve ever had.
Your first public speaking experience.
The most memorable book you’ve ever read.
A time when you felt proud of yourself.
Your first experience with failure.
The first time you cooked a meal.
A trip that didn’t go as planned.
An unexpected guest at a family gathering.
The most memorable dream you’ve ever had.
A time when you felt out of place.
Your first experience with love.
A time when you faced a moral dilemma.
An experience that made you question your beliefs.
A time when you were the center of attention.
A family tradition that means a lot to you.
An incident that made you change your behavior.
A time when you had to comfort someone else.
The most beautiful place you’ve ever visited.
A memorable train or plane journey.
A lesson learned from a disappointment.
A time when you received an important piece of advice.
Your first job or internship experience.
A time when you felt like a hero.
An experience that made you laugh until you cried.
A memorable sporting event you attended.
Your first concert experience.
The most difficult choice you’ve ever had to make.
A time when you helped someone in need.
An experience that made you appreciate life more.
The day you learned the value of money.
A moment of failure or success.
A surprise that made your day.
The most memorable meal you’ve ever had.
An adventure with friends that you will never forget.
Your first encounter with social media.
A time when you had to rely on someone else.
A time when you felt extremely happy.
A moment when you knew you had made a big mistake.
A life-changing realization.
An experience that restored your faith in humanity.
A family reunion that left an impression on you.
A time when you felt really stressed.
An encounter with a wild animal.
A memorable New Year’s Eve.
A time when you had to deal with jealousy.
Your experience of learning a new language.
The most memorable gift you’ve ever received.
A lesson you learned from a child.
A time when you experienced culture shock.
An event that changed your relationship with your parents.
A moment when you lost something valuable.
Your first experience in a big city.
A memorable snow day.
A close call while driving.
An event that made you stronger.
The most unexpected compliment you’ve received.
A time when you felt lonely.
A vivid childhood memory.
A strange coincidence that happened to you.
A memorable fishing trip.
The first time you had a serious argument with a friend.
Your experiences during a natural disaster.
A vacation that turned into a disaster.
A time when you had to navigate without a map.
A time when you were falsely accused of something.
Your first experience with peer pressure.
A time when you procrastinated and the outcome.
A moment when you felt truly content.
An embarrassing mistake you made.
The first time you voted in an election.
An experience that taught you about forgiveness.
A job interview that changed your life.
An experience of attending a live performance.
Your journey to becoming more eco-friendly.
A lesson learned from a pet.
Your experience with online learning.
A time when you had to be brave for someone else.
A moment that made you feel incredibly lucky.
A conflict that turned out to be a misunderstanding.
A time when you had to adapt to a new environment.
A moment when you felt extremely sad.
An act of courage that you witnessed.
A meaningful conversation that affected you.
A time when you missed an opportunity and what you learned from it.
An event that made you lose your fear.
A time when you realized your parents were right.
A funny misunderstanding between you and a teacher.
An experience that made you want to become a better person.
The day you discovered your passion.
A day when everything seemed to go wrong.
An experience of being stuck somewhere.
A time when you had to wait in a long line.
A special moment with your grandparents.
Your experience with a long-lost friend or family member.
A skill you learned while working with someone else.
A moment when you were surprised by your own abilities.
A time when you stood up to a bully.
Your first experience of earning money.
A moment when you realized the importance of time.

How to Order

Narrative Essay

Narrative Essay Examples

10+ Interesting Narrative Essay Examples Plus Writing Tips!

Narrative Essay Definition

Writing a narrative essay is a unique form of storytelling that revolves around personal experiences, aiming to immerse the reader in the author's world. It's a piece of writing that delves into the depths of thoughts and feelings.

In a narrative essay, life experiences take center stage, serving as the main substance of the story. It's a powerful tool for writers to convey a personal journey, turning experiences into a captivating tale. This form of storytelling is an artful display of emotions intended to engage readers, leaving the reader feeling like they are a part of the story.

By focusing on a specific theme, event, emotions, and reflections, a narrative essay weaves a storyline that leads the reader through the author's experiences.

The Essentials of Narrative Essays

Let's start with the basics. The four types of essays are argumentative essays , descriptive essays , expository essays , and narrative essays.

The goal of a narrative essay is to tell a compelling tale from one person's perspective. A narrative essay uses all components you’d find in a typical story, such as a beginning, middle, and conclusion, as well as plot, characters, setting, and climax.

The narrative essay's goal is the plot, which should be detailed enough to reach a climax. Here's how it works:

It's usually presented in chronological order.
It has a function. This is typically evident in the thesis statement's opening paragraph.
It may include speech.
It's told with sensory details and vivid language, drawing the reader in. All of these elements are connected to the writer's major argument in some way.

Before writing your essay, make sure you go through a sufficient number of narrative essay examples. These examples will help you in knowing the dos and don’ts of a good narrative essay.

It is always a better option to have some sense of direction before you start anything. Below, you can find important details and a bunch of narrative essay examples. These examples will also help you build your content according to the format.

Here is a how to start a narrative essay example:

Sample Narrative Essay

The examples inform the readers about the writing style and structure of the narration. The essay below will help you understand how to create a story and build this type of essay in no time.

Here is another narrative essay examples 500 words:

Narrative Essay Examples for Students

Narrative essays offer students a platform to express their experiences and creativity. These examples show how to effectively structure and present personal stories for education.

Here are some helpful narrative essay examples:

Narrative Essay Examples Middle School

Narrative Essay Examples for Grade 7

Narrative Essay Examples for Grade 8

Grade 11 Narrative Essay Examples

Narrative Essay Example For High School

Narrative Essay Example For College

Personal Narrative Essay Example

Descriptive Narrative Essay Example

3rd Person Narrative Essay Example

Narrative Essay Topics

Here are some narrative essay topics to help you get started with your narrative essay writing.

When I got my first bunny
When I moved to Canada
I haven’t experienced this freezing temperature ever before
The moment I won the basketball finale
A memorable day at the museum
How I talk to my parrot
The day I saw the death
When I finally rebelled against my professor

Need more topics? Check out these extensive narrative essay topics to get creative ideas!

Narrative Essay Writing Tips

Narrative essays give you the freedom to be creative, but it can be tough to make yours special. Use these tips to make your story interesting:

Share your story from a personal viewpoint, engaging the reader with your experiences.
Use vivid descriptions to paint a clear picture of the setting, characters, and emotions involved.
Organize events in chronological order for a smooth and understandable narrative.
Bring characters to life through their actions, dialogue, and personalities.
Employ dialogue sparingly to add realism and progression to the narrative.
Engage readers by evoking emotions through your storytelling.
End with reflection or a lesson learned from the experience, providing insight.

Now that you have essay examples and tips to get started, you're well on your way to crafting compelling narrative essays.

However, if storytelling isn't your forte, you can always turn to our custom essay writing service for help. Our service features skilled writers who can tackle any type of essay with great expertise. With their experience, you'll receive a top-quality, 100% plagiarism-free essay every time.

So, let our narrative essay writing service make sure your narrative essay stands out. Order now!

Write Essay Within 60 Seconds!

Caleb S. has been providing writing services for over five years and has a Masters degree from Oxford University. He is an expert in his craft and takes great pride in helping students achieve their academic goals. Caleb is a dedicated professional who always puts his clients first.

Paper Due? Why Suffer? That’s our Job!

Keep reading

Reading Worksheets, Spelling, Grammar, Comprehension, Lesson Plans

50 Narrative Essay Topics

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but a narrative essay can also tell an exciting story and create vivid pictures in the reader’s mind! We’ve got 50 narrative essay topics designed to prompt students to craft memorable written narratives. These can be modified for students in elementary, middle and high school. Feel free to print the entire narrative essay topics list for plenty of inspiration for your next narrative essay assignment!

Narrative Essay Topics

Your first day of school.
Your most exciting day of school
A field trip that your class took.
Your favorite summer vacation.
A trip that included something unexpected or surprising.
A time that you experienced something spooky.
A time that you experienced something truly frightening.
A time that you learned something new that changed you in some way.
The moment when you met someone who changed your life.
The day that you got your first pet.
A move from one place to another.
Something funny that happened to you.
Something funny that happened to one of your family members or friends.
Something embarrassing that happened to you.
Your favorite birthday party.
A birthday that was disappointing.
A big storm (rain, snow or even a tornado!).
A time that the power went out.
A summer day when the temperature got much higher than expected.
A time when you went to an amusement park.
A time when you got lost somewhere.
A memorable experience with a favorite family member.
A sad experience with someone about whom you care.
Your most exciting moment playing sports.
Your most exciting moment performing in a play, singing, playing music or dancing.
An experience that left you feeling frustrated.
An experience that was hard but ended up being worth it.
A time that you experienced rejection.
A weird encounter with a stranger.
A random act of kindness.
A time that you took a stand for someone or for an issue that you care about.
A moment when you thought you might get hurt but didn’t.
Breaking a bone (or otherwise suffering an injury).
Your first time away from home for the night (or longer).
A time when you experienced a historic event.
Where you were when a major event happened. (Note: You don’t need to have been at the site of the event; this prompt is about where you were when you found out about the event and how you reacted.)
A time when you rebelled against your parents or teacher.
A dangerous experience.
A misunderstanding between yourself and someone else.
A difficult decision that you had to make.
The end of a friendship or relationship.
The beginning of a friendship or relationship.
A time when you judged someone first and then realized that you were wrong about the person.
A time when someone judged you first and then realized that he or she was wrong about you.
A moment when you felt that you were starting to grow up.
A time when you saw one or both of your parents in a different light.
A time when you looked up to your older sibling.
A time when your younger sibling looked up to you.
A time when you were grateful to be an only child.
An experience that you think has only ever happened to you!

Looking for more essay topics? Compare and Contrast Essay Topics Descriptive Essay Topics Cause and Effect Essay Topics Persuasive Essay and Speech Topics

Narrative Essays: Examples And Topic Ideas For Students

Writing a narrative essay is a great way to share your life with others. Here, we’ll explore topics that will set you up to write a great narrative essay.

If you’re searching for a list of personal narrative essay topics, you’re likely writing a middle school, high school, or college essay. A personal narrative describes your life experience, usually from the first-person point of view.

There are many different approaches to take to writing a narrative essay. Good narrative essay topics are engaging and can be either serious or silly. A personal narrative is not an argument essay or a persuasive essay; rather, it tells a story from your point of view.

Narrative essay writers are constantly on the lookout for things that happen in their lives that teach a lesson, make a point, or tell a funny story. When brainstorming for the best topic for your narrative essay, think about something that happened in your life that you love sharing with others, and work to translate your story into written prose that will hook your readers.

Here, we’ll explore some of the best narrative essay topic examples and ideas, helping you get your writing started right.

For help with your essays, check out our round-up of the best essay checkers

IMAGE	PRODUCT
	Grammarly
	ProWritingAid

Narrative Essay Examples

1. the power of potstickers by lauren brown, 2. everyone should have a best friend 30 years older than them by lucy holden, 3. all it takes is a small act of kindness by maddie huiras, 4. a reflection on working in labor & delivery by dr. amos grunebaum, md, 5. pressures of being a first generation american-born citizen by helen bezikyan, narrative essay topic ideas, 1. your first day of high school, 2. how you met your best friend, 3. your best birthday party, 4. your favorite (or most difficult) childhood memory, 5. your most embarrassing moment, 6. how you made a difficult decision, 7. an act of kindness, 8. a tribute to your first pet.

Although I find the exact measurements of recipes comforting, I do my best to add a pinch of this and a dash of that in my meals every so often. It’s how I get to go outside my comfort zone every day. And I see in myself a newfound wisdom: it’s ok to go off the beaten path, you can experiment, compromise can lead to something new and beautiful. My mother’s cooking taught me that and I expect to bring that with me wherever I may go.

In this food-based tribute to her mother’s ingenuity, Brown discusses important family memories while sharing lessons from her mother that she now carries through everyday life. The combination of rich descriptive language with an explanation of how the experience of cooking with her mother shaped her life draws the reader in, helping them to feel like they’re in the kitchen with Brown and her mother.

In short, we adopted each other as confidants and met regularly to discuss life in general. He was more supportive than anyone else I met during the whole three years and stepped out of his remit to give me tailored advice that definitely helped me to get a job in journalism. It was clear from the start that he cared more about what was right for me than what was right for the university league tables, perhaps because he actually knew me. When I told him I was worried that the long days I was doing in the student newspaper office would take a toll on my degree, he told me I could get a first if I wanted one, but thought the student paper stuff would help my career much more.

It can be hard to find a friend who knows you better than yourself, and Holden discusses that phenomenon in their essay on friendship. She discusses how her friend affected her life during their time together and how he affected her after being separated by distance. In this narrative essay, the author works to describe the feelings she experienced through the ups and downs of their friendship, writing about universal truths that all humans experience in relationships.

Throughout his life, he had gotten used to dealing with Dyskeratosis congenita, and as life went on, he eventually developed cancer; but even while battling cancer, my dad showed kindness. In fact, on the night before he passed away, even though he knew he wouldn’t be with us for much longer, he tried his best to focus on the positive stuff.

In this essay, Huiras reflects on the life and death of her father and celebrates his commitment to kindness to others throughout his life. While Huiras narrates the events that led to her father’s death, she also describes how his actions and character significantly affect her life, helping her grow into the woman she wants to be.

Labor & Delivery is getting tears in your eyes when you watch a couple you’ve connected with welcome their baby into the world. Even though you’ve just met and will likely never see each other again, there’s something special about sharing that experience that makes you feel like you’ve known each other forever. Labor & Delivery is a place full of opposites. A woman grieving a devastating loss can be in the room next door to a family celebrating a new addition and 14-year-old mother can be in the room next door to a 45-year-old mother. Regardless of the circumstances, each family that walks through the L&D doors will be forever changed.

In this essay on life behind the doors of the delivery room, Dr. Grunebaum shares what it’s like to both celebrate and grieve with families and how difficult it can be to manage both the chaos and joy that comes with the birth process. If you choose to write an essay about a process so personal as birth, leave out any details that could identify the people involved, as Grunebaum does in this essay.

The struggles that come with having immigrant parents may include constant seeking of approval, always having to be responsible, as well as immigrant parents discussing the future that they may have already planned for their child. More often than not, immigrant parents constantly remind their child, or children that they expect big and great things from them in the future, which is part of why they came to this country.

In this essay, Bezikyan discusses the unique pressures of being a first-generation American-born citizen. In addition to offering her perspective, she also offers the opinions of others in similar circumstances. This helps to support her opinion and help others see the shared experience of people born to immigrant parents.

Narrative Essay Topics: Your first day of high school

Whether you’re a college or high school student, you likely remember your first day of high school—stepping away from middle school and becoming a young adult. The first day of high school is rife with emotion, and describing your experience can provide your reader with an interesting perspective on how you deal with transition and change.

When describing the big day, use details. Explain how you felt as you walked toward the door, how you felt when you struggled to find your classes, and what it was like opening your new locker for the first time. As you write, you may find it helpful to avoid technical details (like the minute-to-minute scheduling of your classes) and instead focus on unique or tough moments or how accomplished you felt by the end of the day.

Your best friend has been there for you through thick and thin, and writing about how the two of you met can be a fun narrative essay topic, no matter your age or writing level.

As you tell the story of how you met your best friend, describe how your connection grew over time. Perhaps you were thick as thieves right away, or you needed some time to realize that you’d met a lifelong friend. For some inspiration, reach out to your best friend and ask them what they remember from the day you met—it can be fun and fresh to get their perspective on how your first meeting went.

Birthdays are a time to celebrate, and writing about a particularly excellent birthday can be a great topic for your narrative essay. When discussing your best birthday party, include all details, including who you invited, what you ate, and how you celebrated with family and friends.

You may also want to talk about why that particular birthday was so meaningful to you. If it was a landmark birthday (like your sweet 16) or a special event (like your last birthday party at home before you left for college), be sure to mention this, so your reader understands why this event was so significant in your life.

There’s no way around it: traumatic things happen in childhood, and wonderful things happen. Writing about childhood memories can be relatable and provide an instant connection with your readers.

When choosing a favorite childhood memory to write about, think back to memorable times in your life because they’re connected with strong emotions. Perhaps you want to write about when your baby sibling came home from the hospital or your first baseball game.

If you choose to write about a difficult childhood memory, the process for choosing a topic is still the same. Think back to a childhood memory that evokes strong emotion. While writing about a negative childhood memory can be an excellent way to write a compelling personal essay, it can also bring up challenging thoughts and may feel traumatic.

Have a particular time that made you red in the face? Writing about an embarrassing moment is relatable and can provide a humorous topic for your narrative essay.

When writing about your embarrassing moment, it can be helpful if you’re willing to laugh at yourself and find the humor in the situation you went through. Be sure to describe what happened from start to finish, painting a clear picture of the moment for your readers. Describe your emotions as the embarrassing moment occurred, and talk about what happened after the moment was over.

Wrestling with a difficult decision can feel impossible at the moment, and reflecting on the experience of making a difficult decision to your readers can make for an excellent narrative essay topic.

When you’re talking about a difficult decision in your narrative essay, give plenty of background information so that the reader fully understands why you’re wrestling with a tough choice. Don’t give away your decision at the start of the essay; rather, take the reader through your thought process as you had to decide what to do.

Sharing an act of kindness you did with someone else—or a random act of kindness that someone did for you—can provide a warm, fuzzy topic for your narrative essay. When writing about an act of kindness, focus on how the act made you feel, whether you were the giver or the receiver of the act.

Much like writing about meeting your best friend for the first time, it can be helpful to talk about your state of mind before and after the act of kindness occurred. Perhaps you were going through a tough time, and the act of kindness helped to boost your mood. Explaining the emotions that came with the act of kindness and the facts of the situation can help your reader feel connected to your story.

Narrative Essay Topics: A Tribute To Your First Pet

Whether you have a dog, a cat, or something more exotic, many readers will be able to connect with the love that a kid has for their first pet. When writing a narrative essay about your first pet, please explain how you felt the first time you laid eyes on them. This may mean describing when they were first presented to you as a kitten or a puppy or the first time you saw your older rescue pet.

Talk about the qualities you loved most about your pet, whether that was their ability to comfort you after a bad day or how they were never too old or tired to go outside and play frisbee. Focus both on the descriptive qualities of your pet that allow your reader to imagine what they looked like and the emotional qualities that keep your first pet near and dear to your heart to this day.

If you have a pet currently, you can mention them in your narrative essay about your first pet, talking about their qualities that remind you of your first pet. While it can tug at your heartstrings to describe the memory of your first pet, writing about the love you have for an animal is nearly universally relatable, and your readers will love hearing about your fond memories of your furry friend.

Tip: If writing an essay sounds like a lot of work, simplify it. Write a simple 5 paragraph essay instead.

If you’re still stuck, check out our available resources for essay writing topics .

