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What is a narrative essay?

When writlng a narrative essay, one might think of it as telling a story. These essays are often
anecdotat, experiential, and personal-allowing students to express themselves in a creative
and, quite often, moving ways.

Here are some guidelines for writing a narrative essay'

r If written as a storT, the essay should include all the parts of a story,

This means that you must include an introduction, plot, characters, settlng, climax, and
conclusion.

. When wqrld a narrative essay not be written as a story?

A good example of this is when an instructor asks a student to write a book report.
Obviously, this would not necessarily follow the pattern of a story and would focus on
providing an informative narrative for the reader.

o The essayshould havea purpose,

\+- Make a point! Think of this as the thesis of your story. If there is no point to what you are
narrating, whY narrate it at atl?

o The essay should be written from a ciear point of view-

is quite common for narrative essays to be written from the standpoint of the author;
It
however, this is not the sole perspective to be considered. Creativity in narrative essays often
times manifests itself in the form of authorial perspective.

r Use clear and concise language throughout the essay,

Much like the descriptive essay, narrative essays are effective when the language is
carefully, particularly, and artfully chosen. Use specific language to evoke specific emotions
and senses in the reader.

o The use of the first person pronoun'I' is welcomed.

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Lf Do not abuse this guidelinel Though it is welcomed it is not necessary-nor should it be
overused for lack of clearer diction.

o As always, be organized!

Have a clear introduction that sets the tone for the remainder of the essay. Do not leave
the reader guessing about the purpose of your narrative. Remembirr, you are in control of the
- essay, so guide it where you desire $ust make sure your audience can follow your lead).
 Concrete Details for Narratives

concrete, rather than abstract, details.

Concrete Language... Abstract Language...

...makes the story or image seem ...makes the story or image difficult
clearer and more real to us. to visualize.
...gives us information that we can ...leaves your reader feeling empty,
easily grasp and perhaps empathize disconnected, and possibly confused.
with.

The word "abstract" might remind you of modern art. An abstract painting,
for example, does not normally contain recognizable objects. In other
1 words, we can't look at the painting and immediately say "that'S a house" or
_; "that's a bowl of fruit." To the untrained eye, abstract art looks a bit like a
child's finger-painting--just brightly colored splotches on a canvas.
Avoid abstract language-it won't help the neader understand what
you're trying to say!
Examples:

Abstract: It was a nice daY.

Concrete; The sun was shining and a slight breeze blew across my
face.

Abstract: I liked writing poems, not essays.

Concrete: I liked writing short, rhythmic poems and hated
rambling on about my thoughts in those four-page essays.

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Abstract: Mr. Smith was a great teacher.
Concrete: Mr, Smith really knew how to help us turn our thoughts
into good stories and essays.
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How to Write a Descriptive EssaY

One of the keys to writing a descriptive essay is to create a picture in your reading
audience's mind by engaging all five of their senses - smell, sight, touch, taste and
sound. lf you can do this, then your essay is a success, if not, then you have a lot of
workto do. The first steps in writing a descriptive essay will lay the groundrork forthe
entire piece.

Step 1: Choose a toPic

A descriptive essay will usually focus on a single event, a person, a location or an item.
\Mren you write your essay, it is your job to convey your idea about that topic through
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your description of that topic and the way that you lay things out for your reader- You
need to show your reader (not tell them) what you are trying to describe by illustrating
a picture in their mind's eye very carefully.

your essay needs to be structured in a manner that helps your topic to make sense. lf
you are describing an event, you witl need to write your paragraphs in chronological
order. lf you are writing about a person or a place you need to order the paragraphs
so that you start off in a general manner and then write more specific details later.
your introductory paragraph sets the tone for the rest of the essay, so it needs to set
out all of the main ideas that you are going to cover in your essay-

Step 2: Create a statement

The next step is to create a thesis statement. This is a single idea that will be
prominent throughout your essay. lt not only sets out the purpose of the essay, but
regulates the way that the information is conveyed in the writing of that essay' This is
an introductory paragrapn ifrat sets out youriopic framework."
 Step 3: Get the senses right

Next, create five labelled columns on a sheet of paper, each one having a different
of

the five senses. This labelled list will help you to sort out your thoug,hts as you
describe your topic the taste, sight, touch, smell and sound of your topic can be
-
sketched out among the columns. List out in the columns any sensation or feeling that
you associate with the topic that you are writing about. You need to provide full
sensory details that help to support the thesis. You can utilize literary tools such
as

metaphors, similes, personification and descriptive adjectives.

Once you have the columns laid out you can start to fill them with details that help to
support your thesis. These should be the most interesting items that
you have noted

in your columns and will the details that you flesh out into the paragraphs of the body
of your essay. Topics are set out in each separate paragraph and a topic sentence
your
begins that paragraph and need to relate to your introductory paragraph and
thesis.

Step 4: Greate an outline

The next step is to create an outline listing the details of the discussion of each
paragraph. Students in high school are generally asked to write a five paragraph
essay while college students are given more freedom with the length of their
piece.

The standard five paragraph essay has a particular structure including the
introductory paragraph with the inclusion of a thesis statement, followed by three body
a'a paragraphs which prove that statement.
TJ

Step 5: Write the conclusion

Finally, the conclusion paragraph ryakes a summary of the entirety of your essay.
This conclusion also needs to reaffirm your thesis (if necessary). Your conclusion
needs to be well written because it is the final thing to be read by your reader and will
remain on their mind the longest after they have read the remainder of your essay'
 SAMPLE DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY

t have always been fascinated by carnival rides. lt amazes me that average,

ordinary people eagerly trade in the serenity of the ground for the chance to be tossed
through the air like vegetables in a tooi processor. lt amazes me that at some time in
/ history someone thought that peopleryvould enjoy this, and that person invented what
must have been the first of these terrifying machines. For me, it is precisely the thrill
and excitement of having survived the ride that keeps me coming back for more.
My first experience with a carnival ride was a Fenis wheel at a localfair. Looking
at that looming monstrosity spinning the life out of its sardine-caged occupants, I was
dumbstruck. lt was huge, smoky, noisy and not a little intimidating. Ever since that
initial impression became fossilized in my imagination many years ago, these rides
have reminded me of mythical beasts, amazing dinosaurs carrying off their screaming
rB passengers like sacrificial virgins. Even the droning sound of their engines brings to
\- mind the great roar of a fire-breathing dragon with smoke spewing from its
exhaust-pipe nostrils.
The first ride on one of these fantastic beasts gave me an instant rush of
adrenaline. As the deathdefying ride started, a lump in my throat pulsed like a
dislodged heart ready to walk the plank. As the ride gained speed, the resistance to
gravity built up against my body until I was unable to move. An almost imperceptible
pause as the wheel reached the top of its climb allowed my body to relax in a brief
state of normalcy. Then there was an assault of stomach-turning weightlessness as
the machine continued its rotation and I descended back toward the earth. A
cymbal-like crash vibrated through the air as the wheel reached bottom, and much to
my surprise ! began to rise again.
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TJ Each new rotation gave me more confidence in the churning machine. Every
ascent left me elated that I had survived the previous deathdefying fall. When
another nerve-wracking climb failed to follow the last exhilarating descent and the ride
was over, I knew I was hooked. Physically and emotionally drained, I followed my
fellow passengers down the clanging metal steps to reach the safety of my former
footing. I had been spared, but only to have the opportunity to ride again.
My fascination with these fantastic flights is deeply engrained in my soul. A trip on
the wonderful Ferris wheel never fails to thrill me. Although I am becoming older and
have less time, or less inclination, to play, the child-like thrill I have on a Ferris wheel
continues with each and every ride.