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Narrative Essays
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The Modes of Discourse—Exposition, Description, Narration, Argumentation (EDNA)—are common paper assignments you may encounter in your writing classes. Although these genres have been criticized by some composition scholars, the Purdue OWL recognizes the widespread use of these approaches and students’ need to understand and produce them.
What is a narrative essay?
When writing a narrative essay, one might think of it as telling a story. These essays are often anecdotal, 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.
- If written as a story, the essay should include all the parts of a story.
This means that you must include an introduction, plot, characters, setting, climax, and conclusion.
- When would 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.
- The essay should have a 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 all?
- The essay should be written from a clear point of view.
It is quite common for narrative essays to be written from the standpoint of the author; however, this is not the sole perspective to be considered. Creativity in narrative essays oftentimes manifests itself in the form of authorial perspective.
- 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.
- The use of the first person pronoun ‘I’ is welcomed.
Do not abuse this guideline! Though it is welcomed it is not necessary—nor should it be overused for lack of clearer diction.
- 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. Remember, you are in control of the essay, so guide it where you desire (just make sure your audience can follow your lead).
narrativeessays.org
How to Write a Narrative Essay Introduction?
You will hardly find a student who has never written narrative essays. This task is very popular among European and American students, but it doesn’t mean that every student can get through this tricky assignment successfully. The most complicated section is an introduction . So, how to write a narrative essay introduction in a proper way?
What is the main mission of the introduction? It goes without saying that the introductory sentences should grab the reader’s attention and make them want to read your essay until the end.
Statistically, a person needs a few seconds to decide whether this article is interesting for them or not. If the first sentences don’t catch the reader’s eye, they won’t continue reading your essay. Before you start writing, you need to choose an interesting topic to cover in your essay. You should be very attentive when choosing the topic to write about. First, this area should be interesting for you. Secondly, you should be sure that you can cover it. For instance, if you choose a too broad theme, it goes without saying that you won’t cover it if your limit is 500-700 words.
When you finally choose the theme, it is time to start writing an introductory paragraph. To make it more effective, you can start with:
- A provoking question, which can touch the reader’s soul;
- Shocking statistics regarding the theme;
- A joke, which is relevant to the topic;
- A good real-life example, which will make your readers think of the topic.
Never start writing with too long and boring sentences. This approach doesn’t work! Try to be more creative and think outside the box. If your key mission is to get the audience excited, you should think of things that can be interesting for them. If handled properly, you’ll easily tackle that challenge!
Introductions
What this handout is about.
This handout will explain the functions of introductions, offer strategies for creating effective introductions, and provide some examples of less effective introductions to avoid.
The role of introductions
Introductions and conclusions can be the most difficult parts of papers to write. Usually when you sit down to respond to an assignment, you have at least some sense of what you want to say in the body of your paper. You might have chosen a few examples you want to use or have an idea that will help you answer the main question of your assignment; these sections, therefore, may not be as hard to write. And it’s fine to write them first! But in your final draft, these middle parts of the paper can’t just come out of thin air; they need to be introduced and concluded in a way that makes sense to your reader.
Your introduction and conclusion act as bridges that transport your readers from their own lives into the “place” of your analysis. If your readers pick up your paper about education in the autobiography of Frederick Douglass, for example, they need a transition to help them leave behind the world of Chapel Hill, television, e-mail, and The Daily Tar Heel and to help them temporarily enter the world of nineteenth-century American slavery. By providing an introduction that helps your readers make a transition between their own world and the issues you will be writing about, you give your readers the tools they need to get into your topic and care about what you are saying. Similarly, once you’ve hooked your readers with the introduction and offered evidence to prove your thesis, your conclusion can provide a bridge to help your readers make the transition back to their daily lives. (See our handout on conclusions .)
Note that what constitutes a good introduction may vary widely based on the kind of paper you are writing and the academic discipline in which you are writing it. If you are uncertain what kind of introduction is expected, ask your instructor.
Why bother writing a good introduction?
You never get a second chance to make a first impression. The opening paragraph of your paper will provide your readers with their initial impressions of your argument, your writing style, and the overall quality of your work. A vague, disorganized, error-filled, off-the-wall, or boring introduction will probably create a negative impression. On the other hand, a concise, engaging, and well-written introduction will start your readers off thinking highly of you, your analytical skills, your writing, and your paper.
Your introduction is an important road map for the rest of your paper. Your introduction conveys a lot of information to your readers. You can let them know what your topic is, why it is important, and how you plan to proceed with your discussion. In many academic disciplines, your introduction should contain a thesis that will assert your main argument. Your introduction should also give the reader a sense of the kinds of information you will use to make that argument and the general organization of the paragraphs and pages that will follow. After reading your introduction, your readers should not have any major surprises in store when they read the main body of your paper.
Ideally, your introduction will make your readers want to read your paper. The introduction should capture your readers’ interest, making them want to read the rest of your paper. Opening with a compelling story, an interesting question, or a vivid example can get your readers to see why your topic matters and serve as an invitation for them to join you for an engaging intellectual conversation (remember, though, that these strategies may not be suitable for all papers and disciplines).
Strategies for writing an effective introduction
Start by thinking about the question (or questions) you are trying to answer. Your entire essay will be a response to this question, and your introduction is the first step toward that end. Your direct answer to the assigned question will be your thesis, and your thesis will likely be included in your introduction, so it is a good idea to use the question as a jumping off point. Imagine that you are assigned the following question:
Drawing on the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass , discuss the relationship between education and slavery in 19th-century America. Consider the following: How did white control of education reinforce slavery? How did Douglass and other enslaved African Americans view education while they endured slavery? And what role did education play in the acquisition of freedom? Most importantly, consider the degree to which education was or was not a major force for social change with regard to slavery.
You will probably refer back to your assignment extensively as you prepare your complete essay, and the prompt itself can also give you some clues about how to approach the introduction. Notice that it starts with a broad statement and then narrows to focus on specific questions from the book. One strategy might be to use a similar model in your own introduction—start off with a big picture sentence or two and then focus in on the details of your argument about Douglass. Of course, a different approach could also be very successful, but looking at the way the professor set up the question can sometimes give you some ideas for how you might answer it. (See our handout on understanding assignments for additional information on the hidden clues in assignments.)
Decide how general or broad your opening should be. Keep in mind that even a “big picture” opening needs to be clearly related to your topic; an opening sentence that said “Human beings, more than any other creatures on earth, are capable of learning” would be too broad for our sample assignment about slavery and education. If you have ever used Google Maps or similar programs, that experience can provide a helpful way of thinking about how broad your opening should be. Imagine that you’re researching Chapel Hill. If what you want to find out is whether Chapel Hill is at roughly the same latitude as Rome, it might make sense to hit that little “minus” sign on the online map until it has zoomed all the way out and you can see the whole globe. If you’re trying to figure out how to get from Chapel Hill to Wrightsville Beach, it might make more sense to zoom in to the level where you can see most of North Carolina (but not the rest of the world, or even the rest of the United States). And if you are looking for the intersection of Ridge Road and Manning Drive so that you can find the Writing Center’s main office, you may need to zoom all the way in. The question you are asking determines how “broad” your view should be. In the sample assignment above, the questions are probably at the “state” or “city” level of generality. When writing, you need to place your ideas in context—but that context doesn’t generally have to be as big as the whole galaxy!
Try writing your introduction last. You may think that you have to write your introduction first, but that isn’t necessarily true, and it isn’t always the most effective way to craft a good introduction. You may find that you don’t know precisely what you are going to argue at the beginning of the writing process. It is perfectly fine to start out thinking that you want to argue a particular point but wind up arguing something slightly or even dramatically different by the time you’ve written most of the paper. The writing process can be an important way to organize your ideas, think through complicated issues, refine your thoughts, and develop a sophisticated argument. However, an introduction written at the beginning of that discovery process will not necessarily reflect what you wind up with at the end. You will need to revise your paper to make sure that the introduction, all of the evidence, and the conclusion reflect the argument you intend. Sometimes it’s easiest to just write up all of your evidence first and then write the introduction last—that way you can be sure that the introduction will match the body of the paper.
Don’t be afraid to write a tentative introduction first and then change it later. Some people find that they need to write some kind of introduction in order to get the writing process started. That’s fine, but if you are one of those people, be sure to return to your initial introduction later and rewrite if necessary.
Open with something that will draw readers in. Consider these options (remembering that they may not be suitable for all kinds of papers):
- an intriguing example —for example, Douglass writes about a mistress who initially teaches him but then ceases her instruction as she learns more about slavery.
- a provocative quotation that is closely related to your argument —for example, Douglass writes that “education and slavery were incompatible with each other.” (Quotes from famous people, inspirational quotes, etc. may not work well for an academic paper; in this example, the quote is from the author himself.)
- a puzzling scenario —for example, Frederick Douglass says of slaves that “[N]othing has been left undone to cripple their intellects, darken their minds, debase their moral nature, obliterate all traces of their relationship to mankind; and yet how wonderfully they have sustained the mighty load of a most frightful bondage, under which they have been groaning for centuries!” Douglass clearly asserts that slave owners went to great lengths to destroy the mental capacities of slaves, yet his own life story proves that these efforts could be unsuccessful.
- a vivid and perhaps unexpected anecdote —for example, “Learning about slavery in the American history course at Frederick Douglass High School, students studied the work slaves did, the impact of slavery on their families, and the rules that governed their lives. We didn’t discuss education, however, until one student, Mary, raised her hand and asked, ‘But when did they go to school?’ That modern high school students could not conceive of an American childhood devoid of formal education speaks volumes about the centrality of education to American youth today and also suggests the significance of the deprivation of education in past generations.”
- a thought-provoking question —for example, given all of the freedoms that were denied enslaved individuals in the American South, why does Frederick Douglass focus his attentions so squarely on education and literacy?
Pay special attention to your first sentence. Start off on the right foot with your readers by making sure that the first sentence actually says something useful and that it does so in an interesting and polished way.
How to evaluate your introduction draft
Ask a friend to read your introduction and then tell you what he or she expects the paper will discuss, what kinds of evidence the paper will use, and what the tone of the paper will be. If your friend is able to predict the rest of your paper accurately, you probably have a good introduction.
Five kinds of less effective introductions
1. The placeholder introduction. When you don’t have much to say on a given topic, it is easy to create this kind of introduction. Essentially, this kind of weaker introduction contains several sentences that are vague and don’t really say much. They exist just to take up the “introduction space” in your paper. If you had something more effective to say, you would probably say it, but in the meantime this paragraph is just a place holder.
Example: Slavery was one of the greatest tragedies in American history. There were many different aspects of slavery. Each created different kinds of problems for enslaved people.
2. The restated question introduction. Restating the question can sometimes be an effective strategy, but it can be easy to stop at JUST restating the question instead of offering a more specific, interesting introduction to your paper. The professor or teaching assistant wrote your question and will be reading many essays in response to it—he or she does not need to read a whole paragraph that simply restates the question.
Example: The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass discusses the relationship between education and slavery in 19th century America, showing how white control of education reinforced slavery and how Douglass and other enslaved African Americans viewed education while they endured. Moreover, the book discusses the role that education played in the acquisition of freedom. Education was a major force for social change with regard to slavery.
3. The Webster’s Dictionary introduction. This introduction begins by giving the dictionary definition of one or more of the words in the assigned question. Anyone can look a word up in the dictionary and copy down what Webster says. If you want to open with a discussion of an important term, it may be far more interesting for you (and your reader) if you develop your own definition of the term in the specific context of your class and assignment. You may also be able to use a definition from one of the sources you’ve been reading for class. Also recognize that the dictionary is also not a particularly authoritative work—it doesn’t take into account the context of your course and doesn’t offer particularly detailed information. If you feel that you must seek out an authority, try to find one that is very relevant and specific. Perhaps a quotation from a source reading might prove better? Dictionary introductions are also ineffective simply because they are so overused. Instructors may see a great many papers that begin in this way, greatly decreasing the dramatic impact that any one of those papers will have.
Example: Webster’s dictionary defines slavery as “the state of being a slave,” as “the practice of owning slaves,” and as “a condition of hard work and subjection.”
4. The “dawn of man” introduction. This kind of introduction generally makes broad, sweeping statements about the relevance of this topic since the beginning of time, throughout the world, etc. It is usually very general (similar to the placeholder introduction) and fails to connect to the thesis. It may employ cliches—the phrases “the dawn of man” and “throughout human history” are examples, and it’s hard to imagine a time when starting with one of these would work. Instructors often find them extremely annoying.
Example: Since the dawn of man, slavery has been a problem in human history.
5. The book report introduction. This introduction is what you had to do for your elementary school book reports. It gives the name and author of the book you are writing about, tells what the book is about, and offers other basic facts about the book. You might resort to this sort of introduction when you are trying to fill space because it’s a familiar, comfortable format. It is ineffective because it offers details that your reader probably already knows and that are irrelevant to the thesis.
Example: Frederick Douglass wrote his autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave , in the 1840s. It was published in 1986 by Penguin Books. In it, he tells the story of his life.
And now for the conclusion…
Writing an effective introduction can be tough. Try playing around with several different options and choose the one that ends up sounding best to you!
Just as your introduction helps readers make the transition to your topic, your conclusion needs to help them return to their daily lives–but with a lasting sense of how what they have just read is useful or meaningful. Check out our handout on conclusions for tips on ending your paper as effectively as you began it!
Works consulted
We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.
Douglass, Frederick. 1995. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself . New York: Dover.
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- How to write an essay introduction | 4 steps & examples
How to Write an Essay Introduction | 4 Steps & Examples
Published on February 4, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on September 14, 2022.
A good introduction paragraph is an essential part of any academic essay . It sets up your argument and tells the reader what to expect.
The main goals of an introduction are to:
- Catch your reader’s attention.
- Give background on your topic.
- Present your thesis statement —the central point of your essay.
This introduction example is taken from our interactive essay example on the history of Braille.
The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability. The writing system of raised dots used by visually impaired people was developed by Louis Braille in nineteenth-century France. In a society that did not value disabled people in general, blindness was particularly stigmatized, and lack of access to reading and writing was a significant barrier to social participation. The idea of tactile reading was not entirely new, but existing methods based on sighted systems were difficult to learn and use. As the first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness. This essay begins by discussing the situation of blind people in nineteenth-century Europe. It then describes the invention of Braille and the gradual process of its acceptance within blind education. Subsequently, it explores the wide-ranging effects of this invention on blind people’s social and cultural lives.
Table of contents
Step 1: hook your reader, step 2: give background information, step 3: present your thesis statement, step 4: map your essay’s structure, step 5: check and revise, more examples of essay introductions, frequently asked questions about the essay introduction.
Your first sentence sets the tone for the whole essay, so spend some time on writing an effective hook.
Avoid long, dense sentences—start with something clear, concise and catchy that will spark your reader’s curiosity.
The hook should lead the reader into your essay, giving a sense of the topic you’re writing about and why it’s interesting. Avoid overly broad claims or plain statements of fact.
Examples: Writing a good hook
Take a look at these examples of weak hooks and learn how to improve them.
- Braille was an extremely important invention.
- The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability.
The first sentence is a dry fact; the second sentence is more interesting, making a bold claim about exactly why the topic is important.
- The internet is defined as “a global computer network providing a variety of information and communication facilities.”
- The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education.
Avoid using a dictionary definition as your hook, especially if it’s an obvious term that everyone knows. The improved example here is still broad, but it gives us a much clearer sense of what the essay will be about.
- Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a famous book from the nineteenth century.
- Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is often read as a crude cautionary tale about the dangers of scientific advancement.
Instead of just stating a fact that the reader already knows, the improved hook here tells us about the mainstream interpretation of the book, implying that this essay will offer a different interpretation.
Next, give your reader the context they need to understand your topic and argument. Depending on the subject of your essay, this might include:
- Historical, geographical, or social context
- An outline of the debate you’re addressing
- A summary of relevant theories or research about the topic
- Definitions of key terms
The information here should be broad but clearly focused and relevant to your argument. Don’t give too much detail—you can mention points that you will return to later, but save your evidence and interpretation for the main body of the essay.
How much space you need for background depends on your topic and the scope of your essay. In our Braille example, we take a few sentences to introduce the topic and sketch the social context that the essay will address:
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Now it’s time to narrow your focus and show exactly what you want to say about the topic. This is your thesis statement —a sentence or two that sums up your overall argument.
This is the most important part of your introduction. A good thesis isn’t just a statement of fact, but a claim that requires evidence and explanation.
The goal is to clearly convey your own position in a debate or your central point about a topic.
Particularly in longer essays, it’s helpful to end the introduction by signposting what will be covered in each part. Keep it concise and give your reader a clear sense of the direction your argument will take.
As you research and write, your argument might change focus or direction as you learn more.
For this reason, it’s often a good idea to wait until later in the writing process before you write the introduction paragraph—it can even be the very last thing you write.
When you’ve finished writing the essay body and conclusion , you should return to the introduction and check that it matches the content of the essay.
It’s especially important to make sure your thesis statement accurately represents what you do in the essay. If your argument has gone in a different direction than planned, tweak your thesis statement to match what you actually say.
You can use the checklist below to make sure your introduction does everything it’s supposed to.
Checklist: Essay introduction
My first sentence is engaging and relevant.
I have introduced the topic with necessary background information.
I have defined any important terms.
My thesis statement clearly presents my main point or argument.
Everything in the introduction is relevant to the main body of the essay.
You have a strong introduction - now make sure the rest of your essay is just as good.
- Argumentative
- Literary analysis
This introduction to an argumentative essay sets up the debate about the internet and education, and then clearly states the position the essay will argue for.
The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education. The use of the internet in academic contexts is on the rise, and its role in learning is hotly debated. For many teachers who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its critical benefits for students and educators—as a uniquely comprehensive and accessible information source; a means of exposure to and engagement with different perspectives; and a highly flexible learning environment.
This introduction to a short expository essay leads into the topic (the invention of the printing press) and states the main point the essay will explain (the effect of this invention on European society).
In many ways, the invention of the printing press marked the end of the Middle Ages. The medieval period in Europe is often remembered as a time of intellectual and political stagnation. Prior to the Renaissance, the average person had very limited access to books and was unlikely to be literate. The invention of the printing press in the 15th century allowed for much less restricted circulation of information in Europe, paving the way for the Reformation.
This introduction to a literary analysis essay , about Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein , starts by describing a simplistic popular view of the story, and then states how the author will give a more complex analysis of the text’s literary devices.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is often read as a crude cautionary tale. Arguably the first science fiction novel, its plot can be read as a warning about the dangers of scientific advancement unrestrained by ethical considerations. In this reading, and in popular culture representations of the character as a “mad scientist”, Victor Frankenstein represents the callous, arrogant ambition of modern science. However, far from providing a stable image of the character, Shelley uses shifting narrative perspectives to gradually transform our impression of Frankenstein, portraying him in an increasingly negative light as the novel goes on. While he initially appears to be a naive but sympathetic idealist, after the creature’s narrative Frankenstein begins to resemble—even in his own telling—the thoughtlessly cruel figure the creature represents him as.
Your essay introduction should include three main things, in this order:
- An opening hook to catch the reader’s attention.
- Relevant background information that the reader needs to know.
- A thesis statement that presents your main point or argument.
The length of each part depends on the length and complexity of your essay .
The “hook” is the first sentence of your essay introduction . It should lead the reader into your essay, giving a sense of why it’s interesting.
To write a good hook, avoid overly broad statements or long, dense sentences. Try to start with something clear, concise and catchy that will spark your reader’s curiosity.
A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.
The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:
- It gives your writing direction and focus.
- It gives the reader a concise summary of your main point.
Without a clear thesis statement, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say.
The structure of an essay is divided into an introduction that presents your topic and thesis statement , a body containing your in-depth analysis and arguments, and a conclusion wrapping up your ideas.
The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ideas.
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MASTERING THE CRAFT OF NARRATIVE WRITING
Narratives build on and encourage the development of the fundamentals of writing. They also require developing an additional skill set: the ability to tell a good yarn, and storytelling is as old as humanity.
We see and hear stories everywhere and daily, from having good gossip on the doorstep with a neighbor in the morning to the dramas that fill our screens in the evening.
Good narrative writing skills are hard-won by students even though it is an area of writing that most enjoy due to the creativity and freedom it offers.
Here we will explore some of the main elements of a good story: plot, setting, characters, conflict, climax, and resolution . And we will look too at how best we can help our students understand these elements, both in isolation and how they mesh together as a whole.
WHAT IS A NARRATIVE?
A narrative is a story that shares a sequence of events , characters, and themes. It expresses experiences, ideas, and perspectives that should aspire to engage and inspire an audience.
A narrative can spark emotion, encourage reflection, and convey meaning when done well.
Narratives are a popular genre for students and teachers as they allow the writer to share their imagination, creativity, skill, and understanding of nearly all elements of writing. Occasionally, we refer to a narrative as ‘creative writing’ or story writing.
The purpose of a narrative is simple, to tell the audience a story. It can be written to motivate, educate, or entertain and can be both fact or fiction.
A COMPLETE UNIT ON TEACHING NARRATIVE WRITING IN 2022
Teach your students to become skilled story writers with this HUGE NARRATIVE & CREATIVE STORY WRITING UNIT . Offering a COMPLETE SOLUTION to teaching students how to craft CREATIVE CHARACTERS, SUPERB SETTINGS, and PERFECT PLOTS .
Over 192 PAGES of materials, including:
TYPES OF NARRATIVE WRITING
There are many narrative writing genres and sub-genres such as these.
We have a complete guide to writing a personal narrative that differs from the traditional story-based narrative covered in this guide. It includes personal narrative writing prompts, resources, and examples and can be found here.
As we can see, narratives are an open-ended form of writing that allows you to showcase creativity in many different directions. However, all narratives share a common set of features and structure known as “Story Elements”, which are briefly covered in this guide.
Don’t overlook the importance of understanding story elements and the value this adds to you as a writer who can dissect and create grand narratives. We also have an in-depth guide to understanding story elements here .
CHARACTERISTICS OF NARRATIVE WRITING
Narrative structure.
ORIENTATION (BEGINNING) Set the scene by introducing your characters, setting and time of the story. Establish your who, when and where in this part of your narrative
COMPLICATION AND EVENTS (MIDDLE) In this section activities and events involving your main characters are expanded upon. These events are written in a cohesive and fluent sequence.
RESOLUTION (ENDING) Your complication is resolved in this section. It does not have to be a happy outcome, however.
EXTRAS: Whilst orientation, complication and resolution are the agreed norms for a narrative, there are numerous examples of popular texts that did not explicitly follow this path exactly.
NARRATIVE FEATURES
LANGUAGE: Use descriptive and figurative language to paint images inside your audience’s minds as they read.
PERSPECTIVE Narratives can be written from any perspective but are most commonly written in first or third person.
DIALOGUE Narratives frequently switch from narrator to first-person dialogue. Always use speech marks when writing dialogue.
TENSE If you change tense, make it perfectly clear to your audience what is happening. Flashbacks might work well in your mind but make sure they translate to your audience.
THE PLOT MAP
This graphic is known as a plot map, and nearly all narratives fit this structure in one way or another, whether romance novels, science fiction or otherwise.
It is a simple tool that helps you to understand and organize the events in a story. Think of it as a roadmap that outlines the journey of your characters and the events that unfold. It outlines the different stops along the way, such as the introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution, that help you to see how the story builds and develops.
Using a plot map, you can see how each event fits into the larger picture and how the different parts of the story work together to create meaning. It’s a great way to visualize and analyze a story.
Be sure to refer to a plot map when planning a story, as it has all the essential elements of a great story.
THE 5 KEY STORY ELEMENTS OF A GREAT NARRATIVE (6-MINUTE TUTORIAL VIDEO)
This video we created provides an excellent overview of these elements and demonstrates them in action in stories we all know and love.
HOW TO WRITE A NARRATIVE
Now that we understand the story elements and how they come together to form stories, it’s time to start planning and writing your narrative.
In many cases, the template and guide below will provide enough details on how to craft a great story. However, if you still need assistance with the fundamentals of writing, such as sentence structure, paragraphs and using correct grammar, we have some excellent guides on those here.
USE YOUR WRITING TIME EFFECTIVELY: Maximize your narrative writing sessions by spending approximately 20 per cent of your time planning and preparing. This ensures greater productivity during your writing time and keeps you focused and on task.
Use tools such as graphic organizers to logically sequence your narrative if you are not a confident story writer. If you are working with reluctant writers, try using narrative writing prompts to get their creative juices flowing.
Spend most of your writing hour on the task at hand, don’t get too side-tracked editing during this time and leave some time for editing. When editing a narrative, examine it for these three elements.
- Spelling and grammar ( Is it readable?)
- Story structure and continuity ( Does it make sense, and does it flow? )
- Character and plot analysis. (Are your characters engaging? Does your problem/resolution work? )
1. SETTING THE SCENE: THE WHERE AND THE WHEN
The story’s setting often answers two of the central questions in the story, namely, the where and the when. The answers to these two crucial questions will often be informed by the type of story the student is writing.
The story’s setting can be chosen to quickly orient the reader to the type of story they are reading. For example, a fictional narrative writing piece such as a horror story will often begin with a description of a haunted house on a hill or an abandoned asylum in the middle of the woods. If we start our story on a rocket ship hurtling through the cosmos on its space voyage to the Alpha Centauri star system, we can be reasonably sure that the story we are embarking on is a work of science fiction.
Such conventions are well-worn clichés true, but they can be helpful starting points for our novice novelists to make a start.
Having students choose an appropriate setting for the type of story they wish to write is an excellent exercise for our younger students. It leads naturally onto the next stage of story writing, which is creating suitable characters to populate this fictional world they have created. However, older or more advanced students may wish to play with the expectations of appropriate settings for their story. They may wish to do this for comic effect or in the interest of creating a more original story. For example, opening a story with a children’s birthday party does not usually set up the expectation of a horror story. Indeed, it may even lure the reader into a happy reverie as they remember their own happy birthday parties. This leaves them more vulnerable to the surprise element of the shocking action that lies ahead.
Once the students have chosen a setting for their story, they need to start writing. Little can be more terrifying to English students than the blank page and its bare whiteness stretching before them on the table like a merciless desert they must cross. Give them the kick-start they need by offering support through word banks or writing prompts. If the class is all writing a story based on the same theme, you may wish to compile a common word bank on the whiteboard as a prewriting activity. Write the central theme or genre in the middle of the board. Have students suggest words or phrases related to the theme and list them on the board.
You may wish to provide students with a copy of various writing prompts to get them started. While this may mean that many students’ stories will have the same beginning, they will most likely arrive at dramatically different endings via dramatically different routes.
A bargain is at the centre of the relationship between the writer and the reader. That bargain is that the reader promises to suspend their disbelief as long as the writer creates a consistent and convincing fictional reality. Creating a believable world for the fictional characters to inhabit requires the student to draw on convincing details. The best way of doing this is through writing that appeals to the senses. Have your student reflect deeply on the world that they are creating. What does it look like? Sound like? What does the food taste like there? How does it feel like to walk those imaginary streets, and what aromas beguile the nose as the main character winds their way through that conjured market?
Also, Consider the when; or the time period. Is it a future world where things are cleaner and more antiseptic? Or is it an overcrowded 16th-century London with human waste stinking up the streets? If students can create a multi-sensory installation in the reader’s mind, then they have done this part of their job well.
Popular Settings from Children’s Literature and Storytelling
- Fairytale Kingdom
- Magical Forest
- Village/town
- Underwater world
- Space/Alien planet
2. CASTING THE CHARACTERS: THE WHO
Now that your student has created a believable world, it is time to populate it with believable characters.
In short stories, these worlds mustn’t be overpopulated beyond what the student’s skill level can manage. Short stories usually only require one main character and a few secondary ones. Think of the short story more as a small-scale dramatic production in an intimate local theater than a Hollywood blockbuster on a grand scale. Too many characters will only confuse and become unwieldy with a canvas this size. Keep it simple!
Creating believable characters is often one of the most challenging aspects of narrative writing for students. Fortunately, we can do a few things to help students here. Sometimes it is helpful for students to model their characters on actual people they know. This can make things a little less daunting and taxing on the imagination. However, whether or not this is the case, writing brief background bios or descriptions of characters’ physical personality characteristics can be a beneficial prewriting activity. Students should give some in-depth consideration to the details of who their character is: How do they walk? What do they look like? Do they have any distinguishing features? A crooked nose? A limp? Bad breath? Small details such as these bring life and, therefore, believability to characters. Students can even cut pictures from magazines to put a face to their character and allow their imaginations to fill in the rest of the details.
Younger students will often dictate to the reader the nature of their characters. To improve their writing craft, students must know when to switch from story-telling mode to story-showing mode. This is particularly true when it comes to character. Encourage students to reveal their character’s personality through what they do rather than merely by lecturing the reader on the faults and virtues of the character’s personality. It might be a small relayed detail in the way they walk that reveals a core characteristic. For example, a character who walks with their head hanging low and shoulders hunched while avoiding eye contact has been revealed to be timid without the word once being mentioned. This is a much more artistic and well-crafted way of doing things and is less irritating for the reader. A character who sits down at the family dinner table immediately snatches up his fork and starts stuffing roast potatoes into his mouth before anyone else has even managed to sit down has revealed a tendency towards greed or gluttony.
Understanding Character Traits
Again, there is room here for some fun and profitable prewriting activities. Give students a list of character traits and have them describe a character doing something that reveals that trait without ever employing the word itself.
It is also essential to avoid adjective stuffing here. When looking at students’ early drafts, adjective stuffing is often apparent. To train the student out of this habit, choose an adjective and have the student rewrite the sentence to express this adjective through action rather than telling.
When writing a story, it is vital to consider the character’s traits and how they will impact the story’s events. For example, a character with a strong trait of determination may be more likely to overcome obstacles and persevere. In contrast, a character with a tendency towards laziness may struggle to achieve their goals. In short, character traits add realism, depth, and meaning to a story, making it more engaging and memorable for the reader.
Popular Character Traits in Children’s Stories
- Determination
- Imagination
- Perseverance
- Responsibility
We have an in-depth guide to creating great characters here , but most students should be fine to move on to planning their conflict and resolution.
3. NO PROBLEM? NO STORY! HOW CONFLICT DRIVES A NARRATIVE
This is often the area apprentice writers have the most difficulty with. It is vital that students understand that without a problem or conflict, there is no story. The problem is the driving force of the action. Usually, in a short story, the problem will center around what the primary character wants to happen or, indeed, wants not to happen. It is the hurdle that must be overcome. It is in the struggle to overcome this hurdle that events happen.
Often when a student understands the need for a problem in a story, their completed work will still not be successful. This is because, often in life, problems remain unsolved. Hurdles are not always successfully overcome. Students pick up on this.
