Narrative Essay Guidelines Structuring a Narrative Essay

What is a Narrative? A narrative is simply the telling of a story. A narrative essay recounts an event or tells a story, using narration. A narrative essay may be entertaining or informative.

Writing a Narrative Essay A narrative piece of writing transports readers into the time and space of the world portrayed by the writing. Through reflecting on an event, and through recreating an experience or idea for other readers, a narrative essay can enable you to develop new perspectives.

Basic Qualities of a Narrative Essay A narrative essay is a piece of writing that recreates an experience through time A narrative essay can be based on one of your experiences, either past or present, or it can be based on the experiences of someone else Remember: Fairy tales began in the oral tradition and originated from folk tales which were used to explain events that were confusing In addition to telling a story, a narrative essay also communicates a main idea or a lesson learned

Steps for Writing a Narrative Essay Identify Purpose: Why are you telling the story? Every narration must have a point or purpose, usually to entertain or to inform Identify Context: You should establish the context of your narrative early in the essay You can follow these basic guidelines: who, what, where, when

Steps for Writing a Narrative Essay Identify Point of View / Perspective: A narrative essay may be written in 1st person or 3rd person If you are part of the action, 1st person provides the best perspective If you are relating an even, 3rd person is the best point of view Once you have decided on a point of view, stay consistent Details Include enough details for clarity; but use only those that are relevant Organization Decide on a timeline, usually chronological, and stay consistent Keep tenses consistent