narrative essay ideas for middle school

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50 Narrative Essay Topics

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but a narrative essay can also tell an exciting story and create vivid pictures in the reader’s mind! We’ve got 50 narrative essay topics designed to prompt students to craft memorable written narratives. These can be modified for students in elementary, middle and high school. Feel free to print the entire narrative essay topics list for plenty of inspiration for your next narrative essay assignment!

Narrative Essay Topics

Your first day of school.
Your most exciting day of school
A field trip that your class took.
Your favorite summer vacation.
A trip that included something unexpected or surprising.
A time that you experienced something spooky.
A time that you experienced something truly frightening.
A time that you learned something new that changed you in some way.
The moment when you met someone who changed your life.
The day that you got your first pet.
A move from one place to another.
Something funny that happened to you.
Something funny that happened to one of your family members or friends.
Something embarrassing that happened to you.
Your favorite birthday party.
A birthday that was disappointing.
A big storm (rain, snow or even a tornado!).
A time that the power went out.
A summer day when the temperature got much higher than expected.
A time when you went to an amusement park.
A time when you got lost somewhere.
A memorable experience with a favorite family member.
A sad experience with someone about whom you care.
Your most exciting moment playing sports.
Your most exciting moment performing in a play, singing, playing music or dancing.
An experience that left you feeling frustrated.
An experience that was hard but ended up being worth it.
A time that you experienced rejection.
A weird encounter with a stranger.
A random act of kindness.
A time that you took a stand for someone or for an issue that you care about.
A moment when you thought you might get hurt but didn’t.
Breaking a bone (or otherwise suffering an injury).
Your first time away from home for the night (or longer).
A time when you experienced a historic event.
Where you were when a major event happened. (Note: You don’t need to have been at the site of the event; this prompt is about where you were when you found out about the event and how you reacted.)
A time when you rebelled against your parents or teacher.
A dangerous experience.
A misunderstanding between yourself and someone else.
A difficult decision that you had to make.
The end of a friendship or relationship.
The beginning of a friendship or relationship.
A time when you judged someone first and then realized that you were wrong about the person.
A time when someone judged you first and then realized that he or she was wrong about you.
A moment when you felt that you were starting to grow up.
A time when you saw one or both of your parents in a different light.
A time when you looked up to your older sibling.
A time when your younger sibling looked up to you.
A time when you were grateful to be an only child.
An experience that you think has only ever happened to you!

Looking for more essay topics? Compare and Contrast Essay Topics Descriptive Essay Topics Cause and Effect Essay Topics Persuasive Essay and Speech Topics

The Best Narrative Writing Prompts for Middle School

Narrative writing can be super exciting, especially when guided by a super fun prompt!

Prompts are powerful tools for inspiring students to their best writing. They allow you to guide and help young learners stay focused on a specific topic as they engage in the writing process. Furthermore, the sheer simplicity of writing prompts in middle school classrooms, compared to worksheets or handouts , makes them the perfect last-minute addition to any lesson plan.

In this article, we’re giving you a few narrative writing prompts for middle school that students will absolutely love! Before we begin, however, let’s take a quick look at the importance of narrative writing.

The importance of narrative writing

People ask–why do students need to learn narrative writing? For teachers, the answer is simple. Many standardized tests , such as the Louisiana Education Assessment Program (LEAP), require students to demonstrate their ability to analyze and write narratives.

Learning to write narratives helps learners understand narrative structure, which in return, improves their reading comprehension. Thus, a wholistic approach to narrative instruction, which includes both reading and writing, is an effective way to help students place higher on standardized assessments.

Aside from test-related motivations to study narratives, this particular style of writing gives students a creative outlet for expressing themselves. As a matter of fact, narrative writing is often called “creative writing.”

The purpose of a narrative is to tell audiences a story, and students are given countless opportunities to make creative choices when telling stories. Through writing, they learn to develop a unique voice and imbue their work with a distinct, personal touch.

“…students are given countless opportunities to make creative choices when telling stories.”

Example middle school narrative writing prompts

As promised, here are a the best–and only–narrative writing prompts for middle school students you’ll ever need!

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live as your favorite animal? What animal would you be? What would you do during a typical day? What challenges might you face? Write a narrative essay about what a day in the life as your favorite animal would be like. Use the questions in the prompt to guide your response.
Imagine winning the lottery tomorrow. What would you do with the money? Would you spend it? If so, what would you buy? Would you save it? If so, why? Write a narrative essay describing what you would do after winning the lottery. Use the questions in the prompt to guide your response.
Everyone has fears, and sometimes we have to face them. What is your worst fear? When did the fear begin? Why does it make you afraid? How could you overcome it? Write a narrative about overcoming your worst fear. Use the questions in the prompt to guide your response.
At some point, we have all had an opportunity to be strong. What has been your strongest moment? Were you mentally or physically strong? Or both? What did it feel like? Write a narrative essay about a time when you were strong. Use the questions in the prompt to guide your response.
Imagine you are elected president of the United States. What would you say to the American people during your inauguration speech? How would you run the country? What laws would you pass? What laws would you abolish? Write a narrative essay about what you would do as the president of the United States. Use the questions in the prompt to guide your response.

Rather use narrative writing handouts? Make sure to explore our Resource section for additional teaching tools.

Final words

These narrative writing prompts for middle school students are simple, fun, and effective. Try them out and witness the endless creative stories your students will come up with!

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by Michelle Boyd Waters, M.Ed.

A Plethora Of Writing Examples For Middle School (& High School)

October 14, 2014 in Pedagogy

When I started my first job as a professional newspaper reporter (This job also served as an internship during my junior year in college — I just didn’t leave for about 6 years.), I quickly realized that all my experience, and all my years of journalism education had not been enough to help me write stories about drug busts, fatal car accidents and tornadoes. All the theoretical work I’d done, and all of the nifty little scholastic and collegiate stories I had done, did not prepare me for real world writing.

At that point, I had to find a solution quickly. After all, I had a deadline to meet, and it was only a few hours away.

One of my colleagues, who also served as a mentor, had the solution. She introduced me to the newspaper’s “morgue.” This was a room filled with filing cabinets in which we kept old — dead — stories arranged by reporter. Whenever I wasn’t’ sure how to write a story, all I had to do was check the morgue for similar stories. If I needed to write a story about a local drug bust, for example, I’d find another story on a similar incident, study its structure, and mentally create a formula in which to plugin the information I’d gathered.

Once I’d gained more experience, and had internalized the formula for that particular type of story, I felt free to branch out as the situation — and my training — warranted.

I do the same thing when I want to write a type of letter, brochure, or report that I’ve never written before.

This is what writing looks like in the real world.

Of course, if you’re a new teacher like me, there is one problem with providing mentor texts to my students: I have a dearth of middle school level writing sitting around in my file cabinets.

Fortunately, the Internet is full of sources, so I scoured the bowels of Google to find examples. I know how busy you are, so I’m sharing.

Expository writing examples for middle school

Below are several sources of expository writing samples for middle school students.

The Write Source Expository Writing Samples
Holt, Rinehart, Winston Expository Essay Models

Finally, here is an article in the New York Times that will help you teach your students real-world expository writing skills .

Descriptive writing examples for middle school

Descriptive Writing Samples from Novels
Milwaukee Public Schools Descriptive Essay Samples (p. 137)
Holt, Rinehart, Winston Descriptive Essay Models

Narrative writing examples for middle school

Writing Samples by Steve Peha (PDF)
The Write Source Narrative Writing Samples
Oregon Department of Education Scored Writing Samples (Ideas and Organization)
Oregon Department of Education Scored Writing Samples (Sentence Fluency and Conventions)
Oregon Department of Education Scored Writing Samples (Voice and Word Choice)
Oregon Department of Education High School Scored Narrative and Argumentative Writing Samples
Holt, Rinehart, Winston Narrative Essay Models

Argumentative/persuasive writing examples for middle school

The Write Source Persuasive Writing Samples
Holt, Rinehart, Winston Persuasive Essay Models

Reflective writing examples for middle school

Reflective essay examples from Lake Washington Girls Middle School

If you know of any other online writing example sources, please feel free to share them in the comments below.

Related topics: Argumentative Writing , Informative Writing , Mentor Texts , Narrative Writing

About the author

Michelle Boyd Waters, M.Ed.

I am a secondary English Language Arts teacher, a University of Oklahoma student working on my doctorate in Instructional Leadership and Academic Curriculum with an concentration in English Education and co-Editor of the Oklahoma English Journal. I am constantly seeking ways to amplify students' voices and choices.

This is very, very helpful. Thank you for sharing!

As a new middle school teacher (coming from elementary) this was very helpful and encouraging.

Thank you very much for letting me know. I’m glad that I was able to help you!

Thank you! I’m glad I can help.

Your welcome

This is super helpful. Thank you!

These links are a fantastic help. Thank you!

This helped me BUNCHES! Thanks so much!

thanks so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! XD

These links are now dead 🙁

Thank you for notifying me! I have updated the post to include new (live!) links. Some of them are geared towards high school, but I think we can still use them as exemplars of what we want our students to aim for.

Comments are closed.

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15 Inspiring Personal Narrative Examples for Writers

Reveal a part of yourself in your essay.

Students start writing personal narratives at a young age, learning to use descriptive language to tell a story about their own experiences. Try sharing these personal narrative examples for elementary, middle, and high school to help them understand this essay form.

What is a personal narrative?

Think of a narrative essay like telling a story. Use descriptive language, and be sure you have a beginning, middle, and end. The essay should recount your personal experiences, including your thoughts, feelings, and actions.

Learn more about personal narrative essays here:

What Is Narrative Writing, and How Do I Teach It in the Classroom?
Engaging Personal Narrative Ideas for Kids and Teens
Best Mentor Texts for Narrative Writing in Elementary School

Elementary School Personal Narrative Examples

In elementary school, personal narratives might be quite short, just a paragraph or two. The key is to encourage kids to embrace a personal style of writing, one that speaks in their own voice. Take a look at these elementary school personal narrative essay examples for inspiration.

The Horrible Day

“next i fell asleep in my cereal and my brother stole my toast”—anonymous student.

In this short personal narrative written by a 2nd grader, the author describes a bad day with lots of details and an informal tone. It’s a great model for your youngest writers.

Read the full essay: The Horrible Day at Thoughtful Learning

Keep an Eye on the Sky!

“as we made our way out to the field, my stomach slowly turned into a giant knot of fear.” —anonymous student.

Any student who dreads gym class will connect with this essay, which turns a challenge into a triumph. This narrative from Time for Kids is annotated, with highlighted details and tips to help kids write their own essay.

Read the full essay: Keep an Eye on the Sky! at Time for Kids

Grandpa, Chaz, and Me

“i really miss grandpa, and so does my brother, even though he never met him.” —cody, 4th grade student.

Written by a 4th grader, this essay relates the author’s loss of a grandfather at a very young age. Using simple, personal language, they tell a compelling story in a few short paragraphs.

Read the full essay: Grandpa, Chaz, and Me at Thoughtful Learning ADVERTISEMENT

Surviving an Embarrassing Situation

“i had made the shot in the wrong basket, giving the green shirts the win” —anonymous student.

Personal narratives tell a story, with a beginning, middle, and end. This annotated essay outlines those parts, making it easier for young writers to do the same in their own writing.

Read the full essay: Surviving an Embarrassing Situation at Sopris West Educational Services

“Do you have a friend who loves you?” —Kendra, 4th grade student

Writing about friends gives writers the chance to describe someone’s physical characteristics and personality. This 4th grade essay uses personal details to bring a beloved friend to life.

Read the full essay: Ann at Thoughtful Learning

Middle School Personal Narrative Examples

By middle school, personal narratives are longer and more involved, telling more detailed stories and experiences. These middle school personal narrative essay examples model strong writing skills for this age group.

“As thoughts of certain death run through my mind, the world appears a precious, treasured place.” —Amy, student

Describing an opportunity to overcome your worst fears makes an excellent personal narrative topic. The vivid descriptions of the landscape and the author’s feelings help the reader make a strong connection to the author.

Read the full essay: The Climb at Thoughtful Learning

The Best Friend Question

“i’ve often wondered, does not having a best friend make me defective” —blanche li, age 13, diablo vista middle school, danville, california.

When her Spanish teacher asked students for an essay describing their best friend, 13-year-old Blanche Li fell back on her standard story: that of a made-up person. Here, she explains why she made up “Haley” and wonders what having an imaginary best friend says about her.

Read the full essay: The Best Friend Question at The New York Times

The Racist Warehouse

“i didn’t know racism was still around; i thought that situation had died along with dr. king.” —alicia, 8th grade student.

Strong personal narratives often relate the way the author learned an important life lesson. Here, an 8th grader describes her first experience with racism, in an essay that will sadly ring true with many readers.

Read the full essay: The Racist Warehouse at Thoughtful Teaching

“For the first time, we realized that we didn’t know how to express our voice, and we always suppressed it.” —Jocelyn C., 7th grade student, Texas

Seventh-grader Jocelyn C. describes the unique experience of spending two years living in an RV with her family, traveling the country. She relates the ups and downs of their trip, illustrating the way her family learned to live together in close quarters and embrace the adventure.

Read the full essay: RV Journey at Write From the Heart

An Eight Pound Rival

“i’m trying to accept that he didn’t mean to dominate the center stage all the time, that’s just one of the many lovable assets of his personality.”.

A new sibling can change everything in a family, especially when you’ve always been the baby. This middle schooler explains her challenging relationship with a little brother that she loves, even when he drives her a bit crazy. (Find this essay on page 42 at the link.)

Read the full essay: An Eight Pound Rival at Teaching That Makes Sense

High School Personal Narrative Examples

High school students have more complex stories to tell, though they’re sometimes reluctant to do so. Reading personal narrative essay examples like these can encourage them to open up and get their thoughts, feelings, and ideas down on the page.

Sorry, Wrong Number

“when i received the first text, i was a playful sixth grader, always finding sly ways to be subversive in school and with friends.” —michelle ahn, high school student.

When Michelle Ahn was 11, she started getting texts for a wrong number, a man named Jared. Rather than correcting the error, she spends the next few years occasionally engaging with his texters as “Jared,” learning more about him. Though she finally comes clean, her time as “Jared” exposes her to a way of life very different from her own, and opens her eyes to the inner lives of others.

Read the full essay: Sorry, Wrong Number at The New York Times

Caught in the Net

“little does everyone else know how often i’m not doing school research or paper writing; instead i’m aimlessly writing emails or chatting with internet friends and family hundreds of miles away.” —kim, college student.

Even before social media and smartphones swept the world, internet addiction had become a problem. Here, a student shares her experiences in AOL chat rooms, meeting people from around the globe. Eventually, she realizes she’s sacrificing life in the real world for her digital friends and experiences, and works to find the right balance.

Read the full essay: Caught in the Net at Thoughtful Learning

Nothing Extraordinary

“an uneasy feeling started to settle in my chest. i tried to push it out, but once it took root it refused to be yanked up and tossed away.” —jeniffer kim, high school student.