Choose Your Test

Search Blogs By Category
College Admissions
AP and IB Exams
GPA and Coursework

3 Great Narrative Essay Examples + Tips for Writing

General Education

A narrative essay is one of the most intimidating assignments you can be handed at any level of your education. Where you've previously written argumentative essays that make a point or analytic essays that dissect meaning, a narrative essay asks you to write what is effectively a story .

But unlike a simple work of creative fiction, your narrative essay must have a clear and concrete motif —a recurring theme or idea that you’ll explore throughout. Narrative essays are less rigid, more creative in expression, and therefore pretty different from most other essays you’ll be writing.

But not to fear—in this article, we’ll be covering what a narrative essay is, how to write a good one, and also analyzing some personal narrative essay examples to show you what a great one looks like.

What Is a Narrative Essay?

At first glance, a narrative essay might sound like you’re just writing a story. Like the stories you're used to reading, a narrative essay is generally (but not always) chronological, following a clear throughline from beginning to end. Even if the story jumps around in time, all the details will come back to one specific theme, demonstrated through your choice in motifs.

Unlike many creative stories, however, your narrative essay should be based in fact. That doesn’t mean that every detail needs to be pure and untainted by imagination, but rather that you shouldn’t wholly invent the events of your narrative essay. There’s nothing wrong with inventing a person’s words if you can’t remember them exactly, but you shouldn’t say they said something they weren’t even close to saying.

Another big difference between narrative essays and creative fiction—as well as other kinds of essays—is that narrative essays are based on motifs. A motif is a dominant idea or theme, one that you establish before writing the essay. As you’re crafting the narrative, it’ll feed back into your motif to create a comprehensive picture of whatever that motif is.

For example, say you want to write a narrative essay about how your first day in high school helped you establish your identity. You might discuss events like trying to figure out where to sit in the cafeteria, having to describe yourself in five words as an icebreaker in your math class, or being unsure what to do during your lunch break because it’s no longer acceptable to go outside and play during lunch. All of those ideas feed back into the central motif of establishing your identity.

The important thing to remember is that while a narrative essay is typically told chronologically and intended to read like a story, it is not purely for entertainment value. A narrative essay delivers its theme by deliberately weaving the motifs through the events, scenes, and details. While a narrative essay may be entertaining, its primary purpose is to tell a complete story based on a central meaning.

Unlike other essay forms, it is totally okay—even expected—to use first-person narration in narrative essays. If you’re writing a story about yourself, it’s natural to refer to yourself within the essay. It’s also okay to use other perspectives, such as third- or even second-person, but that should only be done if it better serves your motif. Generally speaking, your narrative essay should be in first-person perspective.

Though your motif choices may feel at times like you’re making a point the way you would in an argumentative essay, a narrative essay’s goal is to tell a story, not convince the reader of anything. Your reader should be able to tell what your motif is from reading, but you don’t have to change their mind about anything. If they don’t understand the point you are making, you should consider strengthening the delivery of the events and descriptions that support your motif.

Narrative essays also share some features with analytical essays, in which you derive meaning from a book, film, or other media. But narrative essays work differently—you’re not trying to draw meaning from an existing text, but rather using an event you’ve experienced to convey meaning. In an analytical essay, you examine narrative, whereas in a narrative essay you create narrative.

The structure of a narrative essay is also a bit different than other essays. You’ll generally be getting your point across chronologically as opposed to grouping together specific arguments in paragraphs or sections. To return to the example of an essay discussing your first day of high school and how it impacted the shaping of your identity, it would be weird to put the events out of order, even if not knowing what to do after lunch feels like a stronger idea than choosing where to sit. Instead of organizing to deliver your information based on maximum impact, you’ll be telling your story as it happened, using concrete details to reinforce your theme.

3 Great Narrative Essay Examples

One of the best ways to learn how to write a narrative essay is to look at a great narrative essay sample. Let’s take a look at some truly stellar narrative essay examples and dive into what exactly makes them work so well.

A Ticket to the Fair by David Foster Wallace

Today is Press Day at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield, and I’m supposed to be at the fairgrounds by 9:00 A.M. to get my credentials. I imagine credentials to be a small white card in the band of a fedora. I’ve never been considered press before. My real interest in credentials is getting into rides and shows for free. I’m fresh in from the East Coast, for an East Coast magazine. Why exactly they’re interested in the Illinois State Fair remains unclear to me. I suspect that every so often editors at East Coast magazines slap their foreheads and remember that about 90 percent of the United States lies between the coasts, and figure they’ll engage somebody to do pith-helmeted anthropological reporting on something rural and heartlandish. I think they asked me to do this because I grew up here, just a couple hours’ drive from downstate Springfield. I never did go to the state fair, though—I pretty much topped out at the county fair level. Actually, I haven’t been back to Illinois for a long time, and I can’t say I’ve missed it.

Throughout this essay, David Foster Wallace recounts his experience as press at the Illinois State Fair. But it’s clear from this opening that he’s not just reporting on the events exactly as they happened—though that’s also true— but rather making a point about how the East Coast, where he lives and works, thinks about the Midwest.

In his opening paragraph, Wallace states that outright: “Why exactly they’re interested in the Illinois State Fair remains unclear to me. I suspect that every so often editors at East Coast magazines slap their foreheads and remember that about 90 percent of the United States lies between the coasts, and figure they’ll engage somebody to do pith-helmeted anthropological reporting on something rural and heartlandish.”

Not every motif needs to be stated this clearly , but in an essay as long as Wallace’s, particularly since the audience for such a piece may feel similarly and forget that such a large portion of the country exists, it’s important to make that point clear.

But Wallace doesn’t just rest on introducing his motif and telling the events exactly as they occurred from there. It’s clear that he selects events that remind us of that idea of East Coast cynicism , such as when he realizes that the Help Me Grow tent is standing on top of fake grass that is killing the real grass beneath, when he realizes the hypocrisy of craving a corn dog when faced with a real, suffering pig, when he’s upset for his friend even though he’s not the one being sexually harassed, and when he witnesses another East Coast person doing something he wouldn’t dare to do.

Wallace is literally telling the audience exactly what happened, complete with dates and timestamps for when each event occurred. But he’s also choosing those events with a purpose—he doesn’t focus on details that don’t serve his motif. That’s why he discusses the experiences of people, how the smells are unappealing to him, and how all the people he meets, in cowboy hats, overalls, or “black spandex that looks like cheesecake leotards,” feel almost alien to him.

All of these details feed back into the throughline of East Coast thinking that Wallace introduces in the first paragraph. He also refers back to it in the essay’s final paragraph, stating:

At last, an overarching theory blooms inside my head: megalopolitan East Coasters’ summer treats and breaks and literally ‘getaways,’ flights-from—from crowds, noise, heat, dirt, the stress of too many sensory choices….The East Coast existential treat is escape from confines and stimuli—quiet, rustic vistas that hold still, turn inward, turn away. Not so in the rural Midwest. Here you’re pretty much away all the time….Something in a Midwesterner sort of actuates , deep down, at a public event….The real spectacle that draws us here is us.

Throughout this journey, Wallace has tried to demonstrate how the East Coast thinks about the Midwest, ultimately concluding that they are captivated by the Midwest’s less stimuli-filled life, but that the real reason they are interested in events like the Illinois State Fair is that they are, in some ways, a means of looking at the East Coast in a new, estranging way.

The reason this works so well is that Wallace has carefully chosen his examples, outlined his motif and themes in the first paragraph, and eventually circled back to the original motif with a clearer understanding of his original point.

When outlining your own narrative essay, try to do the same. Start with a theme, build upon it with examples, and return to it in the end with an even deeper understanding of the original issue. You don’t need this much space to explore a theme, either—as we’ll see in the next example, a strong narrative essay can also be very short.

Death of a Moth by Virginia Woolf

After a time, tired by his dancing apparently, he settled on the window ledge in the sun, and, the queer spectacle being at an end, I forgot about him. Then, looking up, my eye was caught by him. He was trying to resume his dancing, but seemed either so stiff or so awkward that he could only flutter to the bottom of the window-pane; and when he tried to fly across it he failed. Being intent on other matters I watched these futile attempts for a time without thinking, unconsciously waiting for him to resume his flight, as one waits for a machine, that has stopped momentarily, to start again without considering the reason of its failure. After perhaps a seventh attempt he slipped from the wooden ledge and fell, fluttering his wings, on to his back on the window sill. The helplessness of his attitude roused me. It flashed upon me that he was in difficulties; he could no longer raise himself; his legs struggled vainly. But, as I stretched out a pencil, meaning to help him to right himself, it came over me that the failure and awkwardness were the approach of death. I laid the pencil down again.

In this essay, Virginia Woolf explains her encounter with a dying moth. On surface level, this essay is just a recounting of an afternoon in which she watched a moth die—it’s even established in the title. But there’s more to it than that. Though Woolf does not begin her essay with as clear a motif as Wallace, it’s not hard to pick out the evidence she uses to support her point, which is that the experience of this moth is also the human experience.

In the title, Woolf tells us this essay is about death. But in the first paragraph, she seems to mostly be discussing life—the moth is “content with life,” people are working in the fields, and birds are flying. However, she mentions that it is mid-September and that the fields were being plowed. It’s autumn and it’s time for the harvest; the time of year in which many things die.

In this short essay, she chronicles the experience of watching a moth seemingly embody life, then die. Though this essay is literally about a moth, it’s also about a whole lot more than that. After all, moths aren’t the only things that die—Woolf is also reflecting on her own mortality, as well as the mortality of everything around her.

At its core, the essay discusses the push and pull of life and death, not in a way that’s necessarily sad, but in a way that is accepting of both. Woolf begins by setting up the transitional fall season, often associated with things coming to an end, and raises the ideas of pleasure, vitality, and pity.

At one point, Woolf tries to help the dying moth, but reconsiders, as it would interfere with the natural order of the world. The moth’s death is part of the natural order of the world, just like fall, just like her own eventual death.

All these themes are set up in the beginning and explored throughout the essay’s narrative. Though Woolf doesn’t directly state her theme, she reinforces it by choosing a small, isolated event—watching a moth die—and illustrating her point through details.

With this essay, we can see that you don’t need a big, weird, exciting event to discuss an important meaning. Woolf is able to explore complicated ideas in a short essay by being deliberate about what details she includes, just as you can be in your own essays.

Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin

On the twenty-ninth of July, in 1943, my father died. On the same day, a few hours later, his last child was born. Over a month before this, while all our energies were concentrated in waiting for these events, there had been, in Detroit, one of the bloodiest race riots of the century. A few hours after my father’s funeral, while he lay in state in the undertaker’s chapel, a race riot broke out in Harlem. On the morning of the third of August, we drove my father to the graveyard through a wilderness of smashed plate glass.

Like Woolf, Baldwin does not lay out his themes in concrete terms—unlike Wallace, there’s no clear sentence that explains what he’ll be talking about. However, you can see the motifs quite clearly: death, fatherhood, struggle, and race.

Throughout the narrative essay, Baldwin discusses the circumstances of his father’s death, including his complicated relationship with his father. By introducing those motifs in the first paragraph, the reader understands that everything discussed in the essay will come back to those core ideas. When Baldwin talks about his experience with a white teacher taking an interest in him and his father’s resistance to that, he is also talking about race and his father’s death. When he talks about his father’s death, he is also talking about his views on race. When he talks about his encounters with segregation and racism, he is talking, in part, about his father.

Because his father was a hard, uncompromising man, Baldwin struggles to reconcile the knowledge that his father was right about many things with his desire to not let that hardness consume him, as well.

Baldwin doesn’t explicitly state any of this, but his writing so often touches on the same motifs that it becomes clear he wants us to think about all these ideas in conversation with one another.

At the end of the essay, Baldwin makes it more clear:

This fight begins, however, in the heart and it had now been laid to my charge to keep my own heart free of hatred and despair. This intimation made my heart heavy and, now that my father was irrecoverable, I wished that he had been beside me so that I could have searched his face for the answers which only the future would give me now.

Here, Baldwin ties together the themes and motifs into one clear statement: that he must continue to fight and recognize injustice, especially racial injustice, just as his father did. But unlike his father, he must do it beginning with himself—he must not let himself be closed off to the world as his father was. And yet, he still wishes he had his father for guidance, even as he establishes that he hopes to be a different man than his father.

In this essay, Baldwin loads the front of the essay with his motifs, and, through his narrative, weaves them together into a theme. In the end, he comes to a conclusion that connects all of those things together and leaves the reader with a lasting impression of completion—though the elements may have been initially disparate, in the end everything makes sense.

You can replicate this tactic of introducing seemingly unattached ideas and weaving them together in your own essays. By introducing those motifs, developing them throughout, and bringing them together in the end, you can demonstrate to your reader how all of them are related. However, it’s especially important to be sure that your motifs and clear and consistent throughout your essay so that the conclusion feels earned and consistent—if not, readers may feel mislead.

5 Key Tips for Writing Narrative Essays

Narrative essays can be a lot of fun to write since they’re so heavily based on creativity. But that can also feel intimidating—sometimes it’s easier to have strict guidelines than to have to make it all up yourself. Here are a few tips to keep your narrative essay feeling strong and fresh.

Develop Strong Motifs

Motifs are the foundation of a narrative essay . What are you trying to say? How can you say that using specific symbols or events? Those are your motifs.

In the same way that an argumentative essay’s body should support its thesis, the body of your narrative essay should include motifs that support your theme.

Try to avoid cliches, as these will feel tired to your readers. Instead of roses to symbolize love, try succulents. Instead of the ocean representing some vast, unknowable truth, try the depths of your brother’s bedroom. Keep your language and motifs fresh and your essay will be even stronger!

Use First-Person Perspective

In many essays, you’re expected to remove yourself so that your points stand on their own. Not so in a narrative essay—in this case, you want to make use of your own perspective.

Sometimes a different perspective can make your point even stronger. If you want someone to identify with your point of view, it may be tempting to choose a second-person perspective. However, be sure you really understand the function of second-person; it’s very easy to put a reader off if the narration isn’t expertly deployed.

If you want a little bit of distance, third-person perspective may be okay. But be careful—too much distance and your reader may feel like the narrative lacks truth.

That’s why first-person perspective is the standard. It keeps you, the writer, close to the narrative, reminding the reader that it really happened. And because you really know what happened and how, you’re free to inject your own opinion into the story without it detracting from your point, as it would in a different type of essay.

Stick to the Truth

Your essay should be true. However, this is a creative essay, and it’s okay to embellish a little. Rarely in life do we experience anything with a clear, concrete meaning the way somebody in a book might. If you flub the details a little, it’s okay—just don’t make them up entirely.

Also, nobody expects you to perfectly recall details that may have happened years ago. You may have to reconstruct dialog from your memory and your imagination. That’s okay, again, as long as you aren’t making it up entirely and assigning made-up statements to somebody.

Dialog is a powerful tool. A good conversation can add flavor and interest to a story, as we saw demonstrated in David Foster Wallace’s essay. As previously mentioned, it’s okay to flub it a little, especially because you’re likely writing about an experience you had without knowing that you’d be writing about it later.

However, don’t rely too much on it. Your narrative essay shouldn’t be told through people explaining things to one another; the motif comes through in the details. Dialog can be one of those details, but it shouldn’t be the only one.

Use Sensory Descriptions

Because a narrative essay is a story, you can use sensory details to make your writing more interesting. If you’re describing a particular experience, you can go into detail about things like taste, smell, and hearing in a way that you probably wouldn’t do in any other essay style.

These details can tie into your overall motifs and further your point. Woolf describes in great detail what she sees while watching the moth, giving us the sense that we, too, are watching the moth. In Wallace’s essay, he discusses the sights, sounds, and smells of the Illinois State Fair to help emphasize his point about its strangeness. And in Baldwin’s essay, he describes shattered glass as a “wilderness,” and uses the feelings of his body to describe his mental state.

All these descriptions anchor us not only in the story, but in the motifs and themes as well. One of the tools of a writer is making the reader feel as you felt, and sensory details help you achieve that.

What’s Next?

Looking to brush up on your essay-writing capabilities before the ACT? This guide to ACT English will walk you through some of the best strategies and practice questions to get you prepared!

Part of practicing for the ACT is ensuring your word choice and diction are on point. Check out this guide to some of the most common errors on the ACT English section to be sure that you're not making these common mistakes!

A solid understanding of English principles will help you make an effective point in a narrative essay, and you can get that understanding through taking a rigorous assortment of high school English classes !

Trending Now

How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League

How to Get a Perfect 4.0 GPA

How to Write an Amazing College Essay

What Exactly Are Colleges Looking For?

ACT vs. SAT: Which Test Should You Take?

When should you take the SAT or ACT?

Get Your Free

Find Your Target SAT Score

Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests

How to Get a Perfect SAT Score, by an Expert Full Scorer

Score 800 on SAT Math

Score 800 on SAT Reading and Writing

How to Improve Your Low SAT Score

Score 600 on SAT Math

Score 600 on SAT Reading and Writing

Find Your Target ACT Score

Complete Official Free ACT Practice Tests

How to Get a Perfect ACT Score, by a 36 Full Scorer

Get a 36 on ACT English

Get a 36 on ACT Math

Get a 36 on ACT Reading

Get a 36 on ACT Science

How to Improve Your Low ACT Score

Get a 24 on ACT English

Get a 24 on ACT Math

Get a 24 on ACT Reading

Get a 24 on ACT Science

Stay Informed

Get the latest articles and test prep tips!

Melissa Brinks graduated from the University of Washington in 2014 with a Bachelor's in English with a creative writing emphasis. She has spent several years tutoring K-12 students in many subjects, including in SAT prep, to help them prepare for their college education.

Ask a Question Below

Have any questions about this article or other topics? Ask below and we'll reply!

What is a Narrative Essay? How to Write It (with Examples)

Narrative essays are a type of storytelling in which writers weave a personal experience into words to create a fascinating and engaging narrative for readers. A narrative essay explains a story from the author’s point of view to share a lesson or memory with the reader. Narrative essays, like descriptive essays , employ figurative language to depict the subject in a vivid and creative manner to leave a lasting impact on the readers’ minds. In this article, we explore the definition of narrative essays, list the key elements to be included, and provide tips on how to craft a narrative that captivates your audience.

What is a narrative essay, choosing narrative essay topics, key elements in a narrative essay, creating a narrative essay outline, types of narrative essays, the pre-writing stage, the writing stage, the editing stage, narrative essay example, frequently asked questions.

Narrative essays are often based on one’s personal experience which allows the author to express himself/herself in compelling ways for the reader. They employ storytelling elements to convey the plot and captivate the reader while disclosing the story’s theme or purpose. The author must always have a purpose or theme in mind when writing a narrative essay. These essays may be assigned to high school students to assess their ability to create captivating stories based on personal experiences, or they may be required as part of a college application to assess the applicant’s personal traits. Narrative essays might be based on true events with minor tweaks for dramatic purposes, or they can be adapted from a fictional scenario. Whatever the case maybe, the goal is to tell a story, a good story!

