How To Start Narrative Essay – A narrative essay is an opportunity to flex your creative muscles and craft a compelling story. In this blog post, we define what a narrative essay is and provide strategies and examples for writing one.
Like a descriptive or reflective essay, a narrative essay asks you to tell a story, rather than make an argument and present evidence. Most narrative essays describe a real, personal experience from your own life (for example, the story of your first big success).
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How To Start Narrative Essay
Alternatively, your narrative essay can focus on an imagined experience (for example, what your life would have been like if you had been born under different circumstances). Although you don’t need to present a thesis or scientific evidence, a narrative essay still needs to be well-structured and clearly organized so that the reader can follow your story.
What Is A Narrative Essay? Narrative Essay Examples And Writing Tips • 7esl
Although less popular than argumentative or expository essays, narrative essays are relatively common in high school and college writing courses.
The same techniques you would use to write a college essay as part of a college or scholarship application also apply to narrative essays. In fact, the common application that many students use to apply to various colleges asks you to submit a narrative essay.
When you are asked to write a narrative essay, you may be assigned a topic or you may choose your own. With an assigned topic, the question will likely fall into one of two categories: specific or open-ended.
A narrative essay tells a story, and all good stories center around some kind of conflict. Experiences with unexpected obstacles, twists or turns make essays much more persuasive and reveal more about your character and outlook on life.
How To Write A Thesis For A Narrative Essay: 9 Steps
If you’re writing a narrative essay as part of an admissions application, remember that those evaluating your essay will be looking at it to get a sense not only of your writing ability, but who you are as a person. .
In these cases, it’s a good idea to choose a theme and experience from your life that demonstrates the qualities the call is looking for, such as resilience, perseverance, the ability to keep calm under pressure, etc.
It is also important to remember that the choice of subject is only a starting point. Many students find that new ideas and insights emerge when they write their first draft, so the final form of your essay may take a different approach than what you started with.
Even if you are not advancing an argument or proving a point, a narrative essay should have a coherent structure. Your reader needs to be able to follow you as you tell the story and figure out the larger point you’re making.
The Secrets Of Narrative Essay Writing
You will be assessed on your handling of the subject and how you structure your essay. Although a narrative essay doesn’t use the same structure as other types of essays, you should still draw up a loose outline so that you can tell your story in a clear and compelling way.
In the vast majority of cases, a narrative essay should be written in the first person using “I”. Also, most narrative essays will follow typical formatting guidelines, so you should choose a legible font such as Times New Roman size 11 or 12. Double space and use 1-inch margins.
To get your creative wheels turning, think about how your story compares to archetypes and famous historical and literary figures both past and present. Incorporate these comparisons into your essay to improve the quality of your writing and connect your personal experience with a larger context.
Writing a narrative essay can sometimes be challenging for students who usually write argumentative essays or research papers in a formal and objective style. To give you a better idea of how to write a narrative essay, here is a short sample essay in response to the question “Write about an experience that challenged your view of yourself.”
Structure Of A Personal Narrative Essay
Even as a child I always had what people might call a reserved personality. Sometimes it was framed positively (“Sarah is a good listener”) and other times in less than admiring terms (“Sarah is withdrawn and not much of a talker”). It was this last type of comment that made me see my introverted nature as a disadvantage and something I should work on eliminating. That is, until I got into high school student council.
The first paragraph, or introduction, sets the context, establishes the situation, and introduces the significant event that the essay will focus on.
The other four students who make up the council were very open and enthusiastic. I enjoyed being around him and often agreed with his ideas. But when reviewing the school’s recycling plan, we hit a snag. When I spoke up and offered a different point of view, one of my student council colleagues started a speech and defended his point of view. As his voice filled the room, I couldn’t get a word in. I wondered if I should try to match his tone, volume and assertiveness as a way to be heard. But I couldn’t do it, it’s not my way and it never has been. For an instant I felt defeated. But then something changed in me.
In this section, the author elaborates on how her existing thinking led her to this point.
Hook Sentence Examples For Narrative Essays
I reminded myself that my point of view was valid and deserved to be heard. So I waited. I let my council colleague speak, and when she finished, I deliberately waited a few moments before calmly stating my case. I chose my words well and said them succinctly. Just because I’m not a great talker doesn’t mean I’m not a great thinker. I thought of the phrase “still water runs deep” and tried to embody it. The effect in the room was palpable. People were listening. And I didn’t have to shout my point to be heard.
This passage shows the turning point in history, the moment when everything changed. The use of the phrase “still waters run deep” imbues the story with some poetry and emotion.
We finally reached a compromise on the matter and closed the student council meeting. Our counselor came to me afterward and said, “You handled it so well, with such grace and poise. I was so impressed.” His words at that moment changed me. I realized that a bombastic nature is not necessarily powerful. There is also power in silence. This experience taught me to see my reserved personality not as a character flaw, but as a strength.
The final paragraph, or conclusion, ends with a statement about the significance of this event and how it ended up changing the author in a significant way.
Writing Mini Lesson #17 Writing The Body Section Of A Narrative Essay
If you can choose your own topic, choose a story that makes sense and reveals how you became the person you are today. In other words, write a narrative with a clear “moral” that you can connect to your main points.
Although a narrative essay is different from argumentative essays, it is still beneficial to build an outline so that your story is well structured and organized. Consider how you want to start and end your story and what points you want to tie everything together.
You should use descriptive writing in your narrative essay, but don’t overdo it. Use clear, concise and correct language and grammar throughout. Also, suggest specific points that reinforce the main idea of your narrative.
No matter what type of writing you’re writing, you should always plan for proofreading and revision. To ensure that your narrative essay is coherent and interesting, ask a friend or family member to proofread the paper. This is especially important if your essay is responding to a message. It’s helpful to have someone else check to make sure you’ve answered the request or question completely.
Engaging Personal Narrative Ideas For Kids And Teens
A narrative essay, like any essay, has three main parts: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. Structuring and outlining your essay before you start writing will help you write a clear story that your readers can follow.
The first paragraph of your essay, or the introduction, sets the context, sets the situation, and introduces the significant event that the essay will focus on.
The 4 main types of essay are argumentative essay, narrative essay, exploratory essay and expository essay. You may be asked to write different types of essays at different times in your education.
Most narrative essays will be around five paragraphs, or longer, depending on the topic and requirements. Be sure to check with your instructor for your essay guidelines. If you’re writing a narrative essay for a college application, pay close attention to word or page count requirements. Most people think of essays as these overly academic forms of writing where you have to know the names of philosophers and critical theorists. Some essays may feel that way, but others are much more personal and story-driven than that.
Guide On Narrative Essay: Awesome Tips, Examples And Outline
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