Life Experience Critical

All of us tell stories about things that have happened to us. Have you ever been “almost” hit by another car and then you rushed home to relate this story to your husband or wife? Have you ever had a bizarre experience, such as being mistaken for someone else? Or perhaps you were wrongfully accused of shoplifting one time. Did you ever help someone in a time of need or vice-a-versa? You probably told these stories to someone, didn’t you? Many events happen in our lives that we brush off as insignificant. However, if we really analyzed some of those incidents, we might find that they actually have some significance and are worth putting down on paper. Thus, you could write a narrative, which gives an account of something or tells a story.

A narrative essay tells a story-usually of a personal experience-that makes a point or supports a thesis. To actively engage the reader’s attention, you need to re-create the experience in vivid detail, using descriptive language and following a clear, chronological order. The reader should be able to visualize the occurrence.

Use the following guidelines to compose a narrative essay of approximately 500 words (approx. 5 paragraphs): Limit your subject adequately (your two-week vacation to Hawaii is too broad to write about but the mishaps of your tour schedule might be limited enough).

Develop a thesis that provides a point of significance. Why was this experience important? How did it make you feel? Did you learn something from it? Include specific detail and vivid descriptions that are relevant to the significance of this experience.

Follow a chronological order in presenting the details of your experience.

A flashback is okay if it helps to clarify the meaning of the event.

Suggested Topics: Your adjustment to a new situation (personal or professional) Your reaction to a birth, a death, a disappointment, an embarrassment, an award, etc.

A first time experience (first day at college, first date, etc.) Any event that changed your way of thinking A time when you threw someone a lifeline