best narrative essay topics

Narrative Essay Topics: TOP 200 Choices for Students

Imagine yourself facing a blank page, ready to fill it with your memories and imagination. What story will you tell today?

As students, you often have to write narratives that capture people's attention. But with so many stories to choose from, where do you start? How do you find the perfect topic that will grab our readers' interest and make them think?

Join our essay service experts as we explore 200 topics for college where stories are waiting to be told, and experiences are ready to be shared. From everyday events to unforgettable moments, each topic is a chance to connect with your readers and make them feel something.

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Ideas for Narrative Essay Topics

After exploring how students write narrative paragraphs, we've put together a list of narrative essay topics designed specifically for college and school students. This list covers a wide range of subjects, so pick one that speaks to you! If you want to see how to develop a topic into a written essay, check out our narrative essay example .

Literacy Narrative Essay Topics for College Students

How about delving into captivating literacy narrative essay topics designed specifically for college-level writing? Exciting, isn't it?

How did a childhood book shape your view of the world?
What challenges did you face when learning to read in a second language?
How has storytelling within your family influenced your literacy journey?
Can you recall a pivotal moment that ignited your love for reading?
How did a specific teacher inspire your passion for literature?
Have you ever encountered a character in a book who profoundly impacted your perspective on life?
What role did writing play in helping you navigate a difficult period in your life?
How has your relationship with technology affected your reading habits?
What cultural or historical event sparked your interest in a particular genre of literature?
How has poetry shaped your understanding of language and emotion?
Have you ever experienced a breakthrough moment in your writing process?
How has reading aloud impacted your comprehension and enjoyment of literature?
Can you recall a time when a book challenged your beliefs or worldview?
How has participating in a book club enriched your reading experience?
What strategies have you developed to overcome reading difficulties or distractions?

Personal Narrative Essay Topics on Relationships

Take a moment to reflect on your past experiences and craft compelling personal narratives with these essay ideas.

How did a specific friendship shape who you are today?
Can you recount a moment that strengthened your bond with a family member?
What challenges have you faced in maintaining a long-distance relationship?
How has a mentor influenced your personal and professional development?
Have you experienced a betrayal in a relationship? How did it impact you?
Can you describe a memorable conflict resolution process within a relationship?
How has your relationship with a pet affected your emotional well-being?
What lessons have you learned from navigating a romantic relationship?
How has your relationship with a sibling evolved over time?
Can you recall a time when you had to set boundaries in a friendship?
How has volunteering or community involvement enriched your relationships?
What cultural differences have influenced your relationships with others?
Can you share a moment when you felt truly understood by someone?
How has technology affected the dynamics of your relationships?
Have you ever experienced a reconciliation that transformed a strained relationship?

Best Narrative Essay Topics on Education and Learning

Consider the beauty of sharing your personal experiences and emotions in a captivating manner through these ideas for personal narrative essays.

What was the most valuable lesson you learned outside of the classroom?
Can you recount a moment when a teacher's unconventional method transformed your understanding of a subject?
How has a field trip or experiential learning opportunity impacted your education?
What challenges have you faced in balancing extracurricular activities with academics?
Have you ever had a "Eureka!" moment while studying? Describe it.
How has learning a new skill outside of school influenced your academic performance?
Can you recall a time when a peer's perspective challenged your own understanding of a topic?
How has technology enhanced or hindered your learning experience?
What role does creativity play in your approach to learning?
Have you ever experienced a setback that ultimately propelled you forward academically?
How has your cultural background influenced your learning style?
Can you describe a time when you had to advocate for yourself within an educational setting?
How has mentorship shaped your educational journey?
What strategies have you employed to overcome academic challenges or obstacles?
Can you reflect on a time when failure taught you a valuable lesson about learning?

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Personal Narrative Essay Ideas on Reflection on Life

Why not ignite your creativity with a range of narrative essay topics, from extraordinary moments to everyday experiences?

How has a moment of failure ultimately led to personal growth and resilience?
Can you recount a pivotal decision that significantly altered the course of your life?
What lessons have you learned from navigating a crossroads or major life transition?
How has your perspective on success evolved over time?
Can you reflect on a time when you had to confront and overcome a deeply held fear?
What role has gratitude played in shaping your outlook on life?
How have your values and beliefs been influenced by significant life experiences?
Can you describe a moment when you found clarity and purpose amidst chaos or uncertainty?
What impact has traveling to a new place had on your understanding of the world and yourself?
How has adversity strengthened your character and determination?
Can you recall a time when a random act of kindness profoundly impacted your life?
What lessons have you learned from embracing vulnerability and authenticity in relationships?
How has practicing mindfulness or self-reflection enhanced your well-being and happiness?
Can you reflect on a period of personal transformation or self-discovery?
How have you found meaning and fulfillment in pursuing your passions and interests?

Ideas for a Narrative Essay on Culture and Society

Engaging your readers with narrative essays on culture and society is a great way to spark interest, offering captivating ideas for exploration.

How has your family's unique culinary heritage influenced your cultural identity?
Can you reflect on a specific cultural artifact or heirloom that holds deep significance for your family?
What challenges have you faced in preserving traditional customs while adapting to modern societal expectations?
How has a local festival or celebration revealed the intricacies of your community's cultural tapestry?
Can you recount a moment when you navigated a cultural clash between your upbringing and the dominant culture?
How has your experience as a first-generation immigrant shaped your understanding of cultural assimilation?
What lessons have you learned from participating in intercultural exchange programs or initiatives?
Can you describe a unique cultural practice or tradition within your community that outsiders might find intriguing or misunderstood?
How has the revitalization of indigenous languages contributed to the preservation of cultural heritage in your region?
Can you reflect on a personal journey of reconnecting with your cultural roots after a period of assimilation or disconnection?
What role does storytelling play in passing down cultural wisdom and values within your family or community?
How has the portrayal of your culture in mainstream media affected your sense of belonging and self-perception?
Can you recount a moment when you challenged cultural stereotypes through creative expression or advocacy?
How has the migration of a specific cultural group enriched the social fabric and economic landscape of your community?
What initiatives or grassroots movements are currently underway to promote cross-cultural understanding and cooperation in your society?

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Narrative Writing Topics on Hobbies and Interests

Wow your readers by turning your passions and hobbies into compelling narrative essay topics that will get them thinking.

How has your passion for urban gardening transformed neglected spaces in your community?
Can you recount a thrilling adventure from your hobby of urban exploration?
What lessons have you learned from restoring vintage motorcycles in your spare time?
How has your fascination with birdwatching deepened your connection to nature and conservation efforts?
Can you describe a memorable moment from your hobby of foraging wild edibles in the wilderness?
What unique skills have you developed through your hobby of beekeeping, and how have they impacted your daily life?
How has your interest in historical reenactment brought the past to life in unexpected ways?
Can you reflect on a transformative experience from your hobby of landscape photography?
What insights have you gained from practicing the art of bonsai cultivation and nurturing miniature ecosystems?
How has your passion for stargazing inspired awe and wonder in the vastness of the universe?
Can you recount a challenging project from your hobby of woodworking and the satisfaction it brought upon completion?
What cultural connections have you discovered through your hobby of traditional folk dancing?
How has your interest in sustainable fashion influenced your consumer habits and environmental awareness?
Can you describe a moment of serenity and mindfulness experienced while practicing the art of tea ceremony?
How has your hobby of letterpress printing preserved the tactile beauty of handmade craftsmanship in a digital age?

Narrative Essay Titles on Life-Changing Moments

Life is full of unexpected twists that can lead to life-changing moments. Take a look at these narrative essay titles for stories that have had a lasting impact on your life.

How did surviving a natural disaster reshape your perspective on life?
Can you recall a single conversation that drastically altered the course of your life?
What was the pivotal moment that inspired you to pursue your dreams against all odds?
How did a chance encounter lead to a life-changing friendship or partnership?
Can you reflect on the decision that transformed your career trajectory?
What profound lesson did you learn from facing a life-threatening illness or injury?
How did traveling to a new country open your eyes to new possibilities and opportunities?
Can you recount the moment when you discovered your true passion or calling in life?
What was the turning point that allowed you to break free from a toxic relationship or environment?
How did experiencing failure or rejection ultimately lead to personal growth and resilience?
Can you describe the moment when you found the strength to overcome a deep-seated fear or insecurity?
What life-changing realization did you have while experiencing a period of solitude or introspection?
How did a profound act of kindness from a stranger restore your faith in humanity?
Can you reflect on the moment when you forgave someone who had deeply hurt you, and how it changed your perspective on forgiveness?
What pivotal decision did you make that allowed you to reclaim control over your own happiness and destiny?

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Good Narrative Topics on Travel and Adventure

Consider creating intriguing titles for your narrative essay ideas by exploring thrilling travel adventures.

Can you recount a memorable encounter with wildlife during your solo hiking adventure?
How did a spontaneous decision to explore an unfamiliar city lead to unexpected discoveries?
What lessons did you learn from navigating a foreign country with only a map and your instincts?
Can you describe the exhilaration of conquering a challenging mountain peak for the first time?
How did immersing yourself in a local culture during your travels broaden your perspective on the world?
What unexpected obstacles did you encounter while embarking on a backpacking journey through rugged terrain?
Can you reflect on the transformative experience of volunteering abroad in a community-driven project?
How did getting lost in a labyrinthine city alleyway lead to serendipitous encounters and newfound friendships?
What was the most memorable meal you had while sampling street food in a bustling market abroad?
Can you recount the adrenaline rush of participating in an extreme sports activity in a foreign land?
How did witnessing a breathtaking natural phenomenon during your travels leave a lasting impression on you?
What cultural traditions or rituals did you participate in during a homestay experience with a local family?
Can you describe the sense of wonder and awe you felt while exploring ancient ruins or historical sites?
How did navigating a language barrier challenge and ultimately enrich your travel experience?
What valuable life lessons did you learn from the mishaps and misadventures encountered during your journey off the beaten path?

Narrative Essay Topic Ideas on Career and Work Experience

College students can uncover captivating narrative essay ideas by exploring potential career paths or reminiscing about past job experiences.