We often discuss problems with friends that will never be satisfactorily resolved one way or the other, and we accept this as a part of life. This is not usually the case with writing a story. Whether a character successfully overcomes his or her problem or is decidedly crushed in the process of trying is not as important as the fact that it will finally be resolved one way or the other.
A good practical exercise for students to get to grips with this is to provide copies of stories and have them identify the central problem or conflict in each through discussion. Familiar fables or fairy tales such as Three Little Pigs, The Boy Who Cried Wolf, Cinderella, etc., are great for this.
While it is true that stories often have more than one problem or that the hero or heroine is unsuccessful in their first attempt to solve a central problem, for beginning students and intermediate students, it is best to focus on a single problem, especially given the scope of story writing at this level. Over time students will develop their abilities to handle more complex plots and write accordingly.
Popular Conflicts found in Children’s Storytelling.
- Good vs evil
- Individual vs society
- Nature vs nurture
- Self vs others
- Man vs self
- Man vs nature
- Man vs technology
- Individual vs fate
- Self vs destiny
Conflict is the heart and soul of any good story. It’s what makes a story compelling and drives the plot forward. Without conflict, there is no story. Every great story has a struggle or a problem that needs to be solved, and that’s where conflict comes in. Conflict is what makes a story exciting and keeps the reader engaged. It creates tension and suspense and makes the reader care about the outcome.
Like in real life, conflict in a story is an opportunity for a character’s growth and transformation. It’s a chance for them to learn and evolve, making a story great. So next time stories are written in the classroom, remember that conflict is an essential ingredient, and without it, your story will lack the energy, excitement, and meaning that makes it truly memorable.
4. THE NARRATIVE CLIMAX: HOW THINGS COME TO A HEAD!
The climax of the story is the dramatic high point of the action. It is also when the struggles kicked off by the problem come to a head. The climax will ultimately decide whether the story will have a happy or tragic ending. In the climax, two opposing forces duke things out until the bitter (or sweet!) end. One force ultimately emerges triumphant. As the action builds throughout the story, suspense increases as the reader wonders which of these forces will win out. The climax is the release of this suspense.
Much of the success of the climax depends on how well the other elements of the story have been achieved. If the student has created a well-drawn and believable character that the reader can identify with and feel for, then the climax will be more powerful.
The nature of the problem is also essential as it determines what’s at stake in the climax. The problem must matter dearly to the main character if it matters at all to the reader.
Have students engage in discussions about their favorite movies and books. Have them think about the storyline and decide what the most exciting parts were. What was at stake at these moments? What happened in your body as you read or watched? Did you breathe faster? Or grip the cushion hard? Did your heart rate increase, or did you start to sweat? This is what a good climax does and what our students should strive to do in their stories.
The climax puts it all on the line and rolls the dice. Let the chips fall where the writer may…
Popular Climax themes in Children’s Stories
- A battle between good and evil
- The character’s bravery saves the day
- Character faces their fears and overcomes them
- The character solves a mystery or puzzle.
- The character stands up for what is right.
- Character reaches their goal or dream.
- The character learns a valuable lesson
- The character makes a selfless sacrifice.
- The character makes a difficult decision.
- The character reunites with loved ones or finds true friendship.
5. RESOLUTION: TYING UP LOOSE ENDS
After the climactic action, a few questions will often remain unresolved for the reader, even if all the conflict has been resolved. The resolution is where those lingering questions will be answered. The resolution in a short story may only be a brief paragraph or two. But, in most cases, it will still be necessary to include an ending immediately after the climax can feel too abrupt and leave the reader feeling unfulfilled.
An easy way to explain resolution to students struggling to grasp the concept is to point to the traditional resolution of fairy tales, the “And they all lived happily ever after” ending. This weather forecast for the future allows the reader to take their leave. Have the student consider the emotions they want to leave the reader with when crafting their resolution.
While usually, the action is complete by the end of the climax; it is in the resolution that if there is a twist to be found, it will appear – think of movies such as The Usual Suspects. Pulling this off convincingly usually requires considerable skill from a student writer. Still, it may well form a challenging extension exercise for those more gifted storytellers among your students.
Popular Resolutions in Children’s Stories
- Our hero achieves their goal
- A character finds happiness or inner peace.
- The character reunites with loved ones.
- Character restores balance to the world.
- The character discovers their true identity.
- Character changes for the better
- The character gains wisdom or understanding.
- Character makes amends with others.
- The character learns to appreciate what they have.
Once students have completed their story, they can edit for grammar, vocabulary choice, spelling, etc., but not before!
As mentioned, there is a craft to storytelling, as well as an art. When accurate grammar, perfect spelling, and immaculate sentence structures are pushed at the outset, they can cause storytelling paralysis. For this reason, it is essential that when we encourage the students to write a story, we give them license to make mechanical mistakes in their use of language that they can work on and fix later.
Good narrative writing is a very complex skill to develop and will take the student years to become competent. It challenges not only the student’s technical abilities with language but also her creative faculties. Writing frames, word banks, mind maps, and visual prompts can all give valuable support as students develop the wide-ranging and challenging skills required to produce a successful narrative writing piece. But, at the end of it all, as with any craft, practice and more practice is at the heart of the matter.
TIPS FOR WRITING A GREAT NARRATIVE
- Start your story with a clear purpose: If you can determine the theme or message you want to convey in your narrative before starting it will make the writing process so much simpler.
- Choose a compelling storyline and sell it through great characters, setting and plot: Consider a unique or interesting story that captures the reader’s attention, then build the world and characters around it.
- Develop vivid characters that are not all the same: Make your characters relatable and memorable by giving them distinct personalities and traits you can draw upon in the plot.
- Use descriptive language to hook your audience into your story: Use sensory language to paint vivid images and sequences in the reader’s mind.
- Show, don’t tell your audience: Use actions, thoughts, and dialogue to reveal character motivations and emotions through storytelling.
- Create a vivid setting that is clear to your audience before getting too far into the plot: Describe the time and place of your story to immerse the reader fully.
- Build tension: Refer to the story map earlier in this article and use conflict, obstacles, and suspense to keep the audience engaged and invested in your narrative.
- Use figurative language such as metaphors, similes, and other literary devices to add depth and meaning to your narrative.
- Edit, revise, and refine: Take the time to refine and polish your writing for clarity and impact.
- Stay true to your voice: Maintain your unique perspective and style in your writing to make it your own.
NARRATIVE WRITING EXAMPLES (Student Writing Samples)
Below are a collection of student writing samples of narratives. Click on the image to enlarge and explore them in greater detail. Please take a moment to read these creative stories in detail and the teacher and student guides which highlight some of the critical elements of narratives to consider before writing.
Please understand these student writing samples are not intended to be perfect examples for each age or grade level but a piece of writing for students and teachers to explore together to critically analyze to improve student writing skills and deepen their understanding of story writing.
We recommend reading the example either a year above or below, as well as the grade you are currently working with, to gain a broader appreciation of this text type.
NARRATIVE WRITING PROMPTS (Journal Prompts)
When students have a great journal prompt, it can help them focus on the task at hand, so be sure to view our vast collection of visual writing prompts for various text types here or use some of these.
- On a recent European trip, you find your travel group booked into the stunning and mysterious Castle Frankenfurter for a single night… As night falls, the massive castle of over one hundred rooms seems to creak and groan as a series of unexplained events begin to make you wonder who or what else is spending the evening with you. Write a narrative that tells the story of your evening.
- You are a famous adventurer who has discovered new lands; keep a travel log over a period of time in which you encounter new and exciting adventures and challenges to overcome. Ensure your travel journal tells a story and has a definite introduction, conflict and resolution.
- You create an incredible piece of technology that has the capacity to change the world. As you sit back and marvel at your innovation and the endless possibilities ahead of you, it becomes apparent there are a few problems you didn’t really consider. You might not even be able to control them. Write a narrative in which you ride the highs and lows of your world-changing creation with a clear introduction, conflict and resolution.
- As the final door shuts on the Megamall, you realise you have done it… You and your best friend have managed to sneak into the largest shopping centre in town and have the entire place to yourselves until 7 am tomorrow. There is literally everything and anything a child would dream of entertaining themselves for the next 12 hours. What amazing adventures await you? What might go wrong? And how will you get out of there scot-free?
- A stranger walks into town… Whilst appearing similar to almost all those around you, you get a sense that this person is from another time, space or dimension… Are they friends or foes? What makes you sense something very strange is going on? Suddenly they stand up and walk toward you with purpose extending their hand… It’s almost as if they were reading your mind.
NARRATIVE WRITING VIDEO TUTORIAL
Teaching Resources
Use our resources and tools to improve your student’s writing skills through proven teaching strategies.
When teaching narrative writing, it is essential that you have a range of tools, strategies and resources at your disposal to ensure you get the most out of your writing time. You can find some examples below, which are free and paid premium resources you can use instantly without any preparation.
FREE Narrative Graphic Organizer
THE STORY TELLERS BUNDLE OF TEACHING RESOURCES
A MASSIVE COLLECTION of resources for narratives and story writing in the classroom covering all elements of crafting amazing stories. MONTHS WORTH OF WRITING LESSONS AND RESOURCES, including:
NARRATIVE WRITING CHECKLIST BUNDLE
OTHER GREAT ARTICLES ABOUT NARRATIVE WRITING
Narrative Writing for Kids: Essential Skills and Strategies
5 Great Narrative Lesson Plans Students and Teachers Love
Top 7 Narrative Writing Exercises for Students
how to write a scary story
The content for this page has been written by Shane Mac Donnchaidh. A former principal of an international school and English university lecturer with 15 years of teaching and administration experience. Shane’s latest Book, The Complete Guide to Nonfiction Writing , can be found here. Editing and support for this article have been provided by the literacyideas team.
NO PREP REQUIRED A ready-made unit on STORY WRITING awaits you.
How to Write an Introduction
An introduction for an essay or research paper is the first paragraph, which explains the topic and prepares the reader for the rest of the work. Because it’s responsible for both the reader’s first impression and setting the stage for the rest of the work, the introduction paragraph is arguably the most important paragraph in the work.
Knowing how to write an introduction paragraph is a great skill, not just for writers, but for students and researchers as well. Here, we explain everything you need to know to write the best introduction, such as what to include and a step-by-step process, with some introduction paragraph examples.
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What is an introduction?
Your introduction is a way of preparing your reader for your paper. As the first paragraph of your writing , it makes the first impression and sets the reader’s expectations for tone, voice, and writing style. More importantly, your introduction provides the necessary background for your reader to understand your paper’s purpose and key points.
The introduction is also a way to engage and captivate your reader. An interesting, thought-provoking, or generally entertaining introduction makes your reader excited to keep reading—and an eager reader is an attentive reader.
What to include in an introduction
Introductions generally follow the writing style of the author and the format for the type of paper—for example, opening with a joke is appropriate for some essays, but not research papers . However, no matter what your writing style is or what kind of paper you’re writing, a good introduction includes at least three parts:
- A hook to capture the reader’s attention
- Background for context
- A clearly defined thesis statement or main point of your paper
How to write a hook
The hook refers to anything that grabs (or “hooks”) your reader’s attention and makes them interested. This could be a mystery, such as posing a question and only answering it at the end of your paper. Or it could be a shocking statistic, something that makes your reader rethink what they thought they knew and become curious for more information.
Hooks can be even more creative. Some papers start with an analogy or parable to present complicated topics in a way that someone with little experience can understand. Likewise, many writers opt to use personal anecdotes to show a more human side and spark an emotional connection with the reader.
When all else fails, you can use a poignant quote. If you’re having trouble putting your thoughts into words, maybe one of the great minds from history has already said it well.
You can read all about how to write a hook here, including more detailed instructions and examples.
How to add background information
Not every paper requires background knowledge, but sometimes your reader needs to catch up or understand the context before you make your original points.
If you’re writing about something factual, such as a scientific or historical paper, you may need to provide a small lesson on the basics. For example, if you’re writing about the conflict between ancient Egypt and Nubia, you might want to establish the time period and where each party was located geographically.
Just don’t give too much away in the introduction. In general, introductions should be short. If your topic requires extensive background to understand, it’s best to dedicate a few paragraphs to this after the introduction.
How to write a thesis statement
Every good introduction needs a thesis statement , a sentence that plainly and concisely explains the main topic. Thesis statements are often just a brief summary of your entire paper, including your argument or point of view for personal essays. For example, if your paper is about whether viewing violent cartoons impacts real-life violence, your thesis statement could be:
Despite the rhetoric and finger-pointing, no evidence has connected live-action role-play violence with real-world violence, but there is plenty of evidence for exoneration, as I explain here.
Learning to write a good thesis statement is an essential writing skill, both in college and the world of work, so it’s worth taking the time to learn. The rule of thumb for thesis statements is not to give everything away all at once. Thesis statements, and more broadly introductions, should be short and to the point, so save the details for the rest of the paper.
How to write an introduction paragraph in 6 steps
1 decide on the overall tone and formality of your paper.
Often what you’re writing determines the style: The guidelines for how to write an introduction for a report are different from those for how to write an English essay introduction. Even the different types of essays have their own limitations; for example, slang might be acceptable for a personal essay, but not a serious argumentative essay.
Don’t force yourself to write in a style that’s uncomfortable to you. If you’re not good at making jokes, you don’t need to. As long as your writing is interesting and your points are clear, your readers won’t mind.
2 Write your thesis statement
At the beginning of writing a paper, even before writing the research paper outline , you should know what your thesis is. If you haven’t already, now is the time to put that thesis into words by writing your thesis statement.
Thesis statements are just one sentence, but they are usually the most important sentence in your entire work. When your thesis is clearly defined, your readers will often use it as an anchor to understand the rest of the writing.
The key to writing a good thesis statement is knowing what to ignore. Your thesis statement should be an overview, not an outline. Save the details, evidence, and personal opinions for the body of the paper.
If you’re still having trouble, ask yourself how you’d explain this topic to a child. When you’re forced to use small words and simplify complex ideas, your writing comes across more clearly and is easier to understand. This technique also helps you know which details are necessary up front and which can wait until later .
3 Consider what background information your reader needs
Don’t take your own experience for granted. By this point in the writing process , you’ve probably already finished your research, which means you’re somewhat of an expert on the topic. Think back to what it was like before you learned: What did you wish you had known then?
Even if your topic is abstract, such as an ethical debate, consider including some context on the debate itself. How long has the ethical debate been happening? Was there a specific event that started it? Information like this can help set the scene so your reader doesn’t feel like they’re missing something.
4 Think of a good hook
Writing a hook can be the most difficult part of writing an introduction because it calls for some creativity. While the rest of your paper might be presenting fact after fact, the hook in your introduction often requires creating something from nothing.
Luckily, there are already plenty of tried-and-true strategies for how to start an essay . If you’re not feeling very creative, you can use a method that’s already been proven effective.
Just remember that the best hooks create an emotional connection—which emotion is up to you and your topic.
5 Write a rough draft of your introduction without pressure
It’s normal to clam up when writing a rough draft of your introduction. After all, the introduction always comes first, so it’s the first thing you write when you finally begin.
As explained in our guide to writing a rough draft , the best advice is not to pressure yourself. It’s OK to write something that’s messy—that’s what makes this draft rough . The idea here is to get words on paper that make your point. They don’t have to be the perfect words; that’s what revisions are for.
At the beginning, just worry about saying what needs to be said. Get down your hook and thesis statement, and background information if necessary, without worrying about how it sounds. You’ll be able to fix the problems later.