During an ordinary shopping trip, high schooler Jenniffer Kim suddenly realizes she’s ashamed of her mother. At the same time, she recognizes all the sacrifices her mom has made for her, and gladly takes the chance to make a tiny sacrifice of her own.

Read the full essay: Nothing Extraordinary at The New York Times

The Pot Calling the Kettle Black

“at this point in life, i had not yet learned to be gentle with myself, or others.” —anonymous student.

A teen who lives with bipolar disorder recounts a difficult conversation with her parents, in which her mother dismisses her as “crazy.” A few years later, this same teen finds herself in the emergency room, where her mother has just tried to die by suicide. “Crazy!” the daughter thinks. After her mother also receives a bipolar disorder diagnosis, the author concludes, “‘Crazy’ is a term devised to dismiss people.”

Read the full essay: The Pot Calling the Kettle Black at Pressbooks

What a Black Woman Wishes Her Adoptive White Parents Knew

“i know that i am different, but do not have the words to understand how.” —mariama lockington.

Though not written by a high schooler, this essay by Mariama Lockington makes an excellent mentor text for this age group. Lockington dives deep into her feelings about being adopted by parents of a different race, and shares her challenges in poignant language that speaks directly to the reader.

Read the full essay: What a Black Woman Wishes Her Adoptive White Parents Knew at Buzzfeed News

Do you use personal narrative examples as mentor texts in your classroom? Come share your experiences and ask for advice in the We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook !

Plus, strong persuasive writing examples (essays, speeches, ads, and more) ..

Find stirring personal narrative examples for elementary, middle school, and high school students on an array of topics.

65 Engaging Personal Narrative Ideas for Kids and Teens

Tell a story to engage the reader. Continue Reading

Narrative Essays: Examples And Topic Ideas For Students

Writing a narrative essay is a great way to share your life with others. Here, we’ll explore topics that will set you up to write a great narrative essay.

If you’re searching for a list of personal narrative essay topics, you’re likely writing a middle school, high school, or college essay. A personal narrative describes your life experience, usually from the first-person point of view.

There are many different approaches to take to writing a narrative essay. Good narrative essay topics are engaging and can be either serious or silly. A personal narrative is not an argument essay or a persuasive essay; rather, it tells a story from your point of view.

Narrative essay writers are constantly on the lookout for things that happen in their lives that teach a lesson, make a point, or tell a funny story. When brainstorming for the best topic for your narrative essay, think about something that happened in your life that you love sharing with others, and work to translate your story into written prose that will hook your readers.

Here, we’ll explore some of the best narrative essay topic examples and ideas, helping you get your writing started right.

For help with your essays, check out our round-up of the best essay checkers

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Narrative Essay Examples

1. the power of potstickers by lauren brown, 2. everyone should have a best friend 30 years older than them by lucy holden, 3. all it takes is a small act of kindness by maddie huiras, 4. a reflection on working in labor & delivery by dr. amos grunebaum, md, 5. pressures of being a first generation american-born citizen by helen bezikyan, narrative essay topic ideas, 1. your first day of high school, 2. how you met your best friend, 3. your best birthday party, 4. your favorite (or most difficult) childhood memory, 5. your most embarrassing moment, 6. how you made a difficult decision, 7. an act of kindness, 8. a tribute to your first pet.

Although I find the exact measurements of recipes comforting, I do my best to add a pinch of this and a dash of that in my meals every so often. It’s how I get to go outside my comfort zone every day. And I see in myself a newfound wisdom: it’s ok to go off the beaten path, you can experiment, compromise can lead to something new and beautiful. My mother’s cooking taught me that and I expect to bring that with me wherever I may go.

In this food-based tribute to her mother’s ingenuity, Brown discusses important family memories while sharing lessons from her mother that she now carries through everyday life. The combination of rich descriptive language with an explanation of how the experience of cooking with her mother shaped her life draws the reader in, helping them to feel like they’re in the kitchen with Brown and her mother.

In short, we adopted each other as confidants and met regularly to discuss life in general. He was more supportive than anyone else I met during the whole three years and stepped out of his remit to give me tailored advice that definitely helped me to get a job in journalism. It was clear from the start that he cared more about what was right for me than what was right for the university league tables, perhaps because he actually knew me. When I told him I was worried that the long days I was doing in the student newspaper office would take a toll on my degree, he told me I could get a first if I wanted one, but thought the student paper stuff would help my career much more.

It can be hard to find a friend who knows you better than yourself, and Holden discusses that phenomenon in their essay on friendship. She discusses how her friend affected her life during their time together and how he affected her after being separated by distance. In this narrative essay, the author works to describe the feelings she experienced through the ups and downs of their friendship, writing about universal truths that all humans experience in relationships.

Throughout his life, he had gotten used to dealing with Dyskeratosis congenita, and as life went on, he eventually developed cancer; but even while battling cancer, my dad showed kindness. In fact, on the night before he passed away, even though he knew he wouldn’t be with us for much longer, he tried his best to focus on the positive stuff.

In this essay, Huiras reflects on the life and death of her father and celebrates his commitment to kindness to others throughout his life. While Huiras narrates the events that led to her father’s death, she also describes how his actions and character significantly affect her life, helping her grow into the woman she wants to be.

Labor & Delivery is getting tears in your eyes when you watch a couple you’ve connected with welcome their baby into the world. Even though you’ve just met and will likely never see each other again, there’s something special about sharing that experience that makes you feel like you’ve known each other forever. Labor & Delivery is a place full of opposites. A woman grieving a devastating loss can be in the room next door to a family celebrating a new addition and 14-year-old mother can be in the room next door to a 45-year-old mother. Regardless of the circumstances, each family that walks through the L&D doors will be forever changed.

In this essay on life behind the doors of the delivery room, Dr. Grunebaum shares what it’s like to both celebrate and grieve with families and how difficult it can be to manage both the chaos and joy that comes with the birth process. If you choose to write an essay about a process so personal as birth, leave out any details that could identify the people involved, as Grunebaum does in this essay.

The struggles that come with having immigrant parents may include constant seeking of approval, always having to be responsible, as well as immigrant parents discussing the future that they may have already planned for their child. More often than not, immigrant parents constantly remind their child, or children that they expect big and great things from them in the future, which is part of why they came to this country.

In this essay, Bezikyan discusses the unique pressures of being a first-generation American-born citizen. In addition to offering her perspective, she also offers the opinions of others in similar circumstances. This helps to support her opinion and help others see the shared experience of people born to immigrant parents.

Narrative Essay Topics: Your first day of high school

Whether you’re a college or high school student, you likely remember your first day of high school—stepping away from middle school and becoming a young adult. The first day of high school is rife with emotion, and describing your experience can provide your reader with an interesting perspective on how you deal with transition and change.

When describing the big day, use details. Explain how you felt as you walked toward the door, how you felt when you struggled to find your classes, and what it was like opening your new locker for the first time. As you write, you may find it helpful to avoid technical details (like the minute-to-minute scheduling of your classes) and instead focus on unique or tough moments or how accomplished you felt by the end of the day.

Your best friend has been there for you through thick and thin, and writing about how the two of you met can be a fun narrative essay topic, no matter your age or writing level.

As you tell the story of how you met your best friend, describe how your connection grew over time. Perhaps you were thick as thieves right away, or you needed some time to realize that you’d met a lifelong friend. For some inspiration, reach out to your best friend and ask them what they remember from the day you met—it can be fun and fresh to get their perspective on how your first meeting went.

Birthdays are a time to celebrate, and writing about a particularly excellent birthday can be a great topic for your narrative essay. When discussing your best birthday party, include all details, including who you invited, what you ate, and how you celebrated with family and friends.

You may also want to talk about why that particular birthday was so meaningful to you. If it was a landmark birthday (like your sweet 16) or a special event (like your last birthday party at home before you left for college), be sure to mention this, so your reader understands why this event was so significant in your life.

There’s no way around it: traumatic things happen in childhood, and wonderful things happen. Writing about childhood memories can be relatable and provide an instant connection with your readers.

When choosing a favorite childhood memory to write about, think back to memorable times in your life because they’re connected with strong emotions. Perhaps you want to write about when your baby sibling came home from the hospital or your first baseball game.

If you choose to write about a difficult childhood memory, the process for choosing a topic is still the same. Think back to a childhood memory that evokes strong emotion. While writing about a negative childhood memory can be an excellent way to write a compelling personal essay, it can also bring up challenging thoughts and may feel traumatic.

Have a particular time that made you red in the face? Writing about an embarrassing moment is relatable and can provide a humorous topic for your narrative essay.

When writing about your embarrassing moment, it can be helpful if you’re willing to laugh at yourself and find the humor in the situation you went through. Be sure to describe what happened from start to finish, painting a clear picture of the moment for your readers. Describe your emotions as the embarrassing moment occurred, and talk about what happened after the moment was over.

Wrestling with a difficult decision can feel impossible at the moment, and reflecting on the experience of making a difficult decision to your readers can make for an excellent narrative essay topic.

When you’re talking about a difficult decision in your narrative essay, give plenty of background information so that the reader fully understands why you’re wrestling with a tough choice. Don’t give away your decision at the start of the essay; rather, take the reader through your thought process as you had to decide what to do.

Sharing an act of kindness you did with someone else—or a random act of kindness that someone did for you—can provide a warm, fuzzy topic for your narrative essay. When writing about an act of kindness, focus on how the act made you feel, whether you were the giver or the receiver of the act.

Much like writing about meeting your best friend for the first time, it can be helpful to talk about your state of mind before and after the act of kindness occurred. Perhaps you were going through a tough time, and the act of kindness helped to boost your mood. Explaining the emotions that came with the act of kindness and the facts of the situation can help your reader feel connected to your story.

Narrative Essay Topics: A Tribute To Your First Pet

Whether you have a dog, a cat, or something more exotic, many readers will be able to connect with the love that a kid has for their first pet. When writing a narrative essay about your first pet, please explain how you felt the first time you laid eyes on them. This may mean describing when they were first presented to you as a kitten or a puppy or the first time you saw your older rescue pet.

Talk about the qualities you loved most about your pet, whether that was their ability to comfort you after a bad day or how they were never too old or tired to go outside and play frisbee. Focus both on the descriptive qualities of your pet that allow your reader to imagine what they looked like and the emotional qualities that keep your first pet near and dear to your heart to this day.

If you have a pet currently, you can mention them in your narrative essay about your first pet, talking about their qualities that remind you of your first pet. While it can tug at your heartstrings to describe the memory of your first pet, writing about the love you have for an animal is nearly universally relatable, and your readers will love hearing about your fond memories of your furry friend.

Tip: If writing an essay sounds like a lot of work, simplify it. Write a simple 5 paragraph essay instead.

If you’re still stuck, check out our available resources for essay writing topics .

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550 Prompts for Narrative and Personal Writing

Questions that invite students to tell stories, describe memories, make observations, imagine possibilities, and reflect on who they are and what they believe.

By The Learning Network

Update, Sept. 9, 2022: We published a new collection of 445 narrative and personal writing prompts.

We’ve been posting fresh writing prompts every school day for over a decade now, and every so often we create a themed collection like this one to help you find what you need all in one place.

This fall, in honor of our new narrative-writing unit and our first-ever Personal Narrative Essay Contest for teenagers, we’ve rounded up 550 evergreen questions on everything from family, friendships and growing up to gender, spirituality, money, school, sports, social media, travel, dating, food, health and more. (They’re also all available here as a PDF .)

We hope they’ll inspire you, whether you’re entering our related contest or just want to improve your writing skills. Like all our Student Opinion questions , each links to a related Times article, which is free to read if you access it from our site.

So dive in and pick the questions that most inspire you to tell an interesting story, describe a memorable event, observe the details in your world, imagine a possibility, or reflect on who you are and what you believe.

Overcoming Adversity

1. How Resilient Are You? 2. What Do You Do When You Encounter Obstacles to Success? 3. When Have You Failed? What Did You Learn From It? 4. Have You Ever Felt Like an Outsider? 5. What Are Your Secret Survival Strategies? 6. When Have You Reinvented Yourself? 7. How Often Do You Leave Your ‘Comfort Zone’? 8. When Was the Last Time You Did Something That Scared or Challenged You? 9. How Do You Handle Fear? 10. What Do You Gain From Pursuing Something You Do Really, Really Badly? 11. Do You Give Yourself Enough Credit for Your Own Successes? 12. How Often Do You Cry? 13. How Do You Cope With Grief? 14. How Have You Handled Being the ‘New Kid’? 15. How Do You Deal With Haters? 16. How Do You React When Provoked? 17. Does Stress Affect Your Ability to Make Good Decisions? 18. Are You Too Hard on Yourself? 19. How Do You Find Peace in Your Life? 20. Does Your Life Leave You Enough Time to Relax? 21. What Did You Once Hate but Now Like? 22. Do Adults Who Are ‘Only Trying to Help’ Sometimes Make Things Worse? 23. How Well Do You Take Criticism?

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Scriptwriting

Narrative Essay Topics — Prompts & Ideas For All Grade Levels

N arrative essays can present a serious challenge for even the most seasoned of writers, but fear not, we’ve compiled some great narrative essay topics to inspire your next paper! Follow along as we explore prompts relating to life, school, and more. By the end, you’ll be prepared to tackle narrative essays from a variety of different angles.

Good Narrative Topics

What is a narrative essay.

Before we jump into our narrative essay topics, we have to first answer the question: what is a narrative essay ? A narrative essay is a prose-written story that’s focused on the commentary of a central theme.

Narrative essays are generally written in the first-person POV , and are usually about a topic that’s personal to the writer.

Everything in a narrative essay should take place in an established timeline, with a clear beginning, middle, and end.

For more on narrative essays, check out this video on literacy narrative topics and structure:

Narrative Essay Topic Ideas • Narrative Essay Titles

In the world of literature, narrative essays are held to a rigorous structure. We’re not going to enforce that rigor here! So, follow along as we (hopefully) inspire you with a variety of narrative essay topics and argument essay ideas.

Narrative Ideas

Narrative essay ideas for kids.

Narrative essay topics for kids usually focus on family, school, and friends.

Here are some easy narrative essay topics that work well for kids:

Describe your most recent birthday party.
Tell the story of your first day of school.
Who is your best friend?
Have you ever helped others?
Describe your favorite animal(s)
What is your dream for the future?

This next video from “Teaching Without Frills” explores narrative essay topics for kids in further detail.

Narrative Essay Ideas • Titles of narrative essays

Sometimes it can help to visualize narrative essay topics with pictures, especially for younger kids. If you’re a teacher, consider using pictures to inspire your students!

Narrative essay ideas for teens

Middle school and high school students are often asked to write narrative essays too. But whereas narrative essay topics for elementary school students are usually structured around simple, positive topics, narrative essay topics for teens are generally more contemplative.

Here are some personal narrative essay topics that work well for teens:

Describe a moment of loss.
Describe a moment of serenity.
Recount the story of a lost friend.
Detail your greatest creation.
Tell the story of your favorite teacher.
How would you change the world?

Remember: not every person has the same circumstances as others. That's why they're called personal narrative essay topics.

It’s important to frame narrative essay topics for kids in a way that every kid can relate. For example: the prompt “a lost friend” could mean a friend who moved away or a dead pet. Make sure to word your prompts in such a way that participants can glean their own interpretation.

