Narrative essay
A substantial essay in the narrative mode which presents events from your life, then uses those events to reach for insight,
commentary, introspection, even epiphany. An abridged version of this essay may be suitable as an admissions essay.
• First draft due Wednesday, 2/18 midnight. Standard text formatting, wide indent. Save carefully for revision.
• Let your first draft be voluminous and wide-ranging. It’s best to generate a lot of raw material.
• Turn in more than one draft if you are uncertain, but I will not discuss unwritten ideas.
• Your first priority is to make a solid choice of essay subject. All of the other components will be taught or will evolve.
► Show, don’t tell. The narrative should begin in medias res to draw the reader into the deepest possible engagement.
► Chronological order should be carefully considered. Presenting events in other orders is often effective.
► Look for a way to show growth toward a positive: immature to mature. Hesitant to confident. Bigoted to open-minded.
Entitled to thoughtful. Easily offended to equable. Selfish to generous. Oblivious to observant.
► Offering your own experience for the edification of others is an arrogant act; don’t pull your punches or deflect.
► If you feel you must hold back the truth to protect your reputation or cushion your ego, choose another topic.
► The event you narrate is evidence. The event will not likely be fascinating in itself. In fact, events that are interesting in
themselves are often less effective or engaging.
► Unless you aim to make a point about victimhood, powerlessness, or fate, avoid incidents in which you had little or no
control. Major things that happened to you are less interesting and valuable than little things you did.
► Grand events are usually so complex that they are difficult to grasp. Choose a minor thing, a small indicative episode, an
odd little moment. The best essays create unexpected value from overlooked events.
► Choose an event that has a ‘before’ and ‘after’ that you understand and can describe. You must start and stop your
narrative with efficiency. You will have to reduce and reorder events for the reader.
► You are telling a story about you. Assume a tone and voice that is honest. Avoid writing in an affected, pompous, distant,
or academic manner.
► Keep it recent. The longer ago, the less realistic the narration and the less believable the voice. Your narration must be
sincere, believable, precise, definite, direct, confident, and clear.
► Regardless of how sacred this event is to you, it must be flexible to drive a narrative essay. If you are unwilling to add or
subtract, expand or reduce, or add information through research or reporting, you should probably choose another idea.
► If the event you choose does not hold a lot of emotional power you will probably have to scrap it.
To generate an idea:
1. Consider closely who you are: your virtues and vices, your strengths, your character. Choose a component of your
personality that would be important to your audience. Personality has a story; we are not just are.
2. Trace that component backward from today, seeking to recall an event which altered it: made it grow, change, shift,
begin, become clear, expand, evaporate, mature, etc.
3. Tell the story of the moment, showing only, without forcing a discussion or explanation of this change.
4. As you revise, keep the purpose in mind: to claim your current qualities by telling a story that changed who you are.
To start writing:
1. If the process above doesn’t work, write anyway. Trust thyself: if you pick an important event, the higher purpose will be
there if you are honest and describe the event effectively. Start the essay as a story; the rest will come.
2. Start in in medias res. No introduction, no “David Copperfield crap.” (If you write it, I’ll probably make you cut it.) This will
allow you to be flexible about the starting and stopping points of the narrative, which is important.
3. Use your voice, your honest voice; use it early, use it consistently. Tell the truth. Be somebody real to the reader. Live in
the writing. This pays off even if the events aren’t obviously flattering or even important; you will show writing power.
4. Use the most powerful direct composition tool: dialogue.