6 Revise your introduction after you’ve written your whole paper.
We recommend finishing the first draft of your entire paper before revising the introduction. You may make some changes in your paper’s structure when writing the first draft, and those changes should be reflected in the introduction.
After the first draft, it’s easier to focus on minutiae like word choice and sentence structure, not to mention finding spelling and grammar mistakes.
Introduction for an essay example
While other kids’ memories of circuses are happy and fun, what I recall most from my first time at a circus was feeling sorry for the animals—I can still remember the sadness in their eyes. [HOOK] Although animal rights in the circus have come a long way, their treatment of animals even under the new laws is still cruelty plain and simple. [BACKGROUND] The way circuses abuse animals needs to be abolished immediately, and we need to entirely rethink the way we use animals for entertainment. [THESIS STATEMENT]
Introduction for a research paper example
What would happen to humanity if everyone just stopped having babies? [HOOK] Although more endemic in some places than others, the global decline in birth rates has become a major issue since the end of the pandemic. [BACKGROUND] My research here shows not only that birth rates are declining all over the world, but also that unless the threats are addressed, these drastic declines will only get worse. [THESIS STATEMENT]
Introduction FAQs
An introduction is the first paragraph in an essay or research paper. It prepares the reader for what follows.
What’s the purpose of an introduction?
The goal of the introduction is to both provide the necessary context for the topic so the reader can follow along and also create an emotional connection so the reader wants to keep reading.
What should an introduction include?
An introduction should include three things: a hook to interest the reader, some background on the topic so the reader can understand it, and a thesis statement that clearly and quickly summarizes your main point.
How to Write a Narrative Essay
A narrative essay is one of the most commonly assigned forms of academic writing. Starting from school, students of various educational facilities face this type of task quite often, which is why knowing how to handle it is vital for their success.
The main purpose of the narrative style of writing is to tell a compelling story. It doesn't sound like too big of a deal, right? You couldn't be more wrong. Even if it might seem easy at first sight, telling an engaging story can be rather challenging. To help you overcome this challenge, our custom term paper writing service compiled a comprehensive guide on how to write a narrative essay step by step.
What Is a Narrative Essay?
A narrative essay is a form of academic writing that aims to tell a story. As the author, your goal is to create the right atmosphere and a lifelike experience for your readers.
As a rule, this type of paper is written from the first-person perspective. Therefore, you have to put readers at the epicenter of the plot and keep them engaged. To do this and to ensure the right atmosphere, narrative writing uses plenty of vivid details, descriptive techniques, etc.
The biggest challenge in writing a narrative essay is that it is always limited in length. Thus, your task is to take a complex story and narrow it down to incorporate its key points to fit into a short essay while at the same time providing enough detail to keep readers engaged. You can always get help from our research paper writing service .
Purpose of a Narrative Essay
This form of writing is about sharing stories—that's the key purpose. As for an essay writer , your task is to tell readers about a real-life experience and, simultaneously, to make a clear point of why you are suggesting that particular story and why it matters.
What makes it different from other types of essays? In a narrative essay, all you do is guide readers through the story; you don't make arguments, criticize, or attempt to persuade them. Instead, you are just telling a story, letting readers draw their own conclusions. That's the most distinctive feature of such papers.
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Types of Narrative Essays
There are two types of custom writing essays to be put into narrative form:
Descriptive Narrative Essay
This is the most creative form of this task. The main goal of a descriptive narrative essay is to describe an experience, situation, or memory using vivid details. ‘Show, don't tell’ is the main credo of writing a descriptive narrative paper. The author's goal is to evoke the readers' different senses and paint a clear picture of an event.
A well-written descriptive narrative paper is usually straightforward. It takes a complicated story and narrows it down—allowing the reader to infer the rest. Great writers avoid over-exaggeration and stick to their purpose. There are always some limits to the amount of content you can provide to your readers; keep this in mind when choosing what to include in your work.
Autobiographical
This task requires you to share a true story throughout your life. Note that this type of assignment should focus on one specific event. Unlike a descriptive essay, an autobiographical one places a bigger focus on the story itself and its purpose, not details.
Narrative Essay Characteristics
Here are the basic characteristics that define this type of writing:
- Non-fiction – written about events that happened;
- Written from the author's viewpoint (1st person);
- Includes elements of a story but is written with a basic structure;
- Provides information in chronological order;
- Uses lots of details to describe an event, person, or scene;
- Strives to inform readers of something, not argue or teach.
Video Guide on How to Write a Narrative Essay
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10 Good Narrative Essay Topics and How to Pick One
When choosing a good narrative essay topic, there are a few things to remember. First of all, you should start by carefully studying the given requirements. Typically, teachers will specify exactly what you are expected to do.
Some of the basic characteristics a teacher may be looking for in your paper are:
- A Conflict/Challenge: An inciting incident that creates the tone and sets the story in motion.
- A Protagonist: A relatable character that faces a conflict or challenge against overwhelming odds.
- Change or Growth: Overcoming the conflict or challenge sparks some change in the protagonist. A realization may have sparked this change. This realization can also be an after-effect of the character's development throughout the story.
To come up with a brilliant topic for a narrative essay, you will need to take some time to brainstorm. To get on the right track, try using the following techniques:
- Think of your past experiences and memories, and try to find something truly exciting.
- Think of what bothers you and what stories you'd want to share with others.
- Take a walk to refresh and generate some good ideas.
- Use the Internet to your benefit – social media, online magazines, blogs, and other resources can help you discover your peers' stories, what they are interested in, and what they discuss. This can also help you find a few ideas.
- Try freewriting – this very handy technique can help you get your story flowing. To try it, all you need is to get a pen and paper and start writing your thoughts down.
Follow these tips to generate some great ideas, and then pick one that looks the most compelling. The final information is to choose something interesting to you and appealing enough to engage your audience.
Here are some narrative essay ideas to help you brainstorm:
- Overcoming Fear
- Facing a Challenge
- A New Experience or Discovery
- A Moment of Excitement
- Learning a Tough Lesson
- A Thrilling Moment of Adrenaline
- The Moment You Stood Up for Yourself
- A Relationship Experience
- A Discovery That Changed Your Life
- A Rebellious Act
These are a few typical examples that students tend to explore. Next, consider making a story based on your personal life experiences. The most vivid memories are usually the ones that tell a great story.
Narrative Format and Structure
The narrative essay format and structure are standard. Like other assignments, this type of paper normally follows a 5 paragraph essay outline: one introductory paragraph, three body paragraphs, and the last narrative paragraph is the conclusion. However, unlike other types of essays, a narrative paper's paragraphs have specifically designated purposes:
- Introduction – makes an insight into the story, states the purpose of writing, and includes an engaging element to hook the reader;
- Main body paragraph 1 – rising action;
- Main body paragraph 2 – climax;
- Main body paragraph 3 – falling action;
- Conclusion – lessons learned from the story.
In the next section of this article, we will look at each element more closely.
Narrative Essay Outline
Let's look at how to start a narrative essay. When writing this type of academic task, we recommend that you follow this specific sequence of actions.
- Brainstorm ideas
- Pick the right topic
- Define your purpose for writing
- Plan your story – it should have rising action, climax, and falling action, and you should be able to draw logical conclusions from it
- Create an outline
If you approach your writing step by step, as described above, the whole process will become less stressful and much quicker. So now, let's get back to the narrative essay outline.
Introduction
The opening clause of your story has to accomplish 3 goals:
- Engage readers in the story with the help of a hook. To create a powerful hook, you can use a question, fact, quote, or an intriguing statement that will make readers want to read further.
Example: “I’m not quite sure whether it is a real memory or just some false belief that grew stronger and more convincing in me over time, but I remember my sister once trying to kill me...”
- Set the scene and give readers an idea of what is happening. However, it shouldn’t tell the entire story yet, just give a glimpse into it; don’t give it all away, and keep your readers intrigued.
Example: “It was another warm summer day when we were making our way back home from the beach. The next thing I remember was a loud bang and a pounding ache in my head.”
- Define the purpose of your writing. Finally, your narrative introduction should provide some insight into what the story is all about. Give readers a sneak peek of what’s to come, but don’t state the lessons you’ve learned from the situation yet. Keep them engaged!
Example: “Our memory can be a tricky thing sometimes. Just switch the point of view for a situation and you will get a completely different picture.”
As a rule, your introduction should contain a thesis statement.
Narrative Essay Thesis Statement
The thesis statement is another important element of your paper. It should be placed in the introductory paragraph and can later be restated in your conclusion to empower the effect of the essay.
A thesis statement is your main argument. Its main goal is to introduce the problem or conflict you will investigate in your paper and to spark the readers' interest.
A good thesis statement should not be a fact or general truth, and it also shouldn't be a suggestion, recommendation, or question. Instead, it should give a sneak peek into the problem, explain it briefly, and provide some hints about the outcome.
The main body of your paper is the most important part. This is where you tell the story, share facts and details, and guide readers through the plot.
The body of a narrative essay can consist of 3 or more paragraphs, and its length depends on the general word count of your paper.
Here are 4 important points to consider in the body paragraphs of your narrative essay:
- Include vivid and relevant detail: A narrative essay is about creating a scene and a mood to follow. Even the best essay writers can spend hours writing and meticulously including details. However, make sure to spam your sentences with literary symbols. You are good to go as long as each sentence serves a purpose.
- Incorporate dialogue: Throwing the reader into dialogue is an effective way to refresh their attention. Dialogue is a great way to give a story life and support the story's atmosphere. Again, use this technique constructively.
Example: If you have two New Yorkers talking to each other, using British slang won’t be a great choice.
- Write chronologically: It's easier for readers to understand the timeline of events in a paper if the author is blunt. Keeping things sequential is the best way to keep your writing organized.
- Avoid narration deviation: The first-person voice will work best if you are talking about a personal experience. If this is a story you heard from a friend, writing in the third person will make more sense.
To find a compelling narrative paragraph example, keep on reading.
In the conclusion part, you are expected to give some final comments about your story. This is where you can restate some of the key details and ideas mentioned in the body. In addition, you should stress the lessons you've learned from a particular situation and leave readers with something to think about.
Example: “As I go through these events over and over in my head, I realize how much it has taught me. Everything that happens in our lives has at least two sides. To see the real image, it is necessary to collect all of the details piece by piece—to see both sides. And, not all memories should be trusted. Sometimes, it is just our brains that try to make up false stories, isn’t it?”
Narrative Essay Examples
The content of narrative essays can vary depending on the requirements of your institution. Leave us a notice if you need dissertation help . We have decided to provide you with narrative essay examples in case you have a problem.
New York, New York. The city that never sleeps. With a population of over 8.5m people, someone's always bound to be awake! And so many sights to see, hear, and experience across this sprawling metropolis. A visitor could spend a lifetime there and see something new every day. I recently traveled to New York, my first time in fact, and spent four days in this iconic city of the world. I visited some of the best known landmarks, such as the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, and of course, the Top of the Rock down in central Manhattan.
Narrative Essay Example for College
College professors search for the following qualities in their students:
- the ability to adapt to different situations,
- the ability to solve problems creatively,
- and the ability to learn from mistakes.
Your work must demonstrate these qualities, regardless of whether your narrative paper is a college application essay or a class assignment. Additionally, you want to demonstrate your character and creativity. Describe a situation where you have encountered a problem, tell the story of how you came up with a unique approach to solving it, and connect it to your field of interest. The narrative can be exciting and informative if you present it in such fashion.
There is an ability to identify the traits that characterise a person by looking at their immediate environment. My identity can be explained by my personality and the continuous interactions in the environments I have been in since I was young. Finding an identity is not a one-time phenomenon. I believe that identifying myself is a lifelong endeavor. After all, psychologists argue that one’s identity orients and changes over time. I find it essential to understand my self so that I can live well, interact smoothly with others, and pursue my goals. I realize that there are plenty of things to identify with: my family, gender, college, community, race, religion, and even the choices that I make every single day. Both the choices, and the factors I have no control over, eventually help define who I am and therefore, the role I have in life. Life is a broad term, and I can realize the role I play in various environments, such as home, church, school, and my community.
Narrative Essay Example for High School
High school is all about showing that you can make mature choices. You accept the consequences of your actions and retrieve valuable life lessons. Think of an event in which you believe your actions were exemplary and made an adult choice. A personal narrative essay example will showcase the best of your abilities. Finally, use other sources to help you get the best results possible. Try searching for a sample narrative essay to see how others have approached it.
I was just listening to some music in my car as I rested and waited for my grandmother to finish up so that we could drive off. From the other side of the road there were some kids playing football, and I had not given it much thought since they were just playing—a regular activity. For a moment, I thought I had heard a sound made by a hard-kicked ball, followed by some noise from the children. Then, I decided to look through the window to see how far the ball had gone. Before I could even move an inch, another even louder sound, which shook my car, came from the playground. That is when I felt fear all throughout my body and I started sweating profusely, even though I was still not quite sure enough about what had just happened.
General Advice
Writing a narrative essay should be a positive experience. It does not restrict you to a linear format with no allowance for variation. This is one of the most free-spirited and original essays to write. That doesn't mean that rebelling against all rules and writing something absurd is appropriate, though.
If you are still struggling to decide what to write about – think of your story as a coming-of-age tale. An event that transformed you into the person you are today.
Your primary goal is to take the readers on a journey. Have them share your experience and take something away from it. The best stories are always the ones that teleport the readers out of their comfort zones.
Now, let us give you a few more tips on how to write a flawless narrative story:
- Keep It Clear. Your narrative writing should be easy to read and understand. Thus, try to avoid phrasing and syntax that is too complex. Keep your language clear and simple.
- Refrain from Overusing Details. A narrative essay should tell a story in vivid detail. However, it is important to use details sparingly. As mentioned, your word count will be limited, and you still need to have enough space to let your story unfold fully. Thus, describe only some things, focus on things that matter, and add value.
- Use the First-Person Narrative. As a rule, narrative writing describes real events and experiences in the author's life. That's why you should avoid writing in the second-person perspective.
- Use Dynamic Words. A narrative story should be engaging and dynamic. Make it simple and use passive voice sparingly.
- Limit References. Most papers in MLA format have to include in-text citations and, thus, many references. This is, however, a better practice for a narrative essay. Essentially, this type of assignment is much more personal, so it would be great if you could use your thoughts and feelings to write it. If you still used other helpful resources while writing, cite them on a ‘Works Cited’ page.
You can always buy essays online on EssayPro.
Do’s and Don’ts of Narrative Writing
To make the writing process less stressful, keep the following do’s and don’ts in mind:
- Preferably write your story in the first-person point of view (or third-person if necessary).
- Begin with a hook in the form of a fact, quote, question, definition, etc., to grab the readers' attention.
- Make a clear statement of your point: What will you say with this paper?
- Follow the proper narrative format.
- Spice up your story with some conflict.
- Try to address all five senses simultaneously – tell the readers what the characters of a story saw, what they smelled, heard, felt, etc.
- Follow a logical presentation sequence – ideally, move from one event to another in chronological order.
- Keep your language clear and easy to read.
- Don't hesitate to use different descriptive techniques such as power words, transitions, etc.
- Do not write a narrative essay in the second-person perspective.
- Don’t create fictional stories, write about events that really happened.
- Don’t use exceedingly formal language, arguments, slang, etc.
- Don’t write about everything – too many details are also not good, so be sure to be specific only about the main ideas and details that drive the plot of your story.
- Don’t tell a story, show it!
Get a Perfect Narrative Essay from Pros!