What is a Narrative? →
What is Narrative in Film? →
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Narrative Essay Ideas

Narrative essay ideas for young adults.

Young adults are sometimes asked to write narrative essays for school and or job applications. Narrative essay reviewers typically want to see writers demonstrate maturity and growth in their work. As such, their questions are generally structured around challenges and problem management.

Here are some narrative argument essay topics for young adults:

Have you ever failed at your job?
If you could change one thing from your past, what would it be?
What is something you take pride in?
Describe your childhood.
How will you grow this year?
What is the most important element of success?

Of course, the topics above are mostly focused on success and failure. Young adults can certainly respond to the other prompts too!

Narrative essay ideas for adults

Adults aren’t generally tasked with writing narrative essays unless they’re writers. But that doesn’t have to be the case! There are a lot of positives to writing narrative essays, whether you’re a literary professor or a wrestler looking to articulate your thoughts.

So, here are some things to write a narrative essay about for adults:

What was your worst job?
What (or who) was your first love?
Who do you take care of?
What is your most prized possession?
If you could tell somebody who’s now gone from your life one thing, what would it be?
Paint a picture of where you find peace.

Narrative essay titles • Easy narrative essay topics

In recent years, companies have been selling books with narrative essay prompts for adults (particularly elderly adults) to reflect on their lives.

Creative Writing Prompts & Exercises

Now that you're brainstorming good titles for personal narrative, time to learn about other forms of creating writing. A narrative essay is just one type of essay – there are dozens more! In our next article, we break down more creative writing prompts and exercises, including those suited to fantasy, romance, horror, and more. By the end, you’ll know a ton of different ways to approach your next story.

Up Next: Creative Writing Exercises →

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Journal Buddies Jill | July 8, 2024 April 4, 2024 | Writing

12 Excellent Narrative Essay Topics for You

If you are looking for great narrative essay topics and ideas for students, look no further! No matter what age your students are, they’ll love exploring their creativity through the lens of a narrative essay.

This powerful form of creative writing is virtually boundless.

You see…

To be considered a narrative essay, it must tell a story, sure yet…

Beyond that one simple requirement, the essay may take so many different forms. This flexibility gives a student plenty of room to run with his or her imagination and to craft a piece of writing that truly reflects who the student is as an individual.

Ready to learn more about teaching narrative essay writing to your students this school year?

Let’s dive right in!

What is a Narrative Essay?

So… what exactly is a narrative essay? At its core, a narrative essay must tell a story. It can draw from a single event or even several related events, but it should ultimately have a plot and a character or characters who are involved in the action. Additionally, the narrative should revolve around a central theme or motif that illustrates why the author is sharing the narrative in the first place. Or in other words, the theme explains what the author took away from the event—and why that event was so meaningful to him or her.

In form, the narrative essay can be similar to a standard essay or a short story. It has a central point (similar to a thesis statement) just like a regular essay, and it includes characters, dialogue, and plot like a short story. However, the inclusion of a motif is ultimately what sets the narrative essay apart from the short story. While many short stories do have important themes, they don’t require it—it’s okay for a short story to simply be based around the action of a plot or an exploration of a character. A narrative essay, on the other hand, is a story that is told in order to explore an idea. And in that regard, its thematic significance is crucial.

Now see these…

12 Narrative Essay Topics for Students

Use these engaging narrative essay prompts to help students find creative, meaningful moments from their lives to share!

Write a narrative essay about a memorable “first” in your life (such as your first day at school, your first stuffed animal, your first heartbreak, etc.).
Write a narrative essay about a time when you faced a difficult decision.
Write about a day you experienced that was unlike any other.
Write a narrative essay in which an object takes on a greater symbolic meaning for your life.
Write about your experience with a hobby you love.

Narrative Essay Writing Ideas for Students

Write about something funny or scary that happened to you.
Write about someone who has played a major role in your life. Shape the narrative around a memorable experience you had with him or her.
Write about your experience growing up with the Internet.
Write a narrative essay describing how you got something important to you (such as your name, a nickname, a scar, or a beloved possession).
Write about an important memory you share with your parents.
Write about a time when you felt really confident in yourself.

I hope you enjoyed these Narrative Essay Topics . It’s time to check out…

A Helpful List of Narrative Essay Themes

Here’s the list of personal narrative essay topics and themes for high school students or college students.

Coming-of-Age: This classic theme explores the protagonist’s journey from childhood to adulthood. It can involve a physical or emotional transformation, or both.
Overcoming a Challenge: Everyone faces challenges in life. A narrative essay can explore how the protagonist overcomes a difficult obstacle, such as a physical disability, an illness, or a personal loss.
Friendship: Friendships are an important part of life. A narrative essay can explore the power of friendship, the challenges of friendship, or the importance of a particular friend in the protagonist’s life.
Identity: A narrative essay can explore the protagonist’s search for identity. This could involve exploring their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, or social class.
Loss: Loss is a universal experience. A narrative essay can explore the protagonist’s experience with loss, such as the death of a loved one, the end of a relationship, or the loss of a job.
Discovery: A narrative essay can explore the protagonist’s discovery of something new about themselves, the world, or others. This could be a physical discovery, an emotional discovery, or an intellectual discovery.

Family: Family is an important part of many people’s lives. A narrative essay can explore the protagonist’s relationship with their family, the challenges of family life, or the importance of family.

Culture: Culture shapes who we are. A narrative essay can explore the protagonist’s experience with their culture, or the culture of someone else.
Travel: Travel can be a transformative experience. A narrative essay can explore the protagonist’s journey to a new place, and how it changed them.
Secrets: Everyone has secrets. A narrative essay can explore the protagonist’s secret, and the impact it has on their life.

Additional themes that could be used as personal narratives and personal experiences in your writing lessons/assignments include:

Pets, First Pet, Special animal
Random act of kindness
Childhood memories (aka favorite teacher, best friend, family vacation…)
Personal passion, personal growth, resilience
Self-discovery moments in our own lives
A time of great adversity
Adventure encounter, tales of reflection, perspective…
Forgiveness
A social media post that affect you deeply or the impact of technology on you and your life
Cultural difference and/or cultural heritage

Ok, take a peek at these…

Five Keys to Writing a Strong Narrative Essay

Once your students understand the general premise of a narrative essay and how it differs from other forms, use the following tips to help them begin writing. Each of these steps serves as a key part of crafting a truly thought-provoking narrative essay. 1. Include a Strong Sense of Character A true narrative essay must tell a story—and as such, that story must include one or more characters who undergo something in the narrative. Students can choose narratives where they are the sole characters, or they may tell stories that include family or friends. Because the narrative essay is more heavily focused on the plot and theme, it’s important to define characters as succinctly as possible. Help students craft one or two sentences that showcase a character’s personality (or that define the character’s role) without having to spend too much time explaining who each person is. This will help kids stay focused on the narrative at hand. 2. Spice Things Up with Compelling Dialogue Many short stories include dialogue and a narrative essay is no different. In a narrative essay, dialogue can serve several key purposes:

Builds character effectively
Moves the plot along
Creates a dynamic pace

Of course, dialogue that is done poorly is sometimes worse than simply not including dialogue at all—so you should encourage your students to practice writing realistic dialogue that sounds similar to how people actually talk. Have students read their dialogue aloud as a test to see how natural it sounds.

3. Add Conflict to Create Tension

Like any good story, a narrative essay must also include conflict and tension. Adding conflict to the narrative creates stakes—for the characters in the story and for the readers who have become invested in what happens.

Generally speaking, there are six accepted types of conflict used in literature. Your students can use any of these to drive tension in their narrative essays:

Man Vs. Self: an internal conflict between a character and his or her own desires or ideals
Man Vs. Man: a conflict between two characters
Man Vs. Society: a conflict between a character and an outside force such as someone rebelling against a government or a teenager fighting against adult expectations
Man Vs. Nature: a conflict between a character and a natural force like a giant storm, animal, or apocalyptic event
Man Vs. Technology: a conflict between a character and a problem born of modern science such as a robot or struggle that requires a yet-to-be-invented solution
Man Vs. Fate: a conflict between a character and an unseen or supernatural force

4. Incorporate A Prevailing Theme As we mentioned previously, a narrative essay must also include a central theme or motif. This idea should be presented early on in the essay so that the reader may keep it in mind as he or she reads. Throughout the essay, the narrative should occasionally hearken back to the theme or subtly point toward it in order to keep the reader’s mind engaged with the meaning of the narrative. In the end, the narrative essay should conclude with the author summarizing or alluding to the theme again in some way. Though it doesn’t have to be as overt as the summary of a typical essay, the ending should nicely wrap up the topic in some way that leaves the reader with something to reflect upon. 5. Tell the Emotional Truth Narrative essays are generally works of non-fiction, but students do have some license to be creative with the details. In a narrative essay, the writer should be more concerned with telling the “emotional truth” of an event rather than sticking solely to the exact facts of what happened. What does that mean, practically speaking? Well, for starters, it’s okay if a student doesn’t remember exactly what someone said or the specific sequence of events in a story. This isn’t a report or a news article, so the details don’t have to be completely accurate.

Instead, students should focus on the meaning they wish to impart through their essay—and as such, should choose the most relevant and significant details to include in their work.

Alrighty…

That’s all for now.

If you enjoyed these Narrative Essay Topics for Students , please share them on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Pinterest. I appreciate it!

Sincerely, Jill journalbuddies.com creator and curator

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Jill -- Owner and Curator of JournalBuddies.com

Narrative Essay Topics: TOP 200 Choices for Students

Imagine yourself facing a blank page, ready to fill it with your memories and imagination. What story will you tell today?

As students, you often have to write narratives that capture people's attention. But with so many stories to choose from, where do you start? How do you find the perfect topic that will grab our readers' interest and make them think?

Join our essay service experts as we explore 200 topics for college where stories are waiting to be told, and experiences are ready to be shared. From everyday events to unforgettable moments, each topic is a chance to connect with your readers and make them feel something.

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Ideas for Narrative Essay Topics

After exploring how students write narrative paragraphs, we've put together a list of narrative essay topics designed specifically for college and school students. This list covers a wide range of subjects, so pick one that speaks to you!

Literacy Narrative Essay Topics for College Students

How about delving into captivating literacy narrative essay topics designed specifically for college-level writing? Exciting, isn't it?

How did a childhood book shape your view of the world?
What challenges did you face when learning to read in a second language?
How has storytelling within your family influenced your literacy journey?
Can you recall a pivotal moment that ignited your love for reading?
How did a specific teacher inspire your passion for literature?
Have you ever encountered a character in a book who profoundly impacted your perspective on life?
What role did writing play in helping you navigate a difficult period in your life?
How has your relationship with technology affected your reading habits?
What cultural or historical event sparked your interest in a particular genre of literature?
How has poetry shaped your understanding of language and emotion?
Have you ever experienced a breakthrough moment in your writing process?
How has reading aloud impacted your comprehension and enjoyment of literature?
Can you recall a time when a book challenged your beliefs or worldview?
How has participating in a book club enriched your reading experience?
What strategies have you developed to overcome reading difficulties or distractions?

Personal Narrative Essay Topics on Relationships

Take a moment to reflect on your past experiences and craft compelling personal narratives with these essay ideas.

How did a specific friendship shape who you are today?
Can you recount a moment that strengthened your bond with a family member?
What challenges have you faced in maintaining a long-distance relationship?
How has a mentor influenced your personal and professional development?
Have you experienced a betrayal in a relationship? How did it impact you?
Can you describe a memorable conflict resolution process within a relationship?
How has your relationship with a pet affected your emotional well-being?
What lessons have you learned from navigating a romantic relationship?
How has your relationship with a sibling evolved over time?
Can you recall a time when you had to set boundaries in a friendship?
How has volunteering or community involvement enriched your relationships?
What cultural differences have influenced your relationships with others?
Can you share a moment when you felt truly understood by someone?
How has technology affected the dynamics of your relationships?
Have you ever experienced a reconciliation that transformed a strained relationship?

Best Narrative Essay Topics on Education and Learning

Consider the beauty of sharing your personal experiences and emotions in a captivating manner through these ideas for personal narrative essays.

What was the most valuable lesson you learned outside of the classroom?
Can you recount a moment when a teacher's unconventional method transformed your understanding of a subject?
How has a field trip or experiential learning opportunity impacted your education?
What challenges have you faced in balancing extracurricular activities with academics?
Have you ever had a "Eureka!" moment while studying? Describe it.
How has learning a new skill outside of school influenced your academic performance?
Can you recall a time when a peer's perspective challenged your own understanding of a topic?
How has technology enhanced or hindered your learning experience?
What role does creativity play in your approach to learning?
Have you ever experienced a setback that ultimately propelled you forward academically?
How has your cultural background influenced your learning style?
Can you describe a time when you had to advocate for yourself within an educational setting?
How has mentorship shaped your educational journey?
What strategies have you employed to overcome academic challenges or obstacles?
Can you reflect on a time when failure taught you a valuable lesson about learning?

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Personal Narrative Essay Ideas on Reflection on Life

Why not ignite your creativity with a range of narrative essay topics, from extraordinary moments to everyday experiences?

How has a moment of failure ultimately led to personal growth and resilience?
Can you recount a pivotal decision that significantly altered the course of your life?
What lessons have you learned from navigating a crossroads or major life transition?
How has your perspective on success evolved over time?
Can you reflect on a time when you had to confront and overcome a deeply held fear?
What role has gratitude played in shaping your outlook on life?
How have your values and beliefs been influenced by significant life experiences?
Can you describe a moment when you found clarity and purpose amidst chaos or uncertainty?
What impact has traveling to a new place had on your understanding of the world and yourself?
How has adversity strengthened your character and determination?
Can you recall a time when a random act of kindness profoundly impacted your life?
What lessons have you learned from embracing vulnerability and authenticity in relationships?
How has practicing mindfulness or self-reflection enhanced your well-being and happiness?
Can you reflect on a period of personal transformation or self-discovery?
How have you found meaning and fulfillment in pursuing your passions and interests?

Ideas for a Narrative Essay on Culture and Society

Engaging your readers with narrative essays on culture and society is a great way to spark interest, offering captivating ideas for exploration.

How has your family's unique culinary heritage influenced your cultural identity?
Can you reflect on a specific cultural artifact or heirloom that holds deep significance for your family?
What challenges have you faced in preserving traditional customs while adapting to modern societal expectations?
How has a local festival or celebration revealed the intricacies of your community's cultural tapestry?
Can you recount a moment when you navigated a cultural clash between your upbringing and the dominant culture?
How has your experience as a first-generation immigrant shaped your understanding of cultural assimilation?
What lessons have you learned from participating in intercultural exchange programs or initiatives?
Can you describe a unique cultural practice or tradition within your community that outsiders might find intriguing or misunderstood?
How has the revitalization of indigenous languages contributed to the preservation of cultural heritage in your region?
Can you reflect on a personal journey of reconnecting with your cultural roots after a period of assimilation or disconnection?
What role does storytelling play in passing down cultural wisdom and values within your family or community?
How has the portrayal of your culture in mainstream media affected your sense of belonging and self-perception?
Can you recount a moment when you challenged cultural stereotypes through creative expression or advocacy?
How has the migration of a specific cultural group enriched the social fabric and economic landscape of your community?
What initiatives or grassroots movements are currently underway to promote cross-cultural understanding and cooperation in your society?

