Narrative essays are one of the essential tasks that university students have to do to complete their degree programs. However, crafting these articles is not a straightforward thing because they require exceptional writing skills.

Purpose of a Narrative Essay

A narrative essay is a real or an imaginary story about your experience. When composing this paper, it is crucial to state clearly all aspects relating to your life so that your readers may understand and share your story.

The following is a highlight of the purpose of a narrative essay.

• The primary purpose of a narrative essay is to guide the readers and to allow them to draw their conclusions as they go through it.
• To share your personal experience with your audience by involving them throughout the story.
• A narrative essay that touches on your life experience can enable your readers to draw practical solutions and apply them in handling their situations.
• An exciting narrative essay can evoke good feelings and positive thinking in your readers.
• A narrative essay portrays how you grasp a particular matter, and this can make the readers have a different perspective on their ways of life.

Narrative Essay Format

A narrative essay is usually written in a standard format, and it encompasses five paragraphs with the introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. It is vital to note that contrary to other essays, a narrative essay’s sections have a specific role to play in the article, as explained below.

• Introduction

The essence of an introduction is to give information about the story and hook the readers into reading the essay.

• Body paragraph one

The body paragraph one comprises of an exposition and a rising action of the story. An exposition introduces the story by revealing its characters and setting.  A rising action entails episodes that lead to the climax, and it is intended to create suspense and evoke interest in a narrative.

• Body paragraph two

The body paragraph two is meant to give a climax of the story. Note that the climax of the narrative refers to the culmination of the story.

• Body paragraph three

In body paragraph three, you are supposed to mention the falling action of your story. The falling action is the consequence of the climax of the story that leads to the conclusion.

• Conclusion

The conclusion entails the experiences learned from the story.

Narrative essays are one of the crucial academic tasks, and before you start crafting them, it is advisable to follow these procedures.

• First, take your time to brainstorm the ideas to come up with the best topic.
• Second, pick the appropriate topic based on your brainstorming
• Third, highlight the purpose of your writing
• Fourth, organize your story based on different sections, such as rising action, climax, a falling action, and conclusion.
• Finally, create an excellent outline.

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Narrative Essay Structure

Understanding a narrative essay structure is very crucial since it will make your writing process quicker and less stressful. Below is a highlight of the compositions of the narrative essay structure.

• The introduction

The introduction is written as the first paragraph in a narrative essay, and its primary role is to hook and engage your audience into reading the entire narrative. A good introduction must accomplish the following objectives.

• Keep the readers engaged throughout the story

If you want to create a superb hook, you must use a quote or a captivating statement to motivate your audience to read the story further.

• Give an idea to your readers of what is happening

The introduction is meant to provide a glimpse of the content of your narrative.

• Highlight the purpose of your narrative

A narrative introduction is intended to give information about what the story is meant to do. Therefore, it is vital to highlight some details on what your audience should expect in the story.

• Thesis Statement

A thesis statement is a vital component in your narrative essay, and it is usually placed in the introduction of your paper to show your audience the position you have taken about the topic. Note that you can also put the statement in the conclusion to emphasize to your audience the primary idea of your essay.

A thesis statement is your argument, and it is meant to show the problem you are handling in the paper; hence arousing your audience’s interest. A good thesis statement should give a highlight and explanation of the problem.

Our Thesis Statement Maker is also very helpful for students.

• The main body

The body is a crucial aspect of your narrative essay because it is where you give your experience, share your story, and guide your readers to understand the content of the narrative. Note that the main body of your essay may contain at least three paragraphs, and its length is based on the paper’s word count.

The following are critical factors to consider when writing the body paragraphs.

• Clarity of details

Using precise details is an essential aspect when it comes to the writing of a narrative essay. Therefore, ensure that you don’t use literary symbols or hard-to-read sentences for your audience.

• Use dialogue

Dialogue is a technique of highlighting a story and evoking the readers’ attention about the narrative. You can achieve dialogue by writing in the present tense and using the first and second person voices.

• Write in a chronological manner

If you want your narrative essay to look organized, ensure that you write it to flow in sequential order.

• Use the right voice to avoid narration deviation

If you want to write about your personal experience, it is advisable to use the first-person voice. However, you should use the third-person voice if you are reporting about what you were told by someone else.

• Conclusion

The conclusion is also a vital section of your narrative essay. Therefore, ensure that the end captures your final comments and summarizes the main ideas in the body paragraphs. Furthermore, emphasize the lessons you have learned from a particular situation to leave your audience with something to keep them engaged.

How Do You Write a Narrative Essay?

If you want to compose an excellent narrative essay, first, you must train yourself in crafting exciting stories. A good narrative essay should encompass an exciting episode that makes the audience get more engaged from the start to the end.

The following tips will help you write an excellent narrative essay.

• Select the right topic

Before you start crafting your narrative essay, ensure that you select an exciting topic that can make you get involved as you share your experiences with your readers.

• Create an outline

To come up with a grand narrative, you must start with a draft paper, polish it like you on with the writing, and finally complete your paper.

• Incorporate storyline elements

In your narrative essay, highlight your storyline elements, such as characters, plots, and any other component. Therefore, if you want to attract your readers’ attention, make sure that your story comprises of all the essential elements.

• Your role in the story

The role you play in the story should be vividly brought out to help the readers understand your point of view and behavior in a particular situation.

• Supportive arguments

As you write your narrative essay, sometimes it is vital to support your opinions with facts to convince your readers to believe your point of view.

• Focus on relevant stories

A perfect narrative essay should have details that are significant to your story. Therefore, avoid using fillers or wordy sentences that can mislead your audience.

• Clarity in writing

Ensure that you write a story that is clear to your readers to enable them to give you genuine feedback. It is advisable to check your paper thoroughly before you hand it in.

