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8 Narrative Essay

What is a narrative essay?

When writing a narrative essay, one might think of it as telling a story. These essays
are often personal.

Here are some guidelines for writing a narrative essay.
1. If written as a story, the essay should include an introduction, plot, characters,
setting, climax, and conclusion.

2. The essay should have a purpose.
3. The essay should be written from a clear point of view.

4. Use clear and concise language throughout the essay.
5. The use of the first person pronoun ‘I’ is recommended.

6. 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.

Now, let us read a sample narrative essay.

Shark Attack

Michael Norton, age 39, was surfing at a popular site south of Seaside, Oregon, on the
day before Thanksgiving when he noticed something was grabbing his leg.

Realising it was a shark, he punched it repeatedly on the nose so it would loosen
its grip. As he was punching the shark, it began to release its grip on his leg. When
the shark finally let go, Norton swam to shore, dragging his badly wounded leg
behind him.

He was pulling himself up on the rocks when another surfer came to his aid and called
an ambulance. Norton’s leg was bleeding badly when emergency workers arrived, so
they took him to a local hospital, where he was kept overnight for observation.

Doctors released Norton on Thanksgiving Day, and he was eating turkey at home
with his family, that afternoon.

In an interview to the local TV channel, Norton said that even though he has had
some bad dreams since the attack, he was looking forward to surfing again soon.

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