Since you're working on essays, we think it's suitable to suggest you learn more about the case study format , which is another common college assignment.

Narrative Writing Topics on Hobbies and Interests

Wow your readers by turning your passions and hobbies into compelling narrative essay topics that will get them thinking.

How has your passion for urban gardening transformed neglected spaces in your community?
Can you recount a thrilling adventure from your hobby of urban exploration?
What lessons have you learned from restoring vintage motorcycles in your spare time?
How has your fascination with birdwatching deepened your connection to nature and conservation efforts?
Can you describe a memorable moment from your hobby of foraging wild edibles in the wilderness?
What unique skills have you developed through your hobby of beekeeping, and how have they impacted your daily life?
How has your interest in historical reenactment brought the past to life in unexpected ways?
Can you reflect on a transformative experience from your hobby of landscape photography?
What insights have you gained from practicing the art of bonsai cultivation and nurturing miniature ecosystems?
How has your passion for stargazing inspired awe and wonder in the vastness of the universe?
Can you recount a challenging project from your hobby of woodworking and the satisfaction it brought upon completion?
What cultural connections have you discovered through your hobby of traditional folk dancing?
How has your interest in sustainable fashion influenced your consumer habits and environmental awareness?
Can you describe a moment of serenity and mindfulness experienced while practicing the art of tea ceremony?
How has your hobby of letterpress printing preserved the tactile beauty of handmade craftsmanship in a digital age?

Narrative Essay Titles on Life-Changing Moments

Life is full of unexpected twists that can lead to life-changing moments. Take a look at these narrative essay titles for stories that have had a lasting impact on your life.

How did surviving a natural disaster reshape your perspective on life?
Can you recall a single conversation that drastically altered the course of your life?
What was the pivotal moment that inspired you to pursue your dreams against all odds?
How did a chance encounter lead to a life-changing friendship or partnership?
Can you reflect on the decision that transformed your career trajectory?
What profound lesson did you learn from facing a life-threatening illness or injury?
How did traveling to a new country open your eyes to new possibilities and opportunities?
Can you recount the moment when you discovered your true passion or calling in life?
What was the turning point that allowed you to break free from a toxic relationship or environment?
How did experiencing failure or rejection ultimately lead to personal growth and resilience?
Can you describe the moment when you found the strength to overcome a deep-seated fear or insecurity?
What life-changing realization did you have while experiencing a period of solitude or introspection?
How did a profound act of kindness from a stranger restore your faith in humanity?
Can you reflect on the moment when you forgave someone who had deeply hurt you, and how it changed your perspective on forgiveness?
What pivotal decision did you make that allowed you to reclaim control over your own happiness and destiny?

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Good Narrative Topics on Travel and Adventure

Consider creating intriguing titles for your narrative essay ideas by exploring thrilling travel adventures.

Can you recount a memorable encounter with wildlife during your solo hiking adventure?
How did a spontaneous decision to explore an unfamiliar city lead to unexpected discoveries?
What lessons did you learn from navigating a foreign country with only a map and your instincts?
Can you describe the exhilaration of conquering a challenging mountain peak for the first time?
How did immersing yourself in a local culture during your travels broaden your perspective on the world?
What unexpected obstacles did you encounter while embarking on a backpacking journey through rugged terrain?
Can you reflect on the transformative experience of volunteering abroad in a community-driven project?
How did getting lost in a labyrinthine city alleyway lead to serendipitous encounters and newfound friendships?
What was the most memorable meal you had while sampling street food in a bustling market abroad?
Can you recount the adrenaline rush of participating in an extreme sports activity in a foreign land?
How did witnessing a breathtaking natural phenomenon during your travels leave a lasting impression on you?
What cultural traditions or rituals did you participate in during a homestay experience with a local family?
Can you describe the sense of wonder and awe you felt while exploring ancient ruins or historical sites?
How did navigating a language barrier challenge and ultimately enrich your travel experience?
What valuable life lessons did you learn from the mishaps and misadventures encountered during your journey off the beaten path?

Narrative Essay Topic Ideas on Career and Work Experience

College students can uncover captivating narrative essay ideas by exploring potential career paths or reminiscing about past job experiences.

How did a challenging project at work showcase your problem-solving skills and resilience?
Can you reflect on a pivotal mentorship experience that guided your career trajectory?
What valuable lessons did you learn from a career setback or failure, and how did it shape your future success?
How did a workplace conflict lead to personal growth and improved communication skills?
Can you recount a moment when taking a professional risk paid off in unexpected ways?
What insights did you gain from transitioning to a new industry or career path?
How did participating in a cross-functional team project enhance your collaboration and leadership abilities?
Can you describe the satisfaction of achieving a long-term career goal after years of hard work and perseverance?
What impact did a meaningful recognition or award have on your motivation and sense of accomplishment?
How did volunteering or pro bono work contribute to your professional development and sense of purpose?
Can you reflect on the decision to leave a stable job in pursuit of passion or fulfillment?
What strategies did you employ to navigate a toxic work environment and maintain your well-being?
How did a career setback lead to unexpected opportunities for personal and professional growth?
Can you describe a moment when mentorship or sponsorship played a crucial role in advancing your career?
What lessons did you learn from a challenging client or customer interaction, and how did it shape your approach to customer service and relationship-building?

Interesting Narrative Essay Topics about Challenges and Obstacles

If you're not sure what to write about for your narrative essay, think back to the tough times you've had and how you managed to get through them.

How did you conquer a once-paralyzing fear to chase your dreams?
What new strengths did you discover while adapting to a physical challenge?
Can you recall a creative solution you used during a tough financial period?
When did you bravely stand against injustice, despite opposition?
How did overcoming a language barrier broaden your horizons?
What key lessons did you learn from a major setback in your life?
How did you manage overwhelming stress and responsibilities?
What inner reserves of resilience did you draw upon after personal loss?
Describe a time when you defied societal norms to pursue your goals.
Reflect on a moment when failure fueled your determination for success.
When did you find the courage to leave your comfort zone behind?
How did community support bolster you through a challenging time?
Share a time when self-doubt led to newfound confidence.
Can you recount a tragedy that spurred your personal growth?
What insights did overcoming a monumental obstacle reveal about life?

Best Narrative Essay Topics: How to Choose the One That Resonates

A narrative essay is a type of writing that tells a personal story, including characters, plot, setting, and the order of events. Its main goal is to connect with readers emotionally and share a specific message or insight through the retelling of a meaningful experience.

Students write narrative essays as part of their studies for several reasons. Firstly, it allows them to express themselves creatively by sharing their unique experiences, thoughts, and feelings. Secondly, it helps them develop important writing skills like organizing ideas and thoughts effectively.

Choosing good narrative essay ideas involves looking at personal experiences, interests, and the potential for engaging storytelling. Here's a simple guide to help you pick the right topic:

Think about significant moments in your life that had a lasting impact, such as personal growth or overcoming challenges.
Choose topics related to your hobbies, interests, or areas of expertise to make your story more engaging.
Consider what your audience would be interested in and choose topics that resonate with them.
Focus on a specific event or detail to make your narrative more focused and impactful.
Look for universal themes like love or personal transformation that connect with readers on a deeper level.
Brainstorm ideas and write freely to uncover compelling topics.
Decide on storytelling techniques like flashbacks or foreshadowing and choose a topic that fits.
Get feedback from friends, peers, or instructors to see if your topics are interesting and impactful.
Choose topics that evoke strong emotions for a more compelling narrative.
Select a topic that you personally connect with to make your story authentic.

Once you've chosen a topic, brainstorm ideas and create an outline for your essay. Follow your professor's instructions carefully and consider seeking help from our narrative essay writing service if needed.

Bring your stories to life with EssayPro. Select from a vast array of narrative essay topics and let our professionals help you weave your tales into captivating essays. Whether it's adventure, reflection, or imagination, we're here to assist.

Final Remarks

As we wrap up, our list of 200 narrative essay topics is here to fuel your creativity for your next writing project! Whether you're sharing a memorable event, reliving a childhood memory, or expressing a profound insight, crafting a narrative essay can be an uplifting experience that resonates deeply with readers.

And if you're gearing up for college admissions, why not check out our admission essay writing service ? We've already assisted countless students in securing their spots at their dream colleges, and we'd love to help you, too!

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is a seasoned educational writer focusing on scholarship guidance, research papers, and various forms of academic essays including reflective and narrative essays. His expertise also extends to detailed case studies. A scholar with a background in English Literature and Education, Daniel’s work on EssayPro blog aims to support students in achieving academic excellence and securing scholarships. His hobbies include reading classic literature and participating in academic forums.

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Astronomy Research Topics: 200 Best Choices

Bell Ringers

Writing authentic narratives in middle school.

Establishing a situation
Organized a logical event sequence
Describing scenes, objects or people
Developing characters’ personalities
Using dialogue as appropriate
Establishing a context
Situating events in a time or place
Developing a point of view
Developing character motives

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Narrative Essay

Narrative Essay Topics

Best Narrative Essay Topics 2024 for Students

12 min read

Narrative Essay Topics for Students

If you're a student looking for a diverse range of topics, we've got you covered with a diverse selection of narrative essay topics.

Narrative Essay Topics for Grade 3

My favorite birthday party
A day at the zoo
The best trip I ever took
My first pet
A time I helped someone
My funniest school day
A rainy day adventure
My favorite family tradition
The day I learned to ride a bike
A visit to the park

Narrative Essay Topics for Grade 4

My best friend
The most exciting day of my life
A time I got lost
A memorable sleepover
A day at the beach
My favorite holiday memory
The day I found a hidden treasure
A special family vacation
A time I overcame a fear
An unexpected surprise

Narrative Essay Topics for Grade 5

My First Day at a New School
The Time I Learned to Ride a Bike
A Visit to a Haunted House
The Day I Met a Real-Life Superhero
My Most Memorable Family Vacation
A Surprising Encounter with an Animal
The Mystery of the Missing Homework
The Best Birthday Party I Ever Had
When I Lost a Tooth
My Adventure in a Fantasy World

Narrative Essay Topics for Grade 6

An Unforgettable Camping Trip
The Day I Discovered a Hidden Talent
A Mysterious Letter and Its Consequences
A Time I Had to Stand Up for What's Right
The Thrilling Mystery of a Forgotten Diary
A Memorable Encounter with a Famous Person
My Journey Through a Fantasy Land
The Day I Learned a Valuable Life Lesson
An Unexpected Act of Kindness
A Secret Adventure in an Abandoned Place

Narrative Essay Topics for Grade 7

The Most Exciting Adventure of My Life
The Day I Overcame a Fear
A Memorable School Field Trip
The Strangest Mystery I Ever Encountered
An Unforgettable Encounter with Wildlife
A Life-Changing Decision I Had to Make
The Best Book I Ever Read and Why
A Day in the Life of a Time Traveler
The Importance of Friendship in My Life
A Valuable Lesson Learned from a Mistake

Narrative Essay Topics for Grade 8

A Time I Faced a Difficult Moral Dilemma
The Most Memorable Summer Vacation
The Impact of a Life-Altering Decision
An Unexpected Act of Kindness I Received
The Day I Stepped Out of My Comfort Zone
A Historical Event I Would Like to Witness
A Special Family Tradition and Its Significance
A Personal Achievement I'm Proud Of
A Challenging Obstacle I Overcame
A Journey Through My Creative Imagination

Narrative Essay Topics for Grade 9

The Transition to High School: Challenges and Triumphs
A Life-Changing Encounter with an Inspiring Mentor
My First Part-Time Job and What I Learned
The Day I Realized the Power of Empathy
The Impact of a Personal Passion or Hobby
An Unforgettable Travel Experience Abroad
A Meaningful Community Service Project I Participated In
The Role of Technology in My Life
A Defining Moment in My Cultural Identity
My Vision for the Future: Dreams and Aspirations

Narrative Essay Topics for Grade 10

The most challenging experience of my life
A time I stood up for something I believed in
How I overcame a major obstacle
The impact of a special teacher or mentor
A moment that changed my perspective on life
An unforgettable road trip
My experience with peer pressure
A time I failed and what I learned from it
A significant cultural or family tradition
A memorable high school event

Narrative Essay Topics for O-Levels

The Day I Took a Leap of Faith
An Unforgettable Journey into the Unknown
A Life-Altering Decision I Made in High School
An Encounter with a Stranger That Changed My Perspective
The Role of Resilience in Overcoming a Personal Challenge
The Impact of a Cultural Exchange Experience
A Lesson Learned from a Unique Life Experience
The Importance of Perseverance in Achieving a Goal
My Most Memorable Academic Achievement
A Glimpse into My Future: Aspirations and Ambitions

Narrative Essay Topics for Highschool

The Moment I Discovered My Passion
A Life-Changing Journey Abroad
A Challenging Decision That Shaped My Future
An Unexpected Act of Kindness That Touched My Heart
The Role of Resilience in Overcoming Adversity
A Personal Experience That Shaped My Values
The Impact of Technology on My Generation
A Time I Took a Stand for a Cause I Believe In
A Memorable Leadership Role I Assumed
A Glimpse into My Ideal Future: Aspirations and Goals

Narrative Essay Topics for College

The Journey to Finding My Academic Passion
A Life-Altering Study Abroad Experience
The Transformational Impact of a Challenging Decision
Navigating the Transition from College to the Professional World
An Unforgettable Encounter with a Mentor or Role Model
The Role of Adversity in Shaping My Personal Growth
A Significant Ethical Dilemma I Faced in College
How My College Experiences Have Shaped My Worldview
The Impact of Technology on My College Education
A Personal Reflection on My Career Aspirations and Goals

Narrative Essay Topics for University Students

The Evolution of My Academic and Career Goals at University
An Eye-Opening Internship Experience That Impacted My Future
A Transformative Study Abroad Journey
Navigating the Complexities of Balancing Work, Academics, and Social Life at University
The Role of a Unique Research Project in My Academic Growth
A Personal Account of Overcoming a Significant Academic Challenge
A Meaningful Leadership Role in a University Organization
The Journey of Self-Discovery Through Elective Courses at University
The Impact of Peer Relationships and Networking at University
How My University Education Has Shaped My Perspective on Global Issues

Unique Narrative Essay Topics for Students

We've gathered distinct narrative topic ideas to fuel your creativity. Let’s look at some personal narrative ideas to inspire your narrative writing.