Storytelling is a skill that doesn’t come naturally. It takes time and effort to acquire it, which is why writing a good narrative essay can be so challenging sometimes. Hopefully this guide will help you get a better idea of how to write a good narrative paper. And if you still have any concerns, contact our service and find the perfect author.
Related Articles
How to Write a Narrative Essay Introduction: Does a Narrative Essay Need a Thesis Statement
Essay writing is a craft whose skills you have to develop over time. An authentic essay should clearly communicate the intended message. It’s a composition that should express the intended idea and back it up with credible explanations, facts, and analysis.
There are various essay types that you could come across. They include descriptive, argumentative, expository, and narrative essays. Expository and argumentative essays express factual information and main points. However, Descriptive and narrative essays accord you as a writer to write creatively.
In this article, we will concentrate and expound on narrative essays. This article helps you know how to write a narrative essay introduction, and most importantly, provides you with tactics on how to be a better narrative essay writer in general.
How to write a Narrative Essay introduction
A narrative essay is an essay that assumes a storytelling form, and as a writer, you have the independence to express yourself on the subject matter.
That said, a narrative essay is personal and experiential in nature. Typically, a narrative essay should have an introduction, a plot, a setting, characters, climax, and the conclusion.
When writing a narrative essay, the introductory paragraph is pretty vital. It is from this paragraph that a reader decides whether the whole paper is worth reading.
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Therefore, ensure that your introductory paragraph catches the reader’s attention and offers a glimpse of what your narration aims to address.
Also see: Can an Essay Be One Paragraph?
Below is a list of guidelines to direct you into composing a thrilling and compelling introductory paragraph for your narrative essay.
- Start your essay with a hook as the introductory sentence
Remember, you want your introductory sentence to attract the reader’s attentiveness and keep them engaged. To do that, begin your introductory sentence with a creative hook.
For example, you may formulate your hook sentence by employing a quote, rhetoric question, anecdotes, statistics, a shocking statement, or an interesting fact.
- Usher in the principal characters
Since the reader needs to have a general idea of what and who your narrative is about, introduce and distinguish your main characters concisely.
Give the reader a picture of what the principal characters look like and their position in your story.
- Outline the setting of your narrative
The setting describes where and when your narration took place. Here, ensure that you render the reader with sensory details to help them create a clear picture of the scene.
How you describe your setting should trigger the reader’s senses of smell, taste, sight, touch, and hearing.
- Cover the overview and theme of your narrative in the end sentence
Your last sentence in the introduction forms your thesis statement. In this sentence, you should inform the reader what to anticipate in the rest of the narrative essay without giving any specific details.
Does a Narrative Essay Need a Thesis Statement?
A narrative essay needs a thesis statement. Although different from the thesis statements in analytical, descriptive, or argumentative essays, a narrative essay should have a thesis statement. This statement should be included in the essay’s introduction and is meant to tell the reader what to anticipate by reading the narration.
For your thesis statement to be clear and robust, it should meet several desirable features. For example, a good thesis statement for a narrative essay should be declarative, specific, can be demonstrated and argued, confident, and should fully express the essay’s subject.
How Do You Write a Narrative Essay Outline?
Like any other type of essay, a narrative essay should follow a functional outline structure. In attempting to write a compelling narrative essay that communicates clearly to the reader, drafting your essay outline is one of the most vital steps.
The outline acts as your plan, which makes the writing organized and less stressful.
To help you craft an effective outline with the correct critical elements for your narrative essay, below is a clear structure that you should consider employing.
- Introduction
Start the introductory paragraph with a hook, followed by the stage of your narrative and the thesis statement as the closing sentence. A hook should be the first sentence of your narrative essay and should be reflective, personal, and intriguing to captivate the reader’s attention.
After the hook, introduce the stage of your essay where you introduce the setting, scene, main characters, and a general overview of your essay.
The last and most crucial element of your introduction is the thesis statement. A thesis statement summarizes the essay’s main point by providing the reader with a sneak peek of what the narrative essay is all about. In general, your introduction should be intriguing, short, precise, and relatable.
The body is the main element of your narrative essay because it describes the beginning, the growth, and the end of your narration. Depending on the word count and the narration’s plot, a narrative essay’s body contains three paragraphs.
In the first paragraph, ensure that you launch the story by introducing its background. The second paragraph under the body is the heart of your narration, where you narrate the story up to the climax. Finally, the third paragraph is where you wrap up your narration. Here, ensure that the story ends naturally.
Overall, ensure that you give detailed descriptions and accurate information relevant to your story in the body. In addition, ensure that the body is fascinating and serves the reader with clear emotions.
Also see: Are Essay Mills Legal?
The conclusion is the final part of your narrative essay outline. This part acts as the summary to your story and where you unite the reader and the story. Here, you could state the moral of the story, state its significance, and call the reader to action to ensure that they meditate more on the subject.
Tips to Writing an Excellent Narrative Essay
You may be writing a narrative essay for your lecturer to grade, or you are a professional essay writer writing for their audience. In either of the cases, you need to write a fascinating article that will capture the reader’s attention and pass your intended message. To help you with that, below are essential tips you could utilize.
- Read narrative essays from other writers . For you to be a pro narrative essay writer, you need to be an extensive reader. Read a wide range of essays with different subjects written using distinct styles and arguments. From doing so, you will develop more writing confidence and even grow your creativity and ability to narrate.
- Analyze the essay question thoroughly . Before you start to write a narrative essay, ensure you understand the essay question to get a clear grasp of what you ought to write about. From the essay question, be alert to distinguish between directive, limiting, and content terms. You can therefore brainstorm on the question and choose the suitable topic to write on.
- Create an outline . Create an outline where you include the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. Draft a structure where you include your main ideas and how you want them to follow each other chronologically. This process will simplify your writing in a significant way.
- Do extensive research . For your essay to be authentic, you have to convince your reader of your arguments by providing them with reasoning, facts, and evidence where possible. To do so, you have to carry out comprehensive research on the subject matter from credible sources and have a good grasp of the story you are narrating.
- Edit and proofread your essay . Before you submit your narrative essay for marking or publishing, proofread the essay severally while editing. By doing so, you will discover and correct any spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors in your essay. Moreover, you will be able to check whether your points make sense and smoothly follow each other as you designated.
Narrative essay writing can be complicated if you don’t have confidence and a clear writing plan.
However, by reading this article, you will be better positioned to write authentic and sound narrative essays. Moreover, you will know how to write a narrative essay introduction.
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How to Start a Narrative Essay
Last Updated: October 10, 2022 References
This article was co-authored by Christopher Taylor, PhD and by wikiHow staff writer, Danielle Blinka, MA, MPA . Christopher Taylor is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. This article has been viewed 174,537 times.
A narrative essay tells a story, which allows you to flex your creative muscles. Your story may be fictional or nonfictional, depending on the requirements of your assignment. At first, starting your narrative essay might seem hard, but you can make your work simpler by narrowing down your topic and planning out your story. Then, you’ll be able to easily write your story’s introduction.
Choosing a Topic for Your Narrative
- If your instructor provides a rubric, read over it thoroughly to identify the expectations for full credit. Later, you can measure your essay against the rubric before turning in the assignment.
- If you have questions about the assignment, ask your instructor for clarification.
- List the first thoughts that come to mind when you think about the prompt or question.
- Make a mind map to sort out your ideas.
- Use freewriting to uncover story ideas. Simply write whatever comes to mind without worrying about grammar or making sense.
- Make an outline to help put your ideas in order.
- Don’t try to cover too much in one essay, as this will be too hard for your reader to follow.
- For example, let’s say the prompt reads: “Write about a setback that taught you perseverance.” You might want to write about an injury you overcame. To narrow down your story, you might focus on the first time you exercised your injured limb after the accident, as well as the difficulties you faced.
- For instance, the story about recovering from an injury might have a theme of overcoming hardships or persevering to reach a goal. You might want your reader to finish your story feeling inspired and uplifted. To achieve this feeling, you'd want to focus on your successes throughout the process and end the story with a positive thought.
Planning Your Story
- If you are a character in your story, you will still need to complete this step. It's up to you how much detail you want to write down about yourself. However, it's helpful to take note of your description, interests, and desires at the time the story takes place, especially if a lot of time has passed.
- A main character description might look like this: “Kate, 12 - An athletic basketball player who suffers an injury. She wants to recover from her injury so she can return to the court. She’s the patient of Andy, a physical therapist who is helping her recover.”
- A side character description might read like this: “Dr. Lopez is a friendly, fatherly middle-aged doctor who treats Kate in the emergency room.”
- For example, a story about overcoming a sports injury might include a few settings, such as the basketball court, the ambulance, the hospital, and a physical therapy office. Although you want to show your reader each setting, you'll spend the most time on the main setting of your story.
- You might list the following descriptors about the basketball court: “squeaky floor,” “roar of the crowd,” “bright overhead lights,” “team colors in the stands,” “smell of sweat and sports drinks,” and “wet jersey sticking to my back.”
- Your story may feature several different settings, but you don't need to provide the same level of detail about each one. For instance, you may be in an ambulance for a brief moment in the scene. You don't need to fully describe the ambulance, but you might tell the reader about "feeling cold and alone in the sterile ambulance."
- For example, you might introduce a young basketball player who is about to make a big play. The incident that kicks off the story might be her injury. Then, the rising action is the basketball player’s efforts to complete physical therapy and get back into the game. The climax might be the day of tryouts for the team. You might resolve the story by having her find her name on the team list, at which point she realizes she can overcome any obstacle.
- It’s helpful to use Freytag’s triangle or a graphic organizer to plan your essay. Freytag's triangle looks like a triangle with a long line to its left and a short line to its right. It's a tool that helps you plan out your story's beginning (exposition), an incident that starts your story's events, the rising action, a climax, the falling action, and the resolution of your story.
- You can find a Freytag's triangle template or a graphic organizer for your narrative essay online. [8] X Research source
- The most common types of conflict include person vs. person, person vs. nature, and person vs. self. Some stories will have more than one type of conflict.
- In the story about the young athlete who gets injured, her conflict might be person vs. self, as she’s having to push through her pain and limitations.
- In most cases, a personal narrative will use the 1st person “I” point-of-view. For example, “Over my last summer with my grandfather, I learned more than how to fish.”
- If you’re telling a fictional story, you might use the 3rd person point of you. Use your character’s name, as well as the appropriate pronouns like “he” or “she.” For instance, “Mia picked up the locket and opened it.”
Writing Your Introduction
- Start your essay with a rhetorical question. For instance, “Have you ever faced losing something that’s important to you?”
- Give a quote that fits your essay. You might write, “According to Rosa Gomez, ‘You don’t know how strong you are until a setback breaks you.”
- Provide an interesting fact that’s related to your story. As an example, “About 70% of kids will stop playing sports by the age of 13, and I was almost one of them.”
- Use a short anecdote that relates to the larger story. For your essay about overcoming an injury, you might include a short story about your best moment playing sports before your injury.
- Start with a shocking statement. You might write, “As soon as they loaded me into the ambulance, I knew I might never play sports again.”
- Let’s say your main character is you. You could write, “As a tall, lean 12-year-old, I easily outplayed the other girls on the court.” This gives the reader a picture about what you might look like, as well as your interest in sports and athletic ability.
- If you’re telling a fictional story, you might introduce your character like this: “As she walked toward the high school debate podium, Luz exuded confidence from her Kate Spade headband down to her thrift shop Betsey Johnson pumps.” Not only does this help the audience picture Luz, but it also shows that she puts effort into her appearance. The fact that she shops at thrift stores might indicate that her family isn’t as wealthy as she portrays.
- You might write, “It was my 7th-grade year, and I knew I had to make varsity if I were going to get attention from the high school coaches.”
- Sensory details trigger your senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. As an example, “My shoes squeaked across the court as I dribbled toward the goal line, the red basket in sight. Sweat made the ball feel slippery against my fingertips, and its salty taste coated my lips.”
- For instance, you might write, “I never expected that pass across the court to be my last for the season. However, recovering from my injury taught me I’m a strong person who can accomplish anything I set out to do.”
Expert Q&A
- A narrative essay will always tell a story, so make sure your essay has a clear plot. ⧼thumbs_response⧽ Helpful 1 Not Helpful 1
- Don’t borrow someone else’s ideas for your story or copy someone else’s writing. This is plagiarism and can result in severe academic penalties, including loss of credit. ⧼thumbs_response⧽ Helpful 36 Not Helpful 0
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- ↑ https://www.nova.edu/tutoring-testing/study-resources/forms/planning-narrative-essay.pdf
- ↑ https://spcollege.libguides.com/c.php?g=254430&p=1697470
- ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/academic_writing/essay_writing/narrative_essays.html
- ↑ https://human.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Literature_and_Literacy/Writing_and_Critical_Thinking_Through_Literature_(Ringo_and_Kashyap)/02%3A_About_Creative_Nonfiction/2.02%3A_Elements_of_Creative_Nonfiction
- ↑ https://penandthepad.com/start-narrative-essay-english-7667341.html
About This Article
If you’re struggling to start your narrative essay, find a way to encourage your reader to keep reading and introduce your main characters. Since opening lines can pull a reader in, choose something catchy that’s related to your story. For example, if your essay is about loss, you could open with a question like, “Have you ever faced losing something that’s important to you?” Then, add some details about your story’s setting that will interest the reader, such as describing how your trainers squeaked as you dribbled across the court if your story is about sports. You should also include enough information about the main character to peak the reader’s interest, like “She was a tall, lean 12-year-old,” but not too much so they know everything. For tips from our Writing co-author on how to plan out your entire narrative essay before you start writing, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No
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How to Write an Introductory Paragraph That Captivates Your Audience?
If you are a student wondering how to write an introductory paragraph, then this article will be helpful for you. It covers constructing an exciting and persuasive introduction that will grab your reader’s attention and maintain their interest in your words. We’ll cover the basics of writing and how to write introductory paragraphs for an essay, research paper, and narrative.
What is an Introductory Paragraph?
An introductory paragraph is the opening paragraph of your essay, research paper, or narrative. Its purpose is to grab the reader’s attention and introduce the topic of your piece. It should be engaging, interesting, and informative enough to keep your reader interested in reading further.
How to Write an Introductory Paragraph?
An opening paragraph acts as a road map for the reader, outlining the goal and extent of the study. It is helpful to think of the introduction as an upside-down triangle with the most significant portion at the top and the sharpest point at the bottom to achieve this efficiently. The introduction should start with a broad summary of the subject at the top of the triangle.
The topic’s focus should get more specific as the introduction goes on. Also, the relevance of the subject and the reasons why it matters should be emphasized in this part. The thesis statement, which summarizes the paper’s primary argument or aim, should come at the end of the introduction. These are general points of how to write an introductory paragraph but now we will move to more specific points.
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How to write an introductory paragraph of an essay?
The first paragraph of an essay should have three key components: a hook, some background information, and a thesis statement.
The first sentence of your introduction paragraph, known as the hook, should draw the reader in. It ought to be an intriguing, unexpected, or provocative statement. You can develop a hook by using a quotation, question, or statistic.
2. Background Information
After your hook, you should provide some background information on your topic. This could be a brief overview of the issue or topic you’re discussing or some historical context. The goal is to provide enough information to orient your reader but not so much that they lose interest.
3. Thesis Statement
Lastly, a thesis statement should wrap up your introduction. These are one or two sentences that briefly state the thesis or argument of your paper.
