A paper
Narrative Essay
Choose a significant experience in your past. This experience could have
seemed tragic at the time, but now it seems funny taught you something valuable about life been rewarding changed you in some way
Suggestions
A goal you either achieved or didn’t achieve
A conflict with a friend that you had trouble resolving
A competitive event you took part in
A difficult decision you had to make
A conflict with nature
A time you were a victim of stereotyping
A time you gave in to peer pressure
A time you went against authority
A time you had writer’s block
An experience with online dating
An experience with dieting
These are suggested topics—you may choose a different one.
Your narrative does not need to have an explicitly stated thesis. The thesis may be implied.
Your essay must include the following components: A story (narrative) to illustrate your experience.
The reader must be able to visualize what is happening, so describe the surroundings, the people, and any other relevant details. Imagery is vitally important, but you must evaluate the extent to which it is important.
Use direct quotes at least twice. The quotes may be the words you or someone else said.
Put quotation marks around the words the character speaks.
It is not necessary to always identify who is speaking by writing “he said” or “Mary said.” If you need to do this to make it clear who is speaking, do so.
There should be some conflict in your narrative—internal conflict, conflict with other people, or conflict with your environment.
Examples are optional. (See pages 145-156.)
Be as creative as you would like.
Choose a significant experience in your past. This experience could have
seemed tragic at the time, but now it seems funny taught you something valuable about life been rewarding changed you in some way
Suggestions
A goal you either achieved or didn’t achieve
A conflict with a friend that you had trouble resolving
A competitive event you took part in
A difficult decision you had to make
A conflict with nature
A time you were a victim of stereotyping
A time you gave in to peer pressure
A time you went against authority
A time you had writer’s block
An experience with online dating
An experience with dieting
These are suggested topics—you may choose a different one.
Your narrative does not need to have an explicitly stated thesis. The thesis may be implied.
Your essay must include the following components: A story (narrative) to illustrate your experience.
The reader must be able to visualize what is happening, so describe the surroundings, the people, and any other relevant details. Imagery is vitally important, but you must evaluate the extent to which it is important.
Use direct quotes at least twice. The quotes may be the words you or someone else said.
Put quotation marks around the words the character speaks.
It is not necessary to always identify who is speaking by writing “he said” or “Mary said.” If you need to do this to make it clear who is speaking, do so.
There should be some conflict in your narrative—internal conflict, conflict with other people, or conflict with your environment.
Examples are optional. (See pages 145-156.)
Be as creative as you would like.