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Narrative Essay 

A narrative essay is one of the essay types which can be challenging to write sometimes.

It is very crucial to know everything about the narrative essay before starting to write one.

That’s why RMH is here providing its guide for you!

If you lack inspiration or information about a narrative essay, just lean back and let RMH help!

On this paper, you are going to have detailed information about;

-What is it?

-How to write one?


What Is a Narrative Essay?

A narrative essay is one of the essay types that requires some particular way of expression.

This type of essay can seem a little bit different from the other academic essay types; however, it doesn't change the fact that it is critical writing.

Most of the time, the instructors can assign a narrative essay to their students in every education level.

A narrative essay is a type of writing that the author needs to tell about an event, interaction, or experience which happened in a particular period.

The essay should be told by the author in the first-person narrator.

While writing a narrative essay, you should be careful that it is very different from the descriptive essay.

Even though you tell a story in the narrative essay, your essay should also have a point.

Therefore; the story in the essay must point out the importance of the experience.

Don't forget; you are not only telling the tale to entertain the reader but also you try to expound the importance.


How to Write a Narrative Essay?

It's not easy to write the perfect narrative essay because most of the people can misunderstand what precisely the narrative essay is.

A narrative essay can be written wrong because authors can confuse the narrative essay with a descriptive essay.

That's why it is crucial to know the definition of a narrative essay.

Definition of the narrative essay is given for you in the following sentence;

A narrative essay is a type of academic essay-writing that the writer should employ a story or a narration to make a highlight or explain an event, experience. The writer can aim to persuade the reader, as well.

It might seem easy to write a narrative essay, but it is not as easy as it looks.

While writing a narrative essay, there are essential points that should be done definitely.

  1. The topic of the narrative essay should be adequately understood.
  2. The preparation for the essay should be done before starting to write.
  3. The essay should be structured well.
  4. The writer should be careful about the language.

Meanwhile writing a narrative essay; there are 3 main elements that you should focus on.

Focusing on these elements and try to evolve the story according to them would lead you to a good paper.


How to Write a Narrative Essay for University?

The purpose of the narrative essay is simple: to tell a fascinating story.

A lot of universities require a narrative essay in a part of their application essays. However; they don't want you to tell a fancy story which is full of fantastic or supernatural elements.

Their purpose is to see how you reveal a personal essay in meaningful stories.

Therefore; the narrative essay might be very crucial while you are applying for college.

The essay must have a coherent structure that includes a beginning, middle, end.

           The thesis is another significant point that mustn’t be forgotten. It is possible for                     students who are applying for university are familiar with the “thesis.”

           Hence, in the thesis, you need to introduce your argument or your story.

           It is essential to use a vivid language while telling the story.

      Every story has a dramatic change, or a climax point so that it must be revealed towards the end.

DON’T FORGET! The length of the essay is significant. Be careful with the required essay length by the college that you're applying for.


An Outstanding Guideline for Writing Narrative Essays

After figuring out the narrative essay in detailed such as its definition and how to write it correctly, the guideline can help a lot!

Narrative essay on writing can be a real challenge, but don't worry, RMH is here with an excellent guideline!

 Below, we are giving 10 great tips for writing a narrative essay!

  1. Think about your topic

In the narrative essay, you should tell a story you involved in. Therefore; think about your topic and tell a story that you experienced.

  1. Draft your essay before starting to write

Outlining the essay is very important before starting to write. A little bit brainstorming and creating a draft of the essay will ease your writing process a lot.

  1. Use the elements of narrative essay effectively.

It's essential to use the elements of the essay to attract the reader.

The plot, characters, description, and the setting should be used very effectively so that your essay would turn into an amazing one.

  1. The perspective

Your audience should clearly understand that you have a role in the story. That's why it' important to give the events in detail as much as possible.

  1. Support and prove your arguments

Showing opinion will not be enough for the narrative essay. You should support your arguments.

Some facts or references can be given to support your arguments.

  1. Give only relevant details.

You must give details to show your thoughts to the reader better. HOWEVER, do not share irrelevant information or detail.