How did a challenging project at work showcase your problem-solving skills and resilience?
Can you reflect on a pivotal mentorship experience that guided your career trajectory?
What valuable lessons did you learn from a career setback or failure, and how did it shape your future success?
How did a workplace conflict lead to personal growth and improved communication skills?
Can you recount a moment when taking a professional risk paid off in unexpected ways?
What insights did you gain from transitioning to a new industry or career path?
How did participating in a cross-functional team project enhance your collaboration and leadership abilities?
Can you describe the satisfaction of achieving a long-term career goal after years of hard work and perseverance?
What impact did a meaningful recognition or award have on your motivation and sense of accomplishment?
How did volunteering or pro bono work contribute to your professional development and sense of purpose?
Can you reflect on the decision to leave a stable job in pursuit of passion or fulfillment?
What strategies did you employ to navigate a toxic work environment and maintain your well-being?
How did a career setback lead to unexpected opportunities for personal and professional growth?
Can you describe a moment when mentorship or sponsorship played a crucial role in advancing your career?
What lessons did you learn from a challenging client or customer interaction, and how did it shape your approach to customer service and relationship-building?

Interesting Narrative Essay Topics about Challenges and Obstacles

If you're not sure what to write about for your narrative essay, think back to the tough times you've had and how you managed to get through them.

How did you conquer a once-paralyzing fear to chase your dreams?
What new strengths did you discover while adapting to a physical challenge?
Can you recall a creative solution you used during a tough financial period?
When did you bravely stand against injustice, despite opposition?
How did overcoming a language barrier broaden your horizons?
What key lessons did you learn from a major setback in your life?
How did you manage overwhelming stress and responsibilities?
What inner reserves of resilience did you draw upon after personal loss?
Describe a time when you defied societal norms to pursue your goals.
Reflect on a moment when failure fueled your determination for success.
When did you find the courage to leave your comfort zone behind?
How did community support bolster you through a challenging time?
Share a time when self-doubt led to newfound confidence.
Can you recount a tragedy that spurred your personal growth?
What insights did overcoming a monumental obstacle reveal about life?

Best Narrative Essay Topics: How to Choose the One That Resonates

A narrative essay is a type of writing that tells a personal story, including characters, plot, setting, and the order of events. Its main goal is to connect with readers emotionally and share a specific message or insight through the retelling of a meaningful experience.

Students write narrative essays as part of their studies for several reasons. Firstly, it allows them to express themselves creatively by sharing their unique experiences, thoughts, and feelings. Secondly, it helps them develop important writing skills like organizing ideas and thoughts effectively.

Choosing good narrative essay ideas involves looking at personal experiences, interests, and the potential for engaging storytelling. Here's a simple guide to help you pick the right topic:

Think about significant moments in your life that had a lasting impact, such as personal growth or overcoming challenges.
Choose topics related to your hobbies, interests, or areas of expertise to make your story more engaging.
Consider what your audience would be interested in and choose topics that resonate with them.
Focus on a specific event or detail to make your narrative more focused and impactful.
Look for universal themes like love or personal transformation that connect with readers on a deeper level.
Brainstorm ideas and write freely to uncover compelling topics.
Decide on storytelling techniques like flashbacks or foreshadowing and choose a topic that fits.
Get feedback from friends, peers, or instructors to see if your topics are interesting and impactful.
Choose topics that evoke strong emotions for a more compelling narrative.
Select a topic that you personally connect with to make your story authentic.

Once you've chosen a topic, brainstorm ideas and create an outline for your essay. Follow your professor's instructions carefully and consider seeking help from our narrative essay writing service if needed.

Bring your stories to life with EssayPro. Select from a vast array of narrative essay topics and let our professionals help you weave your tales into captivating essays. Whether it's adventure, reflection, or imagination, we're here to assist.

Final Remarks

As we wrap up, our list of 200 narrative essay topics is here to fuel your creativity for your next writing project! Whether you're sharing a memorable event, reliving a childhood memory, or expressing a profound insight, crafting a narrative essay can be an uplifting experience that resonates deeply with readers.

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Daniel Parker

is a seasoned educational writer focusing on scholarship guidance, research papers, and various forms of academic essays including reflective and narrative essays. His expertise also extends to detailed case studies. A scholar with a background in English Literature and Education, Daniel’s work on EssayPro blog aims to support students in achieving academic excellence and securing scholarships. His hobbies include reading classic literature and participating in academic forums.

is an expert in nursing and healthcare, with a strong background in history, law, and literature. Holding advanced degrees in nursing and public health, his analytical approach and comprehensive knowledge help students navigate complex topics. On EssayPro blog, Adam provides insightful articles on everything from historical analysis to the intricacies of healthcare policies. In his downtime, he enjoys historical documentaries and volunteering at local clinics.

Mental Health Research Topics: 200 Writing Ideas for You

150 Best Topic Ideas For Narrative Essay

Table of contents

1 How to Choose a Topic for a Narrative Essay?
2 Some Tips for Writing Narrative Essays
3.1 Narrative Essay Topics for High School Students
3.2 Good Narrative Essay Topics for College Students
4.1 Personal Narrative Essay Topics
4.2 Personal Experience Narrative Essay Topics
4.3 Narrative Essay Topics About Childhood
4.4 Relationship Narrative Essay Topics
4.5 Personal Narrative Essay About Friendship
4.6 Cultural Narrative Essay Topics
4.7 Personal Narrative Stories Ideas on Traveling and Holidays
4.8 Narrative Argument Essay Topics

In academic practice, the narrative essay is probably one of the key elements to train students in expressing their opinions. It teaches well how to tell a story in a clear, concise manner, that’s why it is so welcome in the language and composition classes.

Narrative essays are not only valuable as such: their contribution lies in the ability to elaborate students’ storytelling and narration skills. To touch the reader’s nerves, you should opt for exciting narrative essay ideas. There are plenty of them – but don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! Below you’ll find a comprehensive list of essay ideas.

How to Choose a Topic for a Narrative Essay?

When you are selecting a topic for your essay , you should consider some aspects. As a teacher, you should opt for the best narrative essay topics that would be interesting and familiar to your mentees. If you are a mentee yourself, you can be assigned a specific task to write on the topic provided by your teacher or professor. In the opposite case, you have the freedom to choose a topic on your own.

We’ve collected some useful tips on how to efficiently select a narrative speech topic for your paper. They apply to the general principles of narrative essay topic choice. You can write about something special and personal for you, or describe events and subjects that are well-known to everyone. The following rules will be a perfect support for you in the creation of a powerful narrative essay.

Opt for relevant topics Always consider your audience when picking a topic if you are a teacher. The topic shall be cognizable and meaningful for your audience, be it higher school students or schoolchildren. They must be able to express their thoughts on the subject and relate their personal experiences to it.Obviously, the requirements for younger students are lower, and narrative writing topics shall deal mostly with descriptions or reporting. On the other hand, senior schoolers and students shall be able to write an essay that is also persuasive and reflective.
Choose your comfortable writing style Experience in studying affairs clearly demonstrates that successful subjects for a narration essay are those you feel comfortable with. Picking up the right idea is the key to a powerful paper as it determines the style of your writing.Think about what you love to tell about. Do you like to describe events in a detailed and vivid manner? Or maybe you are factual and concise? Are you a fan of reflections and self-analysis? Recollecting or imagining, projecting or analyzing, reporting or insightful – if you identify your features, they will be helpful narrative essay prompts.
Show your mastery Topics are essential, but that’s not the hard and fast rule: always factor into personal proficiency. This is what turns even a dull and merely informative topic into an engaging story. A narration essay is your chance to create a description that would allow your readers to pop into your experiences and share your fun or drama with you.Whether your narration concerns a film, a book, a relationship, a person, or a situation, try to complement it with a touch of personal attitude. Discourse upon the lessons you’ve learned, describe a turning point of your life or reflect on why an event from your past is so memorable. Try to convey this in the essay outline , and you’ll see how fascinating it might be. The more so as there are plenty of brilliant topics for narrative writing.

Some Tips for Writing Narrative Essays

Narration may be both rewarding and challenging. To maximize your rewarding experience and minimize the tough aspects of essay writing, follow our tips recovered from the students’ practice.

1. Aim at telling a story

A narration essay stands foremost for a narration. Whether you are describing events, discussing situations, or recollecting the past, your story should be engaging and have a plot. You may introduce the elements that make your story individual. These include arguments, reflections, and opinions, but the focus of this type of essay is narrative.

3. Keep to an outline

The conventional structure is not required, however, it assists in organizing your thoughts properly and preserving accuracy and distinctiveness. The introduction and conclusion parts do not differ much from those in other academic papers. The body part, in turn, presents a story that may tackle moral, practical, psychological, or other problems. This clearly distinguishes your narration from all the others. This is why personal narrative topics shall be thoroughly picked.

3. Make a plan

Draft the events and characters to be introduced in your story. Don’t feel like you are limited by the structure you create. A plan is a guide rather than a mold for your text, so try making it comfortable for you. Drafting your essay before you start writing may also be helpful. This way you can break down the nuances and see what’s lacking for an immersive story.

4. Remain individual

While good narrative topics circulate in the school and college assignments, you are still able to make your essay personalized. To start with, you have your own stories to be told. Then, you might express your own opinions that are unconventional. Also, you can present the lessons you’ve learned from the story. In the end, your author’s style will surely add points to your paper.

5. Choose a writing narrative thoroughly

Stories may be told third-person or first-person. Weigh the pros and cons of each type of narration and opt for the one reflecting your objective. Personal experiences are usually written in first-person, and epic narratives may be third-person. Though, unconventional approaches may be an interesting artistic device making your essay even more intriguing.

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Narrative Essay Topics for Students

We’ve analyzed trainees’ experience in writing narrative paragraphs and selected narrative essay topics for college and school students. This profound list covers a wide range of subjects, so pick one!

Narrative Essay Topics for High School Students

High school students normally feel comfortable about describing their study routine. Below you’ll find interesting topics to convey some of the things at school familiar to every pupil.

My favorite class
An unexpected day-off
My favorite teacher
My most memorable participation in a sports event
My harshest debate competition
My best role in a school theatre
My after-school activities
My routine travel to school
My funny prom night adventure
My worst lost match
The craziest incident on my campus
The subject I don’t like
How I failed an exam
How I got through an exam
How I got caught cheating

Good Narrative Essay Topics for College Students

Just like high schoolers, students at colleges and universities are fond of talking about their everyday matters. Whether a topic about students’ affairs or reflection on new relationships, the most popular narrative topics for college students are collected here.