Here’s an example covering the components of how to write an introductory paragraph for an essay on the benefits of exercise:
“Did you know exercising regularly can extend your life, lessen stress, and enhance your mental health? It’s more crucial now than ever to prioritize physical exercise in our society when we spend most of our time hunched over screens. I’ll review the numerous advantages of exercise in this essay and make the case that everyone’s daily routines should include regular exercise.”
How to Write an Introductory Paragraph for a Research Paper?
If you are confused that how to write an introduction paragraph for a research paper, then keep in mind that it also contains three points.
The hook is not similar to an essay’s, although it should be attention-grabbing and relevant to your research topic. In a research paper’s hook, usually, the emphasis is on providing data and reasoning more impartially and formally.
After your hook, you should provide background information on your research topic. The background information in the research paper should be more detailed and extensive as it is crucial to establish the existing knowledge and research on the subject.
Finally, it would help if you end your introductory paragraph with a thesis statement. It should be clear and concise and give your reader an idea of what to expect in the rest of your piece. The thesis statement in a research paper is more complicated and nuanced since it must represent the original study or analysis that has been done.
Here’s an example covering the main components of how to write an introductory paragraph for a research paper on climate change and the gap between public action and scientific knowledge.
Climate change has a terrible effect on ecosystems, societies, and economies worldwide. But regardless of the overwhelming proof of its seriousness and severity, neither the general public nor governments have acted quickly. This study will highlight the importance of media framing and political polarization as contributing causes to the discrepancy between scientific understanding and public action on climate change.
How to Write an Introduction Paragraph for a Narrative Essay?
A narrative essay’s introduction paragraph differs from essays and research papers. Your opening paragraph should create the atmosphere for your story and attract the reader rather than giving background information and a thesis statement and it will assist you in how to write an introduction paragraph.
A narrative essay’s hook consists of one or two sentences that grab the reader and establish the piece’s mood. To build a hook that draws your reader in, you can use a descriptive phrase, an action-packed line, or a quotation from one of your characters.
2. Setting the Scene
The setting for your story will come after your hook. It could involve describing the setting, introducing your main character, or providing context for your narrative.
If you are still confused about how to write an introduction paragraph for a narrative essay, then our example about a hiking trip will clear your doubts.
“When we started our journey, the air was clear and fresh, and our bags were packed with everything we would need for the day. We were excited to explore the mountain’s rough terrain and find the untold beauty lying in wait. I couldn’t help but feel a sense of anticipation and excitement as we climbed the route. I had no idea this trek would be one of the most difficult and memorable experiences of my life.”
Key takeaways
By sticking to the tips in our article on how to write an introductory paragraph, you will develop a hook that pulls the reader in, give background information that establishes the context for your work, and conclude with either a concise thesis statement (for essays and research papers) or a detailed description of the scene and the characters (in the case of narratives).
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How To Write A Narrative Essay: General Guidelines
08 May 2022
Quick Navigation
❔What Is A Narrative Essay?
📑Purpose Of A Narrative Essay
🖇️Elements Of A Narrative Essay
✒️ Types Of A Narrative Essay
🗒️ Length Of A Narrative Essay
✍️Guidelines For Writing A Narrative Essay
Essays come in several forms. Some are descriptive in nature and others can be more persuasive. In this guide, the focus is on the narrative essay. This is a particular type of work that involves the use of narration or telling a story.
We’ll give you a further explanation of what this type of essay is. As well as this, we’ll show you how to write narrative essay, so you’re more confident about writing your own. Our guide also goes over at narrative format and the different essay types you can write.
A Narrative Essay Explained
To define this type of essay, we should look at what narrative writing is. This is a type of writing whose purpose is to tell the reader a story. It involves characters, settings and a plot that ends up getting resolved. If it’s fictional, everything’s made up. Novels are a good example of fictional narrative writing. On the other hand, if the writing is factual, everything is based on real-life events.
Academic assignments that involve narrative essay writing nearly always require you to write factual content. The bulk of your work should therefore be a story that’s true and whose details can be backed up by facts.
If you’re wondering how to write narrative writing, just imagine you’re telling a story to someone you know. It has a beginning, a middle and an end. The beginning sets the scene and the end concludes everything. The middle consists of the story’s most important parts; it can be as short or long as you need. However long your narrative text is, you should keep in mind that you’re telling a story and it should flow well.
Some students type into search engines ‘ Write my narrative essay ’ and come across services like ours. We have a team of high-quality writers. They produce written work that students use to help them write their own assignments.
Specific Prompts
- Write about the time you met your best friend.
- Write a story about your first trip to the beach.
Open-ended Prompts
- Write about something you did that you are very happy for.
- Write a story about what you’d like your future life to be.
The Narrative Essay and the Short Story: Key Differences
This type of essay and the short story have some similarities but also some differences. It’s important to understand what structures the two have so your own piece of work sticks to the required format.
When writing a narrative essay for a college or university assessment, you’ll have to rely on facts. Your writing should give the reader a clear summary of what happened. You’ll also have to stick to a word count, if there is one, and follow the general narrative essay structure that markers are looking for. There should be a thesis statement in the opening section that summarises your paper’s key argument.
As for a short story, this is fictional and what happens is the product of the writer’s imagination. It doesn’t require a thesis statement and its structure is a lot more fluid than that of a narrative essay. There’s no set way to approach one and you can be as creative as you like with the content.
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A Narrative Essay’s Aim
If you’re not sure how to start a narrative essay, ask yourself why you want to tell people this particular story; what’s your purpose in sharing it with others. When someone writes a story, no matter what genre it is, they want it to have an impact on those who read it; they want their readers to react to it in a particular way. If someone writes a horror story, for example, their purpose will be to make their readers feel afraid and frightened.
You should want readers to be engaged with your story. The more closely someone reads your work, the more likely they will be to take it in and react to it. To make the story more compelling and effective, you have to write it in the best possible way. This involves using the right language, having a clear structure and making sure your writing is clear.
- Write about the moment you overcame your biggest concern.
- Write a story about your thoughts on what courage is.
- Write about a trip you will never forget.
- Write a story about starting a relationship.
What Makes a Good Narrative Essay?
A good narrative essay should draw readers in, tell them a story that leaves an impression on them and finish with a definitive conclusion. It includes all the familiar elements of a story but without being as long as one. It should also let the reader know what you make of the story and what your thoughts about it are.
What’s also crucial is structure and format for narrative essay. These make your work presentable and readable. We’ll discuss both of these later on.
Elements of Narrative Essays
There are several key components, or elements, that make up this type of essay. These include characters, speech and theme.
- Characters are the backbone of any story and are, therefore, very significant in narrative essays. Not only do they drive the plot forward, but they also interact with one another. Each one has a personality and background; sometimes, one or both of these may directly influence the story’s action.
- More often than not, the story part will include some speech. This reflects the conversations that characters have with one another or thoughts they may have.
- The theme is the main idea or meaning behind the story. It’s a concept that a writer can express to the reader through the story’s plot, setting and characters. The thesis statement should mention the theme and provide a summary of what it is.
Common Narrative Essay Types
There are multiple types of narrative essays. Most college and university assignments require your work to be factual. For some courses, such as creative writing, your work will be fictional. You’ll find some of the main types below:
- Factual. When you’re writing a factual (or nonfiction) narrative essay, you’re retelling real-life events for other people. To put the story together, you’ll look at evidence from one or more sources.
- Fictional. For fictional narrative essays, you can be creative and come up with any sort of story you want. Since it’s for an academic assignment, it should still have some purpose and meaning.
- Autobiographical. An autobiographical essay involves writing down a story you’re directly involved in. This is a factual piece of academic writing where you’re sharing with the reader something you’ve experienced. You’ll use the first person and can, if you want, inject your telling of the story with thoughts and opinions.
- Write about an experience that put you in danger.
- Write a story about a time when you discovered a secret.
- Write about a day you experienced that was unlike any other.
- Write a story about a memorable summer vacation.
Types of Narrative Writing
When thinking of how to start a narrative essay for college, you should try to decide on the type of writing you’ll be using. Below are some types to consider:
- Linear. When taking a linear approach to the writing, you’ll describe the story’s events in the order they happened in. One event will follow from the previous one and lead into the next one.
- Non-linear. Should you take a non-linear approach, you’ll tell the events of the story out of sequence. This may include flashbacks or even flashforwards.
- Quest. Some stories are a sequence of events taking place and characters reacting to these. Others are more like a quest where a person actively tries to complete a goal and this becomes their entire purpose.
- Viewpoint. With a viewpoint type of narration, the main character narrates the events from their own point of view. Instead of it being just about the plot, it’s just as much about the opinions, ideas and feelings of the narrator.
- Descriptive. For this type of narrative writing, you should be very descriptive and use vivid details throughout. Readers should be able to picture the story’s setting and visualise what the characters in it look like.
Your story should make sense, whatever type of narrative writing you choose. The paragraphs should connect to one another in a clear and logical way. If you choose a non-linear style, the reader should be able to tell that the events aren’t in the right order.
If you’re stuck on how to write a narrative paragraph, remember that it should be concise. It should also connect with the one before it and the one after it. Your work ideally won’t have any blocks of text that stand out or are separate from the rest of the writing. For your essay to read well, there should be links from one paragraph to the next.
If you still need help, buy an essay online safely from us. We’re a team of experienced writers and we want to help students with their assignments by providing them with essays to use as examples.
The Length of a Narrative Essay
When it comes to writing a narrative essay, there’s no set length. The required word count will vary depending on who’s setting the work and what institution is running your course. Some narrative essays can be as short as 500 words, whereas others may have a few hundred more. Sometimes, your narrative essay guidelines may require at least 1,000 words.
If you’re given a word count, e.g., 500-600 words, obviously, you will have to stick to it. If there’s no restriction, it’s up to you how long your work should be. An ideal narrative essay should be at least a few hundred words in length. It should have a clear beginning and conclusion, with three or more body sections.
However long your assignment is, it should be direct and to the point. An essay that’s narrative should retell the key points of a story without necessarily going into detail. You should only include the most important characters, locations and events. By all means, have some descriptive language, but don’t overdo it.
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Guidelines for Writing a Narrative Essay
If you’re wondering how to write a good narrative essay, we’ll cover some of the most important guidelines in this section. Follow these and you should find your work much easier to approach and complete. Use our guidelines and you should have a better idea of how to write narrative essays.
How Do You Start a Narrative Essay?
First, you’ll receive a prompt from your lecturer/tutor. This is the instruction your lecturer/tutor gives you when setting the assignment. When you have this, you should start gathering ideas about what you’ll be writing. Come up with a title - unless your essay has a set title - and consider how you’re going to approach the story aspect of your writing.
When coming up with your story, think about how you would tell it to someone else. Break it down into a number of events that follow one another. When writing it, you should try to draw the reader in by using descriptive language and adding plenty of relevant details. The aim is to interest whoever’s reading your work but not to bore them. They should want to keep reading and find out what the conclusion of the story is.
Here are some prompts that you can use:
- Write about the best birthday party you had.
- Write a story about the first time you cooked a meal by yourself.
- Write about a life lesson you have learned.
- Write a story about your best childhood memory.
How to Choose an Essay Topic?
The topic you’ll be writing about will depend on your prompt. This can fall under two categories: specific and open-ended.
If you have a specific prompt, you’re going to be writing about a particular event or series of events. If it’s an open-ended one, you don’t have to write about something specific and you have a lot more choice in your topic.
The number and range of narrative writing topics are endless. The benefit of having a specific prompt is that it’s easier for you to determine what you’ll be writing about. All you’ll have to do is think about what the prompt is directing you toward and tell the story it’s asking of you.
If your prompt is open-ended, choosing a topic to write about can be tricky because there can be many possibilities. You should settle on one that the reader will find interesting, engaging and relevant.
- Write about an old friend you’ve lost touch with and why it happened.
- Write a story about your observation of a cowardly act.
- Write about a hobby you like.
- Write a story about the first time in your life you took a trip abroad.
How to Format and Structure a Narrative Essay?
The structure of narrative essay is straightforward. There are four key parts: the introduction, the thesis statement, the body and the conclusion.
- The introduction provides the reader with an overview of your essay. The thesis statement is a brief summary of your work’s main points.
- The body is where you tell the story. After introducing your characters and establishing the setting, you’ll narrate the events of the story and move the plot forward. Most narrative essays have a minimum of three body paragraphs.
- The conclusion is where you bring the story’s plot to an end. You should also comment on it, explaining why it’s significant and what benefits it may have.
It’s important for you to stick to the standard structure of a narrative essay. Doing so helps you present the story in a logical way. It also makes your piece of writing easier to read.
As for the format of narrative essay, this should be professional. The final piece of work you submit should look just like any other type of academic essay. The writing should have an appropriate font and size. As well as this, things like indentation, spacing and paragraph sizing should all be consistent. Your narrative essay format is just as important as the content because academic submissions require formatting of a certain standard.
The exact type of narrative writing format you use will depend on the college or university you’re at. Some institutions will have a set formatting style that all academic writing submissions will have to follow.
Narrative Essay Outline
An outline is a general sort of plan that you’ll use to write your essay. When putting one together, you should think about not only the content of your work but also how you’re going to present this to the reader. It’s a good idea to consider the language you’ll be using, how long your sentences and paragraphs will be, how often you’ll use speech and so on.
The introduction should do two things: catch the attention of the reader; make them want to carry on reading. It should also make them intrigued about your essay’s topic and curious to find out what you have to say about it. Once you’ve written one, it’s a good idea to let others read it and see if it makes them want to find out more about your work.
The body is the bulk of your essay and is where most of the storytelling takes place. The first paragraph should set the scene, introduce at least one character and establish the basics of the plot. Over the next few paragraphs, you should develop everything that you previously introduced. Once the reader is done with the body section, they should know your characters and plot quite well.
The conclusion is very important because it’s where you conclude the story and reflect on it. This final section should sum up what you’ve learnt and how you want the story to affect others. It should also link back to your thesis statement in some way.
For more information and help with writing, read our narrative essay outline example article. This includes a full step-by-step guide that you may find useful.
Narrative Essay Thesis Statement
The thesis statement is a short sentence in the introduction that sums up what your essay is about. It gives the reader a clear idea of what the paper’s key argument is, but without revealing too much about the story. If you’re wondering how to structure a narrative essay, a rule of thumb is to place the thesis statement at the end of the introduction. This way, it naturally leads into the main part of your paper.
Here are some examples of a good thesis statement:
I have only one life and I will use every opportunity to be happy.
Love has changed my whole life and made me a new person, here’s why.
Writing a good thesis statement is vital for any essay type. If yours reads well, it can help the reader engage with your work more. If you’re struggling to write a thesis statement, buy narrative essays online and see some examples from our team. By reading other people’s work, you’ll get a better idea of how to write things yourself.
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Dr. Karlyna PhD
I am a proficient writer from the United States with over five years of experience in academic writing. I comfortably complete given assignments within stipulated deadlines and at the same time deliver high-quality work, which follows the guidelines provided.
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5 Easy Ways to Write an Irresistible Introduction
“If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don’t feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth.”
So begins J.D. Salinger’s iconic novel, Catcher in the Rye , arguably one of the finest opening sentences of any American novel ever written.
I’m not here to talk Salinger or the writing life or the greats of 20th century American literature. This is a marketing blog, not a book club.
I am, however, going to talk about introductions, and how to write them well.
We hear a great deal of talk about the importance of headlines , but much less is said about the value of a great introduction. Sure, you need a tempting headline to catch your reader’s eye, but without a strong, compelling introduction, the best headline ever written won’t save you.
