‘Narrating’ means telling a story or an experience. Narrative essays are those essays which are written from the writer’s personal experience. Writing a narrative essay means telling a story since it lies on the writer’s experience. It requires a lot of creative and critical thinking . Narrative essays are told from a specified point of view so there is a feeling provided to involve the reader in the aspects and the progression of the story. The narrative essay creates a point and that point is always explained in the opening sentence of the essay, but also can be in the last sentence of the opening paragraph. Narrative essay provides an opportunity to know you better. One of the best ways to disclose about you is to write about how you became experienced about something. While such knowledge can come only when you get new ideas or have experiences that brought a change in you in some way.  While writing a narrative essay, you will learn techniques to express personal experience to amuse others. Narratives bring human attraction; spark our interest, and draws close to the writer or storyteller. Summarizing the points, the narrative does the following things:

• Creates a sense of feeling, connecting people together.
• Entertain readers.
• Serves psychological curing. Reading or listening to the narrative of someone who experienced a similar crisis like you can help in overcoming the crisis.
• Creates awareness.

Features of a Narrative Essay

Narrative essays explain experiences (past or present) of how you felt, what you thought or how you acted to the situation. The experience can be either the writer’s personal ones or the experience of someone else. Apart from entertaining your reader, it also makes a point and a message to convey. Your experience might not be an interesting story, but a good narrative essay compels the reader to think the importance and influence it had on you.

• It is generally written chronologically.
• Usually has a reason, which is stated in the opening sentence or last sentence of the first paragraph.
• It is usually written from the writer’s point of view.
• Sensory details and vivid descriptions are used to attract the readers.
• Targets in relation between past experience, people, or places and the present experience.
• Points out critical changes, disparity, or clashes and establishes tension.

How to plan a Narrative Essay?

• Firstly finalizes an incident or experience which is worthy of writing.
• Find relevant details of your experience.
• Finally, widen those details to make the incident impressive to the readers.

Quick tips for writing a Narrative Essay

• If the writer plans to write a story, then the essay should include all the parts of a story like setting, characters, plot, climax and an ending. Flashbacks and flash forwards can be used to build the climax.
• The introduction should start with a point.
• Use clear and concise language to evoke emotions in the mind of the readers.
• The first person pronoun (I) is generally used, however, the third person pronoun (he, she, it) can also be used.
• Use vivid verbs and descriptions to recreate the experience for your readers.
• Dialogues can also be used.

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How to impart the significance of the experience?

• It’s always powerful to start your narration with a paragraph that opens the experience and relate the importance. This style of writing confirms that the readers will appreciate the importance of the experience as they advance through the narrative.
• Another impressive style is to start the essay by jumping straight to the narrative and then concluding the essay with a paragraph relating the importance of the experience. This technique allows readers to grow their own perception of the experience through the body of the essay which in turn connects to your experience of the significance more intensely at the end.
• One more technique can be considered i.e. opening the experience in the first paragraph, but delaying the explanation of the significance of the experience until the end of the essay. This style enhances the emotions of the readers.

How to revise a Narrative essay?

• After writing the body of your narrative essay, read carefully the whole essay and think whether the writing efficiently recreate the involvement for your readers.
• Ask your friends to read the complete essay and give their reactions.
• Try to analyze where more detailing and explanation is needed.
• Get rid of any unwanted fact that seems to divert from the main story of the essay.
• Before submitting, judge once again whether you’ve bestowed information in the most impressive way.

Here are few examples of Narrative essays:

• Playground memory
• Christmas cookies
• Lost wallet
• Victim of robbery
• My interests
• My laptop
• My foolish faith
• Most memorable Christmas
• Not so important exam
• The fatal car accident