Only giving the details which have a significant role in the plot must be provided.

  1. Make your writing clear.

Your language should be as straightforward as possible because your point is to make the reader understand your point.

Keep your language appropriate, and use simple words.

  1. Tell the events in chronological order.

Having the chronological order would make your essay less confusing.

REMEMBER! You need to make your essay as understandable as possible in a simple way!

  1. Check and read examples of narrative essay.

Reading the sample essays will give ideas to you about how to write it.

Find some examples of narrative essay and read to become more familiar with the narrative essay.

  1. Be sure you have all the requirements in your essay.

These types of assignments are essential, so you should double-check if your essay includes all the required elements.


The Most Important Points in Personal Narrative Essay Writing

Even though it sounds challenging to write a narrative essay, it's one of the most enjoyable essay types to write.

Who wouldn’t like to write about personal experiences? Here is your chance to enjoy your writing process!

As we also pointed out; the personal narrative essay should be about a unique experience. Therefore; it should be written in 1st person.

To increase the impact of your essay, your essay should include at least one of the elements in the following:

5 Crucial Elements to include in Personal Narrative Essay

  1. Character(s)
  2. Voice: You can try to be funny or severe in your paper. Therefore; decide the voice of your story.
  3. Conflict in the story that you tell in your essay
  4. Descriptive and vivid language
  5. Climax


Are You Looking for Narrative Essay Examples? It’s Right Place to Look for a Sample of a Narrative Essay!

Below, you will find a sample of a narrative essay that is provided by RMH to you.

Topic: A sad experience with someone about whom you care.

My Sad Experience with My Mother

       It was winter, the weather was cold, and the days were concise. It was Sunday, and I wanted to have a fun time before my exam week started. I was spending time with my friends in a mall. Since the days were short, I did not want to leave for home so late. I was enjoying my coffee and spending my evening time with my friends. However, I did not know that day is going to be the beginning of one of the saddest weeks of my life.

      It was already a lovely evening, and at the moment I was getting ready to leave the mall I have received a phone call. It was my grandmother telling me my mother had a health issue and they needed to go to the hospital. It was an emergency; however, they did not know what the issue with her. When I heard about it; everything stopped for a second, the noise in the mall, and all the crowd was gone. It took a while for me to get myself together, and ask which hospital they are going. That moment, I was only thinking of going there as soon as possible.

       When I arrived at the hospital, I found my mother in the bed, trying to sleep, doctors were trying to understand what was the exact problem with her. Whenever she opens her eyes or tries to walk, she was falling. Doctors said it might be a neurologic or even cardiological problem. I was worried a lot because until that moment I have never faced with the idea of losing my mother. It was not known when we were able to go back home, that's why I needed to stay with my mother in the hospital.

     It was also my exam week in the college; hence that week I both looked after my mother and studied for my exams during nights. Moreover, in the daytimes, I was going to my lectures. After a week, and after all the tests that doctors were doing, we found out that she had a powerful vertigo attack, and it can be controlled by the medicines. 

      It was unfortunate to see my mother in that situation. My mother was always the strong one in the family, and the idea of losing her, or seeing her in a vulnerable situation made me sad. However; it made me realize how strong I am, and how we can get over problems if we keep supporting each other.


What Is the Purpose of Writing a Narrative Essay?

Every essay should have a purpose. It might be challenging to determine the meaning of the narrative essay.

We have the chance to understand people and situations better both while writing and reading the essays.

Therefore; it can be said that to understand things better is one of the purposes of writing and reading a narrative essay.

The purpose of writing a narrative essay is to tell an event, experience or interaction to evoke particular emotions in the readers and make them understand the situation better.

Since the purpose of writing it is to tell a story that is experienced personally; you should use the first person while writing.

Also, narrative writing can teach you to how to describe the experiences or events you experienced. Hence, it can be a nice writing practice as well!


Point by Point Narrative Essay

Knowing all of the essential points of a narrative essay will make you end up with an adequate paper.

To understand the narrative essay, the essential points should be understood.