Descriptive Narrative Essay Topics

A Peaceful Day by the Riverside
Exploring a Haunted House
My Favorite Childhood Memory
A Walk Through an Ancient Forest
The Perfect Winter Wonderland
An Evening at a Carnival
A Visit to a Vibrant Art Gallery
The Spectacular Colors of Autumn
A Day in the Life of a Beach
An Exciting Night in the City

Personal Narrative Essay Topics

A Life-Changing Decision I Made
A Moment of Personal Triumph
Overcoming My Greatest Fear
A Meaningful Lesson from a Personal Challenge
The Role of a Special Friend in My Life
A Time When I Broke a Personal Record
The Impact of a Mentor on My Life
My Journey to Self-Discovery

Literacy Narrative Essay Topics

My Earliest Memory of Learning to Read
The Book That Sparked My Love for Reading
A Life-Changing Experience in a Library
The Impact of a Special Teacher on My Writing Skills
How Technology Has Shaped My Writing Habits
A Personal Reflection on My Writing Journey
The Role of Literature in Shaping My Perspective
Writing as a Tool for Self-Expression and Healing
How I Overcame Writer's Block
The Significance of Storytelling in My Life

Engaging Narrative Essay Topics

The Mystery of a Lost Treasure Map
An Unlikely Friendship That Changed My Life
A Day in the Life of a Professional Athlete
The Journey of Starting My Own Business
A Haunting Experience in a Historic Place
A Memorable Road Trip with Friends
My Encounter with a Famous Celebrity
The Day I Conquered My Greatest Fear
An Adventure in a Foreign Land
A Life-Altering Decision at a Crossroads

Narrative Essay Topics on Different Themes

Narrative essays allow you to share personal stories on various themes, such as funny moments, childhood memories, vacations, and happy times. Here are some themes with topic ideas to inspire your creativity and reflection:

Funny Narrative Essay Topics

The funniest thing that ever happened to me
A time I embarrassed myself in public
A prank that went hilariously wrong
The day everything went wrong but turned out great
My most awkward moment at school
A silly misunderstanding
A funny family tradition
A comical incident with my pet
The time I tried to cook and failed
A laughable sports mishap

Childhood Narrative Essay Topics

My first day of school
A memorable playdate with friends
A childhood dream that came true
A lesson I learned from my parents
A favorite toy and the adventures we had
The day I met my best friend
A family trip from my childhood
A time I got into trouble and how I handled it
My favorite birthday as a child
A special holiday memory

Vacations Narrative Essay Topics

My best summer vacation ever
An unexpected adventure during a vacation
The most relaxing vacation I’ve had
A family road trip
A visit to a place I've always wanted to go
An unforgettable experience at a resort
Exploring nature on a camping trip
The funniest moment on vacation
A cultural experience in a new city
The day I got lost on vacation

Narrative Essay Topics About Happy Moments

The happiest day of my life
A time I felt really proud of myself
A moment of pure joy with family
A celebration I'll never forget
Achieving a goal I worked hard for
A surprise that made me smile
The day I made a new friend
A happy memory with my pet
A time I helped someone and felt happy
A fun day at the park

Narrative Essay Topics About Pets

The day I got my first pet
A funny incident with my pet
Training my pet
The adventures of my pet and me
A time my pet comforted me
A day in the life of my pet
My pet's quirky habits
A time my pet saved the day
How my pet changed my life
A special bond with my pet

Narrative Essay Topics About Favorite Places

My favorite place in my hometown
A visit to a place of historical significance
A place where I feel at peace
The most beautiful place i've ever seen
A hidden gem I discovered
My favorite place to hang out with friends
A place that holds special memories
The best vacation spot i've been to
A place I visit when I need inspiration
A place that makes me feel happy

How to Choose a Topic for a Narrative Essay?

Choosing the right topic for your narrative essay can be a daunting task. Before you start writing, it is important to invest some time in researching and brainstorming.

Here are a few tips to help guide you in selecting an interesting and engaging narrative essay topic:

Reflect on Your Personal Experiences: If you are writing about a personal narrative topic, consider the impactful moments in your life and think about experiences that have left a strong impression on you.
Identify a Clear Message or Theme: Determine the central idea or theme of your narrative. Decide what lesson, insight, or emotion you want to convey.
Engage Your Audience: Consider your target audience and what will resonate with them. Choose a topic that captures their interest and keeps them engaged.
Play with Different Perspectives: Explore the option of incorporating different viewpoints. Combining personal and external perspectives can add depth to your narrative.
Test Your Idea: Get feedback from a friend or classmate. Assess if your chosen topic is likely to resonate with your audience.
Stay True to Your Voice: Balance considering your audience with being authentic. Let your unique voice and storytelling style shine through in your writing

Tips for Writing Narrative Essays

Once you have selected a topic for your narrative essay, it is time to start writing.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you write your story:

Start with a Strong Hook: Begin your narrative essay with a captivating hook, such as an engaging anecdote, a thought-provoking question, or a vivid description.
Follow a Clear Structure: Organize your narrative essay outline with a clear structure. Most narratives follow a chronological order, but you can also use flashbacks or nonlinear storytelling when it serves your narrative.
Build Tension and Conflict: Create tension and conflict in your narrative to add depth and maintain reader engagement. Whether it's a personal struggle, a moral dilemma, or an external challenge, these obstacles will keep readers eagerly anticipating what comes next.
Revise and Edit: After completing your first draft, take the time to revise and edit your work. Review it for grammar and spelling errors, but also examine the overall structure and flow of your narrative.
Practice, Practice, Practice: Like any form of writing, improving your narrative essay skills takes practice. Keep writing and experimenting with different topics, styles, and approaches to develop your storytelling abilities.

Before you start writing, make sure you read some narrative essay examples to learn how to organize your thoughts and structure your story.

In summary, no matter the type of essay you are writing about, you need a topic to start with. Our collection of narrative essay topics offers fresh, distinct ideas.

These topics are crafted to ignite your creativity and captivate your audience. They cover a diverse range of experiences, making it easier for you to connect with your readers on a personal level.

Still, struggling to write a compelling narrative essay? MyPerfectWords.com is here to help you out!

We stand as the most reliable narrative essay writing service with a specialized focus on crafting exceptional essays designed for high school and college students. Our customer support team is also available 24/7, request write my essays online whenever you need assistance.

Frequently Asked Questions

How are narrative essay topics different from other essay types.

Narrative essay topics are usually based on personal experiences, so they are more emotional and creative than other types of essays. Also, they are often more open-ended, so you have more freedom to choose what to write about.

Where can I find good narrative essay topics?

There are a few ways to find good topics for your narrative essay. You can look through books or magazines for ideas, or search online for inspiration. You can also brainstorm with friends or family members to come up with ideas.

What do I write a narrative essay about?

You can write a narrative essay about anything, but it is usually based on personal experience. Try to recall interesting incidents from your life to develop a narrative about.

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Home — Blog — Topic Ideas — 150+ Great Narrative Essay Topics and Ideas

150+ Great Narrative Essay Topics and Ideas

Often during the education process in school or university , we are asked to write an essay. Let’s talk about essays, in particular narrative ones. In a narrative essay, the author tells a story from real life. In this form of essay, the presentation of events in chronological order will not be enough. The authors’ thesis should interest the reader and make the story as vivid as possible so that the reader wants to become a part of the events described and can easily "transfer" to the story . More often such an essay is written in the 1st person in the present or past tense.

There are also other types of essays, such as:

Description essays. In such an essay, we describe an object.
Definition essays. Here we have one goal - to reveal this or that concept.
Illustration essays. Your goal is to prove a statement.
Argument essays. Here we give examples of persuasive facts that support your assertion.

Now let's look at the most popular narrative essay topics that we can board you with.

How to Know What Topic You Need?

If you were given a list of essay topics at schools or colleges , it would be logical if you choose a topic that is closer to you, on which you are not averse to reflecting.

If there is no list of topics, and you have only indicated the direction in which you should choose a problem for the essay, you will have to formulate the topic for narrative writing yourself.

Here are some tips on how to choose a topic for your essay:

Before defining a narrative essay topic, it is worth finding the author's position. This is the moral instruction of the author, which can be written directly or encrypted in the words or thoughts of the hero-narrator. To find it, one should single out the topic and all the micro-themes in the text, and then formulate moralizing within their framework, that is, the author's position.
From the author's position, it is worth asking a special question, that is, a question that requires a general answer, and not a short "yes" or "no". This question will be a problem.
It is necessary to find two examples in the text that illustrate the transition from the question to the author's position, that is, to help answer the question posed. This will prove that such a problem is indeed raised by the author.

Narrative Essay Topic Ideas

Now, let’s take a closer look at topics for narrative essay examples you can choose.

Personal Narrative Essay Topics

Personal narrative essay examples and ideas are needed when you describe something that you experienced in your life.

How To Be a Defensive Driver.
A Personal Narrative about Fear Of Heights.
My Fear of Failure.
The Narrative about Losing My Dad.
A Day I Lost My Best Friend.
Narrative on Precious Time.
What I Did This Summer.
Personal Narrative: I Am a Perfectionist.
Why Softball Is Important in My Life.
Narrative on Vocation.
My First Rock Concert.
How I Learned to Accept Myself the Way I am.
I Helped a Person in Need.
My Last Day at School.
The Character I Associate Myself with.

Cultural Narrative Essay Topics

Cultural topics for narratives allow you to highlight the topic of culture and at the same time present the story in an interesting way for the reader.

Narrative about Mexican Culture.
What traditions are unique in your family?
Which tradition surprised you the most?
How does the media influence our perception of culture?
How does culture define a person's personality?
What culture do you identify with?
What is your favorite holiday?
How does your family celebrate Christmas?
The Impact of Narrative in English Language and Culture.
What holiday has the most sacred meaning for you?
What traditions does your family observe on the Easter holidays?
Which of the cultural events you attended did you remember the most?
What foreign tradition do you like the most?
Holiday traditions in your family.
Which festival do you like the most?

Narrative Argument Essay Topics

This type of narrative topics for an essay implies that you need to write about something that has had a big impact on you.

Conflict case from your life.
What disagreements did you have together with your friend?
The case when someone deceived you.
Has there been a choice in your life that you regret?
Have you been in conflict with other people?
A situation where you have to make a difficult decision between right and wrong.
Have you been caught doing something bad?
Have you ever had to win friends following the rules?
Have you ever blamed another person for what you did?
Have you helped someone for personal gain?
Have you ever played pranks on your friends?
What experience can you call the most difficult but important in life?
Have you ever been in a car accident?
Have you ever been humiliated?
Have you ever helped a friend solve his problem?

Interesting Narrative Essay Topics

Have you had to make a difficult decision in life?
Have you ever flooded a neighbor's house?
Has there ever been a person in your life who has changed it drastically?
Would you like to relive any of those days again?
Have you ever failed an exam?
What was the scariest moment in your life?
Have you ever been really sick?
Have you ever saved another person's life?
Have you ever worked up the courage to visit a haunted house?
Have you ever won a prize?
What was your first job in life?
Have you ever participated in educational student exchange programs ?
What do you do when you are all alone?
What was your first meeting with the police?
Have you ever been to the emergency room?

Personal Experience Narrative Essay Topics

Here you can describe people or events that influenced you in one way or another.

How have you met a special person in your life?
The person you enjoy the most.
The best place in the neighborhood.
The place you'd like to live your whole life.
A productive art, you enjoy.
What is your first job search ?
Your biggest disappointment.
Do you remember your first birthday?
Narrative on Earthquake: An Earth-Shattering Experience.
Have you ever encountered a wild animal?
Tell about the first time you got home alone.
How did you cook food for the first time?
Tell how you helped someone.
How did you overcome your fear?
Narrative about Video Games.

Relationship Narrative Essay Topics

Relationship narrative stories ideas help to describe our relationship and how our experience has influenced certain events in life.

Have you ever fallen in love?
What advice would you give to a couple who are just starting their relationship?
How would you define family?
If you have a best friend, how did you meet?
Do you think that your parents are more sensitive than others?
What is your attitude towards marriage?
Have you ever experienced gender bias?
How do you remember deceased family members?
What do you know about the origins of your family?
Narrative about Friendship.
How did you meet your best friend?
What can make you end a romantic relationship?
Is the community in your area important?
Do you think hatred can destroy a relationship?
Have you ever experienced intergenerational conflict?
What does honesty mean in a relationship?

Childhood Memories

In this type of essay, you need to describe the events and memories of childhood.

What was my first pet?
What are my first memories?
Whom did I look up to as a child?
How did I first go to the hospital?
My first meeting with my uncle/aunt.
The Impact of a Funeral.
My first terrible incident.
What are my childhood fears?
What was the happiest day of my childhood?
My first time at the stadium.

Growing Up in High School

Here you need to recall the most vivid impressions from high school.

What lessons were my favorites?
Who was my favorite teacher?
What role in the school theater did I remember the most?
How I lost a sports match.
Topics forbidden to me.
How did I feel when I failed the exam?
How did I feel when I passed the exam with excellent marks?
Is commuting to school a routine for me?
My best adventure in school.
What kind of extracurricular activities do I enjoy the most?

Moral & Ethical Dilemmas

In this type of essay, you have to describe the ideas of the complexity of moral choice.

What is your attitude towards pro-life movement: argumentative essay on abortion ?
How can we influence the fight against racism?
How should a work ethic deal with sexism?
Do you think euthanasia should be legal?
Why can't war be ethical?
What moral issues does workplace automation cause?
The Missing Climate Change Narrative Analysis.
Is it ethical to have a lot of money?
If drugs were legal, would their use be ethical?
Is it possible to justify eating meat in the modern world?

College Student Life

Try to describe events and memories from your student's life.

Narrative about Reading.
My last day with my schoolmates.
My favorite course.
Meeting my better half.
The story of my split-up.
My brightest high school moment.
How I met my old friend.
My favorite professor.
Narrative on a Trip: The Wonders of Rome.
The most symbolic episode from my college life.
The day I moved.
Narrative on a Road Trip to Remember.
My first impressions of the college campus.
How I met my roommate.
My first friends at college.

Narrative Essay Topics for Different Grades

Let’s look at the narrative speech topics for different grades.

Narrative Essay Topics for Grade 5

My first bicycle ride.
My dad is my hero.
A day with my grandmother.
My first day at school.
My best friend.
My favorite teacher.
A school trip to the zoo.
My grandpa’s hands.
The most exciting day of school.
The best summer vacation.

Narrative Essay Topics for Grade 6

A memorable teacher.
My first trip abroad.
A sad story from my childhood.
My favorite vacation with my family.
A fight with my best friend.
My best birthday party.
How we celebrate our parents’ wedding anniversary.
My first day at a new school.
Last Christmas was an interesting story.
How I lost my sister.

Narrative Essay Topics for Grade 7

Something that scared me the most.
The best day of my life.
Helping a stranger.
How I met my best friend.
My brother’s wedding.
How I got my first pet.
Once I called the dean's office.
Conflict with my father.
Unique family tradition.

Narrative Essay Topics for Grade 8

School trip to the museum.
My best day at school.
The most exciting day of summer vacation.
Worst day at school.
The day I got my first pet.
The hour we spent looking at our baby's album.
My first attempt at cooking.
My first Japanese pastry.
My first foreign friend.

Narrative Essay Topics for Grade 9

A visit to the countryside.
How I lost my faith in humanity.
A car accident.
My friend had an accident.
A trip I will never forget.
The most enjoyable Christmas.
A bad experience that completely changed my behavior.
How I used to spend my summer vacations.
My experience with a tornado.
I got lost in the streets of venus.

