Narrative essay writing

As a mode of expository writing, the narrative essay, more than any other, offers writers a chance to think and write about themselves. We all have experiences lodged in our memories which are worthy of sharing with readers. Yet sometimes they are so fused with other memories that a lot of the time spent in writing narrative is in the prewriting stage.

Principles of writing narrative essays

• Remember to involve readers in the story. It is much more interesting to actually recreate an incident for readers than to simply tell about it.
• Find a generalization which the story supports. This is the only way the writer's personal experience will take on meaning for readers. This generalization does not have to encompass humanity as a whole; it can concern the writer, men, women, or children of various ages and backgrounds.
• Remember that although the main component of a narrative is the story, details must be carefully selected to support, explain, and enhance the story.

Conventions of narrative essays

• Narrative essays are generally written in the first person, that is, using "I." However, third person ("he," "she," or "it") can also be used.
• Narrative essays rely on concrete, sensory details to convey their point. These details should create a unified, forceful effect, a dominant impression.
• Narrative essays, as stories, should include these story conventions: a plot, including setting and characters; a climax; and an ending.