• A chronological description of events

Essay narratives should be sequentially written to avoid confusion and allow your readers to follow your thoughts with enthusiasm.

• Review some narrative essay samples

If you want to create an excellent plot, you must read many narrative essay examples, or watch clips of different people narrating their personal experiences. Also, familiarizing yourself with samples can help you organize and present your thoughts coherently.

• Go through the checklist

It is vital to compose your essay bearing in mind the paper’s requirements. By sticking to the laid down guidelines, you will ensure that you don’t go off track.

• Proofread and edit your essay

Before you submit your paper, check whether it has grammar mistakes and poor sentence structure. You can use any appropriate editing tools, such as Grammarly, to check and correct errors.

Narrative Essay Examples

Unlike other types of articles, a narrative essay can be challenging to craft if you have poor writing skills. Note that when composing this piece, the main aim is to narrate a story and highlight its significance to your audience.

Narrative essay examples can give you a better perspective on how to craft these papers. If you want to familiarize yourself with these samples, it is recommended to visit Peach Essay’s website. Below is a highlight of one of the examples.

A native Daughter by James Davidson

On the twenty-fifth of May, 1980, my father passed on. Two days later, his lastborn child was born. A month before, while our focus was on the delivery of our sibling, a student riot broke out at the college next to our residence. The university administrations called the police to normalize the situation, but their action aggravated it further. We became wrong targets since our house and car were damaged by stray objects that were used in the scuffle. Surprisingly, the riot occurred while my father’s funeral proceeding was going on….. 

College Narrative Essay

The primary goal of a narrative essay is to tell a compelling story about a particular aspect. A college narrative essay is usually required when you are applying for admission to the university.

A quite number of narrative essays focus on your personal stories and experiences. Therefore, note that in this essay, the thesis statement addresses the lessons of the experience and shows why the story is essential. In a narrative essay, it is advisable that you not only tell the story but show how the events in the narrative unfold.

Components of Narrative Essay

As a learner, understanding the elements of a narrative essay can help you craft an exciting story about your personal experiences.

The following is a description of the elements of a narrative essay.

• The plot

It is crucial to bear in mind that a narrative can’t serve its purpose without a plot. What is the plot? A plot refers to a series of events that constitute a story. A plot comprises of several elements, such as an exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and conclusion.

• The characters

It is vital to bear in mind that essay narratives are supposed to have more than one character. Therefore, give a clear description of the characters and reveal important information about them.

• Point of view

The point of view refers to the type of voice you use while writing the narrative. For instance, using a first-person can make your readers have a firsthand experience about a particular aspect.

• The atmosphere and the tone

The atmosphere entails the setting of the story, in terms of time and place, and the feeling. On the other hand, note that the tone of the narrative is achieved through the voice of the story, use of imagery, and dialogue.

Crafting a Perfect Narrative Essay

Composing an exciting narrative essay is an essential aspect of your academic success. However, not all students have the appropriate skills and experience to deliver high-quality pieces. If you are in such a scenario, don’t worry; the following tips will help you a lot.

• Ensure that you observe the clarity

When narrating your story, use easy-to-read and straightforward sentences. Avoid using jargon and complex vocabulary.

• Avoid unnecessary description

You don’t have to describe every movement you make in a narrative essay. Therefore, ensure that the events you highlight are neither wordy nor have grammar errors.

• Minimize using the second-person narrative

If you want your audience to experience the events you describe, avoid using the second-person narrative.

• Appropriate word choice

For you to craft a perfect narrative essay, you must use the right words to construct your sentences. Also, minimize the use of passive voice unless in instances where it is compelling to do so.

• Avoid in-text citations

Including citations in the text of a narrative essay can be interruptive. If you got help from a particular source, it is advisable to include it in the reference list.

Concept Narrative Essay

A concept narrative essay is an account you give about your personal experience to convey a particular idea to your readers. For instance, in your place of work, your supervisor may ask you to write about your past meeting.

In narrative essays, it is essential to adopt descriptive language to make your readers get engaged. Therefore, to achieve this, you must use verbs, adjectives, and adverbs to make your readers visualize the images used in the essay.

A perfect narrative essay should be crafted in a conversational manner. This approach is meant to make your audience perceive your story to be verbal and not a written one.

Narrative Vs Argumentative Essays

As a student, it is crucial to be aware that during your studies, you will be required to craft both argumentative and narrative essays. If you don’t comprehend the differences between the two, you might find it hard to compose any of them. The following is a highlight of their differences based on purpose, structure, point of view, and tone.

• Purpose of the essay

An argumentative essay is meant to address a particular aspect by persuading the readers to side with your position. However, a narrative essay is intended to tell your audience about an experience that led to a significant change in your life.

• The structure

In an argumentative essay, each paragraph represents one idea in the article. On the other hand, a paragraph in a narrative essay is meant to shift the action of the narrative ahead instead of acting as an independent part.

• Point of view

Argumentative essays are usually written in a second or third person voice to make them look objective. However, narrative essays are written in the first person’s voice to allow the readers to understand your experience and empathize with you as the event progresses.

• Tone

The tone refers to the way a language is used to portray the mood/attitude of the author. It is vital to note that the tone can be positive, negative, and neutral. You need to bear in mind that the tone of the argumentative essay is neutral because it is the only fair and objective approach of persuading the readers on a particular aspect.

For a narrative essay, the tone used depends on the event going on at a certain point in the story. For instance, if the section is about death, the tone will be sad.

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Final Thoughts on Narrative Essay

A narrative essay is crafted to give a compelling story to your readers about your personal experiences. Note that some students are required to craft these papers, especially when seeking admission to universities. If you don’t know how to compose a narrative essay, contact Peachy Essay writers with their excellent reviews for help.