My first day at the higher school
My last day with my schoolmates
My favorite course
Meeting my better half
The story of my split-up
My brightest high school moment
How I met my old friend
My favourite professor
A funny adventure on my campus
The most symbolic episode from my college life
The day I moved
How I traveled to my college
My first impressions of the college campus
How I met my roommate
My first friends at college

Topics for essays on themes:

Personal narrative essay topics.

Each of us had moments in life the story of which would be interesting to others. Develop your narration mastery and tell the world a story about the very best, most memorable, extremely scary, or awkward situations. Our list is here to assist you.

The happiest event ever
The saddest moment in my life
The worst moment of my life
The best moment of my life
If I start my life all over again, I’d…
The most frightening episode of my life
The most dramatic decision I had to make
The life-changing event in my life
The greatest risk I took
The day I decided to move
The worst decision of my life
Getting lost abroad
The most disastrous trip
How I grew up in a city
How I grew up in a village

Personal Experience Narrative Essay Topics

Personal experiences are way more exciting for writers. Unfortunately, personal narrative essays are not always just as fascinating for listeners unless they are presented in an entertaining manner. We’re sure that the ideas for personal narratives below will help you pick your topic to maximize readers’ engagement.

The moment of my life I’m proud of
My first visiting an opera house
The weirdest accident I witnessed
How I first tried Asian cuisine
My most memorable birthday present
If I was a character in a book
The memory I wish I lived through again
If I was my favourite movie superhero
How I lost a thing that wasn’t mine
My first travel to the sea
What makes me unique
My first trip into the wild
My first job interview
My most significant loss
My most memorable Christmas

Narrative Essay Topics About Childhood

Childhood is probably the sweetest period of our lives and the one with the most number of insights. The most powerful experiences come from it, and most of our reflections are related to a child’s perception in this or that way. Check out our list of captivating topics about childhood and pick one.

My first memories ever
My first pet
The role model of my childhood
The first time I met my uncle/aunt
The first time I got to a hospital
My first big sports competition
My first day at school
The first time at a stadium
My best visit to a children’s entertainment park
My favourite preschool teacher
My first time on the airplane
My most memorable picnic
The scariest incident of my childhood
My childhood phobias
The funniest incident of my childhood
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Relationship Narrative Essay Topics

Writing about this huge layer of experience – relationships – is surely thrilling. We’ve picked just some of the great variety of narrative topics about relationships for you. Even if you don’t find here exactly what you want to talk about, you’ll definitely hit upon an appropriate idea.

My first romantic date
How my best friend changed my life
How I first met my best friend
The saddest moment in a relationship I experienced
A turning point in my important relationship
My role model relationship from a book/movie
My first romantic relationship
What my parents mean to me
The best advice about relationships I got
Why is my significant other so important to me
The situation that helped me fix my ruined relationship
The best memories I share with my friends
My first confession
How I helped someone with depression
A film/book about relationships that stroke me

Personal Narrative Essay About Friendship

Friendships often determine our paths in life, and most people love telling stories. These are about their adventures with friends or reflections on the effects of getting cozy with other people. From the list below, you may pick one of the best friendship topics for narrative essay papers.

My best friend from a summer camp
How I reconnected with my friend after a quarrel
How I covered my friend
How I first met my online friend live
How I helped my friend reconnect with his/her loved one
The coolest adventure with my best friend
The first time at my friend’s place
My worst quarrel with my friend
My best older friend
How my foe turned into my friend
The toughest situation I and my friend went through
My friend’s sister/brother
The situation where I had to choose between two friends
How I met a friend on the Internet

Cultural Narrative Essay Topics

How about writing on culture? The variety of topics is enormous, and you can write here in different styles and tonalities. Find out effective narrative paragraph topics dedicated to traditions, holidays, or cultural events below.

My favourite holiday
How we celebrate Christmas
The best Christmas present I got
My best Christmas
My saddest Christmas
The holiday which is most significant for me
Our family traditions for Easter
How I took part in holidays abroad
The scariest Halloween I ever had
Home alone on a holiday night
The most memorable cultural event I visited
The festival I love most
What I was thankful for this Thanksgiving Day
My family traditions
A foreign holiday tradition that I love most

Personal Narrative Stories Ideas on Traveling and Holidays

This segment of subjects covers individual experiences. Respectively, it has to do with reflections, opinions, and feelings. Our list of personal narrative ideas related to trips and celebrations is here for your convenience.

My best entertainment on winter holidays
My first traveling abroad
How I first visited a warm country in winter
How I missed my flight/train/bus
The happiest moment during the holidays
Making a new friend during the holidays
My first time traveling alone
My most memorable holiday ever
The saddest incident on a holiday
My best visit to a foreign city on holiday
My best travel to a big city
The worst quarrel while on holiday
The best encounters during the holiday
My best trip to a countryside
How I returned home after a long vacation

Narrative Argument Essay Topics

Strong argumentation is one of the indications of a successful academic paper and a prerequisite for a higher grade. You should pick a topic you are confident in to provide your effective arguments as your objective is to persuade your readers. Opt for a narrative essay topic that speaks to you.

The toughest decision between right and wrong
The choice I regret
How I helped a friend against the rules
Involvement in a conflict between other people
Getting caught lying
How I let down a friend following the rules
How I shifted the blame to someone else
The toughest yet most important experience
Helping someone for personal benefit
The prank I played on my friend
Ignoring bullying
How my friend took the blame for me
Does justice actually exist?
Ignoring the wrong behavior of others
Eavesdropping

When writing a narrative essay, it is important to choose an interesting topic that can engage your readers. Finding the right topic can be a challenge, but there is no need to worry as there are many resources available, such as online essay writers , that can help you choose the best topic for your narrative essay.

Whether a personal experience essay, a story about your best childhood birthday, a narration about your most meaningful travel, or the way you reacted to essential world events, are all worth writing. Bear in mind that each of them requires research, adhering to a structure, and planning. Focus on what’s inspiring for you and may be of interest to your readers, and you’ll get a list of the narrative ideas working best for you.

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Narrative Essay

Narrative Essay Topics

Best Narrative Essay Topics 2023 for Students

Narrative Essay Topics for Students

If you're a student looking for a diverse range of topics, we've got you covered with a diverse selection of narrative essay topics.

Narrative Essay Topics for Grade 5

My First Day at a New School
The Time I Learned to Ride a Bike
A Visit to a Haunted House
The Day I Met a Real-Life Superhero
My Most Memorable Family Vacation
A Surprising Encounter with an Animal
The Mystery of the Missing Homework
The Best Birthday Party I Ever Had
When I Lost a Tooth
My Adventure in a Fantasy World

Narrative Essay Topics for Grade 6

An Unforgettable Camping Trip
The Day I Discovered a Hidden Talent
A Mysterious Letter and Its Consequences
A Time I Had to Stand Up for What's Right
The Thrilling Mystery of a Forgotten Diary
A Memorable Encounter with a Famous Person
My Journey Through a Fantasy Land
The Day I Learned a Valuable Life Lesson
An Unexpected Act of Kindness
A Secret Adventure in an Abandoned Place

Narrative Essay Topics for Grade 7

The Most Exciting Adventure of My Life
The Day I Overcame a Fear
A Memorable School Field Trip
The Strangest Mystery I Ever Encountered
An Unforgettable Encounter with Wildlife
A Life-Changing Decision I Had to Make
The Best Book I Ever Read and Why
A Day in the Life of a Time Traveler
The Importance of Friendship in My Life
A Valuable Lesson Learned from a Mistake

Narrative Essay Topics for Grade 8

A Time I Faced a Difficult Moral Dilemma
The Most Memorable Summer Vacation
The Impact of a Life-Altering Decision
An Unexpected Act of Kindness I Received
The Day I Stepped Out of My Comfort Zone
A Historical Event I Would Like to Witness
A Special Family Tradition and Its Significance
A Personal Achievement I'm Proud Of
A Challenging Obstacle I Overcame
A Journey Through My Creative Imagination

Narrative Essay Topics for Grade 9

The Transition to High School: Challenges and Triumphs
A Life-Changing Encounter with an Inspiring Mentor
My First Part-Time Job and What I Learned
The Day I Realized the Power of Empathy
The Impact of a Personal Passion or Hobby
An Unforgettable Travel Experience Abroad
A Meaningful Community Service Project I Participated In
The Role of Technology in My Life
A Defining Moment in My Cultural Identity
My Vision for the Future: Dreams and Aspirations

Narrative Essay Topics for O-Levels

The Day I Took a Leap of Faith
An Unforgettable Journey into the Unknown
A Life-Altering Decision I Made in High School
An Encounter with a Stranger That Changed My Perspective
The Role of Resilience in Overcoming a Personal Challenge
The Impact of a Cultural Exchange Experience
A Lesson Learned from a Unique Life Experience
The Importance of Perseverance in Achieving a Goal
My Most Memorable Academic Achievement
A Glimpse into My Future: Aspirations and Ambitions

Narrative Essay Topics for Highschool

The Moment I Discovered My Passion
A Life-Changing Journey Abroad
A Challenging Decision That Shaped My Future
An Unexpected Act of Kindness That Touched My Heart
The Role of Resilience in Overcoming Adversity
A Personal Experience That Shaped My Values
The Impact of Technology on My Generation
A Time I Took a Stand for a Cause I Believe In
A Memorable Leadership Role I Assumed
A Glimpse into My Ideal Future: Aspirations and Goals

Narrative Essay Topics for College

The Journey to Finding My Academic Passion
A Life-Altering Study Abroad Experience
The Transformational Impact of a Challenging Decision
Navigating the Transition from College to the Professional World
An Unforgettable Encounter with a Mentor or Role Model
The Role of Adversity in Shaping My Personal Growth
A Significant Ethical Dilemma I Faced in College
How My College Experiences Have Shaped My Worldview
The Impact of Technology on My College Education
A Personal Reflection on My Career Aspirations and Goals

Narrative Essay Topics for University

The Evolution of My Academic and Career Goals at University
An Eye-Opening Internship Experience That Impacted My Future
A Transformative Study Abroad Journey
Navigating the Complexities of Balancing Work, Academics, and Social Life at University
The Role of a Unique Research Project in My Academic Growth
A Personal Account of Overcoming a Significant Academic Challenge
A Meaningful Leadership Role in a University Organization
The Journey of Self-Discovery Through Elective Courses at University
The Impact of Peer Relationships and Networking at University
How My University Education Has Shaped My Perspective on Global Issues

Unique Narrative Essay Topics for Students

We've gathered distinct narrative topic ideas to fuel your creativity. Let’s look at some personal narrative ideas to inspire your narrative writing.

