Tips to Write a Personal Narrative Essay

It`s obvious that a personal narrative essay concerns you. It`s an assignment, where you should share your personal experience, feelings, ideas, and thus you should create readers` reaction. Your main goal in this essay is to draw people, to make them interested in what you`re sharing with them.

Usually, you are given a separate topic to dwell on, though you are to personalize it.

Brainstorming ideas

The first step you should take is to think of the ideas you can dwell on.

1. Make focus on a memorable day or event. As far as your narrative essay is a personal one, you are to think of an event, which means a lot to you, so that you can share these emotions with the audience. You can recall something that changed you, some people, who influenced you greatly.
2. Think of a conflict in your life. You can also recall some relationships or other things, that were crucial in your life and discuss them in your essay.
3. Take into consideration the topic of an essay. If you are given one, then your story should match it. If you can come up with your own, then choose the theme, which touches loads of people and at the same time you personally.
4. Look through some examples. There are lots of narrative essay examples, so read them to have a better idea of how these assignments look like.

The writing procedure

1. A hook. You are to start your essay with a hook. The beginning of your essay should be catchy, you are to grab readers` attention.
2. Give a background information. Tell the readers about the main characters, set the time and location, present the central idea of an essay or a conflict. Make it clear to the audience whether this story is about you or people you know.
3. Present the events chronologically. Don`t jump from one event to another, show things logically. This will make the story easier to understand for your readers.
4. Use details and descriptions. You are to create vivid images of everything you are telling about in your story. Share the tastes, smells, sounds to make the readers completely involved and feel the same with you.
5. End your essay with a moral. Based on your presented story, provide readers with a moral, with the main idea, summing up everything. Illustrate the main lessons taken from the experience.

Essay editing

The last step should be taken into consideration seriously, as you are to check everything and edit your essay if necessary.

• Read your narrative essay aloud. Read and listen to your essay, check whether there aren`t any awkward moments or sentences. Underline everything that is unclear to change it.
• Ask others to look through your essay. Your relatives, classmates, friends can read your assignment and share their point of view concerning it.
• Check all kinds of mistakes, grammar and spelling ones. Pay attention to the structure, length, quotations and direct speech.

Some useful tips to take into account

• Always use a hook. Catch your readers` attention from the first sentence. This will surely bring you success.
• Keep your audience interested. Remember that your aim is to show, not tell. That`s why it`s important to give broad descriptions, provide readers with details, create an image of what you are telling about. Show emotions, give some flavor to your story.
• Give enough details. You should make the situation and the entire story clear to your readers. They don`t have any background information, so make sure to provide them with it.