1. Narrative Essays English 201 Pontifical Catholic University of P.R
Prof. Miguel A. Arce Ramos

2. Types of Essay
Expository
Narrative
Descriptive
Persuasive

3. Narrative Essays
A narrative essay is a story written about a personal experience.
Its main objective is to provide an opportunity to get to know and understand yourself better.

4. Narrative Essays Narratives can do the following:
Create a sense of shared history, linking people together.
Provide entertainment.
Provide psychological healing. Reading or listening to the narrative of someone who faced a life crisis similar to one you are experiencing can help you through the crisis.
Provide insight. Narratives can help you discover values, explore options, and examine motives.

5. Characteristics
Narrative essays describe specific experiences that changed how you felt, thought, or acted.
Your purpose is not to merely tell an interesting story but to show your readers the importance and influence the experience has had on you.

6. Characteristics A narrative essay should: relates events in sequence.
presents important changes, contrasts, or conflicts and creates tension
includes detailed observations of people, places, and events.
relates events in sequence.
Involves readers in the story.
is told from a point of view--usually the author's point of view.
focuses on connection between past events, people, or places and the present.
makes a point, communicates a main idea or dominant impression.
A narrative essay should:

7. Planning the Narrative Essay
The first thing you have to do is:
first, select an incident worthy of writing about
second, find relevance in that incident (writers might ask themselves what about the incident provided new insights or awareness)
finally, describe details in which it will make the incident real for readers.

8. Narrative Essay Topics
Did you ever have a long-held belief or assumption shattered? Can you trace the change to one event or a series of events?
Is there a particular experience that you observed that has had a profound influence on your life?

9. Narrative Essay Topics
Is there a person that who has greatly influenced you?
Is there a decision that you had to make, or a challenge or an obstacle that you faced?
Was there ever a moment in your life when you decided to reform, to adopt a whole new outlook?

10. Writing a Narrative Essays
are generally written in the first person, that is, using I. However, third person (he, she, or it) can also be used.
Narratives
rely on concrete, sensory details to convey their point.
Should provide details should create a unified, forceful effect, a dominant impression.
Narratives
as stories, should include these story conventions: a plot, including setting and characters; a climax; and an ending.

11. Assignment
Think of a topic in which we can write a narrative essay on.
We will begin to write a narrative essay on Wednesday.
Essay will be due on Monday.