Descriptive Narrative Essay Topics

A Peaceful Day by the Riverside
Exploring a Haunted House
My Favorite Childhood Memory
A Walk Through an Ancient Forest
The Perfect Winter Wonderland
An Evening at a Carnival
A Visit to a Vibrant Art Gallery
The Spectacular Colors of Autumn
A Day in the Life of a Beach
An Exciting Night in the City

Personal Narrative Essay Topics

A Life-Changing Decision I Made
A Moment of Personal Triumph
Overcoming My Greatest Fear
A Meaningful Lesson from a Personal Challenge
The Role of a Special Friend in My Life
A Time When I Broke a Personal Record
The Impact of a Mentor on My Life
My Journey to Self-Discovery

Literacy Narrative Essay Topics

My Earliest Memory of Learning to Read
The Book That Sparked My Love for Reading
A Life-Changing Experience in a Library
The Impact of a Special Teacher on My Writing Skills
How Technology Has Shaped My Writing Habits
A Personal Reflection on My Writing Journey
The Role of Literature in Shaping My Perspective
Writing as a Tool for Self-Expression and Healing
How I Overcame Writer's Block
The Significance of Storytelling in My Life

Engaging Narrative Essay Topics

The Mystery of a Lost Treasure Map
An Unlikely Friendship That Changed My Life
A Day in the Life of a Professional Athlete
The Journey of Starting My Own Business
A Haunting Experience in a Historic Place
A Memorable Road Trip with Friends
My Encounter with a Famous Celebrity
The Day I Conquered My Greatest Fear
An Adventure in a Foreign Land
A Life-Altering Decision at a Crossroads

How to Choose a Topic for a Narrative Essay?

Choosing the right topic for your narrative essay can be a daunting task. Before you start writing, it is important to invest some time in researching and brainstorming.

Here are a few tips to help guide you in selecting an interesting and engaging narrative essay topic:

Reflect on Your Personal Experiences: If you are writing about a personal narrative topic, consider the impactful moments in your life and think about experiences that have left a strong impression on you.
Identify a Clear Message or Theme: Determine the central idea or theme of your narrative. Decide what lesson, insight, or emotion you want to convey.
Engage Your Audience: Consider your target audience and what will resonate with them. Choose a topic that captures their interest and keeps them engaged.
Play with Different Perspectives: Explore the option of incorporating different viewpoints. Combining personal and external perspectives can add depth to your narrative.
Test Your Idea: Get feedback from a friend or classmate. Assess if your chosen topic is likely to resonate with your audience.
Stay True to Your Voice: Balance considering your audience with being authentic. Let your unique voice and storytelling style shine through in your writing

Tips for Writing Narrative Essays

Once you have selected a topic for your narrative essay, it is time to start writing.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you write your story:

Start with a Strong Hook: Begin your narrative essay with a captivating hook, such as an engaging anecdote, a thought-provoking question, or a vivid description.
Follow a Clear Structure: Organize your narrative essay outline with a clear structure. Most narratives follow a chronological order, but you can also use flashbacks or nonlinear storytelling when it serves your narrative.
Build Tension and Conflict: Create tension and conflict in your narrative to add depth and maintain reader engagement. Whether it's a personal struggle, a moral dilemma, or an external challenge, these obstacles will keep readers eagerly anticipating what comes next.
Revise and Edit: After completing your first draft, take the time to revise and edit your work. Review it for grammar and spelling errors, but also examine the overall structure and flow of your narrative.
Practice, Practice, Practice: Like any form of writing, improving your narrative essay skills takes practice. Keep writing and experimenting with different topics, styles, and approaches to develop your storytelling abilities.

Before you start writing, make sure you read some narrative essay examples to learn how to organize your thoughts and structure your story.

In summary, no matter the type of essay you are writing about, you need a topic to start with. Our collection of narrative essay topics offers fresh, distinct ideas.

These topics are crafted to ignite your creativity and captivate your audience. They cover a diverse range of experiences, making it easier for you to connect with your readers on a personal level.

Still, struggling to write a compelling narrative essay? MyPerfectWords.com is here to help you out!

We stand as the most reliable narrative essay writing service with a specialized focus on crafting exceptional essays designed for high school and college students. Our customer support team is also available 24/7, request write my essays online whenever you need assistance.

Frequently Asked Questions

How are narrative essay topics different from other essay types.

Narrative essay topics are usually based on personal experiences, so they are more emotional and creative than other types of essays. Also, they are often more open-ended, so you have more freedom to choose what to write about.

Where can I find good narrative essay topics?

There are a few ways to find good topics for your narrative essay. You can look through books or magazines for ideas, or search online for inspiration. You can also brainstorm with friends or family members to come up with ideas.

What do I write a narrative essay about?

You can write a narrative essay about anything, but it is usually based on personal experience. Try to recall interesting incidents from your life to develop a narrative about.

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Scriptwriting

Narrative Essay Topics — Prompts & Ideas For All Grade Levels

N arrative essays can present a serious challenge for even the most seasoned of writers, but fear not, we’ve compiled some great narrative essay topics to inspire your next paper! Follow along as we explore prompts relating to life, school, and more. By the end, you’ll be prepared to tackle narrative essays from a variety of different angles.

Good Narrative Topics

What is a narrative essay.

Before we jump into our narrative essay topics, we have to first answer the question: what is a narrative essay ? A narrative essay is a prose-written story that’s focused on the commentary of a central theme.

Narrative essays are generally written in the first-person POV , and are usually about a topic that’s personal to the writer.

Everything in a narrative essay should take place in an established timeline, with a clear beginning, middle, and end.

For more on narrative essays, check out this video on literacy narrative topics and structure:

Narrative Essay Topic Ideas • Narrative Essay Titles

In the world of literature, narrative essays are held to a rigorous structure. We’re not going to enforce that rigor here! So, follow along as we (hopefully) inspire you with a variety of narrative essay topics and argument essay ideas.

Narrative Ideas

Narrative essay ideas for kids.

Narrative essay topics for kids usually focus on family, school, and friends.

Here are some easy narrative essay topics that work well for kids:

Describe your most recent birthday party.
Tell the story of your first day of school.
Who is your best friend?
Have you ever helped others?
Describe your favorite animal(s)
What is your dream for the future?

This next video from “Teaching Without Frills” explores narrative essay topics for kids in further detail.

Narrative Essay Ideas • Titles of narrative essays

Sometimes it can help to visualize narrative essay topics with pictures, especially for younger kids. If you’re a teacher, consider using pictures to inspire your students!

Narrative essay ideas for teens

Middle school and high school students are often asked to write narrative essays too. But whereas narrative essay topics for elementary school students are usually structured around simple, positive topics, narrative essay topics for teens are generally more contemplative.

Here are some personal narrative essay topics that work well for teens:

Describe a moment of loss.
Describe a moment of serenity.
Recount the story of a lost friend.
Detail your greatest creation.
Tell the story of your favorite teacher.
How would you change the world?

Remember: not every person has the same circumstances as others. That's why they're called personal narrative essay topics.

It’s important to frame narrative essay topics for kids in a way that every kid can relate. For example: the prompt “a lost friend” could mean a friend who moved away or a dead pet. Make sure to word your prompts in such a way that participants can glean their own interpretation.

What is a Narrative? →
What is Narrative in Film? →
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Narrative Essay Ideas

Narrative essay ideas for young adults.

Young adults are sometimes asked to write narrative essays for school and or job applications. Narrative essay reviewers typically want to see writers demonstrate maturity and growth in their work. As such, their questions are generally structured around challenges and problem management.

Here are some narrative argument essay topics for young adults:

Have you ever failed at your job?
If you could change one thing from your past, what would it be?
What is something you take pride in?
Describe your childhood.
How will you grow this year?
What is the most important element of success?

Of course, the topics above are mostly focused on success and failure. Young adults can certainly respond to the other prompts too!

Narrative essay ideas for adults

Adults aren’t generally tasked with writing narrative essays unless they’re writers. But that doesn’t have to be the case! There are a lot of positives to writing narrative essays, whether you’re a literary professor or a wrestler looking to articulate your thoughts.

So, here are some things to write a narrative essay about for adults:

What was your worst job?
What (or who) was your first love?
Who do you take care of?
What is your most prized possession?
If you could tell somebody who’s now gone from your life one thing, what would it be?
Paint a picture of where you find peace.

Narrative essay titles • Easy narrative essay topics

In recent years, companies have been selling books with narrative essay prompts for adults (particularly elderly adults) to reflect on their lives.

Creative Writing Prompts & Exercises

Now that you're brainstorming good titles for personal narrative, time to learn about other forms of creating writing. A narrative essay is just one type of essay – there are dozens more! In our next article, we break down more creative writing prompts and exercises, including those suited to fantasy, romance, horror, and more. By the end, you’ll know a ton of different ways to approach your next story.

Up Next: Creative Writing Exercises →

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Narrative Essay Guide

Narrative Essay Topics

Last updated on: Dec 21, 2023

Narrative Essay Topics - Best Topic Ideas for Your Essay

By: Nathan D.

10 min read

Reviewed By: Rylee W.

Published on: May 19, 2020

A narrative essay is similar to storytelling. Writing a narrative essay means that the writer is narrating a story. It can be related to a person, place, personal experience, or event in your life.

Narrative essays tell the story of your life. When you write a narrative essay, you are telling someone about an important experience or event. A good narrative essay should have some kind of personal connection with the reader.

Also, the best narrative essay topics are ones that you can write about with passion. If you're not able to find the right topic for your narrative essay, try looking into some of the topics given in the blog.

Like any other essay, you need to choose an essay topic before starting with narrative essay writing. It may seem easy, but finding good narrative essay topics can be hard.

Therefore, you need to know how to find and choose a topic for your narrative essay.

On this Page

Narrative Essay Topics for Students

Now you know how to choose essay topics for a great narrative essay. The next step is to research and find a good topic idea on your own. However, if you are still struggling, we have given some great narrative essay ideas to choose from.

Personal Narrative Essay Topics for Middle School Students

3 Reasons Why disappointment is good
What love means to you
How to write a speech about a person you admire
An unpleasant childhood experience
Discuss loyal friends in your life
Imagine living on another planet. How would it be?
A memory from your vacations
Talk about your school and what makes you love it.
An experience that put you in danger
Share the experience of your first trip abroad.