In narrative essays, the emphasis is not so much on the narrative itself as it is on how you explain it. Narrative essay topics cover a range of experiences, from noteworthy to mundane, but when storytelling elements are used well, even a simple account can have weight. Notably, the skills required for narrative writing differ significantly from those needed for formal academic essays, and we will delve deeper into this in the next section.

You can talk about any narrative, but consider whether it is fascinating enough, has enough twists and turns, or teaches a lesson (It’s a plus if the story contains an unexpected twist at the end). The potential topics for a narrative essay are limitless—a triumphant story, a brief moment of introspection, or a voyage of self-discovery. These essays provide writers with the opportunity to share a fragment of their lives with the audience, enriching both the writer’s and the reader’s experiences. Narrative essay examples could be a write-up on “What has been your biggest achievement in life so far and what did it teach you?” or “Describe your toughest experience and how you dealt with it?”.

While narrative essays allow you to be creative with your ideas, language, and format, they must include some key components to convey the story clearly, create engaging content and build reader interest. Follow these guidelines when drafting your essay:

Tell your story using the first person to engage users.
Use sufficient sensory information and figurative language.
Follow an organized framework so the story flows chronologically.
Include interesting plot components that add to the narrative.
Ensure clear language without grammar, spelling, or word choice errors.

Narrative essay outlines serve as the foundational structure for essay composition, acting as a framework to organize thoughts and ideas prior to the writing process. These outlines provide writers with a means to summarize the story, and help in formulating the introduction and conclusion sections and defining the narrative’s trajectory.

Unlike conventional essays that strictly adhere to the five-paragraph structure, narrative essays allow for more flexibility as the organization is dictated by the flow of the story. The outline typically encompasses general details about the events, granting writers the option to prioritize writing the body sections first while deferring the introduction until later stages of the writing process. This approach allows for a more organic and fluid writing process. If you’re wondering how to start writing a narrative essay outline, here is a sample designed to ensure a compelling and coherent narrative:

Introduction

Hook/Opening line: The introduction should have an opening/hook sentence that is a captivating quote, question, or anecdote that grabs the reader’s attention.
Background: Briefly introduce the setting, time, tone, and main characters.
Thesis statement: State clearly the main theme or lesson acquired from the experience.
Event 1 (according to occurrence): Describe the first major event in detail. Introduce the primary characters and set the story context; include sensory elements to enrich the narrative and give the characters depth and enthusiasm.
Event 2: Ensure a smooth transition from one event to the next. Continue with the second event in the narrative. For more oomph, use suspense or excitement, or leave the plot with cliffhanger endings. Concentrate on developing your characters and their relationships, using dialog to bring the story to life.
Event 3: If there was a twist and suspense, this episode should introduce the climax or resolve the story. Keep the narrative flowing by connecting events logically and conveying the feelings and reactions of the characters.
Summarize the plot: Provide a concise recap of the main events within the narrative essay. Highlight the key moments that contribute to the development of the storyline. Offer personal reflections on the significance of the experiences shared, emphasizing the lasting impact they had on the narrator. End the story with a clincher; a powerful and thought-provoking sentence that encapsulates the essence of the narrative. As a bonus, aim to leave the reader with a memorable statement or quote that enhances the overall impact of the narrative. This should linger in the reader’s mind, providing a satisfying and resonant conclusion to the essay.

There are several types of narrative essays, each with their own unique traits. Some narrative essay examples are presented in the table below.

	Narrative essay type	Features
1.	Personal	Based on personal experience, insight, reflection, and emotion
2.	Autobiographical	Covers life events, full length
3.	Descriptive	Emphasizes detailed description for reader immersion
4.	Experiential	Based on a specific experience, involving emotional responses
5.	Historical	Focuses on historical events, non-fictional, facts stated using figurative language
6.	Biographical	Explores an individual’s life, personality, achievements, and challenges
7.	Travel	Chronicles experiences and thoughtful observations during a journey
8.	Literary	Analyzes or interprets literature, includes a narrative element

How to write a narrative essay: Step-by-step guide

A narrative essay might be inspired by personal experiences, stories, or even imaginary scenarios that resonate with readers, immersing them in the imaginative world you have created with your words. Here’s an easy step-by-step guide on how to write a narrative essay.

Select the topic of your narrative

If no prompt is provided, the first step is to choose a topic to write about. Think about personal experiences that could be given an interesting twist. Readers are more likely to like a tale if it contains aspects of humor, surprising twists, and an out-of-the-box climax. Try to plan out such subjects and consider whether you have enough information on the topic and whether it meets the criteria of being funny/inspiring, with nice characters/plot lines, and an exciting climax. Also consider the tone as well as any stylistic features (such as metaphors or foreshadowing) to be used. While these stylistic choices can be changed later, sketching these ideas early on helps you give your essay a direction to start.

Create a framework for your essay

Once you have decided on your topic, create an outline for your narrative essay. An outline is a framework that guides your ideas while you write your narrative essay to keep you on track. It can help with smooth transitions between sections when you are stuck and don’t know how to continue the story. It provides you with an anchor to attach and return to, reminding you of why you started in the first place and why the story matters.

Compile your first draft

A perfect story and outline do not work until you start writing the draft and breathe life into it with your words. Use your newly constructed outline to sketch out distinct sections of your narrative essay while applying numerous linguistic methods at your disposal. Unlike academic essays, narrative essays allow artistic freedom and leeway for originality so don’t stop yourself from expressing your thoughts. However, take care not to overuse linguistic devices, it’s best to maintain a healthy balance to ensure readability and flow.

Use a first-person point of view

One of the most appealing aspects of narrative essays is that traditional academic writing rules do not apply, and the narration is usually done in the first person. You can use first person pronouns such as I and me while narrating different scenarios. Be wary of overly using these as they can suggest lack of proper diction.

Use storytelling or creative language

You can employ storytelling tactics and linguistic tools used in fiction or creative writing, such as metaphors, similes, and foreshadowing, to communicate various themes. The use of figurative language, dialogue, and suspense is encouraged in narrative essays.

Follow a format to stay organized

There’s no fixed format for narrative essays, but following a loose format when writing helps in organizing one’s thoughts. For example, in the introduction part, underline the importance of creating a narrative essay, and then reaffirm it in the concluding paragraph. Organize your story chronologically so that the reader can follow along and make sense of the story.

Reread, revise, and edit

Proofreading and editing are critical components of creating a narrative essay, but it can be easy to become weighed down by the details at this stage. Taking a break from your manuscript before diving into the editing process is a wise practice. Stepping away for a day or two, or even just a few hours, provides valuable time to enhance the plot and address any grammatical issues that may need correction. This period of distance allows for a fresh perspective, enabling you to approach the editing phase with renewed clarity and a more discerning eye.

One suggestion is to reconsider the goals you set out to cover when you started the topic. Ask yourself these questions:

Is there a distinct beginning and end to your story?
Does your essay have a topic, a memory, or a lesson to teach?
Does the tone of the essay match the intended mood?

Now, while keeping these things in mind, modify and proofread your essay. You can use online grammar checkers and paraphrase tools such as Paperpal to smooth out any rough spots before submitting it for publication or submission.

It is recommended to edit your essay in the order it was written; here are some useful tips:

Revise the introduction

After crafting your narrative essay, review the introduction to ensure it harmonizes with the developed narrative. Confirm that it adeptly introduces the story and aligns seamlessly with the conclusion.

Revise the conclusion and polish the essay

The conclusion should be the final element edited to ensure coherence and harmony in the entire narrative. It must reinforce the central theme or lesson outlined initially.

Revise and refine the entire article

The last step involves refining the article for consistent tone, style, and tense as well as correct language, grammar, punctuation, and clarity. Seeking feedback from a mentor or colleague can offer an invaluable external perspective at this stage.

Narrative essays are true accounts of the writer’s personal experiences, conveyed in figurative language for sensory appeal. Some narrative essay topic examples include writing about an unforgettable experience, reflecting on mistakes, or achieving a goal. An example of a personal narrative essay is as follows:

Title: A Feline Odyssey: An Experience of Fostering Stray Kittens

Introduction:

It was a fine summer evening in the year 2022 when a soft meowing disrupted the tranquility of my terrace. Little did I know that this innocent symphony would lead to a heartwarming journey of compassion and companionship. Soon, there was a mama cat at my doorstep with four little kittens tucked behind her. They were the most unexpected visitors I had ever had.

The kittens, just fluffs of fur with barely open eyes, were a monument to life’s fragility. Their mother, a street-smart feline, had entrusted me with the care of her precious offspring. The responsibility was sudden and unexpected, yet there was an undeniable sense of purpose in the air , filling me with delight and enthusiasm.

As the days unfolded, my terrace transformed into a haven for the feline family. Cardboard boxes became makeshift cat shelters and my once solitary retreat was filled with purrs and soothing meows. The mother cat, Lily, who initially observ ed me from a safe distance, gradually began to trust my presence as I offered food and gentle strokes.

Fostering the kittens was a life-changing , enriching experience that taught me the true joy of giving as I cared for the felines. My problems slowly faded into the background as evenings were spent playing with the kittens. Sleepless nights turned into a symphony of contented purring, a lullaby filled with the warmth of trust and security . Although the kittens were identical, they grew up to have very distinct personalities, with Kuttu being the most curious and Bobo being the most coy . Every dawn ushered in a soothing ritual of nourishing these feline companions, while nights welcomed their playful antics — a daily nocturnal delight.

Conclusion:

As the kittens grew, so did the realization that our paths were destined to part. Finally, the day arrived when the feline family, now confident and self-reliant, bid farewell to my terrace. It was a bittersweet moment, filled with a sense of love and accomplishment and a tinge of sadness.

Fostering Kuttu, Coco, Lulu, and Bobo became one of the most transformative experiences of my life. Their arrival had brought unexpected joy, teaching me about compassion and our species’ ability to make a difference in the world through love and understanding. The terrace, once a quiet retreat, now bore the echoes of a feline symphony that had touched my heart in ways I could have never imagined.

The length of a narrative essay may vary, but it is typically a brief to moderate length piece. Generally, the essay contains an introductory paragraph, two to three body paragraphs (this number can vary), and a conclusion. The entire narrative essay could be as short as five paragraphs or much longer, depending on the assignment’s requirements or the writer’s preference.

You can write a narrative essay when you have a personal experience to share, or a story, or a series of events that you can tell in a creative and engaging way. Narrative essays are often assigned in academic settings as a form of writing that allows students to express themselves and showcase their storytelling skills. However, you can also write a narrative essay for personal reflection, entertainment, or to communicate a message.

A narrative essay usually follows a three-part structure: – Introduction (To set the stage for the story) – Body paragraphs (To describe sequence of events with details, descriptions, and dialogue) – Conclusion (To summarize the story and reflect on the significance)

Paperpal is an AI academic writing assistant that helps authors write better and faster with real-time writing suggestions and in-depth checks for language and grammar correction. Trained on millions of published scholarly articles and 20+ years of STM experience, Paperpal delivers human precision at machine speed.   

Try it for free or upgrade to Paperpal Prime , which unlocks unlimited access to Paperpal Copilot and premium features like academic translation, paraphrasing, contextual synonyms, consistency checks, submission readiness and more. It’s like always having a professional academic editor by your side! Go beyond limitations and experience the future of academic writing. Get Paperpal Prime now at just US$19 a month!  

What is a Descriptive Essay? How to Write It (with Examples)

You may also like, dissertation printing and binding | types & comparison , what is a dissertation preface definition and examples , how to write a research proposal: (with examples..., how to write your research paper in apa..., how to choose a dissertation topic, how to write a phd research proposal, how to write an academic paragraph (step-by-step guide), maintaining academic integrity with paperpal’s generative ai writing..., research funding basics: what should a grant proposal..., how to write an abstract in research papers....

What is a Narrative Essay Examples Format and Techniques Featured

Scriptwriting

What is a Narrative Essay — Examples, Format & Techniques

I was in the Amazon jungle the first time I wrote a narrative essay, enlightened and enraptured by the influence of ayahuasca. That’s not true. I’ve never been to South America nor have I ever taken ayahuasca. The purpose of that opening is to show how to craft a narrative essay intro — hook, line, and sinker. Narrative essays rely on hooking the reader, and enticing them to read on. But what is a narrative essay? We’re going to break down everything you need to know about these essays — definition, examples, tips and tricks included. By the end, you’ll be ready to craft your own narrative essay for school or for publication.

What’s a Narrative Essay?

First, let’s define narrative essay.

Narrative essays share a lot of similarities with personal essays, but whereas the former can be fictional or non-fictional, the latter are strictly non-fictional. The goal of the narrative essay is to use established storytelling techniques, like theme , conflict , and irony , in a uniquely personal way.

The responsibility of the narrative essayist is to make the reader feel connected to their story, regardless of the topic. This next video explores how writers can use structural elements and techniques to better engage their readers.

Personal Narrative Essay Examples With Essay Pro

Narrative essays rely on tried and true structure components, including:

First-person POV
Personal inspiration
Focus on a central theme

By keeping these major tenets in mind, you’ll be better prepared to recognize weaknesses and strengths in your own works.

NARRATIVE ESSAY DEFINITION

What is a narrative essay.

A narrative essay is a prose-written story that’s focused on the commentary of a central theme. Narrative essays are generally written in the first-person POV, and are usually about a topic that’s personal to the writer. Everything in these essays should take place in an established timeline, with a clear beginning, middle, and end.

Famous Narrative Essay Examples

Ticker to the Fair by David Foster Wallace
After Life by Joan Didion
Here is a Lesson in Creative Writing by Kurt Vonnegut

Narrative Writing Explained

How to start a narrative essay.

When you go to sleep at night, what do you think of? Flying squirrels? Lost loved ones? That time you called your teacher ‘mom’? Whatever it is, that’s what you need to write about. There’s a reason those ideas and moments have stuck with you over time. Your job is to figure out why.

Once you realize what makes a moment important to you, it’s your job to make it important to the reader too. In this next video, Academy Award-nominated filmmaker J. Christian Jensen explains the power of the personal narrative.

Narrative Writing and the Personal Narrative Essay • Video by TEDx Talks

Anything and everything can be the topic of your essay. It could be as benign as a walk to school or as grandiose as a trip to the moon — so long as that narrative exists within reality. Give your thoughts and opinions on the matter too — don’t be afraid to say “this is what I think” so long as it’s supported by storytelling techniques. Remember, never limit yourself as a writer, just keep in mind that certain topics will be harder to make engaging than others.

Narrative Essay Outline

How to write a narrative essay.

First step, game plan. You’re going to want to map out the story from beginning to end, then mark major story beats in your document.

Like all stories, your narrative essay needs a clear beginning, middle, and end. Each section should generally conform to a specifically outlined structure. For reference, check out the outline below.

Narrative Essay Format • How to Write a Narrative Essay Step by Step

Make sure to reference back to this outline throughout the writing process to make sure you have all your major beats covered.

Purpose of narrative essay writing

Narrative essays give writers the ability to freely express themselves within the structure of a traditional story. Nearly all universities ask applicants to submit a narrative essay with their formal application. This is done for two reasons: they allow institutions to judge the linguistic and grammar capabilities of its applicants, as well as their raw creative side.

If you’re considering studying creative writing in an undergraduate or graduate program, then you’re going to write A LOT of narrative style essays. This process may seem indomitable; How am I supposed to write hundreds of pages about… me? But by the end, you’ll be a better writer and you’ll have a better understanding of yourself.

One thing that all successful essayists have in common is that they make radical, often defiant statements on the world at large. Think Ralph Waldo Emerson, Virginia Woolf, and Langston Hughes for example.

Being a professional essayist isn’t easy, and it’s near-impossible to be one who makes a lot of money. Many essayists work as professors, editors, and curriculum designers as well.

This next video features the late, award-winning essayist Brian Doyle. He explains all the things you need to hear when thinking about writing a story.

Narrative Essay Examples “Lecture” via Boston University

We can learn a lot from the way Doyle “opens” his stories. My favorite is how he begins with the statement, “I met the Dalai Lama once.” How can we not be interested in learning more?

This brings us all the way back to the beginning. Start with a hook, rattle off the line, then reel in the sinker. If you entice the reader, develop a personal plot, and finish with a resolute ending, you’ll have a lot of success in essay writing.

Up Next

Narrative essay topics.

We've curated a collection of narrative essay topics that will spark your creativity and bring your experiences to life. Dive into the rich tapestry of your memories, explore the unique threads of your life, and let your narrative unfold.

Up Next: Narrative Essay Topics →

Write and produce your scripts all in one place..

Write and collaborate on your scripts FREE . Create script breakdowns, sides, schedules, storyboards, call sheets and more.

Pricing & Plans
Featured On
StudioBinder Partners
Ultimate Guide to Call Sheets
How to Break Down a Script (with FREE Script Breakdown Sheet)
The Only Shot List Template You Need — with Free Download
Managing Your Film Budget Cashflow & PO Log (Free Template)
A Better Film Crew List Template Booking Sheet
Best Storyboard Softwares (with free Storyboard Templates)
Movie Magic Scheduling
Gorilla Software
Storyboard That

A visual medium requires visual methods. Master the art of visual storytelling with our FREE video series on directing and filmmaking techniques.

We’re in a golden age of TV writing and development. More and more people are flocking to the small screen to find daily entertainment. So how can you break put from the pack and get your idea onto the small screen? We’re here to help.

Making It: From Pre-Production to Screen
What is a Biopic — Definition & Best Examples Explained
How Many Rocky Movies Are There — All Rocky Movies in Order
Storyboard Ideas, Examples, and Techniques Explained
What is a Femme Fatale — Definition, Characteristics, Examples
Screenplay Example for Formatting, Genres & PDF Downloads
1 Pinterest

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

44 Student Narrative Essay Examples

The pot calling the kettle black….

“You aren’t acting normal,” my dad said with a dopy, concerned look on his face. He was a hard-working, soft and loving man. He was smaller than my mother, physically and figuratively. She sat beside him. She had a towering stature, with strong, swimmers’ shoulders, but she was hunched often. She didn’t really have eyebrows, but she didn’t need them. She had no problem conveying emotion on her face, especially negative ones.

“What’s wrong?” my mother asked. She took my hand frantically. Not the way one might take someone’s hand to connect with or comfort them. She needed reassurance more than I did.

My parents were sitting across from me on cushioned, bland-colored chairs in my dad’s office, while I sat on a rickety, torturous wooden chair. My dad’s office generally utilized natural light due to the expansive glass windows that allowed the light to drown the room, enclosing us in the chamber. I felt like an inmate being prepped for lethal injection. The weather was particularly gray and dismal. Perhaps it was the ambiguous, gray, confusing feelings I was breathing through. My parents had somewhat regular “interventions” to address my somewhat regular (sometimes public) emotional breakdowns, my self-medicating habits, and my general shitty attitude.

This week in particular, I had purposely destroyed two of my mother’s collectible horses. She had a maniacal obsession for them. She also maniacally collected sunflower artwork, which was the one obsession, of many, I found endearing. My old babysitter noted at one point there were 74 collectible horses in the house. After my outburst, there were 72.