In this post, we’ll take a look at five of the many different ways you can open a blog post, article, interview, white paper – pretty much anything with words. This is by no means a comprehensive or definitive list; there are almost as many ways to introduce your writing as there are ways to write. There are, however, some general techniques that lend themselves well to marketing copy that can be extraordinarily effective.
Introduction #1: The Quote
I chose to open this post with a quote not because I’m a fan of Catcher in the Rye . Truth be told, I’m not the biggest Catcher fan (despite my personal appreciation for Salinger’s immense literary talent and commitment to being a hardcore recluse ).
True dat. Image via XXY Magazine .
The real reason I chose to open with that quote is because introductory quotes are a lazy but highly effective way of grabbing your reader’s attention without doing any real work – especially when the quote in question has a negative or otherwise memorable tone, as Salinger’s (or rather, his protagonist Holden Caulfield’s) does.
Before you’ve even read the quote in its entirety, you’re already wondering what was so lousy about the quoted individual’s life, or what “all that David Copperfield crap” really means and why the person being quoted doesn’t really feel like going into it.
Why Is This Type of Introduction So Effective?
Before we get into why this technique is so effective, it’s worth mentioning that opening with a quote only works well if the quote itself is interesting. There’s no point using a quote as your introduction if it’s something boring or predictable.
Aside from the quote itself, which should ideally be as attention-grabbing as possible, the fact that quotation marks are used indicates – obviously – that a specific individual said those words. It may not sound like it, but this can be very enticing to the reader, encouraging them to read on to see who said it. This is especially true if the quote is controversial or contrarian .
Let’s say you’re writing a piece about the potential impact of artificial intelligence on human society. Sure, you could open with a bland, generic introduction about how AI and technology have revolutionized the world as we know it, but you could also let someone else do the talking for you.
“With artificial intelligence we are summoning the demon. In all those stories where there’s the guy with the pentagram and the holy water, it’s like – yeah, he’s sure he can control the demon. Doesn’t work out.”
Tesla CEO Elon Musk in conversation at MIT’s AeroAstro Centennial Symposium in 2014. Image via MIT .
The quote above is one of many such memorable insights offered by technologist Elon Musk about the potentially existential threat posed by AI . Yes, it’s a little sensationalist – Musk certainly knows how to leverage provocative language to great effect – but it’s also a lot more interesting than most of the introductions I’ve read in articles on the topic. (Note that this particular quote was not used as an introduction in any piece I’ve found or read on the topic, and is used solely for illustrative purposes.)
It’s worth noting that this technique can be a little tricky or unorthodox within the context of established journalistic conventions. As anyone who’s ever worked with me as an editor could tell you, I’m a stickler for the correct attribution of quotes, which demands that, in most cases, the person being quoted should be identified after the first complete sentence. If we follow this convention (which we should, unless we have a very good reason not to), our example quote from Musk (with additions italicized) would read:
“With artificial intelligence we are summoning the demon,” Elon Musk said during an interview at MIT’s AeroAstro Centennial Symposium in 2014 . “In all those stories where there’s the guy with the pentagram and the holy water, it’s like – yeah, he’s sure he can control the demon. Doesn’t work out.”
Don’t mess around with artificial intelligence or arcane demonic rituals. Image via Threadless .
Unfortunately, if we (correctly) identify Elon Musk as the quoted individual after the first complete sentence, this introductory technique loses most, if not all, of its impact.
Notice how Salinger’s opening quote from Catcher in the Rye is a single sentence? This allowed me to include it without worrying about correctly attributing the quote as I would have if I’d used Musk’s quote as my intro. If in doubt, talk to your editor – they’ll thank you for it later.
Introduction #2: The Statistic or Fun Fact
Did you know that the first American movie to show a toilet being flushed on-screen was Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 psychological horror classic, Psycho ?
TFW the water’s too hot
Everybody loves trivia, and even if you’re a hardcore Hitchcock fan, you might not have known the fun fact above.
This technique is another powerfully effective way to grab your reader’s attention from the outset. It’s also one of the most commonly used introductions in a lot of marketing writing. This makes sense; it establishes the general topic of the piece in a fun way and offers the reader something snappy and memorable.
However, the real reason using facts or statistics as an introduction works is because it pushes our emotional buttons .
When it comes to content, whether a 500-word blog post or a 4,000-word long-form journalistic feature , some emotional triggers are more effective than others. In particular, there’s a scientific principle known as the von Restorff effect (named for the German pediatrician Hedwig von Restorff who first wrote of the phenomena in the early 1930s) which states that people tend to remember unusual things much more effectively than routine, expected things.
How it feels reading bad articles
This is an extension of our natural survival instincts; our brains are wired to perceive strange or unusual things as potential threats, making them much more memorable as whatever strange thing we’re fixated on might kill us. It’s also why, if you don’t take much else away from this post, I can practically guarantee that you’ll remember the Psycho toilet-flushing fact, which you can and should use to impress your friends at your next get-together at the pub.
Here at WordStream, we use this technique a great deal, and not only in introductions. To this day, I still remember that you’re 475 times more likely to survive a plane crash than you are to click on a banner ad – a fact I first included in a post for the WordStream blog back in 2014 . Admittedly, I had to look up the publication date of that post, but I didn’t need to double-check the statistic itself because it’s just that memorable.
Something to consider next time you despair about your display conversion rates. Image via NBC Los Angeles .
Take care, however, to select your facts and statistics carefully. In the banner ad example above, this stat isn’t just memorable because of the staggering odds against you clicking on a banner ad, but because it’s framed within the context of surviving a plane crash – a particularly striking hypothetical scenario, and one that aligns closely with the survival instincts I mentioned earlier. Merely tossing in a statistic about how many daily active users Facebook has, for example, will not have the same effect. Just as you should think carefully about the quotes you use in your introductions, choose your statistics with similar care.
Introduction #3: The Classical Narrative
In May of 1940, as war raged across Europe, a squad of infantrymen belonging to the famous Manchester Regiment encroached upon the village of l’Epinette in northern France.
Both German and Allied forces sought to capture the strategically located village, and the Manchester Regiment came under heavy fire from the Nazi soldiers. The squadron eventually managed to pin down the Nazis with suppressing fire, and as the German soldiers took cover behind the low wall of a farmhouse, one of the Germans cried out. His commanding officer glanced over at the dying soldier, believing him to be shot, only to see a long, feathered arrow protruding from the man’s chest.
The man, the legend, Captain “Mad Jack” Churchill. Image via Dirk de Klein/History of Sorts .
The Nazi soldier had been killed by the improbably yet fantastically named John Malcolm Thorpe Fleming Churchill, also known as “Mad Captain Jack” Churchill, the only soldier known to have carried a longbow – and an authentic claymore sword – into battle during World War II. Churchill held a deep appreciation of his Scottish heritage, and when asked why he carried such a large, antiquated weapon into battle, Churchill respectfully replied that, in his opinion, “any officer who goes into action without his sword is improperly dressed.”
As much as I’d love to tell you more about Mad Jack Churchill – and unbelievably, there’s plenty more to tell – I used this tale as an example of how employing a classical narrative in your introductions can be extraordinarily powerful. Granted, this particular example as I’ve presented it isn’t technically a true narrative; it has a beginning (the approach of the Manchester Regiment upon l’Epinette) and rising action (Churchill killing a Nazi soldier with a bow and arrow), but it lacks a real ending. Still, hopefully you see what I’m getting at with this example.
Simply put, traditional stories work so well as introductions because, as human beings, we’re hardwired to respond to stories. Far from mere entertainment, stories served humanity for millennia as cautionary tales and a means of survival, and even today, with all our technology and knowledge, a good story told well is still one of the most gripping forms of entertainment we know.
Original artwork by Elena Stebakova
Just as a good novel draws you in from the outset and keeps you reading, using a traditional narrative as an introduction offers all of the same benefits to your piece. This technique allows you to introduce one or more characters – in our example, Mad Jack Churchill – before moving on to the dramatic rise that every good story has. This grabs the reader’s attention immediately, and if done well, can serve as an almost irresistible hook for the rest of the piece.
Introduction #4: The Question
If you had to, would you rather fight a single, horse-sized duck, or 100 duck-sized horses?
Image via Flipline Studios
Asking questions can be a powerfully effective technique in introductions. It poses a hypothetical scenario to the reader and invites them to imagine their response and relate their own lived experience to the material that follows. From the outset of your piece, you’re engaging the reader by asking them to apply their own judgment or opinion to the topic at hand – in our example, preferential combat with an improbably large duck or a small army of improbably tiny horses.
Posing questions to your readers in your introduction is an effective technique precisely because you’re inviting your reader to think about a highly specific scenario. This technique is similar to the use of statistics or facts in introductions; by asking questions of your audience, you’re providing them with a potentially memorable situation and inviting them to consider their perspective on the issue. For example, I’d personally rather fight 100 duck-sized horses than a single, menacing horse-sized duck.
I don’t know, maybe? Image via TED/Ganesh Pai .
However, this technique is not without its pitfalls. Firstly, this method has been thoroughly exploited by thousands of clickbait publishers as a lazy way to entice people to click through from a question-based headline to an inevitably disappointing article. Whether the question is posed in the headline or the introduction, many people are understandably fatigued by and wary of questions in content .
Secondly, there’s the problem of structure. In my waterfowl combat example above, there’s no “correct” answer. This means the question is virtually impossible to conclusively answer, which can lead to disappointment in your reader, especially if you pose a question that they expect the rest of the piece to answer. This blog post about conversion rates is a great example. Larry asks a question of the reader in the headline, and the rest of the article answers and supports that question with data and logical, scientific reasoning. Now imagine if he had asked the question yet failed to answer. How would this make you feel as a reader?
Introduction #5: Setting the Scene
By 2017, the world economy has collapsed. Food, natural resources, and oil are in short supply. A police state, divided into paramilitary zones, rules with an iron hand.
Although this introduction could aptly describe our current geopolitical nightmare, it’s actually the introductory text from Paul Michael Glaser’s 1987 cinematic adaptation of Stephen King’s disturbingly prescient short story, The Running Man (which King wrote under his Richard Bachman pseudonym, before you hardcore King fans yell at me).
This technique is known as setting the scene, and it can be a highly effective way of drawing your reader into your piece. (If you’re interested, David Hogan’s 1996 action movie Barb Wire also came surprisingly close with its speculative take on what a dystopian 2017 might look like.)
This introductory technique is similar to the narrative example, in that the writer sets the stage for not only what is happening at the outset of the piece, but for what the reader can expect to follow. This method can be incredibly powerful when dealing with emerging topics or subjects with strong newsworthy elements.
Editorially, this technique offers many benefits to the writer. It allows you to choose and establish a clearly defined position on an issue, and enables you to quickly assume a contrarian stance on contentious topics. It also allows you to manipulate the emotions of your readers by summarizing and highlighting the positive or negative aspects of a story how you see fit, or to support the points you want to make.
Stylistically, this introduction can be structured similarly to narrative introductions – by telling a self-contained story at the outset of the piece before transitioning into the rest of the content – or by helping the reader get up to speed quickly on a developing topic they may not be aware of, as many in-depth news reports from Houston in the wake of Hurricane Harvey did. Many reports framed the catastrophic damage caused by Harvey within the wider political contexts of disaster relief funding, contentious proposed cuts to scientific research, and the volatile political climate that surrounds emergency management in crisis-prone regions such as the southern and southeastern United States.
A well-written introduction setting the scene can help your readers quickly understand why what you’re about to say is important, as well as giving them a solid grounding in the often highly nuanced background information essential to understanding complex, multifaceted issues.
Introduce Yourself
Hopefully you’re spending plenty of time coming up with catchy headlines for your content. I hope that you now have a greater appreciation for the value and importance of a solid introduction, too.
Next time you sit down to write, spare a thought for the daring bravery of Mad Jack Churchill charging into battle with his longbow and claymore like a Viking warrior – then ask whether your intro would make Mad Jack proud.
5 Ways to Write an Introduction [Summary]
- Start with a quotation
- Open with a relevant stat or fun fact
- Start with a fascinating story
- Ask your readers an intriguing question
- Set the scene
Meet The Author
Originally from the U.K., Dan Shewan is a journalist and web content specialist who now lives and writes in New England. Dan’s work has appeared in a wide range of publications in print and online, including The Guardian, The Daily Beast, Pacific Standard magazine, The Independent, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, and many other outlets.
See other posts by Dan Shewan
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Introduction to a narrative essay, 5 students’ examples of a narrative essay introduction,narrative essay examples.
WebJul 24, · A narrative essay is a way of testing your ability to tell a story in a clear and interesting way. You’re expected to think about where your story begins and ends, and how to convey it with eye-catching language and a satisfying pace. These skills are quite WebAug 26, · Tips to Writing an Excellent Narrative Essay. Read narrative essays from other writers. For you to be a pro narrative essay writer, you need to be an extensive WebA narrative essay is a type of writing that tells a story, usually from the writer’s point of view. It often includes characters, a setting, and a plot that unfolds over time. A narrative WebNarration is the art of storytelling, and in this module, you will investigate the ways in which writers employ common narration strategies to engage readers from the beginning to the WebNarration is the art of storytelling, and in this module, you will investigate the ways in which writers employ common narration strategies to engage readers from the ... read more
A well-written descriptive narrative paper is usually straightforward. It takes a complicated story and narrows it down—allowing the reader to infer the rest. Great writers avoid over-exaggeration and stick to their purpose. There are always some limits to the amount of content you can provide to your readers; keep this in mind when choosing what to include in your work. This task requires you to share a true story throughout your life. Note that this type of assignment should focus on one specific event. Unlike a descriptive essay, an autobiographical one places a bigger focus on the story itself and its purpose, not details. When choosing a good narrative essay topic, there are a few things to remember.
First of all, you should start by carefully studying the given requirements. Typically, teachers will specify exactly what you are expected to do. Some of the basic characteristics a teacher may be looking for in your paper are:. To come up with a brilliant topic for a narrative essay, you will need to take some time to brainstorm. To get on the right track, try using the following techniques:. Follow these tips to generate some great ideas, and then pick one that looks the most compelling. The final information is to choose something interesting to you and appealing enough to engage your audience. These are a few typical examples that students tend to explore.
Next, consider making a story based on your personal life experiences. The most vivid memories are usually the ones that tell a great story. The narrative essay format and structure are standard. Like other assignments, this type of paper normally follows a 5 paragraph essay outline: one introductory paragraph, three body paragraphs, and the last narrative paragraph is the conclusion. However, unlike other types of essays, a narrative paper's paragraphs have specifically designated purposes:. Let's look at how to start a narrative essay. When writing this type of academic task, we recommend that you follow this specific sequence of actions.
If you approach your writing step by step, as described above, the whole process will become less stressful and much quicker. So now, let's get back to the narrative essay outline. The thesis statement is another important element of your paper. It should be placed in the introductory paragraph and can later be restated in your conclusion to empower the effect of the essay. A thesis statement is your main argument. Its main goal is to introduce the problem or conflict you will investigate in your paper and to spark the readers' interest. A good thesis statement should not be a fact or general truth, and it also shouldn't be a suggestion, recommendation, or question.
Instead, it should give a sneak peek into the problem, explain it briefly, and provide some hints about the outcome. The main body of your paper is the most important part. This is where you tell the story, share facts and details, and guide readers through the plot. The body of a narrative essay can consist of 3 or more paragraphs, and its length depends on the general word count of your paper. In the conclusion part, you are expected to give some final comments about your story. This is where you can restate some of the key details and ideas mentioned in the body. In addition, you should stress the lessons you've learned from a particular situation and leave readers with something to think about. The content of narrative essays can vary depending on the requirements of your institution.