Narrative Essay Topics for Grade 7

A day when you got lost
How did your father propose to your mom?
What do you want to be and why?
Describe your hero
Imagine you were invisible. Describe what you would do
Talk about the person you are most afraid to lose.
A misunderstanding with another person
An interesting episode from your school days
How you lost your best friend

Narrative Essay Topics for Grade 8

One of your most amazing childhood shows and characters
Describe the things in life that you are grateful for
As a child, what is your role in the family?
If you are a teacher, what would you do when your students feel bored?
What things make you feel angry and why?
What is your favorite commercial on TV?
What friendship means to you
An exciting experience that put you in danger
A funny story that made you feel embarrassed
A quick trip to your childhood
A sneak peeks into learning a new skill.

Narrative Essay Topics for High School Students

My favorite weather story.
If I were president.
If I had a million dollars.
This made me laugh.
The end of my first relationship
The day I lost a loved one.
When you experienced rejection.
My greatest accomplishment.
I would like to invent this.
A story of you playing in the rain.

Narrative Essay Topics for College Students

Interesting books for students to read this summer
First day at college
Poems you’ve read this year
Do you have a diary or journal?
Reasons you should start your own blog.
How often do you use Facebook?
Your favorite pop star
Favorite childhood games
Who is your role model?
A teacher you will never forget.

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Narrative Argument Essay Topics

Should nuclear weapons be outlawed?
Is animal testing necessary?
Pressure on teenagers to go to college
Does religion cause war?
Should abortion be illegal?
Is it okay for parents to monitor teens’ Internet use?
Humans are the main cause of natural disasters.
Social media is the reason behind conflicts between family members.
Share a memorable moment of your childhood in a scholarship essay.
When you fought with your brother while playing a video game

Morality Narrative Essay Topics

Does modern society lack the moral values of the past?
What is your opinion about racial discrimination?
What are the key moral values in your life?
What is your personal view regarding morality?
Have you inherited your moral values?
Do you think your ancestors had different moral values?
How do you understand other people's moral values? Is it difficult for you to accept them or not?
What was the best morality lesson for you?
Lack of morality is the root cause of social destruction. Discuss.
How can we promote moral lessons in schools?

Relationship Narrative Essay Topics

How do you know if there are no sparks in your relationship anymore?
Does arguing with your parents affect your social life?
When do you know you have met “the one”?
Does being a feminist influence your relationships?
Is marrying old-fashioned?
Does forgiveness matter in a relationship?
How do you eradicate misunderstandings and arguments from your relationships?
Reasons for the distance between parents and children.
Both partners need to work together to make a relationship successful. Discuss.
Traditional Vs. Modern Household System. Which is better and why?

Childhood Narrative Essay Topics

What was your first day of school like for you?
What was your favorite school activity as a child?
Who was your favorite teacher? And Why?
What was the most mischievous event of your childhood?
How did you manage the bullies of your school?
Who was your role model when you were a child?
Do you think teachers should be friendly? If yes, then why?
Have you ever pranked anyone? What was the result?
Did you like any particular subject when in school?
Do childhood friends influence us? How?

Work Narrative Essay Topics

How to engage employees in the work environment?
How to reduce stress at the workplace?
How do you manage strict deadlines?
What kind of experience do you have while hiring an online employee?
What to do when you think your work-life is falling apart?
How to avoid harassment in the workplace?
Promoting equality in the workplace.
Men and women employees should be treated equally; discuss.
Having a plant wall in the workplace is healthy.
Companies should give healthy lunch options at subsidized prices. Discuss.

Traveling Narrative Essay Topics

Do you need a large budget for traveling?
Is it safe to travel the world on your own?
Is travel photography a difficult art to master?
Should you quit your job if you want to travel?
Can too much traveling be boring?
What to do when you travel to the city of your dreams?
What can you learn from traveling to non-tourist areas?
Is it possible to explore a location without knowing that place's language?
How does traveling affect your worldview?
How can you travel on a low budget?

Cultural Narrative Essay Topics

What is called pop culture?
How does the media influence our beliefs?
What is a cultural norm?
What does it mean to be Native American in the twenty-first century?
What can a person learn from personal discovery?
Why are food traditions still important to some people?
Why do people take health for granted
Tell us about your unique family tradition.
A tradition that surprised you

Experience Narrative Essay Topics

Discuss the most embarrassing moment of your life.
Which is the scariest incidence of your life?
Real-life values that you learned from an experience.
The experience that taught you the value of family and friends.
How did you learn to control your fear?
The most helpful experience of your life.
How did you learn to appreciate the value of life?
When did you feel the happiest?
A memorable family picnic.
The experience of the first job.

Interesting Narrative Essay Topics

Describe the most amazing movie that you ever watched.
Describe the most touching song that you heard last time.
The superpower that you want to have and why?
Any book characters that you relate with?
The movie that you want to direct and why?
Do you have any hidden talent? When did you discover it?
Which is your favorite TV character?
Any TV stars who you would like to meet in real life?
Are you a sports fanatic? Describe your favorite sport.
Who is your favorite tennis player, and why?

General Narrative Essay Topics

Write about the scariest moment in your life. How did a scary moment teach you to be brave?
Challenges are important for improvement. Discuss.
Describe your visit to a flea market. Did you get anything valuable there?
Do you believe that you should treat others as you would like to be treated? Describe any relevant experience.
Siblings help develop our personalities. Describe how you contribute to your personal development.
Watching someone you love suffering is hard. Describe your experience when you felt this pain.
Kindness keeps this world warm. Discuss the statement with relevant examples and personal life experiences.
Imperfection is a blessing. Discuss a lesson learned through mistakes.
Self-criticism is hard but useful. Write about your experience when you rectified your flaw.
Being right does not mean being easy. Write about the event in your life when you had difficulty because you were right.

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How to Choose a Good Narrative Essay Topic?

Choosing a good topic for your high school or college narrative writing involves a set of steps. By following them, you will find relevant narrative topics that you could use in your essay.

The steps include:

1. Brainstorming

Brainstorming is important. Make a list of essay ideas and research them. See what information you can find about them and choose the essay topic that you are confident about.

2. Planning

Planning before writing is a rule of thumb. Research the stories, ideas and decide which ones you will add to your narrative essay. Decide the number of paragraphs and the ideas for them. Make points and refer to them when writing the essay.

3. Proving the Main Point

Every essay has the main point; what is yours? When you write a narrative essay, you share your experience and try to persuade the reader to share it. They may have a different viewpoint. But, through your essay, you tell an interesting story and convince them to agree with your point of view.

4. Storytelling

A good narrative essay is all about storytelling. This could be through the character’s voice or the writer’s voice. Feel free to choose any voice but be consistent. Do not shift from the first person to third-person narration and vice versa.

5. Essay Structure

No great narrative essay is without a proper structure. An essay structure includes an introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. The usual number of paragraphs in the main body is three, but you can increase it if needed.

Choose the best topic from the list given above and start writing your narrative essay. You can use these topics for narrative speech as well. These narrative essay writing topics will make a great essay for any academic level.

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Nathan completed his Ph.D. in journalism and has been writing articles for well-respected publications for many years now. His work is carefully researched and insightful, showing a true passion for the written word. Nathan's clients appreciate his expertise, deep understanding of the process, and ability to communicate difficult concepts clearly.

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Narrative Essay - An Ultimate Guide With Examples & Topics

Narrative Essay Examples: Samples & Tips

How to Write a Narrative Essay Outline - Tips & Examples

150 Narrative Essay Topics

If you're looking for a more creative approach to writing essays, narrative essays might be a great option for you. With narrative essays, you have the freedom to tell a story and use your own personal experiences to make a point.

Whether you're writing a personal narrative or an experiential essay, you'll want to make sure that you're engaging your reader and conveying your message effectively. This is where custom essay writing services and coursework writing services can be incredibly helpful. With the assistance of professional writers, you can develop a compelling narrative essay that is both engaging and informative.

Overall, writing a narrative essay can be a fun and rewarding experience. Whether you're reflecting on a personal experience or sharing an anecdote, remember that the goal is to make a point and connect with your audience. So why not give it a try and see what stories you can tell? And if you need any assistance, don't hesitate to reach out to a " write my essay" or " write a paper for me" service for help.

What is a Narrative Essay?

A narrative essay is a less formal form of academic writing where the goal is to see whether you can tell a story clearly in an engaging manner. It follows the typical format of an essay with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion but also incorporates classic story writing elements like plot, setting, character, climax, and ending.

This kind of essay is written from a defined point of view, usually yours, so writing in the first person is recommended unlike most other forms of academic writing. You still need to make a point though, so include a thesis statement in your first paragraph and refer to it again in the conclusion.

Many college application essay prompts are narrative writing, for example - describe the most significant achievement of your life. Learning how to write a good narrative paper has use beyond just college essays though, a majority of online content now is based on telling engaging stories. Read on to know more about narrative papers and find a list of 150 fascinating topics for narrative essays.

How to Choose a Topic for a Narrative Essay

Choosing good narrative essay topics are crucial for a few reasons. The story you tell will most often draw from your own experiences and thoughts, so choose a topic that you know well or are well-informed about. Additionally, since the story has to have a purpose, select a topic that has broad potential and narrow it down to tell your unique story. Remember the following things when choosing a topic for a narrative essay.

The key thing to remember is that you’re telling a story

Because a narrative essay is so unlike most academic writing assignments, a common mistake is writing sections like a dry academic assignment. It’s for school, but that doesn’t mean you can’t deliver an experience. It’s about crafting an engaging piece of storytelling while revealing something impactful through the story.

Choose an interesting or meaningful idea to explore

This is a great time to write about something that is particularly important in your life or something you are passionate about. Topics can range from your thoughts and ideas about a concept to an obscure activity that you enjoy.

The pre-writing stage is critically important

A good story flows well and includes details that draw the reader in, but it also has to deliver some idea or message. Collecting information and planning ahead to create an outline for your essay will smoothen your writing process.

Don’t forget to have fun with it!

The story you tell should be engaging, which means you have the freedom to experiment! Drawing from several different but interconnected life experiences, or telling the story from the perspective of an inanimate object are some interesting ways to make your essay stand out.

But remember that it’s still an essay

Even though it’s storytelling, you’re still writing an essay, which means it needs to follow the classic essay structure. Based on the word count, plan how many body paragraphs you need (minimum 3 ALWAYS). Your first sentence should still have a hook, and your first paragraph still needs to have a thesis statement. The story that unfolds in the body paragraphs shouldn’t drift from your thesis statement, and your conclusion needs to end the story as well as reiterate your thesis.