I could see behind my parents, through the glass-paned door, my two younger sisters were secretly observing the altercation from the dining room, hiding under the table. They were illuminated by the ominous weather, which was also watching in on the dismal conversation through the windows. I was envious, jealous even, of my spectating sisters. My sisters didn’t have overflowing, excessive emotions. They didn’t have emotions that were considered “excessive.” I felt like an offender being put at the stocks: my parents were the executioners, and my sisters were the jesters.

“I’m angry.”

“What about?” my dad asked, puzzled. “Did someone do something to you?”

“Honey, were you—” my mother looked to my dad, then concealed her mouth slightly with the other hand, “ raped ?”

I couldn’t help but raise my voice. “No, Mom, I wasn’t raped, Jesus.” I took a moment to grind on my teeth and imagine the bit I was chomping at. Calm, careful, composed, I responded. “I’m just angry. I don’t feel—”

“What don’t you feel?” She practically jumped on me, while yanking my imprisoned hand toward her. She yanked at my reins.

“I don’t feel understood!” My mind was bucking. I didn’t know why I needed to react by raising my voice. It felt instinctive, defensive. Shouting forcefully, I jerked my hand away from her, but it remained in her clutches. I didn’t feel satisfied saying it, though what I said was the truth.

“What are you talking about?” my dad asked mournfully. I knew he felt betrayed. But he didn’t understand. He didn’t know what it’s like for things to be too much. Or to be too much. My dad looked at me longingly, hoping I would correct what I had said. He looked lost, incapable of understanding why I was doing what I was doing. My mother interjected, cutting off my dad’s hypnotic, silent cry for connection.

“You’re crazy!” she said, maintaining eye contact. My mother then let go of my hand, flipped it back to me. She reclined in her chair, retracting from me and the discussion entirely. She crossed her legs, then her arms. She turned her head away, toward the glass windows, and (mentally) left.

I was and am not “too much.”

I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at 18 years old.

I had just stepped off a squealing MAX line onto a broken sidewalk slab, gnarled from tree roots, when I felt my phone buzz rhythmically.

“I need you to come to the hospital. Mom had a little accident.” My dad’s voice was distant and cracking, like a wavering radio signal, calling for help.

“What’s going on? Is she okay?” I asked while making my way to campus.

“Where are you?” He wasn’t going to tell me anything over the phone. Adrenaline set in. I let him know I was downtown and headed to campus, but that I would catch a Lyft to wherever they were. “We’re at Milwaukie Providence. How soon can you get here?

“I’ll let you know soon.” My assumption was that my parents had been in an argument, my mother left the house in a rage, and crashed her car. She’d been an erratic driver for as long as I could remember, and my parents had been arguing more than usual recently, as many new “empty-nesters” do. The lack of information provided by my dad, however, was unsettling. I don’t really recall the ride to the hospital. I do remember looking over the river while riding from the west to east side of town. I remember the menacing, dark clouds rolling in faster than the driver could transport me. I remember it was quick, but it was too much time spent without answers.

When I arrived at Providence, I jumped out of the sedan and galloped into the lobby of the emergency room like a race horse on its final lap. My younger sister and Dad were seated on cushioned, bland-colored chairs in the waiting room. There were expansive glass windows that allowed the light to drown the room. The weather was particularly gray and dismal. Perhaps it was the ambiguous, gray, confusing feelings I was breathing through. I sat down beside my dad, in a firmer-than-anticipated waiting room chair beside him. He took my hand frantically. He took it in the way one might take someone’s hand to connect with or comfort them. He needed reassurance more than I did.

“Where did she get in the accident?” I asked.

My sister, sitting across from me with her head in her knees, looked up at me with aquamarine, tear-filled eyes. She was staring through me, an unclouded window. “Mom tried to kill herself.”

“What?” My voice crescendoed from a normal volume to a shriek in the span of a single word. My mind felt like it was bucking. I grabbed at my hair, pulling it back tight with my spare hand. The tears and cries reared, no matter how hard I yanked my mane.

“We got in another argument this morning, and she sent me a message saying she didn’t want to be in pain anymore. She told me to tell you girls she’s sorry. I’m so sorry.” I’d never seen my dad cry before; I didn’t know he could. I didn’t know his tears would stream like gushing water from a broken dam. He looked lost, incapable of understanding why she was doing what she was doing. I looked from my dad to my sister to my hands. One hand remained enveloped by my dad’s gentle palm. At this point in life, I had not yet learned to be gentle with myself, or others. I cut off my dad’s hypnotic, silent cry for connection.

“She’s crazy!” I let go of my dad’s hand, flipped it back to him. I reclined in the

chair, retracting from the situation entirely. I crossed my legs, then my arms. I turned my head away, toward the glass windows, and (mentally) left.

“Crazy” is a term devised to dismiss people.

My mother was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at 50 years old.

Teacher Takeaways

“This essay makes excellent use of repetition as a narrative strategy. Throughout the essay, terms and phrases are repeated, generally with slight alterations, drawing the reader’s attention to the moment in question and recontextualizing the information being conveyed. This strategy is especially powerful when used to disclose the separate diagnoses of bipolar disorder, which is central to the narrative. I also appreciate the use of dialogue, though it mostly serves an expository function here. In itself that’s effective, but this narrative would be strengthened if that dialogue could serve to make some of the characters, especially the mother, more rounded.”

– Professor Dunham

My College Education

The following essay, “My College Education” is from Chapter 15.2 – Narrative Essay , Writing for Success , University of Minnesota Libraries.

The first class I went to in college was philosophy, and it changed my life forever. Our first assignment was to write a short response paper to the Albert Camus essay “The Myth of Sisyphus.” I was extremely nervous about the assignment as well as college. However, through all the confusion in philosophy class, many of my questions about life were answered.

I entered college intending to earn a degree in engineering. I always liked the way mathematics had right and wrong answers. I understood the logic and was very good at it. So when I received my first philosophy assignment that asked me to write my interpretation of the Camus essay, I was instantly confused. What is the right way to do this assignment, I wondered? I was nervous about writing an incorrect interpretation and did not want to get my first assignment wrong. Even more troubling was that the professor refused to give us any guidelines on what he was looking for; he gave us total freedom. He simply said, “I want to see what you come up with.”

Full of anxiety, I first set out to read Camus’s essay several times to make sure I really knew what was it was about. I did my best to take careful notes. Yet even after I took all these notes and knew the essay inside and out, I still did not know the right answer. What was my interpretation? I could think of a million different ways to interpret the essay, but which one was my professor looking for? In math class, I was used to examples and explanations of solutions. This assignment gave me nothing; I was completely on my own to come up with my individual interpretation.

Next, when I sat down to write, the words just did not come to me. My notes and ideas were all present, but the words were lost. I decided to try every prewriting strategy I could find. I brainstormed, made idea maps, and even wrote an outline. Eventually, after a lot of stress, my ideas became more organized and the words fell on the page. I had my interpretation of “The Myth of Sisyphus,” and I had my main reasons for interpreting the essay. I remember being unsure of myself, wondering if what I was saying made sense, or if I was even on the right track. Through all the uncertainty, I continued writing the best I could. I finished the conclusion paragraph, had my spouse proofread it for errors, and turned it in the next day simply hoping for the best.

Then, a week or two later, came judgment day. The professor gave our papers back to us with grades and comments. I remember feeling simultaneously afraid and eager to get the paper back in my hands. It turned out, however, that I had nothing to worry about. The professor gave me an A on the paper, and his notes suggested that I wrote an effective essay overall. He wrote that my reading of the essay was very original and that my thoughts were well organized. My relief and newfound confidence upon reading his comments could not be overstated.

What I learned through this process extended well beyond how to write a college paper. I learned to be open to new challenges. I never expected to enjoy a philosophy class and always expected to be a math and science person. This class and assignment, however, gave me the self-confidence, critical-thinking skills, and courage to try a new career path. I left engineering and went on to study law and eventually became a lawyer. More important, that class and paper helped me understand education differently. Instead of seeing college as a direct stepping stone to a career, I learned to see college as a place to first learn and then seek a career or enhance an existing career. By giving me the space to express my own interpretation and to argue for my own values, my philosophy class taught me the importance of education for education’s sake. That realization continues to pay dividends every day.

Model Student Essay

Innocence again.

Imagine the sensation of the one split second that you are floating through the air as you were thrown up in the air as a child, that feeling of freedom and carefree spirit as happiness abounds. Looking at the world through innocent eyes, all thoughts and feelings of amazement. Being free, happy, innocent, amazed, wowed. Imagine the first time seeing the colors when your eyes and brain start to recognize them but never being able to name the shade or hue. Looking at the sky as it changes from the blackness with twinkling stars to the lightest shade of blue that is almost white, then the deep red of the sunset and bright orange of the sun. All shades of the spectrum of the rainbow, colors as beautiful as the mind can see or imagine.

I have always loved the sea since I was young; the smell of saltiness in the air invigorates me and reminds me of the times spent with my family enjoying Sundays at the beach. In Singapore, the sea was always murky and green but I continued to enjoy all activities in it. When I went to Malaysia to work, I discovered that the sea was clear and blue and without hesitation, I signed up for a basic diving course and I was hooked. In my first year of diving, I explored all the dive destinations along the east coast of Malaysia and also took an advanced diving course which allowed me to dive up to a depth of thirty meters. Traveling to a dive site took no more than four hours by car and weekends were spent just enjoying the sea again.

Gearing up is no fun. Depending on the temperature of the water, I might put on a shortie, wetsuit or drysuit. Then on come the booties, fins and mask which can be considered the easiest part unless the suit is tight—then it is a hop and pull struggle, which reminds me of how life can be at times. Carrying the steel tank, regulator, buoyancy control device (BCD) and weights is a torture. The heaviest weights that I ever had to use were 110 pounds, equivalent to my body weight; but as I jump in and start sinking into the sea, the contrast to weightlessness hits me. The moment that I start floating in the water, a sense of immense freedom and joy overtakes me.

Growing up, we have to learn the basics: time spent in classes to learn, constantly practicing to improve our skills while safety is ingrained by our parents. In dive classes, I was taught to never panic or do stupid stuff: the same with the lessons that I have learned in life. Panic and over-inflated egos can lead to death, and I have heard it happens all the time. I had the opportunity to go to Antarctica for a diving expedition, but what led to me getting that slot was the death of a very experienced diver who used a drysuit in a tropic climate against all advice. He just overheated and died. Lessons learned in the sea can be very profound, but they contrast the life I live: risk-taker versus risk-avoider. However, when I have perfected it and it is time to be unleashed, it is time to enjoy. I jump in as I would jump into any opportunity, but this time it is into the deep blue sea of wonders.

A sea of wonders waits to be explored. Every journey is different: it can be fast or slow, like how life takes me. The sea decides how it wants to carry me; drifting fast with the currents so that at times, I hang on to the reef and corals like my life depends on it, even though I am taught never to touch anything underwater. The fear I feel when I am speeding along with the current is that I will be swept away into the big ocean, never to be found. Sometimes, I feel like I am not moving at all, kicking away madly until I hyperventilate because the sea is against me with its strong current holding me against my will.

The sea decides what it wants me to see: turtles popping out of the seabed, manta rays gracefully floating alongside, being in the middle of the eye of a barracuda hurricane, a coral shelf as big as a car, a desert of bleached corals, the emptiness of the seabed with not a fish in sight, the memorials of death caused by the December 26 tsunami—a barren sea floor with not a soul or life in sight.

The sea decides what treasures I can discover: a black-tipped shark sleeping in an underwater cavern, a pike hiding from predators in the reef, an octopus under a dead tree trunk that escapes into my buddy’s BCD, colorful mandarin fish mating at sunset, a deadly box jellyfish held in my gloved hands, pygmy seahorses in a fern—so tiny that to discover them is a journey itself.

Looking back, diving has taught me more about life, the ups and downs, the good and bad, and to accept and deal with life’s challenges. Everything I learn and discover underwater applies to the many different aspects of my life. It has also taught me that life is very short: I have to live in the moment or I will miss the opportunities that come my way. I allow myself to forget all my sorrow, despair and disappointments when I dive into the deep blue sea and savor the feelings of peacefulness and calmness. There is nothing around me but fish and corals, big and small. Floating along in silence with only the sound of my breath— inhale and exhale . An array of colors explodes in front of my eyes, colors that I never imagine I will discover again, an underwater rainbow as beautiful as the rainbow in the sky after a storm. As far as my eyes can see, I look into the depth of the ocean with nothing to anchor me. The deeper I get, the darker it turns. From the light blue sky to the deep navy blue, even blackness into the void. As the horizon darkens, the feeding frenzy of the underwater world starts and the watery landscape comes alive. Total darkness surrounds me but the sounds that I can hear are the little clicks in addition to my breathing. My senses overload as I cannot see what is around me, but the sea tells me it is alive and it anchors me to the depth of my soul.

As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said: “The lover of nature is he whose inward and outward senses are truly adjusted to each other; who has retained the spirit of infancy even into the era of manhood.” … In the presence of nature, a wild delight runs through the man in spite of real sorrows….” The sea and diving have given me a new outlook on life, a different planet where I can float into and enjoy as an adult, a new, different perspective on how it is to be that child again. Time and time again as I enter into the sea, I feel innocent all over again.

Write What Matters Copyright © 2020 by Liza Long; Amy Minervini; and Joel Gladd is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book

Home — Essay Types — Narrative Essay

Narrative Essay Examples

Narrative essays are all about telling a story. They can be based on personal experiences, fictional stories, or even historical events. When it comes to choosing a topic for a narrative essay, the possibilities are endless. Some popular narrative essay topics include a memorable childhood event, a life-changing experience, a significant accomplishment, a difficult decision you had to make, a moment of failure or success, a time when you learned something new, or a time when you overcame a fear. Other topics could include a memorable journey, a moment of kindness you experienced, a lesson you learned from a mistake, or a significant challenge you faced. Ultimately, the best narrative essay topics are ones that are meaningful to the writer and allow them to showcase their storytelling abilities.

The Importance of Writing Narrative Essay

Narrative essays are an important type of writing because they allow individuals to share their personal experiences, emotions, and perspectives with others. By exploring topics such as significant life events, moments of growth, and lessons learned, writers can connect with their audience on a deeper level. These essays can also serve as a form of self-reflection and personal growth, as they encourage individuals to critically analyze and articulate their own experiences. Additionally, narrative essays can be a powerful tool for building empathy and understanding, as they allow readers to step into the shoes of the writer and gain new insights. Ultimately, the act of writing a narrative essay can be both cathartic and enlightening, making it a valuable form of expression.

How to Choose a Good Topic for Narrative Essay

When it comes to writing a narrative essay, the topic you choose is crucial to the success of your essay. A good topic will not only engage your readers but also allow you to explore your own experiences and emotions in a meaningful way. Here are some tips on how to choose a good topic for your narrative essay:

Consider your own experiences. Think about a moment in your life that was significant or memorable. This could be a personal achievement, a challenging experience, or a moment of realization.
Choose a topic with emotional impact. A good narrative essay should evoke emotions in the reader. Choose a topic that is meaningful to you and has the potential to evoke strong emotions in your audience.
Keep it specific. Instead of writing about a broad topic, focus on a specific event or experience. This will allow you to delve deeper into the details and bring your story to life.
Reflect on the significance. After choosing a topic, consider why it is important to you and how it has impacted your life. Reflecting on the significance of the topic will help you write a more compelling narrative essay.

By following these tips, you can choose a good topic for your narrative essay that will captivate your readers and allow you to express yourself effectively.

Narrative Essay Topics to Consider

Narrative essays are a great way to share personal experiences and connect with readers on a deeper level. Here are some popular narrative essay topics to consider:

Childhood Memories

My favorite family vacation
A memorable birthday party
An unforgettable summer camp experience
The first day of school
Learning to ride a bike

Life-Changing Events

Moving to a new city
The loss of a loved one
Getting your first job
A life-altering injury or illness
Attending a life-changing event or concert

Achievements and Challenges

Overcoming a fear or phobia
Accomplishing a personal goal
Failing at something and learning from it
Winning a competition or award
Dealing with a difficult decision or dilemma

Lessons Learned

A valuable lesson learned from a mistake
The importance of empathy and kindness
A time when you had to stand up for what you believe in
Overcoming a personal struggle or setback
Learning the value of hard work and perseverance

Moments of Growth

A moment that changed your perspective on life
Finding your passion or purpose
A significant turning point in your life
Overcoming a personal challenge
A time when you had to step out of your comfort zone and try something new

In summary, narrative essays are a powerful form of storytelling that allow writers to share personal experiences, emotions, and perspectives with their audience. Choosing a good topic for a narrative essay is essential, as it can engage readers and allow for meaningful self-reflection. Popular narrative essay topics include childhood memories, life-changing events, achievements and challenges, lessons learned, and moments of growth. By choosing a topic that is meaningful and specific, writers can create compelling narrative essays that resonate with their audience and showcase their storytelling abilities.

What is a Narrative Essays: Definition

A narrative essay is a type of essay that tells a story. It can be a personal story, a fictional tale, or a recount of a historical event. The main goal of a Narrative essay is to engage the reader and create a vivid and immersive experience through the use of descriptive language and storytelling techniques.

✏️ Read More: Response Essay Topics 📝

How to Write a Classification Essay: Tips

When writing a classification essay, it is important to organize your thoughts and ideas clearly and coherently. Here are some tips to help you effectively write a classification essay:

Choose a topic: Select a topic that is broad enough to be classified into different categories but specific enough to be manageable.
Identify categories: Once you have chosen a topic, identify the different categories or groups that the topic can be divided into. Make sure that each category is distinct and has clear characteristics.
Develop a thesis statement: Your thesis statement should clearly state the purpose of your classification essay and the categories you will be discussing.
Organize your essay: Start with an introduction that provides background information on the topic and introduces the categories you will be discussing. Then, in the body of the essay, discuss each category in detail, providing examples and evidence to support your classification. Finally, conclude your essay by summarizing the main points and reiterating your thesis statement.
Use transitions: Use transitional words and phrases to guide your reader through the different categories and to create a smooth and coherent flow in your essay.

By following these tips, you can effectively write a classification essay that is well-organized and easy to understand.

Narrative Essay Outline

A narrative essay is a form of writing that tells a story. It can be personal, fictional, or based on real-life experiences. The structure of a narrative essay is crucial in order to effectively convey the story and engage the reader. Here are some key elements to consider when structuring a narrative essay:

Introduction

The introduction should set the stage for the story and grab the reader’s attention. It should include the main idea or theme of the essay and provide some background information to give context to the story.

Plot development

The body of the essay should focus on developing the plot of the story. This includes introducing the main characters, setting the scene, and building up to the climax of the story.

The climax is the turning point of the story, where the conflict or problem reaches its peak. This is the most intense part of the narrative and should be the highlight of the essay.