But what should a narrative essay provide?

A narrative essay should provide at least 3 essential elements;

In addition to the elements above, a narrative essay must provide the following elements too:

Since you are telling a story while writing a narrative essay, these elements are the essential points that shouldn't be missed.

To understand the narrative essay point by point, examining the structure of it would be helpful.

Thus, let’s look at the structure of a narrative essay together!


Narrative Essay Structure

As it is also mentioned earlier in this paper, a narrative essay should include the essential three elements on its structure. These three elements are given in the following:

The introduction is the beginning paragraph of the essay. You need to start to tell you about your story. A hook can be used to make the reader more interested in your story.

At the end of this paragraph, you must have a thesis.

The thesis must give information about the argument or story, and it can answer the question of why that story is essential.

In the body paragraphs, you should start to tell you about the plot.

In each paragraph, you should give the events in chronological order.

You should also give the climax in the body paragraph.

Don't forget! Body paragraphs are the vital part that gives you the chance to tell all of your stories!

The conclusion paragraph is the last paragraph of your essay. This is the part that you must wrap up the story and tell the thesis statement differently.

The conclusion can include twists in the plot to make the reader to be surprised.

You can see the narrative essay format above. It’s now easier to write a narrative essay!


Narrative Essay Outline

Before starting to write a narrative essay, it's crucial to have a draft of it.

Therefore; outlining the essay is one of the most critical steps on writing a narrative essay.

It’s understandable if you want to write a narrative essay but don’t know how to outline it.

RMH has a great narrative essay template for you!

Here is 5 paragraph narrative essay outline prepared by RMH!




               Thesis Statement



Body Paragraph 1

Detail 1

Detail 2

Detail 3


Body Paragraph 2

Detail 1

Detail 2

Detail 3


Body Paragraph 3

Detail 1

Detail 2

Detail 3





How to Start a Narrative Essay?

Starting to write an essay is always tricky. Before beginning to write, some points can be made to make the writing process more manageable.

Therefore; to ease the process of writing, RMH has some suggestions for you.

Before starting to write a narrative essay, try to follow the tips in the following first!

You should be telling about an event, experience or interaction that you experienced.

Hence, you should be writing about the topic in detail. Choose your subject carefully.

You can use the outline template we have provided for you on this page! Outline your paper first, and ease your writing.

After you have done everything needed before starting to write, the next thing is to write the introduction paragraph.

Let’s look together how to write an introduction paragraph for a narrative essay!


Introduction for Narrative Essay

The introduction is the most critical paragraph in the narrative essay because it is the first paragraph that the reader is going to meet your topic.

The introduction paragraph must be interesting enough to make your reader read the rest of your paper.

What should an introduction paragraph for narrative essay provide?

  1. It should catch the reader’s attention!
  2. It should form the narrator’s perspective, voice, and mood.
  3. It should introduce the conflict or event that you planned to tell in your story. (thesis)

REMEMBER! Introduction paragraph must not be so long. It just should introduce the subject or topic to the reader.

DON’T FORGET! The thesis must be at the end of the introduction paragraph.

To understand how to write an introduction paragraph for a narrative essay, looking for an example can help.

If you look for a narrative essay introduction example, check our sample narrative essay that we have given for you earlier on this page!


How Can You Write a Narrative Essay Thesis?

The thesis statement is a very significant sentence in the narrative essay.

It is the sentence that you highlight the topic of your essay. Briefly, it's the statement that you make the reader clear about your story that you are going to tell.

You mustn’t forget to write your thesis statement because it’s the sentence that shapes the rest of the essay.

The thesis must be at the end of the introduction paragraph, and it must be introducing the story in a narrative essay.

Let’s look at the thesis that is given in the sample essay on this page!



As it can be seen; the thesis is giving a hint about why that day is essential to tell the reader.


How to Write a Conclusion Paragraph for a Narrative Essay with Examples

While writing a narrative essay, the conclusion is the part that you end up your essay and your story.

The conclusion should be brief. Also, in the conclusion paragraph; you shouldn’t be telling any new ideas or subjects.