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150 Unique Topics for Narrative Essay

It can be quite tough to think of something meaningful to write your essay about, but almost any experience you have can be an interesting topic. For one person, the first time they played a sport could be a traumatic experience, for another it could be life-changing. Only you know your experiences and thoughts. Here’s a list of narrative essay topics that you can use to start the brainstorming process and spark your imagination.

College narrative essay topics

College is a time of new experiences. So much happens that it shouldn’t be difficult to choose something to write about. The essay you write can be more descriptive, focussing on your sensory observations of an experience, or more contemplative, focusing on new thoughts and feelings. Take a look at these narrative essay topics for college students.

What was it like getting your first acceptance letter?

How you chose which college to go to

Your first day leaving home and coming to campus

Meeting your roommate and whether it went well or not

Your first college party

Your favorite class

Losing touch or staying in touch with friends from high school

The best day in college so far

The difference between sports in high school and college

How you realized college was easier or tougher than you thought it would be

What it was like being in a class with 200 students

Your experience with an extracurricular you had never tried before

Going home for the first time after attending college

Finding a subject you never thought you would like

How did you start feeling truly comfortable in college?

Narrative essay topics for high school students

High school years are chaotic. The changes in students and their social expectations can be frustrating, challenging, and exhilarating. Essays about many important firsts can be drawn from high school. Here are a few examples of narrative essay topics related to high school.

The best day of freshman year

A time you were bullied and stood up for yourself

A time when you were bullied and felt helpless

Your most significant social accomplishment

What was a meaningful volunteering experience you had?

Your proudest moment in a sporting event

Losing a valued friend

Your first highschool dance

Why your favorite teacher became your favorite teacher

When you realized what you want to pursue as a career

The best video game moment you had

An embarrassing moment in school and how you overcame it

Your best social media moment

The buildup to graduation day

An experience helping another student

Personal narrative essay topics

Since narrative essays are often written in the first person and rely on the experiences and thoughts of the author, they can all be considered personal, but a personal essay asks you to specifically tell a story about a time that changed you in a meaningful way. Here are some topics for writing a narrative essay about personal moments and revelations.

A summer vacation adventure that involved heroics

Describe an experience you had in a foreign country that made you feel lucky to be from your country

Your first time following a YouTube tutorial

Your excitement at watching the newest star wars/lord of the rings/Marvel Cinematic Universe etc. movie

Bonding with a new pet

The moment you realized that you admire some traits in a person and want to be like them

A situation that changed your relationship with your parents

A situation when you had to deal with the police

Witnessing an event that needed you to call the police

Your best leadership moment

Your experience attending a large event (politics, religion, sports, etc)

The most meaningful time in church or any religious moment of significance

An experience that humbled you

A situation where you made a serious mistake

A time you had to learn from adversity

Narrative argument essay topics

Like any narrative essay - the goal is to tell a story, but like any argument essay - the goal is to convince or persuade the reader to agree with your viewpoint. Writing an effective narrative argument essay incorporates convincing arguments into the story itself. The trick is finding a balance between getting lost in telling the story and forgetting about storytelling and convincing the reader. Here are a few examples to help you find a topic for a narrative essay.

A time when you convinced somebody against a conspiracy theory

A moment that made you more religious or spiritual

A moment that made you less religious or spiritual

Your favorite trip and why the place you went to is fantastic

How you discovered your favorite art style

The first time you played a new genre of game and why it’s the best

Your experience attending a conference or event about climate change

Watching a movie, tv-show, youtube video, or any media that changed your mind

A situation where you had to verbally defend yourself or a friend

An observation about income disparity gained by working in a soup kitchen/homeless shelter etc.

An experience you’ve had talking to somebody with different political beliefs

A conversation about gender identity with an older person

Seeing the police behave appropriately or inappropriately

Your experience with love and how you developed your definition of it

A time you had to swallow your pride and hold your tongue

Easy narrative essay topics

Here’s a list of some good topics for a narrative essay that most people have experience with and can write about but are still interesting enough to create an engaging story for the reader. Below are some easy but interesting narrative essay topics.

A hike, picnic, or walk that made you appreciate nature

Visiting a particularly awesome amusement park

An especially romantic date

Your first trip to a big city

Your first trip to a foreign country

Discovering a new movie genre

The thrill of watching horror movies

A regular day in your life

A moment when you gained respect for your parents, teachers, or friends

The time you saved an animal

How you broke a bad habit

How you developed a new skill

Your experience at a zoo

The first time you went bowling (tried any new game)

Your happiest day

Did you like our inspiring Narrative Essay Guide?

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Cultural narrative essay topics

Some of the most mind-expanding experiences happen when looking at and understanding a different culture or by analyzing your own culture from an outsider’s perspective. Cultural narrative essay topics are particularly useful when applying to colleges or applying for grants or scholarships for exchange programs.

What you learned from a trip abroad

How the lives of people in various socio-economic brackets are different

Observations on which basic things are different in different countries

How your cultural identity has changed over time

Sleeping over at a friends house from a different cultural background

Describe some unique personal family traditions

An experience where your culture/race/religion affected the situation around you

How you learned to fit in with a different culture

You first experience living in a foreign country

Discovering new subcultures like anime, gaming, k-pop, etc

Your favorite traditions from foreign cultures

How you understood your cultural heritage better

A time when you realized the impact of media on the perspective of other cultures

Getting over stereotypes because someone behaved differently than what you expected

Celebrating a different festival for the first time

Autobiographical narrative essay topics

Autobiographical narrative essays as you to specifically describe and talk about things in your life that impacted you. Take a look at the narrative essay topics below for inspiration.

Your first memory

Your first meaningful memory

Your first day of school

Your relationship with your grandparents

Finding out a shocking family secret

Your proudest achievement as a child

Your favorite childhood hobby

The best day of middle school

A time when you lost something important

How you dealt with losing someone close to you

Discovering your favorite musician

Your first kiss, date, or relationship

The worst day of your life

Why certain things are so meaningful to you

Which people have influenced your life significantly?

Fictional narrative essay topics

Fictional narrative essay topics are an opportunity to flex your creativity. Put yourself in the shoes of someone else, or in a fantastic situation and write a story! These are some narrative essay topics to choose from down below.

What it would be like traveling to Mars

What you would do with a million dollars

Describe a particularly vivid dream

A day in your life if you woke up as the opposite sex

What it would be like to be a professional gamer

What it would be like to have 100,000 Instagram followers

A day at the zoo from the perspective of an animal

A day in the life of a child from a very wealthy family

A day in the life of a child from a war-torn country

What it would be like to have your own talk show

What would you do if you were president?

What would you do if you were a dictator?

What it would be like to be a superhero

Tell a story based on your favorite work of art

A hypothetical dinner with your favorite celebrity

Best narrative essay topics - our choice

The best narrative essay topic ideas are going to be different for every individual. This section is going to choose some topics that offer the most space for creativity, are interesting to write about, or offer a broad chance for self-reflection.

Your earliest sad memory

How you realized someone had become a role model

A day in the life of your favorite fictional character

The thrill of winning

The heartbreak of loss

Understanding gender identity

A clash of culture

A new discovery

Finding your favorite hobby

Performing beyond expectation

Overcoming personal trauma

Helping someone in need

A life-changing trip

Enjoying nature

Questioning the status quo

Final thoughts

A narrative writing is unlike most other forms of academic writing. This can make it challenging for students, but as long as you think about it as writing a story and choose the right topic for a narrative essay, they are actually a joy to write! Here are a few key things to remember as you write your essay.

A narrative essay uses the story structure - beginning, middle, and end, as well as plot, climax, setting, and characters

Spend time on the prewriting phase to gather your thoughts and plan an outline

Don’t lose track of the main purpose of the story

Generally, write in the first person, but the third person can be used as well

Use vivid words and explain sensory details

Above all, have fun and engage the reader as much as you can

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Writing a narrative essay should be fun and easy in theory. Just tell your readers a story, often about yourself. Who knows you better than you? You should ace this!

Unfortunately, narrative writing can be very difficult for some. When a teacher leaves the topic choice wide open, it’s tough to even know what to write about. What anecdote from your life is worth sharing? What story is compelling enough to fill an entire essay?

The first step in writing a narrative essay is coming up with a list of potential topics to write about. From there, you should focus on the ideas you believe you can spend an entire essay and tell a compelling story on.

Narrative writing will show up for the rest of your life. You’ll need to tell life stories in college essays, in grad school applications, in wedding speeches, and more. So learning how to write a narrative essay is a skill that will stick with you forever.

But where do you begin?

You can always check out essay examples to get you started, but this will only get you so far.

At the end of the day, you still need to come up with a story of your own. This is often the toughest part.

To help you get things kicked off, we’ve put together this list of more than a hundred topic ideas that could easily be turned into narrative essays. Take a look and see what stands out to you!

Choosing a Topic

Narrative essays fall into several categories. Your first task is to narrow down your choices by choosing which category you want to explore.

Each of these categories offers a stepping off point from which you can share a personal experience. If you have no idea where to begin, reflecting on these main categories is a great place to start. You can pick and choose what you feel comfortable sharing with your readers. This list is not exclusive—there are other areas of your life you can explore. These are just some of the biggies.

As you explore categories, think about which one would be the best fit for your assignment. Which category do you have the strongest ideas for? Which types of stories do you tell the best?

These categories include:

Childhood Tales

Educational background, travel and adventure, friends and relationships, experiences and defining moments, my favorite things, ethics and values.

Once you’ve selected a category, it’s time to see which topic piques your interest and might intrigue your audience as well. These topics are all a natural fit for a story arc , which is a central part of a narrative essay.

Writing about your childhood can be a great choice for a narrative essay. We are growing and learning during this delicate and often awkward time. Sharing these moments can be funny, endearing, and emotional. Most people can relate to childhood events because we have all survived it somehow!

A childhood experience that defined who I am today
A childhood experience that made me grow up quickly
My best/worst childhood memory
My favorite childhood things (games, activities, stories, fairy tales, TV shows, etc.)
What I remember most about my childhood
How I used to celebrate holidays/birthdays
My best/worst holiday/birthday memory
What I used to believe was true
The oldest memory I have
The most valuable possession from my childhood
What I would tell my younger self
What my friends were like when I was younger

Your educational experience offers a wealth of ideas for an essay . How you’ve learned and have been inspired can help others be inspired too. Although we were all educated in one way or another, your educational experience is uniquely your own to share.