The resolution is where the conflict is resolved and the story comes to a conclusion. It should provide a sense of closure for the reader and tie up any loose ends.

The conclusion should reflect on the events of the story and leave the reader with a lasting impression. It should also reiterate the main theme or idea of the essay.

By following these key elements, you can effectively structure a narrative essay and create a compelling story that will captivate your audience.

Differences between Narrative Essays and Personal Narrative Essays

Narrative essays and personal narrative essays share similarities in that they both tell a story, but they differ in their purpose and focus.

Personal narrative essays are autobiographical in nature, focusing on a specific personal experience and its impact on the author. They often delve into the author’s thoughts, emotions, and reflections, providing a deeper insight into the personal journey. Personal narrative essays may not necessarily follow a traditional narrative structure with a clear beginning, middle, and end. Instead, they emphasize the personal significance of the experience.

📘 Discover More: Evaluation Essay Examples for Students 📖

On the other hand, narrative essays are more versatile and can encompass a wide range of storytelling. While they can also be personal, they are not limited to autobiographical content. Narrative essays can include fictional or non-personal stories, and their primary goal is to entertain, inform, or convey a message. They often adhere to a structured narrative format with a plot, characters, setting, and a clear storyline.

In summary, personal narrative essays are specifically about personal experiences and their impact, while narrative essays can cover a broader spectrum of storytelling, including both personal and non-personal narratives.

Infographic-Using-Sources-and-Evidence-for-Narrative-Essays

Why Use Narrative Essay Examples

Narrative essay examples are a valuable tool for anyone who wants to improve their writing skills. By reading and analyzing these examples, writers can gain a better understanding of how to effectively structure and convey a story. Additionally, narrative essay examples can provide inspiration and guidance for those struggling to find a topic or develop their ideas.

The Usefulness of Narrative Essay Examples

These examples are useful for individuals at all levels of writing, from beginners looking for guidance to experienced writers seeking to refine their skills. They can serve as a reference point for understanding the elements of a well-crafted narrative, such as character development, plot progression, and descriptive language. Furthermore, these examples can offer insight into different writing styles and techniques, allowing writers to expand their repertoire.

How to Use Narrative Essay Examples Correctly

To effectively use narrative essay examples, writers should first read through the piece carefully, taking note of the narrative structure, language, and tone. Then, they should analyze how the author has effectively conveyed their story and consider how they might incorporate similar techniques into their own writing. It’s crucial to remember that while using examples as a guide is helpful, writers should always strive to maintain their unique voice and perspective in their work.

Narrative Essay Writing Checklist

Clear and engaging introduction that sets the stage for the story.
Descriptive language and vivid details bring the story to life.
A strong and relatable main character that readers can connect with.
Well-structured plot with a clear beginning, middle, and end.
Dialogue that adds depth and authenticity to the characters.
Use of sensory language to evoke emotions and create a strong atmosphere.
Show, don’t tell – use actions and reactions to convey the story.
Use of literary devices such as foreshadowing, flashbacks, and symbolism to enhance the narrative.
A satisfying resolution that ties up loose ends and leaves a lasting impression on the reader.
Careful proofreading and editing to ensure a polished and professional final product.

By following this narrative essay writing checklist, you can ensure that your narrative essay is engaging, well-structured, and leaves a lasting impression on your readers.

Narrative Essay Examples: Conclusion

In conclusion, narrative essay examples are a valuable tool for writers at all levels. By reading and analyzing these examples, writers can gain a better understanding of how to effectively structure and convey a story. Additionally, narrative essay examples can provide inspiration and guidance for those struggling to find a topic or develop their ideas.

By following the tips outlined in this guide, utilizing narrative essay examples, and keeping the narrative essay writing checklist in mind, writers can craft compelling and impactful narrative essays that engage and resonate with their audience.

The Unseen Path: A Narrative Essay About Losing A Friend

Introduction Friendship is a profound bond that significantly shapes our lives, providing comfort, support, and joy. The loss of a friend, therefore, can be a devastating experience, leaving an indelible mark on one’s emotional landscape. This essay explores the personal journey of losing a friend,…

The New Boy: A Narrative Essay

Introduction The arrival of a new student in a school setting often incites a blend of curiosity, excitement, and apprehension among the existing pupils. The new boy is not just another addition to the classroom roster; he is a potential friend, rival, or even an…

The Keeper: A Guardian of Memories

Introduction In the annals of human history, there are individuals whose roles transcend the ordinary, becoming guardians of tradition, memory, and culture. “The Keeper” is one such narrative that delves into the life of a solitary figure who dedicates his existence to preserving the collective…

The Journey Through Tympanoplasty: A Personal Narrative

Introduction Undergoing surgery can be a daunting experience, especially when it involves a delicate organ such as the ear. A tympanoplasty, a surgical procedure aimed at repairing a perforated eardrum, is one such intervention that can evoke a myriad of emotions, from anxiety to relief….

Get professional help in 5 minutes

The Art and Science of Culinary Exploration: A Narrative Essay About Cooking

Introduction Cooking, a blend of art and science, has been a cornerstone of human civilization since time immemorial. It is an activity that transcends mere sustenance, evolving into a medium for creative expression and a platform for cultural exchange. This essay will recount my journey…

Navigating Grief: A Narrative Essay About Losing A Father

Introduction The loss of a father is an event that leaves an indelible mark on one’s life. It is a profound experience that triggers a myriad of emotions, ranging from sadness and anger to reflection and growth. This narrative essay endeavors to explore the multi-faceted…

Narrative Essay on a Hiking Trip: A Journey Through Nature

Introduction Hiking is a recreational activity that offers not only physical exercise but also a mental break from the rigors of daily life. It provides an opportunity to reconnect with nature, challenge oneself, and foster a sense of accomplishment. This essay recounts a memorable hiking…

Narrative Essay About My Hair

Introduction Hair is more than just a physical attribute; it is a symbol of identity, culture, and personal expression. The journey with my hair has been a compelling narrative that intertwines with my growth, self-perception, and understanding of societal norms. From childhood innocence to the…

Narrative Essay About Generation Z: The Digital Natives

Introduction Generation Z, defined as individuals born from the mid-1990s to the early 2010s, is a cohort that has grown up in an era of rapid technological advancement, social media proliferation, and significant socio-economic changes. Unlike previous generations, Generation Z has been dubbed the “digital…

Narrative about Wrestling: Grit and Determination

Introduction Wrestling, an ancient sport that dates back to the earliest civilizations, is a contest of strength, strategy, and endurance. While it may appear as a mere physical contest to the uninitiated, wrestling embodies a narrative of personal growth, resilience, and the relentless pursuit of…

What is a Narrative essay?

A narrative essay is a type of writing that tells a story from the writer's personal experience. The typical narrative essay example is writing about your memorable experience or telling about how you have met your hero. You can sample narrative essay ideas by checking our examples.

How to write a Narrative essay?

To write a narrative essay, start by choosing a meaningful event from your life, use descriptive language to paint a picture for the reader, and reflect on the significance of the experience.

How to structure a Narrative essay?

A narrative essay typically follows a chronological structure, with an introduction that sets the scene, a body that builds the story, and a conclusion that reflects on the experience.

What is the purpose of a Narrative essay?

The purpose of a narrative essay is to share a personal experience and convey a lesson or insight gained from that experience.

How to choose a topic for a Narrative essay?

Choose a topic for a narrative essay that is meaningful to you, and has a clear beginning, middle, and end to create a compelling story. The examples of narrative essays that work for the typical college professors are those that help to reflect your personality or focus on important issues that will feel close to most people.

The most popular topics for Narrative Essay

First Impression
Helping Others
Cultural Diversity
Cultural Identity

Students also browse

Memoir Essay
Profile Essay
Personal Narrative Essay
Problem Solution Essay
Persuasive Essay
Cause and Effect Essays
Evaluation Essay
Critical Analysis Essay
Definition Essay
Personal Statement Essay

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

Instructions Followed To The Letter
Deadlines Met At Every Stage
Unique And Plagiarism Free

How to Write a Narrative Essay Step by Step

Narrative essays combine personal storytelling with academic reflection. Unlike other essay types, they are not bound by strict requirements or the need for a bibliography. To write a narrative essay successfully, you’ll need to follow these steps:

Step 1: Pick a personal experience to share.

Step 2: Organize your story's main points.

Step 3: Start narrating your story with vivid details.

Step 4: Improve the flow and clarity.

Step 5: Check for grammar and spelling errors.

A narrative is a story told verbally or in writing. The story's purpose is shown through its events and details. In the following sections, our custom term paper writing will explore various aspects of this type of writing, from choosing a topic to structuring your essay effectively.

What Is a Narrative Essay

Narrative essay , as the name suggests, is characterized by the presence of a narrative. Unlike argumentative essays, which present and defend a position, or analytical essays, which dissect another text, narrative essays tell a coherent story. Their goal is to convey a point or impart a lesson through personal experiences. These essays are frequently assigned in high school and for college admissions.

Where to Use Narrative Essays

A narrative essay serves the purpose of sharing personal experiences and insights. It helps the writer connect with readers on an emotional level and illustrate a point through storytelling. Here are a few occasions where writing a narrative essay is commonly used:

College Applications : To showcase personal growth and experiences, giving admission officers a glimpse into the applicant's character and background.
Class Assignments : To develop writing skills and reflect on personal events, helping students learn how to express their thoughts and emotions effectively.
Personal Blogs : To share life stories and engage with readers, building a personal connection and fostering a sense of community.
Scholarship Essays : To highlight personal achievements and challenges, demonstrating resilience and dedication to potential sponsors.

Professional Development : To reflect on career experiences and lessons learned, providing insights that can be valuable for personal growth and future endeavors.

5 Steps to Writing a Narrative Essay

Writing a narrative essay can be a rewarding experience as it allows you to share your personal story and insights. Crafting engaging and well-structured ideas for a narrative essay is essential for capturing your reader's attention. To help you learn how to start a narrative essay effectively, follow these five simple steps.

Step 1: Brainstorm Narrative Essay Topics

The first step is brainstorming narrative writing topics. Begin by thinking about personal experiences that have made a significant impact on you. Consider moments of growth, challenge, joy, or change. These experiences can provide a rich foundation for your narrative.

How to Research Narrative Essay Topics:

Reflect on Personal Experiences : Think about significant moments in your life. What stories do you often share with friends and family? These can be great starting points.
Read Other Narrative Essays : Look at examples of narrative essays online or in books. This can give you ideas for structure and themes.
Journaling : Write about your daily experiences and feelings.
Ask for Feedback : Talk to friends, family, or teachers about your ideas. They might provide a fresh perspective or remind you of stories you’ve forgotten.
Consider Your Audience : Think about what stories would resonate with your readers. Choose topics that are engaging and relatable.

10 Narrative Essay Topics:

Describe a situation where your plans went awry but ended positively.
Focus on a dish you've cooked or baked. Share the recipe's story, emotional impact, and significance.
Reflect on a teacher who profoundly influenced your learning experience.
Describe an encounter with nature's beauty or strength and its impact on your worldview.
Recall a time you faced and conquered a significant fear, showing personal growth.
Reflect on an interaction with someone from a different cultural background, exploring lessons learned and challenges faced.
Explore the memories of a cherished item. How did you acquire it, and what significant events are tied to it?
Write about a passionate endeavor where failure led to personal growth and resilience.
Share a song or musical experience that deeply resonated with you and its significance in your life.
Reflect on losing something valuable and what it taught you about perseverance and resilience.

For more ideas, check out the Narrative Essay Topic list.

Step 2: Make a Narrative Essay Outline

Once you've chosen your topic, start by outlining your narrative essay. For instance, if you're writing about a memorable trip, begin with a scene-setting paragraph. Then, describe key experiences and interactions in subsequent paragraphs. Conclude by reflecting on how the trip affected you. In your conclusion, summarize the main events and their significance to effectively wrap up your story. For a more systematic approach, make sure to check out how to write an essay conclusion .

Topic: A Memorable Trip 🌍
Introduction 🎯	Begin with a captivating scene or anecdote from the trip. Briefly introduce the destination and purpose of the trip. State the significance of this trip in your life.
Setting the Scene 🌄
Key Experiences and Interactions 🌟	Detail a standout experience or adventure during the trip. Discuss an interaction with a local or a fellow traveler. Describe another memorable moment or activity.
Reflections and Insights 💡
Conclusion 🎓

Step 3: Write Your Narrative Essay

When you're ready to start writing your narrative essay, refer to your outline to develop each section with clear and engaging language. Unlike academic essays, narrative essays don’t need to follow strict formalities or summarize everything in the introduction.

Tip : Write from your own perspective . Most narratives use the first-person point of view, so feel free to use pronouns like "I" and "me" to describe your experiences.

Tip : Use creative storytelling techniques . Drawing from fiction or creative nonfiction, employ methods like dialogue, flashbacks, and symbolism to captivate readers and convey the themes of your essay effectively.

Tip : Focus on a central theme or message . Identify a central theme or message that your narrative revolves around. This gives your essay coherence and depth, guiding your storytelling towards a meaningful conclusion.

Step 4: Revise Your Narrative Essay

Once you already understand how to write a narrative essay and finish your first draft, revise and refine your essay. Start by taking a break to gain fresh perspective before returning with a clear mind – this is a key strategy for enhancing your writing.

While reviewing, carefully examine it for logical coherence and smooth flow. Address any inconsistencies or gaps in the narrative, refining your writing to improve clarity. Pay attention to details such as tense, point of view, and narrative voice throughout.

Step 5: Proofread and Publish Your Narrative Essay

After writing a narrative essay, take time to thoroughly proofread for any remaining errors or typos. Ensure proper formatting and citation style, if required.

Sharing your essay with trusted individuals such as friends, family, or educators can provide valuable feedback and new perspectives. Incorporate this feedback, along with your own observations from the revision process, to strengthen the impact and effectiveness of your essay.

Meanwhile, if you’re willing to describe your life in greater depth, our guide on how to write an autobiography might be just what you need!

Want to Be Like an Expert Writer?

Order now and let our narrative essay writer turn your experiences into a captivating and unforgettable tale

Narrative Essay Examples

For more inspiration, check out a narrative essay example below prepared by our essay writer . Feel free to use it as a guide for your own story, ensuring that your unique voice and experiences come through in your work.

Final Thoughts

Now that you understand the basics of writing a narrative essay, you're probably excited to write your own! If you get stuck, our research paper writing service is here to help you. Whether you need a narrative essay or any other type of school paper, our services can provide personalized advice to fit your needs. Focusing on quality, affordability, and on-time delivery, we’ll make sure your story is told effectively!

Unlock Your Potential with Our Essays!

Order now and take the first step towards achieving your academic goals

How Do I Start a Narrative Essay?

What makes a good narrative essay, how to end a narrative essay.

Daniel Parker

is a seasoned educational writer focusing on scholarship guidance, research papers, and various forms of academic essays including reflective and narrative essays. His expertise also extends to detailed case studies. A scholar with a background in English Literature and Education, Daniel’s work on EssayPro blog aims to support students in achieving academic excellence and securing scholarships. His hobbies include reading classic literature and participating in academic forums.

is an expert in nursing and healthcare, with a strong background in history, law, and literature. Holding advanced degrees in nursing and public health, his analytical approach and comprehensive knowledge help students navigate complex topics. On EssayPro blog, Adam provides insightful articles on everything from historical analysis to the intricacies of healthcare policies. In his downtime, he enjoys historical documentaries and volunteering at local clinics.

Updated writing steps, samples, outline and FAQ
Narrative essays. (n.d.). Miami University. https://miamioh.edu/howe-center/hwc/writing-resources/handouts/types-of-writing/narrative-essays.html
Mohammed, S. I. (2021). Suggested strategies for writing narrative essay . International Journal of Linguistics, Literature and Translation , 4 (12), 30-39.

What Is A Narrative Essay? Narrative Essay Examples And Writing Tips

If you are going to be writing a narrative essay, it is vitally important that you are aware of how to do it correctly. The narrative essay does take some skill to write, but this doesn’t mean that it cannot be done by anyone of us. All it takes is to follow some simple steps and you will be able to create an engaging and interesting narrative essay.

In this article, we are going to be looking at how to write a narrative essay to the best of your ability as well as some ideas for topics on which you could write. We will then be looking at some excerpts from narrative essays to give you a better idea of how they are written.

What Is A Narrative Essay?

A narrative essay is written in the form of a story and clearly gives a point of view on the subject-most often that of the author. The idea of this type of essay is to engage the reader in a sensory and emotional way which will allow them to connect with that is being written about.

A narrative essay will use characters, plots and themes and may even include a dialogue. Each aspect of the narrative essay will revolve around the main point of essay-it’s topic.

How To Write A Narrative Essay

Now that we fully understand what a narrative essay is and what it is used for, we are going to look at some useful tips for creating an amazing narrative essay of your own.

The most important point to consider before writing your narrative essay is the topic. What will it be about and how can you include some truth in the story? It needs to be something that the reader can connect with and that will matter to them. Sharing personal experience is one of the best ways to write a narrative essay.
In order to create a great narrative essay, it is vital that you plan it out in great detail. The best way to do this is to write a detailed essay outline which will allow you to plan your essay and structure it.
You should also consider the various elements of the story such as the characters, the plot, the motif and theme.
Think about the point of view that you want to put across within the essay and what you want the reader to take away from it.
When planning your essay it is important to make sure that you only include details that are going to provide relevance to the story. By adding in too many words and phrases that don’t contribute, you may end up confusing the audience.
Whilst writing something like a novel is a great excuse to show off your knowledge of the English language, a narrative essay is not the place to do this. You should use language that is clear and concise and can be easily understood by anyone who is reading.
A narrative essay is structured in a chronological manner, meaning that events are ordered in the time that they occurred, this is important to keep in mind when structuring your essay.
Make sure that the key points are highlighted and easily accessible to the reader. If you are writing a narrative essay to show how taking up running benefited your health, you should make this information clear in the essay.
A narrative essay does not need to be overly lengthy. If you are being instructed to write a set amount of words, then this should be adhered to but otherwise, you should keep it as short as possible so that the main point of the writing is not lost. That being said, it is also important to make it long enough to include everything that you need to include.

Narrative Essay Topics

If you have been given free reign over the topic for your narrative essay, there are many things you might consider writing about. We are now going to look at a variety of topics which you might write on for this type of essay.

A teacher who inspired you
An experience of a natural disaster
An invention you made
The loss or gain of faith
An experience with danger
Conflict with a loved one
Your first trip to a place
An experience which changed your behaviour
A misunderstanding with a comical result
When you helped someone in a crisis
An experience that changed your viewpoint on another person
Something that happened on a vacation
Secret places of your childhood
How you realised that your parents were right
How you overcame a fear
How you overcame prejudice
How you decided on your career
An experience involving music
A pet who inspired you
An embarrassing experience
How you became a role model
How you met your closest friend
Getting lost
Uncovering a lie

Narrative Essay Examples

We are now going to look at some passages taken from successful narrative essays as a way to help you further understand how they are written.

