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How to Write a Narrative Essay – Structure & Example

Published by at November 1st, 2021 , Revised On September 4, 2025

A narrative essay is a form of essay writing that tells a story from the writer’s perspective. It typically includes a clear plot, characters, a setting, and a central theme. One can pour their ideas of creativity and personal experiences into this essay; however, it is important to follow the appropriate format and structure.

A narrative essay is a story told in the first person (active voice) to reconnect a chain of events by using suspense, emotions, conversations, and metaphorical language.

 

What are the elements of a narrative essay?

A narrative essay is written or derived from the mind of an author, and it consists of many components. The most important elements of a narrative essay are characters, motif (theme), and dialogue.

 

Narrative Essay Template

You can effortlessly take help from this template to write your narrative essay:

When Should I Write a Narrative Essay?

You should write a narrative essay in situations where you need to tell a personal story, convey an experience, or illustrate a lesson through real-life events

 

Choosing a Topic for Your Narrative Essay

In most cases, the lecturer assigns you a topic for your narrative essay. However, sometimes, you would be required to develop an exciting one yourself. 

Choosing a strong narrative essay topic is all about picking a meaningful, engaging, and well-structured story.  

To find a perfect topic, focus on your personal experiences, like what moments changed your perspectives and look for emotional depth in that experience. Make sure that your story is linear and flows naturally, rather than going back and forth. 

Here are some examples of narrative essay topics:

  1. “The day I rescued a stray day and it rescued me back”.
  2. “Why I lied to my best friend and how I earned their trust again”.
  3. “How a failed science project led me to explore experimentation”.

 

How to choose a topic for your narrative essay?

Here is how you can choose a perfect topic:

  • By focusing on personal experiences
  • Looking for emotional depth
  • Picking a story with a clear structure

 

Writing a Narrative Essay for a College Application

Colleges require the applicants to submit a personal statement or a narrative essay describing their achievements and ambitions along with their admission application. For instance, they can ask to write an essay on why you have chosen to apply to their college or university.

No matter what prompt you have been given, ensure that you write an excellent narrative essay and secure your sought-after admission.

 

Why write a narrative essay for college admission?

A well-written narrative essay is a key to standing out in competitive college admission applications. It reveals your personality beyond grades, and it demonstrates growth & self-reflection. In short, it answers why you are suitable for this admission.

 

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Structure of a Narrative Essay

Just like expository or descriptive essays, a narrative essay also follows a structure with an introduction, main body, and conclusion.

  • Introduction

The introduction is the most important part of your narrative essay. The reader will determine if your essay is interesting and worth reading just by going through the introduction. Briefly explain why this topic is essential to you and how it has affected your life. 

  • Main Body

The main body paragraphs are where you will provide the details of the event you are narrating. As you do so, make sure to include all the exciting details like the characters, location, time frame, and describe exactly how you felt and the emotions of other characters.

Do not forget to add weight to the characters by narrating dialogues between them because, without the dialogues, characters lose their worth and vibrancy.

  • Conclusion:

The conclusion should discuss the overall theme of your essay. Link your conclusion to the introduction and emphasise how this event helped you better understand the situation and the experience you gained.

Example of a Narrative Essay

Here is an example of a narrative essay: 

(The Day I Conquered My Fear of Public Speaking)

It was a chilly Monday morning, and the school auditorium buzzed with chatter as students filled in for the annual speech competition. My stomach twisted into knots, as I had spent weeks rehearsing my speech, but the thought of standing alone on that stage made my hands shake. Public speaking has always been my biggest fear, and yet, there I was, about to face it head-on.
I remember I was holding on to my notecards so tightly that their edges crumpled. My name was called, and I walked toward the podium, my legs feeling like lead. The bright lights blinded me for a moment, and the sea of expectant faces blurred together. My first few words came out in a shaky whisper, and I wondered if anyone could even hear me.
Then, something happened. In the front row, I spotted my best friend, Maya. She was grinning and giving me two thumbs up. Behind her, my history teacher nodded encouragingly. I took a deep breath and loosened my grip on the cards, and focused on the back wall. I was pretending like I was talking to myself in the mirror, like I had practised. Slowly, my voice grew steadier. I even dared to make eye contact with a few audience members.
By the time I reached the closing lines, I wasn’t just reciting works, I was telling a story, sharing my passion for environmental conservation. When I finished, the applause washed over me like a wave of relief. I hadn’t just survived; I had actually enjoyed it.
Looking back, that speech didn’t win any awards, but it taught me something far more valuable, which is: Courage isn’t all about the absence of fear; it’s actually pushing forward despite it. Today, as a college student leading meetings and presentations, I still feel nervous sometimes. But I remember that shaky-voiced schooler who took the first step, and I smile. Fear might linger, but it doesn’t have to win.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Out of all the types of essays, only the descriptive and narrative essays allow you to use your imagination, creativity and personal experience. A descriptive essay is a detailed description of the event, place, idea, or object, while a narrative essay is a narration of a writer’s story of their personal experience.

Generally, the length of a narrative essay should be approximately 800-1000 words. Your instructor can also suggest the length of the essay, which may vary depending on who you are writing it for. 

The narrative essay you write for the admission application should be longer than the essay you were assigned in high school.

A student is asked to write a narrative essay by his school, college, university, or admission committee to assess his creativity, composition and storytelling skills.

To choose a narrative essay topic, focus on your personal experiences that changed you, and seek emotional depth in them, as you will need that for your essay. You write a story that includes a lesson for the reader, an element of surprise and some plot twists.

You can build your story around a person or an experience that changed your view about the particular matter and affected your life immensely.

About Ellie Cross

Avatar for Ellie CrossEllie Cross is the Content Manager at Essays.uk, assisting students for a long time. Since its inception, She has managed a growing team of great writers and content marketers who contribute to a great extent to helping students with their academics.

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