Students engage with narrative essays at some point in their academic life. Typically, a narrative essay demands more creativity than the standard academic works. For example, people write such essays to provide new aspects to the readers by using their life and experience. Also, they may share their personal feelings on specific themes to strengthen the whole work. In particular, understanding the fundamental principles of the narrative essay requires authors to be knowledgeable of its definition and drafting process.
Definition
A narrative essay is an informal type of writing. Basically, it is an essay based on the author’s personal experiences. People use their life as the means to establish a specific argument and persuade the audience. Also, this form of essay does not require external sources and lacks a reference list. In most cases, people organize their works in the first-person narration perspective. Hence, the purpose of narrative writing is to tell stories to a particular audience. Besides the general rules of essay writing, the author has much freedom over the language, format, and content of the narrative.
Examples of Narrative Essay Topics
- Delving Into the Enigma of Alternate Universes: A Hypothetical Journey
- Surviving the Harsh Realm of the Alaskan Wilderness
- A Life-Changing Journey to a Foreign Country
- The Day I Overcame My Greatest Fear
- An Unexpected Act of Kindness from a Stranger
- The Moment I Realized What I Wanted to Do in Life
- A Childhood Memory That Shaped Who I Am Today
- The Most Challenging Day of My Academic Career
- An Adventure in Nature That Taught Me About Resilience
- The Impact of a Mentor Who Changed My Perspective
- A Time When I Stood Up for What I Believed In
- A Family Tradition That Holds Special Meaning
- The First Time I Experienced Failure and What I Learned
- A Cultural Festival That Left a Lasting Impression
- An Unforgettable Encounter with Wildlife
- The Day I Made a Life-Altering Decision
- How a Hobby Turned Into a Passion
- The Struggle of Moving to a New City and Finding My Place
- An Unexpected Friendship That Changed My Life
- A Personal Achievement I Am Proud Of
- The Experience of Volunteering and Helping Others
- How a Book or Movie Influenced My Outlook on Life
Body Paragraphs in Narrative Essays
The body and the conclusion represent the most substantial portion of the narrative essay. For instance, body paragraphs should contain a detailed explanation of a single event or experience that supports the thesis statement. Moreover, paragraphs in a narrative essay conform to the traditional paragraph structure. In turn, the conclusion marks the end of the narrative. Basically, the last paragraph consists of a restatement of the thesis statement, a review of the main points, and a closing statement that summarises the entire essay. Hence, this paragraph is the exact opposite of the introduction. Also, persuasion must be accomplished within the body and conclusion sections.
Prewriting in Narrative Essays
Prewriting is a critical step in narrative writing. Basically, brainstorming is done to create an inventory of information concerning the essay’s topic and may be achieved through various activities, for example, free writing, clustering, subject trees, lists, or essay outline. In turn, this process is vital for generating the content because it allows the author to identify all the ideas he or she may want to include in the essay. Also, people write the essay on topic, covering the identification of the best experiences, memories, or conversations that are suitable for persuasion purposes. Ideally, the author’s opinion on a topic is based on cumulative experiences. However, the author must identify one or two events and include it in the essay. Therefore, brainstorming and research may be done simultaneously.
Drafting
Drafting the narrative essay begins with writing the introduction. In particular, people organize the introduction by covering three main features: a definition of the topic or concept, an explanation of the concept’s relevance, and a thesis statement. Basically, the introduction announces the topic to the audience. Also, the authors describe the concept’s relevance, establishing context for the thesis statement and the rest of the essay. Finally, the thesis statement defines the main debatable claim, which the author intends to defend in the body paragraphs. Mainly, the introduction paragraph is designed to capture the audience’s attention and give them a reason to read the rest of the narrative.
Conclusion on Narrative Essay
A compelling narrative essay may be developed if the author comprehends the underlying concepts regarding narrative writing. Firstly, the authors must know the definition of a narrative essay. In this case, it makes them aware of the audience’s expectations and content. Secondly, people should be aware of the rules for body paragraphs, including prewriting and drafting processes. In turn, narrative essays require much practice in writing.