First day of school/junior high/high school/college
First/most memorable school event
My favorite/worst school years
My favorite/worst teachers
My favorite/worst school subjects
What recess was like for me
My experiences in the school cafeteria
How I succeeded/failed in certain classes
Life as a student (elementary, junior high, high school, college)
The best/worst assignment I ever completed for a class
Why I chose my college
First novel I read for school
First speech I had to give

People love to read about adventures. Sharing your travel stories transports your reader to a different place. And we get to see it through your eyes and unique perspective. Writing about travel experiences can allow your passion for diving into the world shine through.

My first time traveling alone
My first time traveling out of the country
The place I travel where I feel most at home
My favorite/worst travel experience
The time I spent living in a hostel/RV
The time I spent backpacking around a country
Traveling with friends/family/significant other
Best/worst family vacation
Most memorable travel experience ever
Places I want to visit
Why I travel
Why I cruise/climb mountains/camp/fly/drive
Trying to speak another language
How I prefer to travel
How I pack to travel

The good, the bad, and the ugly. We all have family stories that range from jubilantly happy and hilarious to sad and more serious. Writing about family can show your reader about who you are and where you come from.

Family traditions that you enjoy/dislike
What your parents/siblings are like
What your family members (mom, dad, grandparents, siblings, etc.) have taught you
What being the oldest/youngest/middle/only child was like
Family members who made the most impact on your life
Most memorable day with a family member
How a pet changed my family’s life/my life

Friends, enemies, and loved ones come in and out of our lives for a reason. And they provide great material for writing. If relationships exist to teach you something, what have you learned? Writing about those you’ve connected with demonstrates how others have influenced your life.

My most important relationship
How I work on my relationships
What I value in my relationships
My first love/relationship/breakup
Losing/Gaining a close friend
How my friendships have changed/evolved
The person I’m afraid of losing the most
How technology has affected my relationships
The worst argument I’ve had with someone
What happened when I was rejected

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times... sharing your best times and sharing your worst times can make great stories. These highs and lows can be emotional, funny, and thought-provoking.

The event that most defines who I am today
The best/worst day of my life
The most embarrassing/frightening moment of my life
A moment that taught me something
A moment where I succeeded/failed
A time when I was hurt (physically or emotionally)
A time when I gave up hope
An experience when I had to overcome challenges (fear, intimidation, rejection, etc.)
My greatest accomplishment
The time I learned to accept/love/be okay with myself
The most difficult time in my life
The toughest thing I’ve ever done
My first time surviving something alone

Explaining to others what you love and why can really paint a picture of who you are and what you value. It’s important to note that simply sharing a favorite isn’t a very deep topic. However, you can take this topic deeper by expressing how this favorite has impressed you, inspired you, and affected your life.

My favorite author/poet/playwright
My favorite movie/book/song/play/character
My favorite actor/actress/director
My favorite singer/musician
My role model
What I like to do to relax
My favorite activities/games/sports
How I handle stress and tough times
Why I dance/sing/write/journal/play sports/bake

Where you stand on deep issues tells a lot about you. Taking a stance and explaining your opinion on tough topics reveals some insight into your ethical reasoning.

The most difficult decision I have made
How I treat people/strangers
A time I faced a moral/ethical dilemma
A decision I regret
A lie I have told
When I rebelled against someone in authority
My most important life rule
The principle I always live by

Situational prompts allow you to step out of your past and picture a different future. If digging into your past experiences seems scary and intimidating, then look to your future. What you imagine can be insightful about your life and where you see yourself heading.

If I had a million dollars...
If I were famous...
If I could change history...
If I had no fear...
If I could change one thing about myself...
If I had one extra hour a day...
If I could see the future...
If I could change the world...
If I could have one do-over in life...

Writing a narrative essay can seem daunting at first. Sharing a bit of yourself with the world is a scary thing sometimes. Choosing the right topic, however, can make the process much smoother and easier.

Writing a narrative essay can be intimidating, but choosing the right topic can make the process much easier for you.

Browsing through topic ideas can inspire you to pick a topic you feel you can tell a story about and that can take up a full essay. Once you have a quality story to tell, the rest of the pieces will fall into place.

How to Write Essay Titles and Headers

Don’t overlook the title and section headers when putting together your next writing assignment. Follow these pointers for keeping your writing organized and effective.

101 Standout Argumentative Essay Topic Ideas

Need a topic for your upcoming argumentative essay? We've got 100 helpful prompts to help you get kickstarted on your next writing assignment.

Writing a Standout College Admissions Essay

Your personal statement is arguably the most important part of your college application. Follow these guidelines for an exceptional admissions essay.

What are your chances of acceptance?

Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.

Your chancing factors

Extracurriculars.

50 Engaging Narrative Essay Topics for High Schoolers

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What’s Covered:

Narrative essays vs. analytical essays, how to pick the right narrative essay topic, elements of a strong narrative essay, engaging narrative essay topics for high schoolers, where to get your narrative essay edited for free.

Narrative essays are an extensive form of writing that gives readers the opportunity to follow along as a person goes through a journey or sets of experiences. Rather than providing analytic insight, narrative essays simply share a story and offer a first-person account. These essays may seem easy to write at first, but it takes a certain finesse to write a narrative essay that is interesting, cohesive, and well-researched. Whether you’re looking for a unique topic to write about, or just want some new inspiration, CollegeVine is here to help! These 50 narrative essay topics are engaging, unique and will have you writing in no time.

A narrative essay is a great way to express your personal experiences and opinions, but it is important to remember that this type of essay is different from an analytical paper. In a narrative essay, you do not need to provide background information or explain your thoughts and feelings; instead, you simply tell a story. It’s important to avoid too much telling in your writing; instead, use creative details and vivid imagery to make readers feel as if they are actually right there with you.

Where You Will Encounter Narrative Essays

This type of essay is typically encountered in high school, where students may be required to write personal statements to prepare for their Common App essay . Narrative essays are also commonly seen in AP Language and Composition. Therefore, it’s important you are aware of the style because you are bound to have a narrative essay assignment.

Of course, before you start writing, it is important to pick the right essay topic. There are many factors involved in the process of picking the perfect narrative essay topic for your story.

You should always choose a topic that you are passionate about, since writing on something you care about will make the process much easier. Not only will it be more interesting to create your paper around something that truly interests you, but it will also allow you to fully express yourself in your essay. You also want to be sure that the topic has enough material to work with. If your chosen topic is too short, you will not have enough content to write a complete paper. For example, if you are writing about your experience getting lost at the mall, make sure that you have enough information to work with to craft an engaging narrative.

The best topic for an engaging narrative essay is one that focuses on showing versus telling, has a clear structure, and provides a dialogue. These elements come together to form an engaging narrative essay. Regardless of what subject you pick, any topic may be turned into a fascinating, A+ worthy narrative using the tips below.

Show, Don’t Tell

To write a good narrative essay, it’s important to show, not tell. Instead of simply informing your audience, show them what you mean. For example, instead of saying “I was nervous,” you could say “My heart began to race and my stomach filled with butterflies.” Also make sure to use sensory details, such as sights, sounds and tastes, and include a personal reflection at the end of your narrative.

Begin with a Strong Opening Line

A good narrative essay will begin with an attention-grabbing opening line. But make sure to avoid common clichés, such as “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Instead, come up with something original and specific to you and your situation. For example: “My pre-calc teacher was obsessed with circles. I mean, he even used circular note cards.” Or, “It all started the day my mom brought home a guinea pig.”

Follows a Three-Act Structure

A strong narrative essay follows the same three-act structure as other essays. But in order to make it interesting, you’ll need to come up with a creative way to break things down into sections. For example, using the guinea pig example from above, you could write the following:

Act 1 – Introduction: The day my mom brought home a guinea pig.
Act 2 – Conflict: The day I had to say goodbye to my beloved pet.
Act 3 – Conclusion: Looking back at how much I miss him now that he’s gone.

Conclude with Personal Reflection

To conclude your narrative essay, you’ll want to explain what this specific experience taught you or how you’ve changed. For example, upon realizing that her pre-calc teacher was obsessed with circles, the writer of the previous example begins to notice circular shapes everywhere. Another way to conclude your narrative essay is by touching on how this experience impacted you emotionally. For example, after losing his guinea pig, the writer explains how much he missed it.

Use Dialogue

Include a conversation in your essay to make it come alive. For example, instead of simply saying that you met a new friend, talk about how you introduced yourselves or what they were wearing when you met them.

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The following list of 50 narrative essay topics is divided into categories. This will make it easier to find a topic that fits your writing style.

1. What is a childhood song that still sticks with you today?

2. Your first day of Kindergarten

3. Talk about a time when you’re siblings looked up to you

4. Describe the best birthday party you’ve ever had

5. Talk about the best day you ever spent with a childhood friend

6. Explain your first childhood hobby

7. Describe your first halloween costume

8. A family vacation gone wrong

9. Your first family reunion

10. Describe a tradition that is unique to your family

11. Describe your family to a person who’s never met them before

12. What frustrates you most about your family

13. If you could only keep one memory of your family, what would it be and why?

14. Describe a time your family embarrassed you in public

15. The most beautiful place in the world

16. Your favorite season and why

17. If you were a part of nature, what element would you be? Why?

18. When you go outside, which of your senses are you most thankful to have?

19. Describe the first time you witnessed a tornado

20. Write a poem about your favorite season

21. Describe yourself as one of the four seasons

22. Describe a time in which you felt connected with nature

23. Describe the first time you played an instrument and how you felt

24. What major event would be much worse if music was removed, and why?

25. If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?

26. What would a life without music look like?

27. If you could master one instrument, what would it be and why?

Relationships

28. What if you had never met your best friend?

29. Describe a time when you fixed a broken relationship

30. Talk about a movie that defined a relationship for you

31. Describe your first date

32. Describe the first time you made a friend

33. Describe your relationship with your parents

Self Reflection

34. Have you ever fooled someone? If so, describe what happened and how you felt about it

35. What is the worst thing you’ve done to someone else?

36. Write about the difference between how things seem and how they really are.

37. Have you ever been embarrassed in some way? If so, describe the situation and how it affected you as well as those around you

38. Have you ever witnessed something really beautiful? Describe it

39. Is your glass half empty or half full?

Overcoming Adversity

40. Have you ever been very afraid of something but tried your hardest to appear fearless? If so, describe that experience

41. When have you ever succeeded when you thought you might fail

42. What are your secret survival strategies?

43. Describe the last time you were stressed and why?

44. Describe a time when you were discriminated against

45. The most memorable class you’ve had and why

46. Your favorite study abroad memory

47. Describe your kindergarten classroom

48. Describe your first teacher

49. The first time you experienced detention

50. Your first field trip

Hopefully these topics will get you thinking about a personal experience that could make for a thoughtful and engaging narrative essay. Remember, a strong narrative essay must contain relatable details and a clear flow that keeps the reader entertained and engaged to read all the way to the end.

