In most secondary schools and colleges a narrative essay is written as part of the educational tests and exams. It is one of the most important and important tests that teachers use to assess not only their students’ skills, but also their total potential, thinking and abilities.
In order to compose a high-quality narrative essay, you must also have an excellent vocabulary. There are many subjects for narrative essays and selection is an essential part of the assignment. We give you some basic tips on choosing the right topic for your narrative essay and look at the most popular topics to help you select the topic.
Select narrative test type
According to a study by the University of Princeton, if you listen to a well told and fascinating story, the parts of your brain that would react if you were directly in that story. Once the narrator talks about taking a pen and drawing, the motor cortex (this part of the brain is connected to the movements of the hand) lights up. Besides, the same thing happens to the one who tells the story! In this way, parts of the target audience’s brain and the narrator light up as if they were in sync.
It is important that you know what kind of work you are dealing with before choosing a subject or writing an essay.
Are you telling a story?
If you are asked to tell a story, dedicate your essay to a specific experience, an event in your life, an incredible failure or an amazing success. In general, it is a story from the author’s past that has had a major impact on his personality, his future, his relationships with friends and family members, etc. James Baldwin’s Notes of a Native Son is an impressive example of a narrative essay that contains a fascinating story. It’s an ambitious investigation into her father’s fall during the big race riots that, frankly, everyone should read.
Do you need a description?
A description or a descriptive essay is a written story about a person, a subject, a place, a feeling or even an experience in a certain situation or time. Don’t forget that the description is not only a matter of appearance, but also of feeling as an author. In other words, the description serves as both image and setting. For example, Virginia Woolf, in Death of a Moth, could be an option. Long story short: The author sees a moth trapped in the window and describes how the small animal dies.
Are you required to conduct an investigation?
In these kinds of narrative essays it is best to take a statement and present it to your teacher or another reader to show that you have gone into depth with comparisons, evidence, analysis, and definitions. A narrative essay of the survey type is generally intended to answer the questions Why? Is it okay to …. and what’s… ? Read George Sanders’ Brain Megaphone essay for inspiration. The author looks at the current media and political climate in the United States and explores things in a way that makes you shake your head.
Are you trying to convince me?
A narrative essay in which persuasiveness plays a role is similar to the essay described above. However, you do not have to answer the question. Rather, it is your job to make a statement and present all the important details that the reader must accept. See Garrett Hardin’s Tragedy of the Communities for more inspiration for a compelling narrative essay.
In general, the assignment specifies the type of narrative writing you need to prepare.
Next train: Choose from the list of narrative writing topics
The right choice guarantees a good end result. The reality is that students and academics are better able to write about the things they know, understand and understand. After selecting the main idea of a narrative essay in English, a story is created to illustrate this idea. There is no doubt that personal topics are best for students. When you think and write about something familiar, you can easily convey what is really important, show your experience, and have an immediate attitude that ultimately reveals your personality. In addition, you will not only show your vocabulary and knowledge of the subject, but you will also show your beliefs, character and values so that your readers can evaluate you as a person.
As mentioned earlier, the subjects of the narrative essays vary and we have put together a number of questions to get you started as quickly as possible. I hope that these interesting and relevant ideas will help you to remember a person, a day, an event or even a dream about which you want to write an essay.
Narrative Essay topics for students
Are you ready to tell personal stories? We have divided our list into four main categories: Childhood, experience, morality and imagination.
Childhood
Childhood is a period of first experiences and impressions for a whole life. The children are sincere and naive and always put themselves in the funniest situations. Find your good childhood memories that serve as a solid basis for your storyline.
- My first childhood experience that helped me grow up….
- The first time I was injured was on the playing field: You won’t believe why
- The one I dreamed about when I was a kid.
- The most memorable birthday party
- The girlfriend I lost and Miss Stills…
- My favorite crafts for the kids.
- My favorite children’s fairy tale character.
- The biggest mistake I made when I was a kid….
- I spent a day at my dad’s work.
- Our first trip to Europe with our parents
- The biggest lie of my youth
- You grew up in London (New York/Melbourne/Ontario or any other city that had a major impact on you as a child).
Experience
By writing every second page of a narrative essay, this process will help you improve your writing skills and share your unique life experiences in a literary way. Don’t be afraid to record both positive and negative experiences. Try to describe them as honestly and completely as possible in order to gain the reader’s trust and attention.
- My first time away from home
- The turning point where you took responsibility for your life.
- The most uncomfortable moment of your life….
- The moment you realize your true values in life.
- An experience that allowed you to enjoy life more….
- The most memorable day with the family
- When I first fell in love.
- My experience with volunteering in India
- This is the scariest experience I’ve ever had.
- Worst natural disaster I’ve ever seen.
- The biggest misunderstanding between me and my best friend.
Moral
People all over the world tend to follow the laws. However, some laws have a more global impact on people’s lives. These are the so-called laws of morality. Typical topics for morality essays are always a good choice, because it is easy to arouse a lot of interest and curiosity in the reader once you have used one.
If at any point in your university education you have to write a narrative essay on morality, take a look at some examples on this subject:
- My attitude towards euthanasia
- The most rebellious act of my life.
- The way I deal with strangers.
- The most important moral issues that worry me are ……
- The hardest decision I’ve ever had to make was once….
- The biggest lie I’ve ever told in my life….
- My personal moral problem
- How I got over the bullying at school.
- My experience with animal cruelty and neglect
- My question is whether politics and the Church should be separated.
- Racial discrimination: Why are all people equal?
Narrative Essay topics for secondary school students
Each extra school year is the next step towards adulthood. Like students at a college or university, students are also confronted with assignments that oblige them to write narrative essays without errors, but with a solid argument, that is, points of the text. Therefore, when you are ready to write a narrative essay for high school, take full responsibility for the process of choosing the subject.
Review selected topics for narrative essays by students:
- The most disastrous thing that ever happened in class.
- My favorite subject at school that I hated.
- How my teacher and I became friends
- A youth teacher who has always been an integral part of my life.
- The problems I had because everyone knew about my high school….
- How my best friend in elementary school influenced my whole life.
- A teacher who’s a role model for me…
- This is the first school event I’ve ever attended.
- How I became a cool superhero.
- How I learned to control my time at school.
- The film that changed my life
How do I choose a narrative theme?
Why is it important to choose a title for a narrative essay? Usually students choose between two traditional options when doing such academic work: You can find your own topic or write about the topic assigned by the tutor. A successful selection determines the success of the project itself. If you can’t do it yourself, you can find subjects for narrative essays in the work of famous writers like Joan Didion or David Foster Wallace. The most important thing is that you choose a subject that interests you and stimulates you to achieve the best results.
The free choice of subjects can become a real challenge for students. If you have to decide which way to go, you are at an intersection. Some students use the first idea that comes to mind, but the result leaves something to be desired. Rule number one is that the subject of the narrative essay must be attractive to your target group and interesting to you. Choose your subject wisely, because it is better to change the subject several times than to be stuck in the middle of nowhere when the deadline is too close!
Author: Patricia Jenkins
Patricia Jenkins is a writing consultant for international students who need quick writing assistance. On her blog Patricia shares useful tips on productivity, writing, research and SEO. Sometimes hesitant to talk about the subject, Patricia shares her personal experiences with lively humour and healthy irony.