Only Daughter Written By Sandra Cisneros

Once, some years ago, just as I was beginning my writing career, someone asked me to write my very own contributors note for this anthology that I was a part of. For this, I wrote ‘I’m an only daughter within a family that has 6 sons. That says it all.’

I have thought about it ever since, yes, it does explain lots to me but for the sake of the reader, I ought to have wrote ‘I’m an only daughter within a Mexican family with 6 sons.’ or perhaps ‘I’m an only daughter from a Mexican dad and a Mexican-American mom’ or ‘I’m an only daughter from a working class family of 9.’ Each of these has a lot to do with the person that I am today.

New Directions Written By Maya Angelou

Annie was more than 6 feet tall, had big bones and had decided she wouldn’t work as a domestic meaning she’d have to leave her ‘precious babies’ in the care of anyone else. There wasn’t any possibility of her being taken on in the cotton gin or the lumber mill, but there was maybe a way to get the 2 factories to work for her. In her own words ‘I looked along the road on which I was going, and back again the way I had come, but as I was not satisfied, I made the decision to step off of the road and start a new path.’ She had told herself she was not a fancy cook, yet she could mix the groceries enough to stop hunger.

The narrative essay is used to tell a story from a certain point of view and is one of the most common types of essay. By using the tips in this article, you will be much more easily able to write a narrative essay with confidence.

Narrative Essay Infographic

Narrative Essay: Definition, Examples & Useful Tips for Writing a Narrative Essay

Latest Posts

Judgement vs. Judgment: A Look at Spelling Variations - January 9, 2024
Crochet vs. Knit: Understanding the Differences - January 5, 2024
Metric vs. Imperial: What’s the Difference? - December 28, 2023

Improve your writing with the help of AI writing assistants!

The Ultimate Narrative Essay Guide for Beginners

A narrative essay tells a story in chronological order, with an introduction that introduces the characters and sets the scene. Then a series of events leads to a climax or turning point, and finally a resolution or reflection on the experience.

Speaking of which, are you in sixes and sevens about narrative essays? Don’t worry this ultimate expert guide will wipe out all your doubts. So let’s get started.

Table of Contents

Everything You Need to Know About Narrative Essay

What is a narrative essay.

When you go through a narrative essay definition, you would know that a narrative essay purpose is to tell a story. It’s all about sharing an experience or event and is different from other types of essays because it’s more focused on how the event made you feel or what you learned from it, rather than just presenting facts or an argument. Let’s explore more details on this interesting write-up and get to know how to write a narrative essay.

Elements of a Narrative Essay

Here’s a breakdown of the key elements of a narrative essay:

A narrative essay has a beginning, middle, and end. It builds up tension and excitement and then wraps things up in a neat package.

Real people, including the writer, often feature in personal narratives. Details of the characters and their thoughts, feelings, and actions can help readers to relate to the tale.

It’s really important to know when and where something happened so we can get a good idea of the context. Going into detail about what it looks like helps the reader to really feel like they’re part of the story.

Conflict or Challenge

A story in a narrative essay usually involves some kind of conflict or challenge that moves the plot along. It could be something inside the character, like a personal battle, or something from outside, like an issue they have to face in the world.

Theme or Message

A narrative essay isn’t just about recounting an event – it’s about showing the impact it had on you and what you took away from it. It’s an opportunity to share your thoughts and feelings about the experience, and how it changed your outlook.

Emotional Impact

The author is trying to make the story they’re telling relatable, engaging, and memorable by using language and storytelling to evoke feelings in whoever’s reading it.

Narrative essays let writers have a blast telling stories about their own lives. It’s an opportunity to share insights and impart wisdom, or just have some fun with the reader. Descriptive language, sensory details, dialogue, and a great narrative voice are all essentials for making the story come alive.

The Purpose of a Narrative Essay

A narrative essay is more than just a story – it’s a way to share a meaningful, engaging, and relatable experience with the reader. Includes:

Sharing Personal Experience

Narrative essays are a great way for writers to share their personal experiences, feelings, thoughts, and reflections. It’s an opportunity to connect with readers and make them feel something.

Entertainment and Engagement

The essay attempts to keep the reader interested by using descriptive language, storytelling elements, and a powerful voice. It attempts to pull them in and make them feel involved by creating suspense, mystery, or an emotional connection.

Conveying a Message or Insight

Narrative essays are more than just a story – they aim to teach you something. They usually have a moral lesson, a new understanding, or a realization about life that the author gained from the experience.

Building Empathy and Understanding

By telling their stories, people can give others insight into different perspectives, feelings, and situations. Sharing these tales can create compassion in the reader and help broaden their knowledge of different life experiences.

Inspiration and Motivation

Stories about personal struggles, successes, and transformations can be really encouraging to people who are going through similar situations. It can provide them with hope and guidance, and let them know that they’re not alone.

Reflecting on Life’s Significance

These essays usually make you think about the importance of certain moments in life or the impact of certain experiences. They make you look deep within yourself and ponder on the things you learned or how you changed because of those events.

Demonstrating Writing Skills

Coming up with a gripping narrative essay takes serious writing chops, like vivid descriptions, powerful language, timing, and organization. It’s an opportunity for writers to show off their story-telling abilities.

Preserving Personal History

Sometimes narrative essays are used to record experiences and special moments that have an emotional resonance. They can be used to preserve individual memories or for future generations to look back on.

Cultural and Societal Exploration

Personal stories can look at cultural or social aspects, giving us an insight into customs, opinions, or social interactions seen through someone’s own experience.

Format of a Narrative Essay

Narrative essays are quite flexible in terms of format, which allows the writer to tell a story in a creative and compelling way. Here’s a quick breakdown of the narrative essay format, along with some examples:

Introduction

Set the scene and introduce the story.

Engage the reader and establish the tone of the narrative.

Hook: Start with a captivating opening line to grab the reader’s attention. For instance:

Example: “The scorching sun beat down on us as we trekked through the desert, our water supply dwindling.”

Background Information: Provide necessary context or background without giving away the entire story.

Example: “It was the summer of 2015 when I embarked on a life-changing journey to…”

Thesis Statement or Narrative Purpose

Present the main idea or the central message of the essay.

Offer a glimpse of what the reader can expect from the narrative.

Thesis Statement: This isn’t as rigid as in other essays but can be a sentence summarizing the essence of the story.

Example: “Little did I know, that seemingly ordinary hike would teach me invaluable lessons about resilience and friendship.”

Body Paragraphs

Present the sequence of events in chronological order.

Develop characters, setting, conflict, and resolution.

Story Progression : Describe events in the order they occurred, focusing on details that evoke emotions and create vivid imagery.

Example : Detail the trek through the desert, the challenges faced, interactions with fellow hikers, and the pivotal moments.

Character Development : Introduce characters and their roles in the story. Show their emotions, thoughts, and actions.

Example : Describe how each character reacted to the dwindling water supply and supported each other through adversity.

Dialogue and Interactions : Use dialogue to bring the story to life and reveal character personalities.

Example : “Sarah handed me her last bottle of water, saying, ‘We’re in this together.'”

Reach the peak of the story, the moment of highest tension or significance.

Turning Point: Highlight the most crucial moment or realization in the narrative.

Example: “As the sun dipped below the horizon and hope seemed lost, a distant sound caught our attention—the rescue team’s helicopters.”

Provide closure to the story.

Reflect on the significance of the experience and its impact.

Reflection : Summarize the key lessons learned or insights gained from the experience.

Example : “That hike taught me the true meaning of resilience and the invaluable support of friendship in challenging times.”

Closing Thought : End with a memorable line that reinforces the narrative’s message or leaves a lasting impression.

Example : “As we boarded the helicopters, I knew this adventure would forever be etched in my heart.”

Example Summary:

Imagine a narrative about surviving a challenging hike through the desert, emphasizing the bonds formed and lessons learned. The narrative essay structure might look like starting with an engaging scene, narrating the hardships faced, showcasing the characters’ resilience, and culminating in a powerful realization about friendship and endurance.

Different Types of Narrative Essays

There are a bunch of different types of narrative essays – each one focuses on different elements of storytelling and has its own purpose. Here’s a breakdown of the narrative essay types and what they mean.

Personal Narrative

Description : Tells a personal story or experience from the writer’s life.

Purpose: Reflects on personal growth, lessons learned, or significant moments.

Example of Narrative Essay Types:

Topic : “The Day I Conquered My Fear of Public Speaking”

Focus: Details the experience, emotions, and eventual triumph over a fear of public speaking during a pivotal event.

Descriptive Narrative

Description : Emphasizes vivid details and sensory imagery.

Purpose : Creates a sensory experience, painting a vivid picture for the reader.

Topic : “A Walk Through the Enchanted Forest”

Focus : Paints a detailed picture of the sights, sounds, smells, and feelings experienced during a walk through a mystical forest.

Autobiographical Narrative

Description: Chronicles significant events or moments from the writer’s life.

Purpose: Provides insights into the writer’s life, experiences, and growth.

Topic: “Lessons from My Childhood: How My Grandmother Shaped Who I Am”

Focus: Explores pivotal moments and lessons learned from interactions with a significant family member.

Experiential Narrative

Description: Relays experiences beyond the writer’s personal life.

Purpose: Shares experiences, travels, or events from a broader perspective.

Topic: “Volunteering in a Remote Village: A Journey of Empathy”

Focus: Chronicles the writer’s volunteering experience, highlighting interactions with a community and personal growth.

Literary Narrative

Description: Incorporates literary elements like symbolism, allegory, or thematic explorations.

Purpose: Uses storytelling for deeper explorations of themes or concepts.

Topic: “The Symbolism of the Red Door: A Journey Through Change”

Focus: Uses a red door as a symbol, exploring its significance in the narrator’s life and the theme of transition.

Historical Narrative

Description: Recounts historical events or periods through a personal lens.

Purpose: Presents history through personal experiences or perspectives.

Topic: “A Grandfather’s Tales: Living Through the Great Depression”

Focus: Shares personal stories from a family member who lived through a historical era, offering insights into that period.

Digital or Multimedia Narrative

Description: Incorporates multimedia elements like images, videos, or audio to tell a story.

Purpose: Explores storytelling through various digital platforms or formats.

Topic: “A Travel Diary: Exploring Europe Through Vlogs”

Focus: Combines video clips, photos, and personal narration to document a travel experience.

How to Choose a Topic for Your Narrative Essay?

Selecting a compelling topic for your narrative essay is crucial as it sets the stage for your storytelling. Choosing a boring topic is one of the narrative essay mistakes to avoid . Here’s a detailed guide on how to choose the right topic:

Reflect on Personal Experiences

Significant Moments:

Moments that had a profound impact on your life or shaped your perspective.

Example: A moment of triumph, overcoming a fear, a life-changing decision, or an unforgettable experience.

Emotional Resonance:

Events that evoke strong emotions or feelings.

Example: Joy, fear, sadness, excitement, or moments of realization.

Lessons Learned:

Experiences that taught you valuable lessons or brought about personal growth.

Example: Challenges that led to personal development, shifts in mindset, or newfound insights.

Explore Unique Perspectives

Uncommon Experiences:

Unique or unconventional experiences that might captivate the reader’s interest.

Example: Unusual travels, interactions with different cultures, or uncommon hobbies.

Different Points of View:

Stories from others’ perspectives that impacted you deeply.

Example: A family member’s story, a friend’s experience, or a historical event from a personal lens.

Focus on Specific Themes or Concepts

Themes or Concepts of Interest:

Themes or ideas you want to explore through storytelling.

Example: Friendship, resilience, identity, cultural diversity, or personal transformation.

Symbolism or Metaphor:

Using symbols or metaphors as the core of your narrative.

Example: Exploring the symbolism of an object or a place in relation to a broader theme.

Consider Your Audience and Purpose

Relevance to Your Audience:

Topics that resonate with your audience’s interests or experiences.

Example: Choose a relatable theme or experience that your readers might connect with emotionally.

Impact or Message:

What message or insight do you want to convey through your story?

Example: Choose a topic that aligns with the message or lesson you aim to impart to your readers.

Brainstorm and Evaluate Ideas

Free Writing or Mind Mapping:

Process: Write down all potential ideas without filtering. Mind maps or free-writing exercises can help generate diverse ideas.

Evaluate Feasibility:

The depth of the story, the availability of vivid details, and your personal connection to the topic.

Imagine you’re considering topics for a narrative essay. You reflect on your experiences and decide to explore the topic of “Overcoming Stage Fright: How a School Play Changed My Perspective.” This topic resonates because it involves a significant challenge you faced and the personal growth it brought about.

Narrative Essay Topics

50 easy narrative essay topics.

Learning to Ride a Bike
My First Day of School
A Surprise Birthday Party
The Day I Got Lost
Visiting a Haunted House
An Encounter with a Wild Animal
My Favorite Childhood Toy
The Best Vacation I Ever Had
An Unforgettable Family Gathering
Conquering a Fear of Heights
A Special Gift I Received
Moving to a New City
The Most Memorable Meal
Getting Caught in a Rainstorm
An Act of Kindness I Witnessed
The First Time I Cooked a Meal
My Experience with a New Hobby
The Day I Met My Best Friend
A Hike in the Mountains
Learning a New Language
An Embarrassing Moment
Dealing with a Bully
My First Job Interview
A Sporting Event I Attended
The Scariest Dream I Had
Helping a Stranger
The Joy of Achieving a Goal
A Road Trip Adventure
Overcoming a Personal Challenge
The Significance of a Family Tradition
An Unusual Pet I Owned
A Misunderstanding with a Friend
Exploring an Abandoned Building
My Favorite Book and Why
The Impact of a Role Model
A Cultural Celebration I Participated In
A Valuable Lesson from a Teacher
A Trip to the Zoo
An Unplanned Adventure
Volunteering Experience
A Moment of Forgiveness
A Decision I Regretted
A Special Talent I Have
The Importance of Family Traditions
The Thrill of Performing on Stage
A Moment of Sudden Inspiration
The Meaning of Home
Learning to Play a Musical Instrument
A Childhood Memory at the Park
Witnessing a Beautiful Sunset

Narrative Essay Topics for College Students

Discovering a New Passion
Overcoming Academic Challenges
Navigating Cultural Differences
Embracing Independence: Moving Away from Home
Exploring Career Aspirations
Coping with Stress in College
The Impact of a Mentor in My Life
Balancing Work and Studies
Facing a Fear of Public Speaking
Exploring a Semester Abroad
The Evolution of My Study Habits
Volunteering Experience That Changed My Perspective
The Role of Technology in Education
Finding Balance: Social Life vs. Academics
Learning a New Skill Outside the Classroom
Reflecting on Freshman Year Challenges
The Joys and Struggles of Group Projects
My Experience with Internship or Work Placement
Challenges of Time Management in College
Redefining Success Beyond Grades
The Influence of Literature on My Thinking
The Impact of Social Media on College Life
Overcoming Procrastination
Lessons from a Leadership Role
Exploring Diversity on Campus
Exploring Passion for Environmental Conservation
An Eye-Opening Course That Changed My Perspective
Living with Roommates: Challenges and Lessons
The Significance of Extracurricular Activities
The Influence of a Professor on My Academic Journey
Discussing Mental Health in College
The Evolution of My Career Goals
Confronting Personal Biases Through Education
The Experience of Attending a Conference or Symposium
Challenges Faced by Non-Native English Speakers in College
The Impact of Traveling During Breaks
Exploring Identity: Cultural or Personal
The Impact of Music or Art on My Life
Addressing Diversity in the Classroom
Exploring Entrepreneurial Ambitions
My Experience with Research Projects
Overcoming Impostor Syndrome in College
The Importance of Networking in College
Finding Resilience During Tough Times
The Impact of Global Issues on Local Perspectives
The Influence of Family Expectations on Education
Lessons from a Part-Time Job
Exploring the College Sports Culture
The Role of Technology in Modern Education
The Journey of Self-Discovery Through Education

Narrative Essay Comparison

Narrative essay vs. descriptive essay.

Here’s our first narrative essay comparison! While both narrative and descriptive essays focus on vividly portraying a subject or an event, they differ in their primary objectives and approaches. Now, let’s delve into the nuances of comparison on narrative essays.

Narrative Essay:

Storytelling: Focuses on narrating a personal experience or event.

Chronological Order: Follows a structured timeline of events to tell a story.

Message or Lesson: Often includes a central message, moral, or lesson learned from the experience.

Engagement: Aims to captivate the reader through a compelling storyline and character development.

First-Person Perspective: Typically narrated from the writer’s point of view, using “I” and expressing personal emotions and thoughts.

Plot Development: Emphasizes a plot with a beginning, middle, climax, and resolution.

Character Development: Focuses on describing characters, their interactions, emotions, and growth.

Conflict or Challenge: Usually involves a central conflict or challenge that drives the narrative forward.

Dialogue: Incorporates conversations to bring characters and their interactions to life.

Reflection: Concludes with reflection or insight gained from the experience.

Descriptive Essay:

Vivid Description: Aims to vividly depict a person, place, object, or event.

Imagery and Details: Focuses on sensory details to create a vivid image in the reader’s mind.

Emotion through Description: Uses descriptive language to evoke emotions and engage the reader’s senses.

Painting a Picture: Creates a sensory-rich description allowing the reader to visualize the subject.

Imagery and Sensory Details: Focuses on providing rich sensory descriptions, using vivid language and adjectives.

Point of Focus: Concentrates on describing a specific subject or scene in detail.

Spatial Organization: Often employs spatial organization to describe from one area or aspect to another.

Objective Observations: Typically avoids the use of personal opinions or emotions; instead, the focus remains on providing a detailed and objective description.

Comparison:

Focus: Narrative essays emphasize storytelling, while descriptive essays focus on vividly describing a subject or scene.

Perspective: Narrative essays are often written from a first-person perspective, while descriptive essays may use a more objective viewpoint.

Purpose: Narrative essays aim to convey a message or lesson through a story, while descriptive essays aim to paint a detailed picture for the reader without necessarily conveying a specific message.

Narrative Essay vs. Argumentative Essay

The narrative essay and the argumentative essay serve distinct purposes and employ different approaches:

Engagement and Emotion: Aims to captivate the reader through a compelling story.

Reflective: Often includes reflection on the significance of the experience or lessons learned.

First-Person Perspective: Typically narrated from the writer’s point of view, sharing personal emotions and thoughts.

Plot Development: Emphasizes a storyline with a beginning, middle, climax, and resolution.

Message or Lesson: Conveys a central message, moral, or insight derived from the experience.

Argumentative Essay:

Persuasion and Argumentation: Aims to persuade the reader to adopt the writer’s viewpoint on a specific topic.

Logical Reasoning: Presents evidence, facts, and reasoning to support a particular argument or stance.

Debate and Counterarguments: Acknowledge opposing views and counter them with evidence and reasoning.

Thesis Statement: Includes a clear thesis statement that outlines the writer’s position on the topic.