Narrative Essay Topics for O Levels

A special moment when I got my first bike.
A disappointing birthday party.
The most embarrassing thing that happened to me.
A disastrous date.
The moment of success.
Growing up in New York.
A sporting experience.
A random act of kindness.
The first six months of COVID-19.
The end of my relationship.

Narrative Essay Topics for High School Students

Personal narrative ideas in high school include the classic moments that are stereotypical of the secondary school experience.

Special homecoming court moment.
A friendship that started long before high school.
Prom dress shopping and your self-esteem.
Anticipation for graduation.
An award or scholarship you received.
Participating in a school musical.
Coming to America: A Narrative of a Journey of Hope.
Your first love.
A moment you stood up for what you believed in.
How your relationship with your parents changed for the better.

Narrative Essay Topics for Middle School

Middle school is a great time of self-discovery that’s filled with firsts and memorable moments. Use these milestones as the topic for your narrative essay.

Making an unlikely friend.
How bad relationships help you become a better person.
The first time you opened your locker.
The teacher that makes you feel smart.
Moving from elementary school to middle school.
A social media post that inspired you.
A news story about a kid/teen that was uplifting.
A comment from a teacher that made you feel good.
A comment from someone you’re not friends with that made you feel good.
Being yourself.

Narrative Essay Topics for College Students

College is another time in your life that’s wrought with self-discovery and seeing the world as it truly is.

Frederick Douglass Narrative.
Frame Narrative in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.
Narrative on The Definition of Bravery in Beowulf.
A Critical Examination of Social Commentary and Narrative Execution.
Examples of community on campus.
A test experience that boosts your self-esteem.
The moment you realized you were going into the right field.
What does a college degree mean to you?
College is a microcosm of the world.
The feeling of independence.

Conclusion

Teachers and students are very fond of narrative essay topics, as they are flexible enough that everyone can find a topic that is close to them. If you can’t decide on a topic yourself, then the list that we presented in our material will help you. We sincerely wish you good luck and inspiration for writing the best essay. And the topics we have suggested will help you with this!

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151 Interesting Narrative Essay Topics and Examples

Jim Peterson has over 20 years experience on speech writing. He wrote over 300 free speech topic ideas and how-to guides for any kind of public speaking and speech writing assignments at My Speech Class.

151 Interesting Narrative Essay Topics and Examples intro image

Don’t dread writing a narrative essay topic! Narrative essays can be great and fun to write. It can also be an excellent learning experience. This type of essay can be imaginative, but it is also often hugely introspective.

In fact, learning to write a good narrative essay is almost like making an investment in your future. After all, at some point or another, you will need to tell a good story. Be it to keep a crowd entertained or to make a wedding speech memorable, or even an enticing pitch, a story with a strong narrative will keep the attention on you.

Of course, coming up with a good narrative essay topic is the most important moment in your journey as an author. If you don’t already have a good story in mind, we believe we can help you find the best prompt for your essay with our list of 151 best narrative essay topic ideas .

In this article:

What Is a Narrative Essay?

Take a trip down memory lane for inspiration, think about defining moments in your life, try memory mixology (mix and match events from your life), come up with a memorable title, 40 best personal narrative essay topics, narrative essay topics about friends and relationships, narrative essay topics about childhood, narrative essay topics for middle school, narrative essay topics about family, imaginative narrative essay topics (imagine that…), values and morality narrative essay topics, narrative essay topics about defining moments, narrative essay topics about your favorite things, interesting narrative essay topics, do you need more help.

If you’ve never written a narrative essay before, think about it as an opportunity to tell a personal story about yourself. The narrative essay topic is the perfect vessel for communicating your unique perspective and interpretation of events that happened in your lifetime, especially if there was a lesson that was learned (and there always is).

A narrative essay is specifically ideal for developing the writer’s writing and storytelling skills. That’s why your subject doesn’t really need to be grand or memorable. What matters more than the essay topic itself is whether or not the author can create an attention-grabbing narrative.

Finally, a really good narrative essay relies on a masterful introduction of the setting, a realistic character growth, and an interesting conflict and its resolution. Contrast this with the more formal and rigid structure of the informative essay , where fact reporting and clear logical structure are key.

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How Can You Choose a Narrative Essay Topic?

If you don’t have an evocative story in mind yet, how should you choose your narrative essay topic? Although by definition, the narrative essay is a rather personal piece, there are several universal guidelines you can follow when you’re looking for the best topic for your essay.

As we already mentioned, the topic for a narrative essay will ask you to strongly draw from your personal history. Therefore, the logical first step in your search for the perfect topic is to search your memory for a vivid episode that made a strong impression on you.

This can be anything from a childhood memory to a national disaster, a quiet conversation on a stormy afternoon, or an introspective moment when you felt true clarity. The important thing is to be able to build a good story around it. So, try to find a relevant, engaging, fun, surprising, or unusual moment in your life to discuss, and roll the dice!

Turning points in a life make for a great story and are just as good for a narrative essay topic as they are for an Academy Award-winning movie. Think about situations in which you had an intense emotional response. A great essay topic could ask you to talk about loss, celebration, your successes or failures, lessons you’ve learned, your hobbies, or any big decisions you’ve made.

Most of your writing should be honest and personal. It’s okay if you use your creativity to fill in some gaps or make the story more compelling, but avoid writing about completely imaginary situations. Not only will you be running away from the narrative essay and into creative writing, but it’s also often more challenging to create a fictional world and a narrative entirely from imagination. The narrative essay topic should be you-centric, and the reader will expect a candid glimpse into your inner world.

If stringing together different moments of your personal history will make your narrative essay stand out, then that’s the way to go! Pick your narrative essay topic in such a way that talking about events that didn’t take place in succession will make the story even stronger.

For example, if your essay topic asked you to talk about Christmas at home, weave together anecdotes from several Christmas holidays, and make a bizarre tale. Take risks and be creative, and the result will be a compelling story that will evoke an intense emotional reaction.

It’s easier to write your narrative essay topic if you have a snappy title in mind. These usually come in the shape of a statement or a resolution. For example, instead of writing about “What Is Your Experience of Discussing Racial Issues with People of a Different Race?” consider how the tone and depth of your essay will change if you write on a topic phrased like this: “Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race”*. It’s a lot more pointed and emotionally charged already, isn’t it?

A superb way to get inspiration for an interesting narrative essay topic is to look at articles, books, podcasts, or blog posts. In general, anything that makes you want to learn more about it is a sign of an excellent title and, hence, a good essay topic for your narrative essay.

* Author’s note : The example essay title we’ve used is referring to an already- existing essay and book of the same title by author and journalist, Reni Eddo-Lodge.

Of course, sometimes, things are easier said than done, and people struggle to find the best narrative essay topic for themselves. This is why we’ve come up with 151 of the best narrative essay topics and ideas for you.

Personal stories make for the best narratives. This is why choosing a personal subject as your narrative essay topic might be the best idea. Although sharing an intimate story might seem daunting at first, remember that you have full control over what ends up in the final draft.

Of course, if you’d like to broaden your idea pool, you could search for inspiration among our list of persuasive essay topics or even argumentative essay topics . Sometimes, ideas come from the most unlikely places.

1. Talk about a time you were punished for bad behavior. Why do you remember that?

2. When did you know what you wanted to do as you grew up/what you wanted to study in college?

3. Discuss a time you experienced a rush of adrenaline. Why was it interesting? Did the experience teach you something?

4. Have you watched live events on TV (e.g., Superbowl, NBA, concerts, plays)? Was there something memorable about this?

5. What is the movie you’ve seen so many times? Why?

6. Talk about something you are really good at.

7. There are some things we need to be alone to do well. Talk about something you like to do best when you are by yourself.

8. Talk about a time you challenged yourself to do something seemingly unimportant or just for fun (e.g., learning how to solve a Rubik’s Cube). Why did you do that?

9. Olfaction (sense of smell) is strongly related to memories and is a powerful memory evoker. What does happiness smell like to you?

10. What are you deeply upset about?

11. What is something you are deeply grateful for?

12. What is the most important memory you have with your mother?

13. Do you have a sibling? How would you wish your relationship with them was?

14. Talk about a situation in which you should have asked for help but didn’t.

15. How does your sense of style relate to your identity?

16. Are you sometimes surprised by who you see in the mirror? Why do you think this happens, and what do you see?

17. Talk about the first time you danced (and had fun) in public.

18. What does your library say about you? Have you read all the books in it? How do you curate it?

19. How does social media affect your close personal relationships?

20. What was the last thing you learned (or taught yourself) how to do?

21. What are you deeply upset about?

22. Talk about a moment in which you experienced true clarity.

23. How does your social media persona compare to you in real life?

24. What soothes you when you are anxious?

25. Would you befriend yourself?

26. Who is someone you would never want to be?

27. What are three things you think about often and are truly important to you (e.g., making your own food, finding a romantic partner, the impression you leave others with)?

28. Talk about when you truly forgave someone.

29. Talk about a quality you’ve worked hard for and are proud of.

30. Talk about a moment you felt extremely humbled.

31. What inspires you (to be funny, to create, to improve)?

32. Talk about a positive change you’ve made in your life.

33. What is the most challenging thing you’ve achieved?

34. Discuss a bad decision you made. How did you justify it at that time? When did you know it was a bad decision?

35. When was the moment when you stopped taking yourself too seriously?

36. What is the story of one of your tattoos?

37. What is the reason you keep a diary?

38. What is something you do as escapism?

39. What is your coming-out story?

40. Talk about a time when you should have ended something but didn’t. Why?

Narrative Essay Topics About Friends and Relationships

1. Think about an event where you showed cynicism instead of compassion. What do you think would have been the outcome and consequences if you’d shown compassion?

2. Have you ever lost a person who was important to you? Talk about what you celebrate about them.

3. Talk about the friends that have drifted away.

4. What qualities do you look for in a new friend?

5. How is an easy or spontaneous friendship different from the ones you need to put effort to? How are they similar?

6. What would you talk about with a stranger?

7. Where do you fit in your social circle(s)?

8. Have you ever greatly misjudged a person? Did you take anything away from the experience?

9. Talk about a situation in which you showed courage. Was it easy?

10. Have you given up something that was important to you to make somebody else happy? How do you feel about that choice?

1. Remember a game you enjoyed playing as a child. Why do you think it’s important?

2. What is the best gift you’ve ever received?

3. Tell a bizarre story. Who did it happen to, and what made it strange?

4. What are “the good old times” for you?

5. What is the nightmare you remember most vividly? What do you think it means?

Narrative Essay Topics for Middle school

If you’re in middle school and looking for a narrative essay topic, you’re probably not too excited about it… but you’d be wrong. Writing a narrative essay can be good, fun, and very engaging if you choose the right topic and let your silly or creative side loose. So, we’ve tried to compile a list of topics on which teens could write a marvelous and entertaining story.

If you’re looking for more serious essay topic ideas, you’d find some in our list of 172 controversial debate topics (for teens) .

1. What is your favorite cultural holiday and why?

2. What was the last act of kindness that you saw?

3. Discuss a stressful situation in which you needed to solve a problem under pressure. What did you do?

4. Studying an experience when being organized was (not) extremely helpful.

5. How did you learn that “experience is the best teacher”?

6. Would you work on something that requires you to frequently travel?

7. Talk about the role sports plays in your life.

8. Remember a time when you decided you would never procrastinate again (even if you did after that).

9. How do you feel about getting lost? Why?

10. Write about a time you quit something (gave up). Was that the right choice?

1. Write a letter to your 4-year-old self.

2. Write a letter to your father.

3. What do you hope your relationship with your child would be?

4. Talk about an event when you and your family shared an especially memorable moment together and all of you felt very connected as a family.

5. Talk about something your parents did (for you) which you are grateful for or that made you proud.

1. If you could go back in time and change something about your life, what would it be?

2. Often, we have admiration for a public figure, and then, either through action or inaction, they lose our admiration. Imagine you could become that person for a day. What would you do?

3. If you could learn any language instantly, which one would you choose?

4. What is the most frightening noise you can imagine?

5. If you had three wishes, what would you wish for (standard genie rules apply)?

6. If you were slowly losing your memories, which memories would you want to lose last?

7. If you had to lose one of your senses, which would it be?

8. If you could easily turn into an animal and have a second life as one, what animal would you like to be?

9. If you would enter a long-term committed relationship with another person, what are the lessons from your parent’s marriage you would take with you?

10. If you were the supreme leader of the town/city/country you live in, what would be the most important action you’ll take?

11. If you would look in a magical mirror that showed your deepest desires, what would you see?

12. If you could meet your idols, who would you want to meet and why?

13. If you had an extra 8 hours in your day (and nobody else did), what would you do with that time?

14. Some people imagine their memory and thoughts as organized in file cabinets, while others have mind castles. How do you imagine the inside of your mind is organized?

15. Imagine you had a different skin color. How would your life be different?

16. Imagine you woke up and you had switched sexes with someone of the opposite sex.

17. If you were living in a war zone, what would you be doing with your “free” time?

18. If you were to choose who to be the first people to inhabit a terraformed planet, who would you choose and why?

19. If you could be a historical figure, who would you like to be? Why would you have done something different?

20. If you could program a realistic AI, what qualities would you give it?

21. If you believe(d) in the afterlife, how do you imagine your personal heaven?

22. If you could invent anything (technological), what would it be?

23. If you could shoot an ad that would make people care about an issue you find important, what would the script for it look like?

24. If you could talk to all forms of life on Earth, what would you talk to, and what would you talk about?

25. If you could have a conversation with your favorite philosopher, what would it be about?

Values and Morality Narrative Essay Topics

What else makes us more uniquely ourselves than our moral compass? Our values are continuously tuned by new experiences, and sharing a story about the journey to your morals can make for a deeply personal narrative.

Argumentative essays and research paper topics are another good source of topic ideas about fundamental values and beliefs.

1. What would you hope to be remembered for?

2. Simple conversations can sometimes form core values and stay with us for a long time. Talk about an important conversation you’ve had.

3. What is something you would like to be good at? Why do you want this, and what would it take?

4. Talk about a charity that is important to you.

5. Is lying ever necessary?

6. What do you think is an underappreciated profession, and would you work that?

7. How is your heritage important to you? How do you embody it?

8. Talk about a situation which made you distrust authority.

9. Talk about a moment which made you respect authority.

10. Talk about an experience where you had to make up a story (tell a lie) to prove a point. Would you do that again?

11. Some people have a box in their homes labeled “In case of fire, take me.” What would your box contain if you had one?

12. Recall a situation in which you showed commendable patience and it was rewarded.

13. What do you feel entitled to?

14. What is the importance of being selfish?

15. How would you adjust your behavior if you knew you were being constantly under surveillance?

16. Talk about an event from your life (or one that you witnessed) where justice prevailed.

17. Tell a story that demonstrates one of your core values (e.g., a strong moral compass, entrepreneurial spirit, etc.)

18. When did you decide you wouldn’t eat meat anymore?

19. Do you have a motto you live by? Tell a story that illustrates how your motto has been relevant to you.

20. Is there anything you’re absolutely certain about?

Narrative Essay Topics About Defining Moments

1. Talk about a time when you felt like a fundamental human right was denied to you.

2. Talk about a difficult choice you’ve had to make.

3. When was the first time you realized you were mortal? What does mortality mean to you?

4. What lessons did you learn at your first job?

5. Making a connection.

6. Understanding a person with a disability.

7. Truth is often found in an argument. Talk about a debate in which you changed somebody’s opinion or they changed yours.