You should tell the story in the body paragraphs, and end it in the conclusion paragraph.

In other words; it should wrap up the story, moreover; provide an impactful ending.

Additionally, you shouldn’t try to dictate the reader, so don’t try to tell the reader how to feel. Your purpose is to tell your story.

Check out the sample essay and its conclusion, to see the example of the conclusion paragraph for a narrative essay.

DON’T FORGET! The conclusion paragraph shouldn't be as long as body paragraphs! You only need to wrap up the story in here!


Narrative Essay for Your Education Level

A narrative essay is one of the most enjoyable essay types to write because you only need to write about an experience you had in your life.

In each education level, the outline and the structure of the narrative essay are the same.

However, in each education level, the topics to write about for the narrative essay can show differences.

That’s why RMH is prepared 30+ narrative essay topic ideas for you!


Narrative Essay Examples for Elementary Level

Since elementary school students are young, it would be better to give them easier and more enjoyable topics to write.

Writing narrative essays can make elementary school students practice writing, understand themselves better.

It also can make them like writing more!

Here are some narrative essay topics for elementary level:

  1. A memorable day in school.
  2. A teacher you can’t forget.
  3. The worst school day.
  4. The first field trip you had.
  5. The favourite summer vacation of yours.
  6. Your first day in an amusement park.


Narrative Essay Examples for Middle School

In middle school, a narrative essay can be assigned by the instructors to make students more familiar with academic writings.

Since the narrative essay is a type of writing that personal experiences should be told, every student can enjoy writing it!

Here are the narrative essay topic examples for middle school:

  1. The most exciting day you had in school.
  2. The first conflict that you had with your parents.
  3. What is the moment you felt very embarrassed?
  4. How did you feel in the day you got your first pet.
  5. A memorable birthday party you had.
  6. The first time you went to a movie theatre.


Narrative Essay Examples for High School

High school students need to write different types of essays as an assignment.

A narrative essay is one of the writing types that they would need to write as well.

Here are the narrative essay topics that RMH is providing for high school students:

  1. Your proudest moment.
  2. A memorable party you attended.
  3. Your first love.
  4. A memorable date you had.
  5. The most exciting moment you had.
  6. Your first break-up.


Narrative Essay Topics for College

In the college level, a narrative essay can carry another level of importance.

Sometimes while applying for the colleges, students need to write a narrative essay.

Therefore; here it come the narrative essay topics for college level:

  1. The hardest decision that you made in your life.
  2. The most dangerous experience you had.
  3. The time that you faced a natural disaster for the first time.
  4. Moments that changed your opinion about others.
  5. A day that you went to a music event for the first time.


Narrative Essay on Cultural Identity

While writing an essay on cultural identity, the primary purpose is to reveal the feeling of belonging to a specific language, nation, history, or religion.

Therefore; while writing a narrative essay on cultural identity, you should be expressing the feeling of the belonging that is pointed out in the previous sentence.

Here are the narrative essay topics for cultural identity:

  1. The most surprising tradition that you heard.
  2. The day you decided to learn another language.
  3. A memorable historical trip you had.
  4. The moment you felt delighted to belong to your nation.
  5. The day you experienced another country’s cuisine.


Narrative Essay on Leadership

Everyone would like to lead something. However, it can be very challenging to be a leader.

Since childhood, we somehow face leadership. That’s why there can be a lot of experiences to tell about leadership.

Here are the narrative essay topics on leadership:

  1. A day that you become a leader.
  2. The moment that you felt disappointed for becoming a leader.
  3. The moment that you were hard done by your leader.
  4. The most challenging moment for a leader.


Narrative Essay Ideas

Here are the bonus narrative essay topic ideas for everyone!

  1. Your most frustrating moment.
  2. Your first day at the job.
  3. Your first argument.
  4. The day you took the most important exam in your life.
  5. The time you got lost for the first time.
  6. Your first travel experience abroad.
  7. The first day at college.
  8. A memorable family member.
  9. A memorable time from your childhood.
  10. The most influential moment that shaped your whole life.