Thesis and Evidence: Starts with a strong thesis statement and supports it with factual evidence, statistics, expert opinions, or logical reasoning.

Counterarguments: Addresses opposing viewpoints and provides rebuttals with evidence.

Logical Structure: Follows a logical structure with an introduction, body paragraphs presenting arguments and evidence, and a conclusion reaffirming the thesis.

Formal Language: Uses formal language and avoids personal anecdotes or emotional appeals.

Objective: Argumentative essays focus on presenting a logical argument supported by evidence, while narrative essays prioritize storytelling and personal reflection.

Purpose: Argumentative essays aim to persuade and convince the reader of a particular viewpoint, while narrative essays aim to engage, entertain, and share personal experiences.

Structure: Narrative essays follow a storytelling structure with character development and plot, while argumentative essays follow a more formal, structured approach with logical arguments and evidence.

In essence, while both essays involve writing and presenting information, the narrative essay focuses on sharing a personal experience, whereas the argumentative essay aims to persuade the audience by presenting a well-supported argument.

Narrative Essay vs. Personal Essay

While there can be an overlap between narrative and personal essays, they have distinctive characteristics:

Storytelling: Emphasizes recounting a specific experience or event in a structured narrative form.

Engagement through Story: Aims to engage the reader through a compelling story with characters, plot, and a central theme or message.

Reflective: Often includes reflection on the significance of the experience and the lessons learned.

First-Person Perspective: Typically narrated from the writer’s viewpoint, expressing personal emotions and thoughts.

Plot Development: Focuses on developing a storyline with a clear beginning, middle, climax, and resolution.

Character Development: Includes descriptions of characters, their interactions, emotions, and growth.

Central Message: Conveys a central message, moral, or insight derived from the experience.

Personal Essay:

Exploration of Ideas or Themes: Explores personal ideas, opinions, or reflections on a particular topic or subject.

Expression of Thoughts and Opinions: Expresses the writer’s thoughts, feelings, and perspectives on a specific subject matter.

Reflection and Introspection: Often involves self-reflection and introspection on personal experiences, beliefs, or values.

Varied Structure and Content: Can encompass various forms, including memoirs, personal anecdotes, or reflections on life experiences.

Flexibility in Structure: Allows for diverse structures and forms based on the writer’s intent, which could be narrative-like or more reflective.

Theme-Centric Writing: Focuses on exploring a central theme or idea, with personal anecdotes or experiences supporting and illustrating the theme.

Expressive Language: Utilizes descriptive and expressive language to convey personal perspectives, emotions, and opinions.

Focus: Narrative essays primarily focus on storytelling through a structured narrative, while personal essays encompass a broader range of personal expression, which can include storytelling but isn’t limited to it.

Structure: Narrative essays have a more structured plot development with characters and a clear sequence of events, while personal essays might adopt various structures, focusing more on personal reflection, ideas, or themes.

Intent: While both involve personal experiences, narrative essays emphasize telling a story with a message or lesson learned, while personal essays aim to explore personal thoughts, feelings, or opinions on a broader range of topics or themes.

5 Easy Steps for Writing a Narrative Essay

A narrative essay is more than just telling a story. It’s also meant to engage the reader, get them thinking, and leave a lasting impact. Whether it’s to amuse, motivate, teach, or reflect, these essays are a great way to communicate with your audience. This interesting narrative essay guide was all about letting you understand the narrative essay, its importance, and how can you write one.

Order Original Papers & Essays

Your First Custom Paper Sample is on Us!

Timely Deliveries

No Plagiarism & AI

100% Refund

Try Our Free Paper Writing Service

Related blogs.

Connections with Writers and support

Privacy and Confidentiality Guarantee

Average Quality Score

How to Title an Essay: Guide with Creative Examples [2024]

It’s not a secret that the reader notices an essay title first. No catchy hook or colorful examples attract more attention from a quick glance. Composing a creative title for your essay is essential if you strive to succeed, as it:

causes the first impression;
reflects the tone, topic, and the purpose of the writing;
indicates the author’s credibility.

Thus, how you name your paper is of the same importance as the paper itself.

Good titles for essays should be concise and eye-catching. Nobody likes long and cumbersome headings that do not reflect the point of the paper. While tilting your work, pay enough attention to the word choice. How do you come up with a good title? Use your common sense and imagination. For more details, our experts prepared the sections below.

💭 What Are Good Titles?

✔️ Finish Your Essay

🤲 sum it up, 🏷️ define the keywords, 🖊️ follow the format, ⚖️ change words, ✨ 23 creative title examples, 💭 what are good titles for essays.

A title is a critical part of any academic paper, so you must understand what to include and how to choose it. Here are some features that your heading has to show.

Strong Title	Poor Title
. A title may become an attention-grabbing element if you compose it right. Don’t miss your chance to impress your audience from the first words.	The title has to intrigue the readers. If a heading you chose is too revealing, the audience will lose interest even before reading. So, be careful!
A concise title is key to success. Believe us, 5-12 words are entirely enough to reflect the paper’s idea. Choose the right words, though.	A title that contains more than 12 words is a fail. The readers will get lost in your essay’s theme. Will they decide to continue reading your work? Not likely.
A good title for an essay is the one that covers the entire topic. Keep that in mind while naming your paper.	Numbers and figures are helpful for an academic essay, but not for the title. Leave this data for the body paragraphs.
If you want to grab the readers’ attention, impress them with a catchy but easy title. The secret lies behind the heading’s simplicity.	. Too complicated titles with difficult words DO NOT seem impressive. Instead, they confuse readers. Better come up with a simple but insightful one.
The title has to reflect the idea of the paper—don’t go too broad. Come up with the most specific heading that represents the core idea of your essay.	There is nothing wrong with the quotes. But in the body of the essay, not in the title. Use your imagination to name your work. Don’t steal someone else’s thoughts.

👩‍🏫 How to Title an Essay?

Are you struggling with formulating a heading? Yes, this task is quite challenging. But let’s figure out the basic rules.

The title of any paper should reveal:

What the paper is about. Cover the general idea of your work in the title.
Why the reader might be interested in it. Prove the relevance of your paper to the audience.
The context of the issue. A good title previews the full picture of the topic regarding its “when” and “where.”

To nail your essay heading, follow the guide below. Check our title examples if you are not sure about your abilities. You can also try and use a creative title page generator for a faster result.

Before writing a title to your essay, you should finish your paper. This way, you’ll be able to reread and get the whole idea to incorporate it into your title.

Moreover, you’ll see how long a title should be for an essay after finishing the entire piece. But remember: not too lengthy and not too wordy.

The essay title depends on the type of essay:

Narrative essay . For this kind of essay, the title should not provide any detailed info or reflect your position. It should only present the general idea of your piece of writing. For example, the narrative essay topic may look like this: My Thorny Pass to Success.
Argumentative essay . The title for an argumentative essay should clearly state the point you are going to support. For instance, you can choose the following heading: Social Media Has a Negative Effect on Teenagers.
Cause and effect essay . For this kind of essay writing, the title should be clear and provide a background of the issue. The reader should immediately understand what the problem is, what its cause is, what an effect is. Usually, writers use the words “due to” or “because” to highlight the cause-effect correlation. Look at the example: Because Coronavirus Attacks, People Start to Explore New Ways of Remote Working.
Persuasive essay . A persuasive essay should have a dynamic title that immediately calls to action. Moreover, the topic has to be relevant to the audience. For example, for students, the following title would be compelling: Sleep 7-8 Hours a Day: the Lack of Sleep Affects Academic Performance.

The most straightforward way of creating an essay title is summarizing. Sum up the whole paper in one sentence, focus on the central idea, cut the details, and use it as the title.

For this purpose, you can take your thesis statement and restate it, adding creativity. Or use the best summary generator you can find to simplify the task. But don’t forget to make sure that it sounds catchy and explains why the potential reader should check your essay.

For example:

Let’s imagine, you are writing about Artificial Intelligence, and your thesis statement sounds like this:

The purpose of this paper is to explore the advantages of Artificial intelligence’s influence on society and to discover possible outcomes.

Then, the title may be the following:

Artificial Intelligence – the Next Step into the Bright Future.

Every essay includes the key concepts that you explored and the terms that you used for this. You should find essential words and phrases and incorporate them into the essay titles. The keywords will focus the reader’s attention on the central topic of your paper.

You are writing about the negative impact of deforestation on the environment. These are your keywords, as they are the most vital ones. Thus, the title would sound like this:

Protecting the Environment: Deforestation Should be Stopped.

Every educational institution requires to format the academic papers for a particular writing style. Among a wide diversity of citation styles , the most popular ones are APA and MLA formats.

There are a lot of specific requirements regarding the essay title formats. So, let’s investigate these styles.

The APA style requires a title page at the beginning of your research paper. Here, where the readers first meet the heading. The title page should include the following:

The paper’s title. Centered, bold, capitalized, 3-4 lines below the top margin.
The author’s name (first name, middle initial, last name). Centered, not bold, two lines below the title.
The author’s affiliations. Centered, not bold, immediately after the name.
Number and name of the course.
The instructor’s name and title.
Page number in the top right corner.

See the example of an APA title page below:

The MLA style does not require a separate title page. Still, some formatting rules are to be strictly followed.

The MLA paper should start one inch from the top of the document, flush left.
Write the author’s name, then the instructor’s name, the course number, and the date. Each item should be on a separate double-spaced line.
Add the title of your paper. It should be centered and capitalized.
Do not put quotation marks, underline, italicize, or boldface your MLA title. Just make it centered and capitalized.

Here is an example of an MLA title formatting.

Before choosing a title, figure out is the tone of your essay. Is it more formal or friendly? Do you write it for a college or a personal blog?

Change the wording to make your title sound more catchy and positive. Or serious and official. You can try something new and come up with a creative title for your essay.

You need to write an article about the benefits of healthy eating for university and your online blog. For an academic essay, your title would probably look like this:

A Well-Balanced Diet Is a Key to a Healthy Organism.

In contrast, for a blog article, it would be better to write something like this:

An Apple a Day Keeps a Doctor Away: How Healthy Eating Helps us Be Fit.

Do you see the magic? One topic, different wording, and completely diverse tones as a result. So, try until you reach the most appropriate version of the title for your piece of writing.

Are you still struggling with the selection of a heading for your paper? Take a look at our creative essay title examples! Inspire, then turn on your imagination, and create a personal title.

Argumentative Essay Titles.

Intercultural Community at University: Prosperity or Constant Encounters.
Leadership Nature: a Congenital or an Acquired Feature?
Do Energetic Drinks Help or Harm the Organisms?
Why Should Sex Education Be Taught at Schools?
Should the Law Punish Bullying?
Guns Legalization is an Unsafe Way of Self-Protection.

Narrative Essay Titles.

Lady Macbeth – One of the Most Frightening Female Characters of Shakespeare.
The Art of Overcoming Failures: How to Deal with the Downfalls Easily.
Steve Jobs: from a Poor Student to a Multi-billionaire.
The Most Influential Person in my Life.
Three Biggest Events of my Life that Shaped me as a Person.
What Does it Mean to be a Loving Kid for your Parents?
What Does “Family” Mean to You?

Persuasive Essay Titles.

Never Judge the Person by their Appearance.
Music Should be Implemented as a Medical Treatment.
In the Battle Between E-Books and Paper Books, the Last Ones Should Win.
Remote Learning Cannot Replace Face-to-Face Classes.
Technology Addiction is a Threat to the Future Generation.
Murderers Should be Sentenced to Death Penalty.

Cause and Effect Essay Titles.

Because of Traveling Around the World, People Expand their Horizons.
Due to Massive Immigration, Countries Lose their Cultural Identity.
Home Abuse as a Cause of Depression and Suicide as its Effect.
Drug Addiction: a Cause for Psychological Disorder or an Effect?

Thank you for reading our article. Now you get how to come up with a good title for an essay. Don’t forget to share our page with your friends.

Writing an Effective Title: Quick Tips, Student Support Writing Center, University of Minnesota
Choosing a Title, Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper: Research Guides at University of Southern California
How Do I Write a Great Title: U-M LSA Sweetland Center for Writing, College of Literature, Science, and Arts, University of Michigan
General Format: Purdue Online Writing Lab, College of Liberal Arts, Purdue University
Formatting a Research Paper, Heading and Title: The MLA Style Center
Title Page Setup: APA Style, American Psychological Association
APA Title Page (Cover Page) Format, Example, Template: Saul McLeod, Simply Psychology
Share to Facebook
Share to LinkedIn
Share to email

How to Write a Conclusion for an Essay: 101 Guide & Examples

The conclusion is the last paragraph in your paper that draws the ideas and reasoning together. However, its purpose does not end there. A definite essay conclusion accomplishes several goals: Therefore, a conclusion usually consists of: Our experts prepared this guide, where you will find great tips on how to...

How to Write a Good Introduction: Examples & Tips [2024 Upd.]

A five-paragraph essay is one of the most common academic assignments a student may face. It has a well-defined structure: an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Writing an introduction can be the most challenging part of the entire piece. It aims to introduce the main ideas and present...

How to Write an Exemplification Essay: Topics, Examples, & Outline

Exemplification essays, also called illustration essays, are one of the easiest papers to write. However, even the simplest tasks require experience and practice. It is a good idea to find and analyze free exemplification essay examples. You can also ask your teacher to give you some sample exemplification essays from...

How to Write about a Topic You Lack Interest in [2024]

During their school years, students may not always have the opportunity to select a topic for their essay or research paper. Instructors tend to assign one or offer a list of ideas that might not seem engaging. Moreover, even the topic that you choose yourself can sometimes end up being...

How to Write a Successful College Essay: Topics, Samples, & Tips

Sorry to disappoint you, but if you think that your high scores and grades would be enough to get accepted into the university of your dreams, you’re wrong… The best colleges worldwide, such as the Ivy League schools receive applications from thousands and thousands of talented students. You gotta stand...

A Complete Guide to Essay Writing—Make it Simple

Writing an essay is a task that everyone has to deal with. The first encounter most likely happens at primary school. Compositions in primary school are quite basic and only require a good imagination and somewhat decent writing skills. But… As time passes, essay writing becomes more and more complicated....

How to Use Gender-Neutral Pronouns in Academic Writing?

Often when you’re completing academic writing, especially essays, you need to use pronouns. In academic writing, the use of the word you is unacceptable. You can find yourself in a sticky situation, deciding upon gender-neutral pronouns in your academic writing. How can students deal with it? In most situations today,...

Persuasive & Argumentative Essays about Divorce: Free Tips

A divorce is a life-changing experience that affects spouses and their children (if there are any). Since divorce rates are relatively high in modern society, more and more people face this problem nowadays. When you are assigned to compose an argumentative essay about divorce, you should be as careful as...

How to Stop Corruption Essay: Guide & Topics [+4 Samples]

Corruption is an abuse of power that was entrusted to a person or group of people for personal gain. It can appear in various settings and affect different social classes, leading to unemployment and other economic issues. This is why writing an essay on corruption can become a challenge. One...

Do you have to write an essay for the first time? Or maybe you’ve only written essays with less than 1000 words? Someone might think that writing a 1000-word essay is a rather complicated and time-consuming assignment. Others have no idea how difficult thousand-word essays can be. Well, we have...

If I Could Change the World Essay: Examples & Writing Guide

To write an engaging “If I Could Change the World” essay, you have to get a few crucial elements: Let us help you a bit and give recommendations for “If I Could Change the World” essays with examples. And bookmark our writing company website for excellent academic assistance and study...

Why I Want to be a Pharmacist Essay: How to Write [2024]

Why do you want to be a pharmacist? An essay on this topic can be challenging, even when you know the answer. The most popular reasons to pursue this profession are the following:

Narrative Essay

Narrative essay generator.

Most of us have written essays in school, where we had a formal theme book in which we wrote about our favorite literary works. Those were essential days. Essay writing continued to haunt us during high school and even college days. This is an excellent opportunity to improve our writing. We should never be frightened if we make common trial mistakes because we can develop learning and get excited about writing an essay next time. Institutions would generally let us write a narrative essay. So this boils down to the question, what is a narrative essay?

What is Narrative Essay? A narrative essay is a type of writing that tells a story. Unlike other essays that argue points or analyze subjects, a narrative essay tells a personal story, much like a storyteller. The main goal of this essay is to entertain and engage the reader by recounting interesting events in a clear, coherent manner. It often reflects the writer’s personal experience, allowing them to express themselves creatively and compellingly. Narrative essays use vivid descriptions and a structured plot, including characters, a setting, a climax, and a conclusion, to bring the story to life.

The Best Example of Narrative Essay

Title: The Day I Became an Environmentalist Introduction: One sunny afternoon, as I strolled through the lush, green park near my home, something extraordinary happened. It was a day that transformed my view of the world and carved a new path in my life. Body: I had always considered myself nature-friendly, but I hadn’t really taken any concrete steps towards environmental conservation. That day, as I walked, I noticed a group of volunteers, young and old, diligently picking up litter, their hands shielded by gloves, their faces beaming with purpose. Curious, I approached them, and they introduced me to their mission: a local environmental group dedicated to cleaning and preserving our community’s natural spaces. Intrigued, I decided to join in. As I picked up plastic bottles and discarded wrappers, a sense of responsibility began to burgeon within me. The leader of the group, Mrs. Thompson, shared staggering facts about pollution and its impact on our planet. Her words struck a chord in me. We continued our work, and as the pile of collected trash grew, so did my resolve. Climax: Then came the moment that sealed my commitment. We found a small bird, its leg trapped in a plastic ring, struggling helplessly. The group carefully freed the bird and tended to its injury. Watching the bird eventually fly away, a wave of emotion washed over me. It was a stark reminder of the impact our actions have on other living beings. Conclusion: As the day ended, I realized that my casual stroll in the park had turned into a life-changing experience. I signed up as a regular volunteer and started making more environmentally conscious choices in my daily life. That day, I didn’t just help clean a park; I embarked on a journey as an environmentalist, committed to making a difference in the world. This experience taught me the power of individual action in the fight against environmental degradation. It’s a lesson I carry with me every day, and through my narrative, I hope to inspire others to take their own steps towards protecting our planet.

Short Narrative Essay

Title: A Moment of Kindness Introduction: On a brisk winter morning, I experienced a small act of kindness that left a lasting impact on my heart. Body: I was running late for an important meeting, nerves frazzled, as I rushed towards the subway. In my haste, my bag snagged on a bench, spilling its contents. Papers fluttered like snowflakes in the wind. I felt a wave of panic, but then something wonderful happened. A young girl, no more than eight, stopped and began gathering my papers. Her small hands worked quickly, a smile brightening her face. Others passed by, but she stayed, helping me collect every last sheet. Her act of kindness in that chaotic moment was a beacon of calm. We exchanged no words, just a smile and a nod, a silent understanding of gratitude. As she handed me the last paper, her eyes sparkled with genuine warmth. Conclusion: I made it to my meeting just in time, but the memory of the girl’s kindness stayed with me. It was a simple act, yet it reminded me of the profound impact kindness can have. In our busy lives, we often overlook these moments, but they hold the power to transform our day and touch our hearts.