8. Although violence is rarely “the answer,” talk about a time when you resorted to aggression. Why was that the right/wrong thing to do in that situation?

9. What was the first social or political issue for which you developed a position and argued over? Has your position changed? Why?

10. Have you ever lost your sense of agency/felt trapped?

11. When was the first time you felt represented in the media?

12. Talk about a situation in which you completely lost control (over your body and movements, your emotion, or your actions).

13. Talk about a moment in your life which has been completely misrepresented by popular culture and movies.

14. What is the most memorable experience you’ve had in nature?

15. Talk about a moment in which you showed vulnerability.

Narrative Essay Topics About Your Favorite Things

1. Talk about your favorite director.

2. Talk about your favorite artist or band.

3. Who is your favorite artist, and why does their work move you?

4. Can you remember a piece of art that moved you? Why did it happen?

5. Do you have a favorite food? What feelings does it evoke in you?

6. Talk about a book or a movie you connected to in different ways during different periods of your life.

7. What collectible would you like to own and why?

8. Talk about a person you admire.

9. Who is your favorite storyteller?

10. Talk about your favorite villain.

1. What did you first use the Internet for?

2. Failure in itself is not meaningful. What holds meaning is what we do with it. Discuss a time when you felt like you failed at something. Why was it important to you?

3. Talk about how moments change when you’re viewing them through a lens (e.g., a camera or binoculars)

4. What would your role be if humanity moved to a terraformed planet?

5. When in time would you like to live and where?

6. How does showing kindness to yourself compare to being kind to others?

7. Can you see yourself through somebody else’s eyes (e.g., your younger sibling)?

8. Recall a moment when you were in a really big crowd. How would you explain it to someone who’s never been in a crowd before (e.g., children born during a global pandemic that lasted 10 years)?

9. Talk about a moment when your life had a movie-like quality.

10. Have you had anything Kafkaesque happen to you?

11. Are results important?

If you need further guidance about your essay, try to look at what other students have written about and how they approach their topics. There are plenty of forums and sources out there.

Alternatively, you can explore different catalogs of popular essay topic ideas for college or cumulative essay topics lists . If you’re looking for age-specific prompts, try going through our catalogue of essay topic ideas for teens .

Wherever you draw your inspiration from, remember, the narrative essay topic you choose should be fun or interesting for you to explore. That’s why it’s helpful to draw from your personal experiences and introspect. After all, your experiences are relevant to you, and you’re the person who’s best qualified to write about them. That is a great start to finding the perfect narrative essay topic for you!

125 Informative Essay Topics Examples and Writing Prompts

242 Personal Persuasive Essay Topics and Ideas

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164 Narrative Essay Topics for School & College Students

A narrative essay tells a story about a series of events. At the core of this kind of essay can be a personal experience or a fictional plot. Any story can be a basis for a narrative essay!

Narratives can look similar to descriptions. Still, they are different. A descriptive essay aims to explain the details of a specific moment. Narrative writing focuses on a sequence of events to tell a complete story.

In this article, we have prepared a list of narrative essay topics for high school, college, and university students. The topic ideas are divided by spheres. In the collection below, you’ll find the ideas based on personal experience as well as fictional narrative essay topics. Make use of resources offered by our custom writing experts to write any paper!

🔝 Top 10 Topics
📖 Fictional Topics
🧑✍️ Personal Narrative
✈️ Traveling
🧒 Elementary

✏️ Middle School

🧑‍🏫 high school.

👫 Relationships
🧸 Childhood
💡 Writing Guide and Tips

🔝 Top 10 Narrative Essay Topics: High School

Your childhood role model
How you overcame hardship
The best news you have ever heard
The time you experienced culture shock
A story of how you mistreated someone
The most memorable encounter you’ve had
An unexpected event that changed your life
The most embarrassing conversation you’ve had
When you realized you were wrong in an argument
A person who changed your opinion on something

📖 Fictional Narrative Essay Topics

The art of writing fiction is all about narrating a story. In a fictional narrative, you are free to create a tale that doesn’t relate to real life. Take a look at the fictional narrative essay topics below:

Write a narrative where a girl discovers her superpower.
A story about a land that has 25 hours in a day.
Describe your version of the future.
Fiction narrative where a person discovers big city life.
Come up with an apocalyptic story.
A group of scientists discovering a new world inside the Earth.
Write about a hamster that prevented a house robbery.
A person who saves the country from mass-produced poisoned food .
A group of high school students helping to improve their city.
A new civilization in a far away galaxy.
Write about a grandfather who was secretly a spy.
A narrative about a person waking up from the surgery with a different identity.
Create a story about a mysterious musical instrument.
A college student who won the presidential election.
Compose a story about a painting that looks different in every new house.
An anonymous person sends lots of money to the poor.
Come up with a fictional narrative about a family with unusual tendencies.
A movie star who lives out their roles in real life.
Passengers of an airplane encounter a UFO.
A narrative where a farmer grows strange plants.
Write about an orphan who finds out about their inheritance .
Story of siblings who resolve a long-lasting argument.

🧑✍️ Personal Narrative Essay Topics

A personal narrative is devoted to the author’s own experience. Therefore, feel free to write in first person. Include your thoughts and emotions. Do your best to describe the details of your narrative. This will help the reader to relive the story with you. Here is the list of excellent topic ideas for your essay:

Memories of your first sports coach.
A story of how you dyed your hair.
Write about something you did against your parents’ will.
Recall a day when you got in a fight with your best friend .
What was the most exciting adventure in your life?
An unfortunate situation that had a good ending.
Write about the time when you had to train hard for a competition.
Describe the turning point of your life.
An experience when you had to overcome your fear.
Write about the circumstances that brought you and your parents closer.
Describe a memorable conversation with someone.

An imaginary world you’ve created as a child.
Who gave you the most valuable lesson in your life?
One time when you regretted doing something.
A particularly embarrassing situation you went through.
Your memories of seeing something very beautiful.
A moment that made you proud of yourself.
Recall a time when you taught a child to do something.
What was the most memorable news report you saw in your life?
Describe a day when you stood up for someone.
Write about the best birthday party you’ve ever had.
Share your experience of being lost.

📚 Literacy Narrative Essay Topics

Literacy narrative revolves around reflecting on feelings connected to reading and writing. For this type of essay, think of yourself as a reader and a writer. You can describe any reading experience, whether it is a book, email, or social media post.

The most touching piece of writing you’ve ever read.
Write about a book that impacted you the most.
A news article that changed your view on life.
What book character do you most identify with?
Talk about a piece of fiction that captured your imagination.
What was your favorite novel growing up?
The scariest story you’ve ever read.
Recall your emotions after reading a heartfelt social media post.
What is the most boring book you’ve read?
Describe a book that you would reread over and over again.

A book report is considered a narrative essay.

Your experience of reading a story to a child.
Have you ever read something that taught you a lesson?
Do you see yourself becoming a professional writer?
Recall the day when you had to complete your first writing assignment.
How does sharing thoughts on social media make you feel?
If you were to write a book, who would be the main character?
Talk about the most personal thing you’ve ever written.
Describe your experience of composing a poem.
Why can someone have difficulty with writing?
Recall what it was like to read for the first time.
What does journaling mean to you?
Have you ever been proud of something you wrote?

✈️ Narrative Essay Topics about Traveling

In this section, you get to engage your creativity! A narrative essay about traveling is supposed to show the reader what it’s like to explore the world. Present a story taking place in a real or imaginary location:

Your first time traveling to another country.
Friends taking a trip to the Great Canyon.
Write a narrative about traveling to your dream location.
Describe a trip to the Taj Mahal.
A day-long road trip.
Share your experience of visiting a historical site.
Come up with a story about getting around the airport .
What to do if you are lost in a foreign country?
A day in the life of a flight attendant.
Write about eating unusual foods from around the world.
Describe talking to a local in a foreign language .
A narrative about going on a seven-day cruise .
Tell the reader about the most breathtaking view you’ve ever seen.
Write a story about riding a train.
A short narrative about an out-of-state road trip.

Traveling to see your family on holidays.
Come up with a narrative about hitchhiking across America.
What is it like to travel in the air balloon?
How to prepare for a trip around the world.
What to do if your luggage got lost in a foreign country.
Describe packing a suitcase for a long trip.
A story about a person missing their plane.

🏫 Narrative Essay Topics about School

This section is for all grades! Writing a narrative essay about school gives you a chance to share your personal experience as a student. You can write about precious memories, challenges, or influential people in your school career. Pick one of the narrative essay topics about school from this list:

🧒 Elementary School

Write a story with your favorite teacher as the main character.
Describe your first day at school.
A fun memory with your best friend.
What is your favorite thing to do during a break?
Tell your reader about something interesting you learned in class recently.
A day when you had to leave school early.
Recall your favorite celebration with classmates.
Write about your favorite school subject.
A story about your most unusual day at school.
How did you bond with your classmates?
Come up with narrative about a memorable event at the cafeteria.
The last day of school before the summer break .
One time when you forgot to bring something to the class.
Describe how you worked on a science project.
The most challenging class you took in middle school.
A story of how you pranked a friend.
Have you ever won a school competition?
The day when you’ve decided on your future profession.
Write about the teacher who impacted you the most.
A story of a serious conversation you had about your grades .
The day when you got in trouble with the principal .
Reflect on a class you will never forget.

👫 Narrative Essay Topics about Relationships

Narrative essay about relationships focuses on presenting a story about connections between people. You can write about your family, friends, or loved ones. Make sure to pick a statement that you will expand on in your story. Use the following list of narrative writing topics to come up with your narrative about relationships.

A conflict between generations.
What is it like to be in love?
Write about how hatred can destroy relationships.
Describe an example of loyalty.
A story about maintaining friendship via social media .
Come up with a narrative where people with opposite personalities are getting along.
Tell the reader about somebody being generous.
Write about a couple being honest with each other.
A story where classmates treat each other with respect.
Describe a family that maintains loving relationship no matter what.
A story where you help somebody who used to be your enemy.
How friendliness can brighten up a person’s day.
Talk about the pain of ending a relationship .

Children learning from their parents about empathy.
A narrative about food connecting people.
Come up with a story about unfulfilled expectations.
The importance of authentic conversations in a friendship.
What relational patterns do you see in your family?
Manifestations of real love in everyday life.
A story when someone makes a sacrifice for the sake of others.
Describe a situation where parents are bonding with their child.
Talk about the most meaningful relationship in your life.

🧸 Childhood Narrative Essay Topics

Childhood narrative essays are about sharing memories from the time when you were little. You can write about playing with friends or a day when you fell off the bike. Or, ask your family members to recall some episodes from your childhood.

A story of how you received your nickname.
Write about playing with your favorite toys.
What is the most memorable place you went to when you were little?
What kind of friends did you have when you were little?
Did you ever break anything?
Recall your earliest childhood memories.
What was the first valuable lesson you’ve learned as a kid?
Share your favorite childhood sports memory.
A story of your first triumph.
What did you enjoy doing when you were little?

A moment from your childhood that your parents often recall.
Which talents did you have when you were a child?
What was it like to grow up with your siblings?
Write a narrative about your favorite pet.
The most memorable childhood moment with your family.
Were there any challenges you had to overcome as a kid?
What was your favorite children’s book ?
Did you ever get lost when you were little?
An exciting sleepover you had with friends.
Write a story about how you and your friends went on an adventure.
A family holiday that you will remember forever.
What was your favorite food in your early years?

💡 Narrative Essay Writing Guide and Tips

As you already know, writing a narrative essay is very similar to telling a story. Here are a few tips to remember for narrative writing:

Tip 1: Use your memories. Take time to write down everything you can recall about the event. You can use it as a basis for your paper.
Tip 2: Be clear. Stick to the main idea of the essay. It’s better not to add characters or details that are not relevant to the story you’re telling.
Tip 3: Choose words carefully. In an essay words to are like paint on a canvas. The use of vivid language can help you create a story worth reading.

Now, pay attention to this step-by-step guide. It will help you outline an on-point narrative essay:

Introduction. In the opening paragraph, determine the main idea of the paper. Make a clear thesis that reflects the purpose of your narrative. To help yourself with this part, you can try a narrative essay thesis generator .

In this essay, I want to share my happiest childhood memory of playing with my older brother.

The body. Since you are writing the narrative essay as a story, make sure to tell the story well. Think through the plot with conflict, climax, and a powerful conclusion. Take your time to introduce the setting and the characters. All this will make your paper entertaining and easy to read.
Conclusion. Bring your narrative to a logical end. Expanding on the thesis statement will help you write a great conclusion.

Playing with my older brother taught me the true meaning of family, and I’m very grateful for it.

We hope this article helped you figure out how to write a narrative essay!

You may be also interested in:

How to Write a Narrative Essay: Easy Guide and Useful Tips
How to Start an Autobiography about Yourself: Full Guide + Autobiography Examples
How to Write a Creative Essay: Tips, Topics and Techniques
Breaking Down the Types of Essays: a Complete Guide for Success

🔍 References

Narrative Essays: Purdue University
Nailing the Craft of Narrative Writing: WeAreTeachers
Narrative and Reflection Writing Samples: Western Technical College
Drafting a Narrative: Walden University
Scholarly Personal Narrative: University of Vermont
The Power of Personal Narratives in the Classroom: University of Washington
Fiction Writing Basics: Purdue University
How to Write a Literacy Narrative: Pen and the Pad
Literacy Narratives: UNC Charlotte
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How to write a narrative essay | Example & tips

How to Write a Narrative Essay | Example & Tips

Published on July 24, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on July 23, 2023.

A narrative essay tells a story. In most cases, this is a story about a personal experience you had. This type of essay , along with the descriptive essay , allows you to get personal and creative, unlike most academic writing .

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What is a narrative essay for, choosing a topic, interactive example of a narrative essay, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about narrative essays.

When assigned a narrative essay, you might find yourself wondering: Why does my teacher want to hear this story? Topics for narrative essays can range from the important to the trivial. Usually the point is not so much the story itself, but the way you tell it.

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 different from those needed for formal academic writing. For instance, in a narrative essay the use of the first person (“I”) is encouraged, as is the use of figurative language, dialogue, and suspense.

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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.

Write a story about your first day of school.
Write a story about your favorite holiday destination.

You may also be given prompts that leave you a much wider choice of topic.

Write about an experience where you learned something about yourself.
Write about an achievement you are proud of. What did you accomplish, and how?

In these cases, you might have to think harder to decide what story you want to tell. The best kind of story for a narrative essay is one you can use to talk about a particular theme or lesson, or that takes a surprising turn somewhere along the way.

For example, a trip where everything went according to plan makes for a less interesting story than one where something unexpected happened that you then had to respond to. Choose an experience that might surprise the reader or teach them something.

Narrative essays in college applications

When applying for college , you might be asked to write a narrative essay that expresses something about your personal qualities.

