narrative, narrative writing, how to write narrative, narrative writing guide, tips narrative writing

A narrative is the writing to tell a story. The author may write about an experience or event from his or her past, a recent or an ongoing experience, or something that happened to somebody else, such as friends or relatives. You should note that the important thing about a narrative writing is that the story should have a point. In the final paragraph, the author should come to an important conclusion about the experience that has just been described.

The three main types of narrative writings are personal, imaginative, and narrative essay.

Personal Narrative

The personal narrative is when a person writes about himself or about his experiences. In this style of narrative writing, the writer already has a plot. However, he has to narrate the experiences in such a way that it will capture the interest of the reader. A personal narrative writer has to pay attention to the flow of story; the dialogue (if any) and he should also include the description wherever necessary. On reading, the reader should experience the same feeling that the writer experienced in reality.

Imaginative Narrative Writing

The imaginative narrative writing is when a narrative writer writes a fiction or creates a story. For an imaginative narrative writer, creativity is a must. Here the narrative writer can go beyond the reality. He can create unusual situations and events that could never happen in real life. Here the writer has to create a plot and make it sound convincing to the reader.

Narrative Essay

Narrative essays are always written from a defined point of view. The point of view would be none other than that of the author’s. The narrative essay should have a central theme and points to support and elaborate the theme. A narrative essay includes vivid verbs and modifiers and is very precise in description of the characters. The narrative essays may or may not use dialogs. However, it can use conflicts and sequences like any story.

In narrative writing, you should keep the following in your mind.

1. The story should have an introduction that clearly indicates what kind of narrative writing it is (an event or recurring activity, a personal experience, or an observation), and it should have a conclusion that makes a point.

2. The writing should include anecdotes. The author should describe the person, the scene, or the event in some detail. You can include dialogue as long as you know how to punctuate it correctly and as long as you avoid using too much.

3. The occasion or person described must be suggestive in that your description and thoughts lead the reader to reflect on the human experience.

4. The point of view in narrative writing is usually first person. The use of "I" invites your readers into an intimate discussion. Writing in the third person means that the author refers to the characters in the story referring to them by name or as he, she, or they.

5. You should know that the writing should be lively and interesting. Try to engage the reader's interest by adding details or personal observations. Sharing personal thoughts and details invites the reader into author's world and makes the story more personal and more interesting.

There are usually four major parts in narrative writing:

1. the problem, conflict, or question that is the reason for telling the story.
2. the events that make up the plot.
3. the characters.
4. the setting.

The good story teller tells a story where real people struggle, grow, change or make things happen. An interesting setting including the description of time and place makes for a "richer" story. Important events play an important role in the story, and some conflict or question helps to tie the different parts of the story together and helps the reader want to read the whole thing.

If you need more info about narrative writing or other types of writing, please go to our Writing tips section