What Makes a Good Narrative Essay?
A narrative essay is a piece of writing that tells the story of an experience. Because of this, they’re often assigned in school to young students who are learning how to express their thoughts and feelings about events or people. These types of essays can be on any topic, but must tell some sort of story. This type of assignment also helps with building vocabulary and teaches children how to organize their ideas into paragraphs.
Narrative essays follow a pattern so it is important to understand the components before you begin writing. The first paragraph should describe your setting, which includes things like where you were when the event took place, what time of day it happened and what weather was like. Next comes your exposition or introduction sentence gives readers more background information about the event you are about to describe. In the body paragraphs, the first sentence should start with a transition word of phrase that tells readers what aspect of your story you will talk about. For example, if you were going to write an essay describing a time that you got into trouble at school, you might say “The day I was sent to the principal’s office for swearing in class has always been a memorable one.” Then, begin telling your story starting from when it began and ending right before it ended.
Another important part of writing a narrative essay is providing supporting details. It might have been raining outside when your best friend decided to go rollerblading so you would need specific details like these: how hard was it raining? What were her shoes and clothing like? What kind of skates did she wear and what was the ground like where you were rollerblading? Once you have told your story, end with a sentence that summarizes why this event is memorable for you.
Now that we’ve gone over the basics of narrative essays, let’s look at some examples:
“The summer before I started junior high will always be remembered as one of dramatic change for me. It all began on the first day our family drove to our new home in Michigan.”
Notice how the author starts by describing where they were when they moved to their new house and then goes into detail about their journey driving there, how it felt to leave behind friends and familiar places and what their new neighborhood was like.
“It was all I could do to keep my composure as the principal told me that my little brother had been in an accident. We were all just relieved that he would be okay.”
The author starts by describing what it felt like to be called into the office and then tells the story of what happened. When your sister is involved, you might not want to describe how “relieved” you are or give too many details about his possible injuries or prognosis. But perhaps telling more detail about what happened might help readers better understand why this event was so traumatic for you and your family.
“When I got home from school that day I knew something wasn’t right because both of our cars were gone from the driveway. My mom finally called me more than an hour later to tell me that my dad had left her. This unexpected event became a major turning point in my family’s life.”
The author gives the details of when and where this event took place. He then goes on to explain how his father leaving changed his family, both immediately and long term. Notice how he uses transitions words like “This unexpected event” so readers know what aspect of the story they are reading about.
Using narrative essay examples can help you get started writing your own essays, but remember not to copy them word for word! Use these articles as guidelines, not as directions. It is important to write about something meaningful to you instead of making up a story just because it seems like something teachers would want to read.
In conclusion, a narrative essay includes the speaker’s personal reflections on a specific time in their life that is meaningful to them or an event that made them who they are today. It is told more like a story with some background information leading up to the main part of the story and then summarizing what it all means at the end. Remember to use descriptive language, include details and transitions words so readers can follow along with your story more easily!