For example, this application prompt from Common App requires you to respond with a narrative essay.

In this context, choose a story that is not only interesting but also expresses the qualities the prompt is looking for—here, resilience and the ability to learn from failure—and frame the story in a way that emphasizes these qualities.

An example of a short narrative essay, responding to the prompt “Write about an experience where you learned something about yourself,” is shown below.

Hover over different parts of the text to see how the structure works.

Since elementary school, I have always favored subjects like science and math over the humanities. My instinct was always to think of these subjects as more solid and serious than classes like English. If there was no right answer, I thought, why bother? But recently I had an experience that taught me my academic interests are more flexible than I had thought: I took my first philosophy class.

Before I entered the classroom, I was skeptical. I waited outside with the other students and wondered what exactly philosophy would involve—I really had no idea. I imagined something pretty abstract: long, stilted conversations pondering the meaning of life. But what I got was something quite different.

A young man in jeans, Mr. Jones—“but you can call me Rob”—was far from the white-haired, buttoned-up old man I had half-expected. And rather than pulling us into pedantic arguments about obscure philosophical points, Rob engaged us on our level. To talk free will, we looked at our own choices. To talk ethics, we looked at dilemmas we had faced ourselves. By the end of class, I’d discovered that questions with no right answer can turn out to be the most interesting ones.

The experience has taught me to look at things a little more “philosophically”—and not just because it was a philosophy class! I learned that if I let go of my preconceptions, I can actually get a lot out of subjects I was previously dismissive of. The class taught me—in more ways than one—to look at things with an open mind.

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If you’re not given much guidance on what your narrative essay should be about, consider the context and scope of the assignment. What kind of story is relevant, interesting, and possible to tell within the word count?

The best kind of story for a narrative essay is one you can use to reflect on a particular theme or lesson, or that takes a surprising turn somewhere along the way.

Don’t worry too much if your topic seems unoriginal. The point of a narrative essay is how you tell the story and the point you make with it, not the subject of the story itself.

Narrative essays are usually assigned as writing exercises at high school or in university composition classes. They may also form part of a university application.

When you are prompted to tell a story about your own life or experiences, a narrative essay is usually the right response.

The key difference is that a narrative essay is designed to tell a complete story, while a descriptive essay is meant to convey an intense description of a particular place, object, or concept.

Narrative and descriptive essays both allow you to write more personally and creatively than other kinds of essays , and similar writing skills can apply to both.

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Caulfield, J. (2023, July 23). How to Write a Narrative Essay | Example & Tips. Scribbr. Retrieved September 12, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/academic-essay/narrative-essay/

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Narrative Essay Writing

Narrative Essay Examples

20+ Top Narrative Essay Examples by Experts

12 min read

Published on: Apr 12, 2020

Last updated on: Mar 24, 2024

Personal Narrative Essay Example

Are you looking for a sample to draft a personal narrative essay ? Go through the example provided below to understand how the first-person and third-person perspectives are used in a narrative essay.

Sample Personal Narrative Essay

Narrative Essay Example for Middle School

A narrative essay is frequently assigned to middle school students to assess their writing and creative skills. If you are a student looking for a sample narrative essay for your middle school assignment, go through the example provided below.

Narrative Essay Example: 7th Grade

Narrative Essay Example for Grade 8

Grade 9 Narrative Essay Example

Sample Narrative Essay Grade 12

Narrative Essay Example for High School

When drafting assignments for high school, professional writing is essential. Your essays and papers should be well structured and written in order to achieve better grades. If you are assigned a narrative essay, go through the sample provided to see how an effective essay is written.

Sample Narrative Essay For High School

Good Narrative Essay Examples for College

College essays are more complex in nature than other academic levels. They require a better understanding of the concept, following a proper writing procedure, and an outline.

Although you are to draft a narrative essay for your college assignment, make sure it is professionally written. Read the sample narrative essay provided below.

Descriptive Narrative Essay Example

If you are to draft a document on the recreation of an event, a descriptive narrative essay is written. It presents an incident that happened to the writer and the backed-up information that supports the story.

The following is a perfect example of a descriptive narrative essay.

Sample Descriptive Narrative Essay

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Literacy Narrative Essay Example

Academic assignments often require students to draft essays on education. Education is the most significant topic of discussion, and for this purpose, almost every essay type and research paper studies it.

If you are drafting a narrative essay on literacy, go through the sample provided.

Fictional Narrative Essay Example

Drafting a fictional piece of document requires a more vivid description and detail. If you are assigned a narrative essay to draft on a fictional theme, read the example provided below.

Sample Fictional Narrative Essay

The Essentials of Narrative Essays

In a narrative essay, the goal is to write a story from one person's perspective. To do this well requires incorporating all of these aspects:

Below are some golden points that you should keep in mind when writing a narrative essay.

Chronological order is the most common way to present information.
A thesis statement has a function in an essay. This is typically evident in the opening paragraph.
The writer's argument is clearly communicated through the use of sensory details and vivid language.
This draws the reader in and makes them interested in what the writer has to say. Everything in the passage is somehow related to the main point.

How to Start a Narrative Essay?

When you start writing the narrative essay, you should follow some steps and make your writing process easy.

For your help, we gathered some steps that you should follow when starting writing the essay.

Choose a narrative essay topic that is engaging and interesting.
Do some research and then start writing the essay.
Create an outline.
Start writing the essay. The way you describe things should be creative and colorful. Thus, the reader can feel as if they are right there with what's happening.
Proofread the essay before submitting it.

Watch the video below for tips on how to write a narrative essay:

Narrative Essay Writing Tips

Professional essay writers of CollegeEssay.org have gathered some tips and tricks for you to follow to make your narrative essay remarkable. Even if you are aware of the writing procedure, it is advised to use expert tips to make your documents flawless.

Follow the tips provided below to draft an exceptional narrative essay.

Clear Content: The narrative essay content should be clear. All the details and descriptions provided should be readable and understandable by the audience. Avoid using complex words and distribute content into paragraphs.
Keep it concise: Avoid describing every minor detail or movement. Provide only explanations that are important for the readers to imagine.
Use first-person perspective: To make something believable and interesting for the readers, state it from the first-person perspective. Share your personal experiences, stories, and opinions to make the content impactful.
Use limited referencing: When drafting an essay, according to the instructed format, avoid using frequent in-text citations.
Use Clear Stance: Write your point of view clearly, so the readers feel that it is a genuine piece of writing.

Keep in mind that a narrative essay is different from an expository essay but the same as a descriptive essay .

In conclusion,

Using the tips provided by the professionals and going through the narrative essay examples will let you draft an effective paper.

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Our narrative essay writing service offers unparalleled expertise to bring your stories to life with clarity and creativity.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How long is a narrative paragraph.

Paragraphs vary in length depending on the content, but a standard 5-sentence paragraph usually isn't enough to tell an interesting story.

How do I write a narrative essay?

Here are some steps that will help you to write a great narrative essay.

Consider the topic
Start writing the draft
Provide supporting facts
Revise your essay

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Narrative Essays

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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).

IMAGES

51 Great Narrative Writing Prompts for Middle School
Narrative Writing Ideas & Prompts: Middle School Personal Essay Lesson
Middle School Narrative Essays and Middle School Writing Conferences
65 Engaging Personal Narrative Ideas for Kids and Teens
Step-by-Step Guide How to Write Narrative Essay (2023 Update)
Middle School Narrative Essays and Middle School Writing Conferences

VIDEO

How to Write a Narrative Essay (Tips & Example)
Teaching Personal Narratives: Generating Ideas for Student Writing!
Telling stories: Narratives as life experiences
101 Narrative Essay Topic Ideas
How to Write an Narrative Essay
How to write a Narrative Essay #Shorts

COMMENTS

50 Narrative Essay Topics
We've got 50 narrative essay topics designed to prompt students to craft memorable written narratives. These can be modified for students in elementary, middle and high school. Feel free to print the entire narrative essay topics list for plenty of inspiration for your next narrative essay assignment! Narrative Essay Topics. Your first day of ...
51 Great Narrative Writing Prompts for Middle School
Narrative Writing Prompts for Middle School. 1. Write about how you relate to one of the characters from your favorite book, movie, or TV show. 2. Retell a proud moment in your life. 3. Write about a time when you felt embarrassed. 4. Share a favorite vacation memory.
650 Prompts for Narrative and Personal Writing
Here is a PDF of all 650 prompts, and we also have a related lesson plan, From 'Lives' to 'Modern Love': Writing Personal Essays With Help From The New York Times.. Below, a list that ...
65 Engaging Personal Narrative Ideas for Kids and Teens
These personal narrative essay topics all come from real 2022-2023 college applications. ... She holds a B.S. degree in Secondary English Language Arts Education and has taught in both middle and high school classrooms. Her background also includes vocational training and performance support, curriculum design and development, and museum ...
The Best Narrative Writing Prompts for Middle School
As a matter of fact, narrative writing is often called "creative writing.". The purpose of a narrative is to tell audiences a story, and students are given countless opportunities to make creative choices when telling stories. Through writing, they learn to develop a unique voice and imbue their work with a distinct, personal touch.
A Plethora Of Writing Examples For Middle School (& High School)
Milwaukee Public Schools Descriptive Essay Samples (p. 137) Holt, Rinehart, Winston Descriptive Essay Models; Narrative writing examples for middle school. Writing Samples by Steve Peha (PDF) The Write Source Narrative Writing Samples; Oregon Department of Education Scored Writing Samples (Ideas and Organization)
15 Inspiring Personal Narrative Examples for Writers
15 Inspiring Personal Narrative Examples for Writers. Reveal a part of yourself in your essay. Students start writing personal narratives at a young age, learning to use descriptive language to tell a story about their own experiences. Try sharing these personal narrative examples for elementary, middle, and high school to help them understand ...
Narrative Essays: Examples And Topic Ideas For Students
Here, we'll explore topics that will set you up to write a great narrative essay. If you're searching for a list of personal narrative essay topics, you're likely writing a middle school, high school, or college essay. A personal narrative describes your life experience, usually from the first-person point of view.
550 Prompts for Narrative and Personal Writing
Update, Sept. 9, 2022: We published a new collection of 445 narrative and personal writing prompts. We've been posting fresh writing prompts every school day for over a decade now, and every so ...
Middle School Narrative Writing Made Simple
Sometimes narratives are called short stories or personal narratives. Essentially, narratives are stories. What makes narrative writing so exciting for students is the opportunity to create a detailed story. Whether the story is fiction or nonfiction, the space to add imagery, details, and imagination are huge perks for more creative students.
Narrative Essay Topics
Narrative essay ideas for teens. Middle school and high school students are often asked to write narrative essays too. But whereas narrative essay topics for elementary school students are usually structured around simple, positive topics, narrative essay topics for teens are generally more contemplative. Here are some personal narrative essay ...
Narrative Essay Topics for Middle School
Narrative Essay Topics for Middle School. Clio has taught education courses at the college level and has a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction. Many middle school students are capable of writing ...
100 Creative Writing Prompts for Middle School
Lacking inspiration for a middle school writing project? Get your pencil moving with 100 varied creative prompts for narrative, informational, argument, and poetry writing.
12 Excellent Narrative Essay Topics for You
12 Narrative Essay Topics for Students. Use these engaging narrative essay prompts to help students find creative, meaningful moments from their lives to share! Write a narrative essay about a memorable "first" in your life (such as your first day at school, your first stuffed animal, your first heartbreak, etc.).
200 Best Topic Ideas for Narrative Essay
Focus on a specific event or detail to make your narrative more focused and impactful. Look for universal themes like love or personal transformation that connect with readers on a deeper level. Brainstorm ideas and write freely to uncover compelling topics. Decide on storytelling techniques like flashbacks or foreshadowing and choose a topic ...
Writing Authentic Narratives in Middle School
Basically, I combined everything I had ever done with narratives, and made it very middle school "rigorous," relatable, and engaging. Essentially using mentor texts, modeling and learning about narrative writing elements, and then used a workshop model (kind of an accident on that one). First of all, we read Freak the Mighty.
100+ Interesting Narrative Essay Topics For Your Next Paper
Narrative Essay Topics for Grade 5. My First Day at a New School. The Time I Learned to Ride a Bike. A Visit to a Haunted House. The Day I Met a Real-Life Superhero. My Most Memorable Family Vacation. A Surprising Encounter with an Animal. The Mystery of the Missing Homework. The Best Birthday Party I Ever Had.
Narrative Essay Topics That Help You Create a Masterpiece
Narrative Essay Topics for Middle School. Middle school is a great time of self-discovery that's filled with firsts and memorable moments. Use these milestones as the topic for your narrative essay. Making an unlikely friend. How bad relationships help you become a better person. The first time you opened your locker.
Discover the Best Narrative Essay Topics Ideas
Narrative Essay Topics for Middle school. If you're in middle school and looking for a narrative essay topic, you're probably not too excited about it… but you'd be wrong. Writing a narrative essay can be good, fun, and very engaging if you choose the right topic and let your silly or creative side loose. So, we've tried to compile a ...
164 Narrative Essay Topics for School & College Students
In the collection below, you'll find the ideas based on personal experience as well as fictional narrative essay topics. Make use of resources offered by our custom writing experts to write any paper! Contents. 🔝 Top 10 Topics. 📖 Fictional Topics. 🧑 ️ Personal Narrative. 📚 Literacy. ️ Traveling. 🏫 School.
How to Write a Narrative Essay
Interactive example of a narrative essay. An example of a short narrative essay, responding to the prompt "Write about an experience where you learned something about yourself," is shown below. Hover over different parts of the text to see how the structure works. Narrative essay example.
20+ Easy Narrative Essay Examples and Writing Tips
Narrative Essay Example for Middle School. A narrative essay is frequently assigned to middle school students to assess their writing and creative skills. If you are a student looking for a sample narrative essay for your middle school assignment, go through the example provided below. ... Interesting Narrative Essay Topics and Ideas. 16 min ...
Narrative Essays
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!

50 Narrative Essay Topics

Narrative Essay Topics

The Best Narrative Writing Prompts for Middle School

The importance of narrative writing

Example middle school narrative writing prompts

Final words

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15 Inspiring Personal Narrative Examples for Writers

What is a personal narrative?

Elementary School Personal Narrative Examples

The Horrible Day

Keep an Eye on the Sky!

Grandpa, Chaz, and Me

Surviving an Embarrassing Situation

“Do you have a friend who loves you?” —Kendra, 4th grade student

Middle School Personal Narrative Examples

“As thoughts of certain death run through my mind, the world appears a precious, treasured place.” —Amy, student

The Best Friend Question

The Racist Warehouse

“For the first time, we realized that we didn’t know how to express our voice, and we always suppressed it.” —Jocelyn C., 7th grade student, Texas

An Eight Pound Rival

High School Personal Narrative Examples

Sorry, Wrong Number

Caught in the Net

Nothing Extraordinary

The Pot Calling the Kettle Black

What a Black Woman Wishes Her Adoptive White Parents Knew

Do you use personal narrative examples as mentor texts in your classroom? Come share your experiences and ask for advice in the We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook !

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