Leave us a notice if you need dissertation help. We have decided to provide you with narrative essay examples in case you have a problem. Your work must demonstrate these qualities, regardless of whether your narrative paper is a college application essay or a class assignment. Additionally, you want to demonstrate your character and creativity. Describe a situation where you have encountered a problem, tell the story of how you came up with a unique approach to solving it, and connect it to your field of interest. The narrative can be exciting and informative if you present it in such fashion.
High school is all about showing that you can make mature choices. You accept the consequences of your actions and retrieve valuable life lessons. Think of an event in which you believe your actions were exemplary and made an adult choice. A personal narrative essay example will showcase the best of your abilities. Finally, use other sources to help you get the best results possible. Try searching for a sample narrative essay to see how others have approached it. Writing a narrative essay should be a positive experience. It does not restrict you to a linear format with no allowance for variation. This is one of the most free-spirited and original essays to write. That doesn't mean that rebelling against all rules and writing something absurd is appropriate, though.
If you are still struggling to decide what to write about — think of your story as a coming-of-age tale. An event that transformed you into the person you are today. Your primary goal is to take the readers on a journey. Have them share your experience and take something away from it. The best stories are always the ones that teleport the readers out of their comfort zones. Essay writing is a craft whose skills you have to develop over time. An authentic essay should clearly communicate the intended message. There are various essay types that you could come across. They include descriptive, argumentative, expository, and narrative essays. Expository and argumentative essays express factual information and main points. However, Descriptive and narrative essays accord you as a writer to write creatively.
In this article, we will concentrate and expound on narrative essays. This article helps you know how to write a narrative essay introduction, and most importantly, provides you with tactics on how to be a better narrative essay writer in general. A narrative essay is an essay that assumes a storytelling form, and as a writer, you have the independence to express yourself on the subject matter. That said, a narrative essay is personal and experiential in nature. Typically, a narrative essay should have an introduction, a plot, a setting, characters, climax, and the conclusion. When writing a narrative essay, the introductory paragraph is pretty vital. It is from this paragraph that a reader decides whether the whole paper is worth reading.
Stuck writing a paper? Let Our Experts Write it for you. Also see: Can an Essay Be One Paragraph? Below is a list of guidelines to direct you into composing a thrilling and compelling introductory paragraph for your narrative essay. To do that, begin your introductory sentence with a creative hook. For example, you may formulate your hook sentence by employing a quote, rhetoric question, anecdotes, statistics, a shocking statement, or an interesting fact. Since the reader needs to have a general idea of what and who your narrative is about, introduce and distinguish your main characters concisely.
Give the reader a picture of what the principal characters look like and their position in your story. The setting describes where and when your narration took place. Here, ensure that you render the reader with sensory details to help them create a clear picture of the scene. Your last sentence in the introduction forms your thesis statement. In this sentence, you should inform the reader what to anticipate in the rest of the narrative essay without giving any specific details. A narrative essay needs a thesis statement.
Reflect for a moment on the last memorable story you heard, told, or read. What made the story remain with you? Was it a compelling character or participant in the action? An interesting set of circumstances? Was it told in an amusing or serious manner, and did it make you react emotionally? Everyone loves a good story, and each day we seek out good stories in a variety of media: novels, short stories, newspapers, works of fine art, blogs, even notes and posts on social media pages. Narration is the art of storytelling, and in this module, you will investigate the ways in which writers employ common narration strategies to engage readers from the beginning to the end of a significant event.
You will also look critically at some examples of effective narration as you draft your narrative essay. Skip to main content. Module 4: Narrative Essay. Search for:. Introduction to Narrative Essay Narrative Essay Reflect for a moment on the last memorable story you heard, told, or read. Module Outcomes After successfully completing this module, you should be able to: Describe the purpose, basic components, characteristics, and structure of narrative writing Demonstrate writing techniques of a narrative essay. Licenses and Attributions. CC licensed content, Original.
Narrative Essay Examples: Free Examples to Help You Learn,What is a narrative essay for?
WebNarration is the art of storytelling, and in this module, you will investigate the ways in which writers employ common narration strategies to engage readers from the WebNarration is the art of storytelling, and in this module, you will investigate the ways in which writers employ common narration strategies to engage readers from the beginning to the WebJul 24, · A narrative essay is a way of testing your ability to tell a story in a clear and interesting way. You’re expected to think about where your story begins and ends, and how to convey it with eye-catching language and a satisfying pace. These skills are quite WebA narrative essay is a type of writing that tells a story, usually from the writer’s point of view. It often includes characters, a setting, and a plot that unfolds over time. A narrative WebAug 26, · Tips to Writing an Excellent Narrative Essay. Read narrative essays from other writers. For you to be a pro narrative essay writer, you need to be an extensive ... read more
Conclusion The mission was accomplished. I will Change Your Life By Increasing Your Confidence in Writing. Google Analytics 4, ActiveCampaign, FullStory, Google Universal Analytics, Mixpanel, Optimizely Web, SatisMeter, Visual Tagger. That's the most distinctive feature of such papers. Certified Writing Teachers Your writing teacher plays a big role in your writing journey. For your essay about overcoming an injury, you might include a short story about your best moment playing sports before your injury.
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How to Write an Introductory Paragraph for a Narrative
Rochelle spears wilson, 27 jun 2018.
The type of narrative you’re being asked to write will determine the structure of your introductory paragraph. In general, writing assignments referred to as a “narrative” or “personal narrative” ask you to tell about a personal experience. For a personal narrative, the job of the introduction is to set the scene, get your reader’s attention, and introduce the topic at hand.
Explore this article
- Brainstorm Ideas
- Begin with Description
- Begin with Dialog
- Write the Introduction
1 Brainstorm Ideas
Before you begin your introduction, brainstorm ideas by gathering as much information as you can. If you’re writing about a personal experience, you may have journals or photo albums that can help you remember the events that took place. You could also consider interviewing friends or family members who were part of the story. Capture your details using whatever brainstorming strategy works best for you. Later, you might choose to use some of this information as an interesting way to begin your narrative.
2 Begin with Description
Beginning with descriptive details is a great strategy for introducing your narrative.The sensory details of sight, smell, touch, taste and sound can really make your story come alive. What specific details do you remember about the event? If you’re writing about a camping trip, do you remember the smoky smell of the fire, or the charred taste of your hot dog? If you’re writing about the first time you met your best friend, do you remember the color of her shirt? Take time to write down as many sensory details as possible. You may eventually choose to use these details in a descriptive paragraph that introduces your narrative.
3 Begin with Dialog
Dialog, or writing down what people say, is one of the most powerful tools you can use in your narrative. You probably won’t remember exact quotes from people involved in the story, but chances are you can remember enough to write down realistic dialog. Make sure that your dialog sounds like an actual person is speaking. If your audience can “hear” the characters, they’ll be much more interested in your story. Starting a narrative with dialog is also a very effective introductory strategy.
4 Write the Introduction
Take a look at the information, sensory details and dialog you’ve written down. Choose something from this list as a way to begin your introduction, making sure to mention your topic at either the beginning or the end of the introductory paragraph. If you’re beginning with sensory details about your camping trip, for example, describe what it felt like to eat your hot dog as you smelled the campfire and listened to the crickets chirping, then tell the audience that the camping trip is the happiest memory you have with your family. If you're beginning with dialog, write the conversation you had with your best friend the first time you met her, and end your introduction by stating that you never would have guessed that such a simple conversation would have turned into a friendship that's lasted half your life. In general, the introduction for a standard two-page narrative should be no longer than ten sentences.
- 1 Poets & Writers: The Secret Lives of Stories
- 2 Purdue Online Writing Lab: Essay Writing
About the Author
Rochelle Spears Wilson holds a MA in professional writing and a BA in English. She was a classroom teacher for nine years and taught English, social studies and technology. She has worked with students in grades 4-12 and now owns her own consulting business.
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MIT Introduction to Deep Learning (6.S191) Instructors: Alexander Amini and Ava Soleimany Course Information Summary Prerequisites Schedule Lectures Labs, Final Projects, Grading, and Prizes Software labs Gather.Town lab + Office Hour sessions Final project Paper Review Project Proposal Presentation Project Proposal Grading Rubric Past Project P…
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Summary MIT's introductory course on deep learning methods with applications to computer vision, natural language processing, biology, and more! Students will gain foundational knowledge of deep learning algorithms and get practical experience in building neural networks in TensorFlow.
Prerequisites We expect basic knowledge of calculus (e.g., taking derivatives), linear algebra (e.g., matrix multiplication), and probability (e.g., Bayes theorem) -- we'll try to explain everything else along the way! Experience in Python is helpful but not necessary. This class is taught during MIT's IAP term by current MIT PhD researchers. Listeners are welcome!
This repository contains all of the code and software labs for MIT 6.S191: Introduction to Deep Learning! All lecture slides and videos are available on the course website. http://introtodeeplearning.com/
Opening the labs in Google Colaboratory: The 2021 6.S191 labs will be run in Google's Colaboratory, a Jupyter notebook environment that runs entirely in the cloud, you don't need to download anything. To run these labs, you must have a Google account.
On this Github repo, navigate to the lab folder you want to run (lab1, lab2, lab3) and open the appropriate python notebook (*.ipynb). Click the "Run in Colab" link on the top of the lab. That's it!
Running the labs Now, to run the labs, open the Jupyter notebook on Colab. Navigate to the "Runtime" tab --> "Change runtime type". In the pop-up window, under "Runtime type" select "Python 3", and under "Hardware accelerator" select "GPU". Go through the notebooks and fill in the #TODO cells to get the code to compile for yourself!
MIT Deep Learning package You might notice that inside the labs we install the mitdeeplearning python package from the Python Package repository:
pip install mitdeeplearning
This package contains convienence functions that we use throughout the course and can be imported like any other Python package.
import mitdeeplearning as mdl
We do this for you in each of the labs, but the package is also open source under the same license so you can also use it outside the class.
- Jupyter Notebook 96.4%
- Python 3.6%
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Narrative essay assignments vary widely in the amount of direction you're given about your topic. You may be assigned quite a specific topic or choice of topics to work with. Specific prompts Write a story about your first day of school. Write a story about your favorite holiday destination.
Here are some guidelines for writing a narrative essay. If written as a story, the essay should include all the parts of a story. This means that you must include an introduction, plot, characters, setting, climax, and conclusion. When would a narrative essay not be written as a story?
You should be very attentive when choosing the topic to write about. First, this area should be interesting for you. Secondly, you should be sure that you can cover it. For instance, if you choose a too broad theme, it goes without saying that you won't cover it if your limit is 500-700 words.
1. The placeholder introduction. When you don't have much to say on a given topic, it is easy to create this kind of introduction. Essentially, this kind of weaker introduction contains several sentences that are vague and don't really say much. They exist just to take up the "introduction space" in your paper.
Frequently asked questions about the essay introduction Step 1: Hook your reader Your first sentence sets the tone for the whole essay, so spend some time on writing an effective hook. Avoid long, dense sentences—start with something clear, concise and catchy that will spark your reader's curiosity.
A narrative is a story that shares a sequence of events, characters, and themes. It expresses experiences, ideas, and perspectives that should aspire to engage and inspire an audience. A narrative can spark emotion, encourage reflection, and convey meaning when done well.
No matter how you structure your narrative, it has three distinct parts: The beginning: This is where the reader meets your writing. Hooking their attention at the beginning is crucial. The middle: The middle of your story or essay is where the action happens.
An introduction should include three things: a hook to interest the reader, some background on the topic so the reader can understand it, and a thesis statement that clearly and quickly summarizes your main point. Your writing, at its best. Get Grammarly It's free Works on all your favorite websites
Describe a situation where you have encountered a problem, tell the story of how you came up with a unique approach to solving it, and connect it to your field of interest. The narrative can be exciting and informative if you present it in such fashion. College Narrative Essay Example: My Identity.
Start the introductory paragraph with a hook, followed by the stage of your narrative and the thesis statement as the closing sentence. A hook should be the first sentence of your narrative essay and should be reflective, personal, and intriguing to captivate the reader's attention.
Choose a theme or message for your narrative. A narrative needs a point. Ask yourself, "What lesson do I want to offer my readers?" Think about what you learned from the experience that inspired your narrative. Be honest with yourself and your reader, and let your emotions drive your narrative's message. Keep your message simple and clear.
Intro Writing a Personal Narrative Writing a Personal Narrative: Writing an Introduction or Opening for Kids Teaching Without Frills 190K subscribers Subscribe 9K Share 2.3M views 7...
"How to write an introduction and conclusion for a narrative essay?" is one of the common questions that students have in their mind. It is the most confusin...
As you write your introduction, make sure you're clear with your words and communicating in a way that your readers will be able to comprehend. Related: 8 Examples of Business Writing. 3. Explain how your post will be helpful. Readers want to know that what they're reading is valuable.
Writing Your Introduction 1 Begin your essay with a hook to engage your reader. Open your story with a sentence or 2 that pull in your reader. To do this, craft a hook that introduces your story's topic and suggests what you'll say about it. Here are some techniques to hook your reader: Start your essay with a rhetorical question.
It is helpful to think of the introduction as an upside-down triangle with the most significant portion at the top and the sharpest point at the bottom to achieve this efficiently. The introduction should start with a broad summary of the subject at the top of the triangle. The topic's focus should get more specific as the introduction goes on.
INTRODUCTION TO CREATIVE WRITING Creative writing is any writing that goes outside the bond of normal professional journalistic, academic or technical form of literature, typically identified by an emphasis on narrative craft, character development and the use of literary device.
Sometimes, your narrative essay guidelines may require at least 1,000 words. If you're given a word count, e.g., 500-600 words, obviously, you will have to stick to it. If there's no restriction, it's up to you how long your work should be. An ideal narrative essay should be at least a few hundred words in length.
When beginning a narrative, whether an essay, short story or novel, you want to intrigue your readers and make them want to find out what happens.
Introduction #1: The Quote. I chose to open this post with a quote not because I'm a fan of Catcher in the Rye. Truth be told, I'm not the biggest Catcher fan (despite my personal appreciation for Salinger's immense literary talent and commitment to being a hardcore recluse ). True dat. Image via XXY Magazine.
The following provides information on how to write introductions and conclusions in both academic and non-academic writing. Introductions for academic papers. An introduction is the first paragraph of your paper. The goal of your introduction is to let your reader know the topic of the paper and what points will be made about the topic.
5 Students' Examples of a Narrative Essay Introduction,Narrative Essay Examples. WebJul 24, · A narrative essay is a way of testing your ability to tell a story in a clear and interesting way. ... For you to be a pro narrative essay writer, you need to be an extensive WebA narrative essay is a type of writing that tells a story, usually from ...
The type of narrative you're being asked to write will determine the structure of your introductory paragraph. In general, writing assignments referred to as a "narrative" or "personal narrative" ask you to tell about a personal experience. ... For a personal narrative, the job of the introduction is to set the scene, get your reader ...
MIT Introduction to Deep Learning (6.S191) Instructors: Alexander Amini and Ava Soleimany Course Information Summary Prerequisites Schedule Lectures Labs, Final Projects, Grading, and Prizes Software labs Gather.Town lab + Office Hour sessions Final project Paper Review Project Proposal Presentation Project Proposal Grading Rubric Past Project Proposal Ideas Awards + Categories Important Links ...