What is a narrative essay, and how to write one?

Last Updated on October 24, 2022 by Editor

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Stories are the backbone of our civilization. They remind us of where we come from, and how far we’ve managed to reach. There’s a reason why we love books and movies so much. But, storytelling isn’t limited to entertainment. The academic world also acknowledges the learning outcomes with stories that can bring in a lot about it. The narrative essay is a product of that particular understanding.

Okay! But, what exactly is the narrative essay?

In its simplest form, a narrative essay is a text that conveys its point in the form of a story. It is usually written with the intent of fostering inspiration by elucidating a personal experience. However, definitions vary from university to university, but the standard guidelines for writing a compelling narrative essay remain the same. The bare minimum you must do to turn your writing into a narrative essay is writing as the narrator. In other words, write in first-person. But, there’s more to the craft of penning down a narrative essay that drives its point home.

Consider the following recommendations to become a master essayist cum storyteller:-

• Don’t be a perfectionist  Well, pursue perfection all you want. But, don’t be a perfectionist in the sense that you don’t try to get everything right in the first go. Start with a draft to get your thoughts out. This will help you create an outline for the adjustments you’ll make in the future. Well, if Stephen King isn’t above writing the first draft, neither are you!
• Lend Structure to your story  Narrative essay writing is like pouring water into a glass. The essay might not have a definitive shape inside your head, but when it reaches the realm of paper, it falls into a structure. If that doesn’t happen naturally for you, dive into a corrective process. Think about the characters in your story. Think about how they drive the story further. Think about the setting of your narrative. What purpose does it serve to the greater picture? Break down your experience into digestible chunks, and think of those newly created pieces as parts of a puzzle. Put them in the right places, and turn the puzzle into a portrait. Also, try not to mess with the chronology of the events in your narrative essay.
• Aim for brevity  Narrative essay writing is not the same as novel writing. You don’t have 300 pages to flesh out your story. So, you must be economical with your words. Don’t waste valuable writing space on buzz words and fluff. Exercising a good vocabulary can bolster the lucidity of your story. But, overdoing it with the heavy words can just as easily have the inverse effect. A good rule of thumb is to aim for brevity.
• Explain your position  Now, here’s the money-maker! You must be able to clarify as well as justify your point-of-view in the essay. It is not enough to mention that you jumped into a ditch, and mud poured into your nostrils. You need to tell your audience why you did what you did, and how that experience propagated the story further.If you follow the above-mentioned tips to frame your essay, you’ll write a narrative essay worth reading however, using wrong grammar can be a great difficulty for you.