Narrative essays

1. Narrative essays Personal experiences revealed

2. Stories: what makes good ones? • Characters • Plot – story line • Details • Dialogue • Suspense • Action • Insight – life, values, lessons learned

3. Consider your purpose • Narrative writing is a type of writing that requires you to tell a story that describes an event or relates a personal experience. • A good narrative should have convincing characters, a plot, and a theme. • You may be asked to write a narrative of personal experience on your college placement essay.

4. Choose an Experience • Tell about a time you were unprepared • Tell about an experience when you realized that you suddenly understood an idea, a skill or a concept you had been struggling with • Tell about a time when you did something that took a lot of nerve, a time when you did not follow the crowd, or a time you stood up for your beliefs

5. Things to remember • Establish a clear point of view • Introduce characters and the situation • Create a smooth progression of experiences or events • Use narrative techniques • Dialogue • Pacing • Description • Reflection

6. Things to remember, continued • Use a variety of techniques to sequence events • Use precise words and phrases to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting and/or characters • Provide a conclusion that follows and reflects on what is experienced, observed, or resolved over the course of the narrative