Narrative Essay Format

A narrative essay tells a story, usually from the author’s perspective, and follows a clear and structured format. Understanding this format is crucial for effective storytelling in essay form.

Introduction

Hook: Begin with a compelling hook to grab the reader’s attention. This could be an intriguing statement, a question, or a brief preview of the story. Setting the Scene: Provide background information that sets the stage for your story. This includes the setting, characters, and context. Thesis Statement: Though not always necessary in narrative essays, a thesis can be used to present the main theme or lesson learned.

Paragraphs: The body should be divided into several paragraphs, each focusing on a specific part of the story. Chronological Order: Narratives typically follow a chronological order, but flashbacks or non-linear storytelling can be used effectively. Character Development: Develop your characters through their actions, dialogue, and interactions within the story. Vivid Descriptions: Use descriptive language to paint a picture for the reader, making the experience immersive. Building the Plot: Ensure each paragraph contributes to the overall plot, leading towards a climax.

Turning Point: The climax is the most exciting part of the story, where the main conflict or challenge peaks. Emotional Highpoint: This section should be emotionally engaging, capturing the essence of the conflict or experience.

Resolution: Wrap up the story by resolving the conflict or bringing the story to a close. Reflection: Reflect on the events of the story and their impact. This could include lessons learned or how the experience changed the narrator. Closing Remarks: End with final thoughts that leave a lasting impression on the reader.

Narrative Essay Outline

Creating an outline for a narrative essay helps in organizing thoughts and ensuring a coherent and engaging story. Here’s a basic outline to guide your writing:

Hook: Start with an engaging opening to captivate your reader’s interest. Setting: Briefly describe the time, place, and context of your story. Characters: Introduce the main characters involved in your narrative. Purpose: State the purpose or theme of your essay, if applicable.

Paragraph 1:

Event 1: Describe the first key event or situation in your story. Details: Add relevant details to create a vivid picture. Character Reactions: Explain how the characters respond to Event 1.

Paragraph 2:

Event 2: Present the next significant event or development. Details: Include descriptive details to enhance the narrative. Character Reactions: Show how the characters react or change.

Paragraph 3 (and more, if needed):

Subsequent Events: Continue describing subsequent events, following the same pattern. Build-up to Climax: Gradually build tension or suspense leading up to the climax.

Main Event: Present the climax or the most critical moment of your story. Peak of Action: Highlight the peak of the action or conflict. Character Responses: Focus on the characters’ responses and emotions.

Resolution: Describe how the conflict or action is resolved. Reflection: Reflect on the events and their impact on the characters or yourself. Lesson Learned: If applicable, discuss the moral or lesson learned from the story. Closing Remarks: End with a statement that leaves a lasting impression on the reader.

Narrative Essay Topics with Samples

Narrative Essay on Childhood Memories
Narrative Essay on Road Accident I Witnessed
Narrative Essay on How I spent my holiday
Narrative Essay on On a Rainy Day
Narrative Essay on The Day I never forget
Narrative Essay on Friendship
Narrative Essay on A Trip I never forget
Narrative Essay on My First Day in School
Narrative Essay on Personal Experience
Narrative Essay on Overcoming a Challenge
Narrative Essay on Losing a Loved One
Narrative Essay on Earthquake
Narrative Essay on Being Judged

Types of Narrative Essay

1. Personal Narrative Essay : A story from the writer’s own life or experiences, often highlighting a personal journey or lesson learned.

2. Descriptive Narrative Essay: Focuses on detailed, sensory descriptions to create a vivid picture of a scene, event, or character.

3. Historical Narrative Essay: Tells a story set in a historical context, blending factual history with storytelling elements.

4. Biographical Narrative Essay: Relays the life story of another person, emphasizing their experiences and achievements.

5. Fictional Narrative Essay: A made-up story created entirely from the writer’s imagination, not based on real events.

6. Adventure Narrative Essay: Focuses on an exciting or adventurous experience, often involving action and suspense.

7. Mystery Narrative Essay: Centers around a mystery or puzzle, engaging the reader in uncovering secrets or solving a problem.

8+ Narrative Essay Outline Examples

1. narrative essay outline template.

Google Docs

Size: 30 KB

2. Narrative Essay Outline For College Template

Size: 29 KB

3. Narrative Essay Outline Template

myperfectwords.com

Size: 247 KB

4. Personal Narrative Essay Outline

houstonisd.org

Size: 87 KB

5. Sample Narrative Essay Outline

assets.ltkcontent.com

Size: 514 KB

6. Printable Narrative Essay Outline

Size: 277 KB

7. Outline for a Five-Paragraph Essay Template

Size: 96 KB

8. Narrative Essay Outline Format

chrisrossarthur.com

Size: 465 KB

9. Narrative Essay Outline in PDF

csustan.edu

Size: 42 KB

What purpose does a narrative essay serve?

Narrative writing allows writers to tell their stories uniquely. Also, it assists them in clarifying their thoughts and teaching them how to write them down in an organized manner. It also helps them in aiding in their quest for self-identity. They can learn about a variety of characters and settings through narrative writing.

How To Write a Narrative Essay?

Writing a narrative essay involves telling a story from your perspective and requires careful planning, detailed description, and a clear structure. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you craft an effective narrative essay:

1. Choose Your Story:

Select a meaningful event or experience from your life. It should be something you can write about in detail and has a clear beginning, middle, and end.

2. Create an Outline:

Plan the structure of your essay. Outline the sequence of events and decide how you will introduce your story, build the plot, and conclude.

3. Write a Strong Introduction:

Start with a hook to grab the reader’s attention. This could be a quote, a question, a vivid description, or an interesting fact.
Set the scene by providing background information and context.
Introduce the main characters involved in your story.

4. Develop the Body:

Describe the events in chronological order, but feel free to use flashbacks or non-linear storytelling if it serves your narrative.
Focus on making each paragraph a clear step in the progression of your story.
Use descriptive language to paint a vivid picture for the reader.
Show emotions and conflicts through dialogue and inner thoughts.

5. Build Up to the Climax:

Lead the narrative towards the climax or the most critical point of your story.
This is usually where the main conflict or tension reaches its peak.

6. Write a Satisfying Conclusion:

Resolve the story and tie up any loose ends.
Reflect on the events and share what you learned or how you changed as a result of the experience.

Tips to Write a Best Narrative Essay

Choose a Meaningful Topic: Pick a story with personal significance or one that has impacted you deeply. This connection makes your narrative more authentic and engaging.
Start with a Hook: Begin with a sentence that grabs the reader’s interest, like a thought-provoking question, a surprising fact, or a vivid description.
Use Descriptive Language: Employ vivid, sensory details to create a rich, immersive experience for the reader. Describe sights, sounds, smells, and textures.
Show, Don’t Tell: Instead of merely stating events, show them through action, dialogue, thoughts, and feelings to make your story more dynamic.
Develop Characters and Setting: Give life to your characters with distinct personalities and voices. Set the scene with clear, descriptive details about the environment.
Follow a Clear Structure: Organize your narrative with a clear beginning, middle, and end. Ensure your story flows logically and is easy to follow.
Build to a Climax: Lead your story to a high point where the main conflict or tension reaches its peak. This keeps readers invested in the outcome.

What does the term “narrative format” mean?

In writing, the narrative format is an effective structure for narrating stories and sharing anecdotes and messages. While the narrative format does not have to follow a strict chronological order or sequence of events effectively, all compelling narratives or stories should include five major components.

What is the definition of a simple narrative?

The events that makeup stories are referred to as a narrative. It’s the way events in a story or book are connected and form the plot. A narrative is a collection of related events told in a sequence of written or spoken words to the reader or listener.

What is the format of a narrative essay?

A narrative essay is an essay in which the entire narrative revolves around a single motif or central point. All of the events, happenings, and characters in the story revolve around a single theme. In terms of format, a narrative essay is similar to a simple five-paragraph article.

It should be enjoyable to write a narrative essay. It does not bind you to a strictly linear format with no room for creativity. That isn’t to say that breaking all the rules and writing something absurd is a good idea. If you’re still confused about what to write, consider your story as a coming-of-age story. An experience that shaped you into the person you are now. Your main goal is to take your readers on an adventure. Allow them to hear about your experience and learn something from it. The best stories are always those that take the audience outside of their usual comfort zones.

Text prompt

Instructive
Professional

Write a Narrative Essay on your most memorable day.

Create a Narrative Essay about a lesson learned the hard way.

IMAGES

Step-by-Step Guide How to Write Narrative Essay (2023 Update)
Sample narrative essay
narrative writing examples year 1
How to Write a Narrative Essay (12 Best Examples)
Explore Free Narrative Essay Examples: Topics, Outlines, Samples
FREE 8+ Sample Narrative Essay Templates in MS Word

VIDEO

How to Write a Narrative Essay (Tips & Example)
TOK Essay Title 3 May 2024 (FRESH IDEAS) Breakdown & EVIDENCE Guide [Download My Notes!]
What is Narrative Writing? Urdu / Hindi
Narrative Essay Topics
101 Narrative Essay Topic Ideas
What is Narrative Essay

COMMENTS

200 Best Topic Ideas for Narrative Essay
Focus on a specific event or detail to make your narrative more focused and impactful. Look for universal themes like love or personal transformation that connect with readers on a deeper level. Brainstorm ideas and write freely to uncover compelling topics. Decide on storytelling techniques like flashbacks or foreshadowing and choose a topic ...
160+ Topic Ideas for Narrative Essays [2024 Edition]
1.9 Personal Narrative Stories Ideas on Traveling and Holidays. 1.10 Personal Narrative Ideas on Morality and Religion. 1.11 Narrative Essay Topics on Politics and Current Events. 1.12 Interesting Narrative Essay Topics About Health. 1.13 Narrative Essay Topics on Technology and Video Games. 1.14 Overview. In academic practice, the narrative ...
Creative Writing Examples │ A Level, GCSE and O Level
100+ Narrative Essay Topics, Examples, Expert Guidance and Title Ideas From Past Papers . Whether you're an A Level, O level or IGCSE student, we have curated a comprehensive list of 100 best narrative essay topics to inspire your storytelling skills. Struggling with a narrative essay title? Find brilliant narrative essay title ideas on our ...
100+ Interesting Narrative Essay Topics For Your Next Paper
Narrative Essay Topics for Grade 5. My First Day at a New School. The Time I Learned to Ride a Bike. A Visit to a Haunted House. The Day I Met a Real-Life Superhero. My Most Memorable Family Vacation. A Surprising Encounter with an Animal. The Mystery of the Missing Homework. The Best Birthday Party I Ever Had.
How to Write a Narrative Essay
Interactive example of a narrative essay. An example of a short narrative essay, responding to the prompt "Write about an experience where you learned something about yourself," is shown below. Hover over different parts of the text to see how the structure works. Narrative essay example.
100 Narrative Essay Topics
Welcome to our narrative essay topics! A well-crafted narrative essay can transport readers into a whole new world, filling their imagination with vivid imagery and compelling stories! We've prepared a list of 100 narrative essay topics that are perfect prompts for students at all academic levels—from elementary to high school. These topics are designed to…
Free Narrative Essay Examples
Narrative Essay Definition. Writing a narrative essay is a unique form of storytelling that revolves around personal experiences, aiming to immerse the reader in the author's world. It's a piece of writing that delves into the depths of thoughts and feelings. In a narrative essay, life experiences take center stage, serving as the main substance of the story. It's a powerful tool for writers ...
50 Narrative Essay Topics
A weird encounter with a stranger. A random act of kindness. A time that you took a stand for someone or for an issue that you care about. A moment when you thought you might get hurt but didn't. Breaking a bone (or otherwise suffering an injury). Your first time away from home for the night (or longer).
Narrative Essay Topics
For example: the prompt "a lost friend" could mean a friend who moved away or a dead pet. Make sure to word your prompts in such a way that participants can glean their own interpretation. ... Narrative essay titles • Easy narrative essay topics. In recent years, companies have been selling books with narrative essay prompts for adults ...
Narrative Essays: Examples And Topic Ideas For Students
7. An Act Of Kindness. Sharing an act of kindness you did with someone else—or a random act of kindness that someone did for you—can provide a warm, fuzzy topic for your narrative essay. When writing about an act of kindness, focus on how the act made you feel, whether you were the giver or the receiver of the act.
3 Great Narrative Essay Examples + Tips for Writing
A motif is a dominant idea or theme, one that you establish before writing the essay. As you're crafting the narrative, it'll feed back into your motif to create a comprehensive picture of whatever that motif is. For example, say you want to write a narrative essay about how your first day in high school helped you establish your identity.
What is a Narrative Essay? How to Write It (with Examples)
Narrative essay example. Narrative essays are true accounts of the writer's personal experiences, conveyed in figurative language for sensory appeal. ... Title: A Feline Odyssey: An Experience of Fostering Stray Kittens. Introduction: It was a fine summer evening in the year 2022 when a soft meowing disrupted the tranquility of my terrace ...
What is a Narrative Essay
The goal of the narrative essay is to use established storytelling techniques, like theme, conflict, and irony, in a uniquely personal way. The responsibility of the narrative essayist is to make the reader feel connected to their story, regardless of the topic. This next video explores how writers can use structural elements and techniques to ...
Student Narrative Essay Examples
The following essay, "My College Education" is from Chapter 15.2 - Narrative Essay, Writing for Success, University of Minnesota Libraries. The first class I went to in college was philosophy, and it changed my life forever. Our first assignment was to write a short response paper to the Albert Camus essay "The Myth of Sisyphus.".
Free Narrative Essay Examples. Best Topics, Titles GradesFixer
The New Boy: A Narrative Essay. 661 words | 1 Page. Introduction The arrival of a new student in a school setting often incites a blend of curiosity, excitement, and apprehension among the existing pupils. The new boy is not just another addition to the classroom roster; he is a potential friend, rival, or even an…. Rat.
How to Write a Narrative Essay Step by Step
To write a narrative essay successfully, you'll need to follow these steps: Step 1: Pick a personal experience to share. Step 2: Organize your story's main points. Step 3: Start narrating your story with vivid details. Step 4: Improve the flow and clarity. Step 5: Check for grammar and spelling errors.
Narrative Essay Examples and Key Elements
Before you write your narrative essay, you can get a better idea of what to do with a narrative essay example. See real samples along with essential tips.
What Is A Narrative Essay? Narrative Essay Examples And Writing Tips
A narrative essay is written in the form of a story and clearly gives a point of view on the subject-most often that of the author. The idea of this type of essay is to engage the reader in a sensory and emotional way which will allow them to connect with that is being written about. A narrative essay will use characters, plots and themes and ...
A Complete Narrative Essay Guide
Purpose: Reach the peak of the story, the moment of highest tension or significance. Elements: Turning Point: Highlight the most crucial moment or realization in the narrative. Example: "As the sun dipped below the horizon and hope seemed lost, a distant sound caught our attention—the rescue team's helicopters.".
How to Title an Essay, With Tips and Examples
Here's what your essay title should include. One or more relevant keywords to your subject. Any other necessary words or phrases that tell the reader what to expect from your essay. When applicable, a catchy phrase or figurative language. Let's take another look at the example essay titles from the section above.
How to Title an Essay: Guide with Creative Examples [2024]
The title of any paper should reveal: What the paper is about. Cover the general idea of your work in the title. Why the reader might be interested in it. Prove the relevance of your paper to the audience. The context of the issue. A good title previews the full picture of the topic regarding its "when" and "where.".
Narrative Essay
Plan the structure of your essay. Outline the sequence of events and decide how you will introduce your story, build the plot, and conclude. 3. Write a Strong Introduction: Start with a hook to grab the reader's attention. This could be a quote, a question, a vivid description, or an interesting fact.
Literacy Narrative Examples for College Students
Find your story and bring your own literacy narrative to life by exploring original and famous examples of this type of writing.

160+ Best Narrative Essay Topics for Students in 2024

Narrative Essay Topics for Students

Personal Achievements and Experiences Essay Ideas

Narrative Essay Ideas about Community and Home

School-Related Narrative Essay Topics for Students

Good Narrative Essay Topics for College Students

Personal Narrative Essay Topics

Personal Experience Narrative Essay Topics

Narrative Essay Topics About Childhood

Relationship Narrative Essay Topics

Personal Narrative Stories Ideas on Traveling and Holidays

Personal Narrative Ideas on Morality and Religion

Narrative Essay Topics on Politics and Current Events

Interesting Narrative Essay Topics About Health

Narrative Essay Topics on Technology and Video Games

Readers also enjoyed

WHY WAIT? PLACE AN ORDER RIGHT NOW!

Have a language expert improve your writing

How to Write a Narrative Essay | Example & Tips

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text

Table of contents

Receive feedback on language, structure, and formatting

Narrative essays in college applications

Here's why students love Scribbr's proofreading services

Cite this Scribbr article

Is this article helpful?

Jack Caulfield

100 Narrative Essay Topics

List of Narrative Essay Topics

Narrative Essay Examples

10+ Interesting Narrative Essay Examples Plus Writing Tips!

Narrative Essay Definition

The Essentials of Narrative Essays

Sample Narrative Essay

Narrative Essay Examples for Students

Narrative Essay Topics

Narrative Essay Writing Tips

Keep reading

50 Narrative Essay Topics

Narrative Essay Topics

Narrative Essays: Examples And Topic Ideas For Students

Narrative Essay Examples

Choose Your Test

3 Great Narrative Essay Examples + Tips for Writing

What Is a Narrative Essay?

3 Great Narrative Essay Examples

A Ticket to the Fair by David Foster Wallace

Death of a Moth by Virginia Woolf

Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin

5 Key Tips for Writing Narrative Essays

Develop Strong Motifs

Use First-Person Perspective

Stick to the Truth

Use Sensory Descriptions

What’s Next?

Trending Now

How to Get a Perfect SAT Score, by an Expert Full Scorer

How to Improve Your Low SAT Score

How to Get a Perfect ACT Score, by a 36 Full Scorer

How to Improve Your Low ACT Score

Ask a Question Below

What is a Narrative Essay? How to Write It (with Examples)

Table of Contents

How to write a narrative essay: Step-by-step guide

Related Reads:

What is a Descriptive Essay? How to Write It (with Examples)

What is a Narrative Essay — Examples, Format & Techniques

What’s a Narrative Essay?

Personal Narrative Essay Examples With Essay Pro

NARRATIVE ESSAY DEFINITION

Famous Narrative Essay Examples

Narrative Writing Explained

Narrative Writing and the Personal Narrative Essay • Video by TEDx Talks

Narrative Essay Outline

Narrative Essay Format • How to Write a Narrative Essay Step by Step

Purpose of narrative essay writing

Narrative Essay Examples “Lecture” via Boston University

Up Next

Up Next: Narrative Essay Topics →

44 Student Narrative Essay Examples