If you need some additional guidance on your narrative essay, use CollegeVine’s free peer review essay tool to get feedback for free!

650 Prompts for Narrative and Personal Writing

By Michael Gonchar

Oct. 20, 2016

Update, Sept. 4, 2019: Check out our newest evergreen collection of “ 550 Prompts for Narrative and Personal Writing ” that includes dozens of new prompts.

Update, Feb. 15, 2019: Learn more about how to use our 1000s of writing prompts by watching our free on-demand webinar: “ Give Them Something to Write About: Teach Across the Curriculum With New York Times-Inspired Daily Prompts. ”

Every school day since 2009 we’ve asked students a question based on an article in The New York Times.

Now, seven years later, and in honor of the Oct. 20 National Day on Writing , we’ve collected 650 of them that invite narrative and personal writing and listed them by category below. Consider it an update of a previous post, and a companion to the list of 301 argumentative writing prompts we published in 2015.

Here is a PDF of all 650 prompts , and we also have a related lesson plan, From ‘Lives’ to ‘Modern Love’: Writing Personal Essays With Help From The New York Times .

Below, a list that touches on everything from sports to travel, education, gender roles, video games, fashion, family, pop culture, social media and more. Like all our Student Opinion questions , each links to a related Times article and includes a series of follow-up questions. All questions published since May 2015 are still open to comment by any student 13 or older.

So dive into this admittedly overwhelming list and pick the questions that most inspire you to tell an interesting story, describe a memorable event, observe the details in your world, imagine a possibility, or reflect on who you are and what you believe.

Overcoming Adversity

1. What Challenges Have You Overcome? 2. What Are Your Secret Survival Strategies? 3. What Do You Do When You Encounter Obstacles to Success? 4. When Have You Failed? What Did You Learn From It? 5. When Have You Ever Succeeded When You Thought You Might Fail? 6. What Life Lessons Has Adversity Taught You? 7. What Work Went Into Reaching Your Most Difficult Goals? 8. How Often Do You Leave Your ‘Comfort Zone’? 9. When Was the Last Time You Did Something That Scared or Challenged You? 10. What Are You Afraid Of? 11. What Are Your Fears and Phobias? 12. What Are Your Personal Superstitions? 13. Do You Like Being Alone? 14. How Often Do You Cry? 15. Do You Ever Feel Overlooked and Underappreciated? 16. How Have You Handled Being the ‘New Kid’? 17. How Do You Deal With Haters? 18. How Do You React When Provoked? 19. What Role Does Stress Play in Your Life? 20. Does Stress Affect Your Ability to Make Good Decisions? 21. How Do You Relieve Stress? 22. How Do You Find Peace in Your Life? 23. Does Your Life Leave You Enough Time to Relax? 24. Do You Set Rules for Yourself About How You Use Your Time? 25. Is ‘Doing Nothing’ a Good Use of Your Time? 26. What Did You Once Hate but Now Like? 27. What Kind of Feedback Helps You Improve? 28. Is Trying Too Hard to Be Happy Making You Sad? 29. Do Adults Who Are ‘Only Trying to Help’ Sometimes Make Things Worse?

Your Personality

30. What Is Your Personal Credo? 31. What Motivates You? 32. What Makes You Happy? 33. What Are You Good At? 34. When in Your Life Have You Been a Leader? 35. How Well Do You Perform Under Pressure? 36. How Well Do You Take Criticism? 37. Are You Hard or Easy on Yourself? 38. How Full Is Your Glass? 39. Do You Have a Hard Time Making Decisions? 40. How Much Self-Control Do You Have? 41. How Good Are You at Waiting for What You Really Want? 42. What Role Does Procrastination Play in Your Life? 43. How Good Are You at Time Management? 44. How Productive and Organized Are You? 45. Under What Conditions Do You Do Your Best Work? 46. How Do You Express Yourself Creatively? 47. Are You a Good Listener? 48. How Competitive Are You? 49. Do You Perform Better When You’re Competing or When You’re Collaborating? 50. How Emotionally Intelligent Are You? 51. Do You Take More Risks When You Are Around Your Friends? 52. Do You Unknowingly Submit to Peer Pressure? 53. Do You Think You’re Brave? 54. How Much of a Daredevil Are You? 55. What Pranks, Jokes, Hoaxes or Tricks Have You Ever Fallen For or Perpetrated? 56. How Impulsive Are You? 57. Are You a Novelty-Seeker? 58. How Do You Deal With Boredom? 59. What Annoys You? 60. Do You Apologize Too Much? 61. Do You Have Good Manners? 62. How Materialistic Are You? 63. Are You a Saver or a Tosser? 64. Are You a Hoarder or a Minimalist? 65. Are You an Introvert or an Extrovert? 66. Are You Popular, Quirky or Conformist? 67. Are You a Nerd or a Geek? 68. What Would Your Personal Mascot Be? 69. What Assumptions Do People Make About You? 70. How Good Are You at Saying Goodbye?

Role Models

71. Who Is Your Role Model? 72. Who Inspires You? 73. Who Are the People – Famous or Not – You Admire Most? 74. Who Are Your Heroes? 75. What Heroic Acts Have You Performed or Witnessed? 76. What’s the Best Advice You’ve Gotten? 77. What Are Some ‘Words of Wisdom’ That Guide Your Life? 78. Who Outside Your Family Has Made a Difference in Your Life? 79. If You Had Your Own Talk Show, Whom Would You Want to Interview? 80. To Whom, or What, Would You Like to Write a Thank-You Note? 81. What Leader Would You Invite to Speak at Your School? 82. What Six People, Living or Dead, Would You Invite to Dinner? 83. Who’s Your ‘Outsider Role Model’?

84. Who Is Your Family? 85. How Do You Define ‘Family’? 86. What Have You and Your Family Accomplished Together? 87. What Events Have Brought You Closer to Your Family? 88. What’s Your Role in Your Family? 89. Have You Ever Changed a Family Member’s Mind? 90. How Well Do You Get Along With Your Siblings? 91. What Are Your Family Stories of Sacrifice? 92. What Possessions Does Your Family Treasure? 93. What Hobbies Have Been Passed Down in Your Family? 94. What’s the Story Behind Your Name? 95. What Are Your Favorite Names? 96. How Have You Paid Tribute to Loved Ones? 97. What Do You Know About Your Family’s History? 98. Did Your Parents Have a Life Before They Had Kids? 99. What Family Traditions Do You Want to Carry On When You Get Older?

Parents & Parenting

100. How Close Are You to Your Parents? 101. How Are You and Your Parents Alike and Different? 102. How Much Freedom Have Your Parents Given You? 103. How Permissive Are Your Parents? 104. Do You Have Helicopter Parents? 105. How Do Your Parents Teach You to Behave? 106. How Do You Make Parenting Difficult for Your Parents? 107. How Often Do You Fight With Your Parents? 108. What Advice Would You Give to Your Mom, Dad or Guardian on How to Be a Better Parent? 109. Is Your Family Stressed, Tired and Rushed? 110. Do Your Parents Try Too Hard to Be Cool? 111. Do You Ever Feel Embarrassed by Your Parents? 112. Do Your Parents Support Your Learning? 113. Do You Talk About Report Cards With Your Parents? 114. Do You Want Your Parents to Stop Asking You ‘How Was School?’ 115. How Much Do Your Parents Help With Your Homework? 116. How Has Your Family Helped or Hindered Your Transition to a New School? 117. Have Your Parents and Teachers Given You Room to Create?

Your Neighborhood

118. How Much Does Your Neighborhood Define Who You Are? 119. What’s Special About Your Hometown? 120. What Marketing Slogan Would You Use for Your Town or City? 121. What Would You Name Your Neighborhood? 122. Who Are the ‘Characters’ That Make Your Town Interesting? 123. Who Is the ‘Mayor’ of Your School or Neighborhood? 124. What Would a TV Show About Your Town Spoof? 125. What ‘Urban Legends’ Are There About Places in Your Area? 126. Do You Know Your Way Around Your City or Town? 127. How Well Do You Know Your Neighbors? 128. What Is Your Favorite Place? 129. What’s Your Favorite Neighborhood Joint? 130. What Is Your Favorite Street? 131. Do You Hang Out in the Park? 132. How Much Time Do You Spend in Nature? 133. What Small Things Have You Seen and Taken Note Of Today? 134. What Buildings Do You Love? What Buildings Do You Hate? 135. What Are the Sounds That Make Up the Background Noise in Your Life? 136. What Sounds Annoy You? 137. What Public Behavior Annoys You Most? 138. Have You Ever Interacted With the Police? 139. What Local Problems Do You Think Your Mayor Should Try to Solve? 140. What Ideas Do You Have for Enhancing Your Community? 141. Where Do You Think You Will Live When You Are an Adult? 142. Would You Most Want to Live in a City, a Suburb or the Country?

143. Is Your Bedroom a Nightmare? 144. What is Your Favorite Place in Your House? 145. How Important Is Keeping a Clean House? 146. Do You Need to De-Clutter Your Life? 147. Do You Plan on Saving Any of Your Belongings for the Future? 148. With Your Home in Danger, What Would You Try to Save? 149. What Would You Grab in a Fire? 150. What Would You Put in Your Emergency ‘Go-Bag’? 151. Who Lived Long Ago Where You Live Now? 152. What Would Your Dream Home Be Like?

Childhood Memories

153. What Was Your Most Precious Childhood Possession? 154. What Objects Tell the Story of Your Life? 155. What Do You Collect? 156. What Were Your Favorite Childhood Shows and Characters? 157. Do You Have Childhood Memories of Being Read Aloud To? 158. What Were Your Favorite Picture Books When You Were Little? 159. What Things Did You Create When You Were a Child? 160. What Places Do You Remember Fondly From Childhood? 161. What Food or Flavor Do You Remember Tasting for the First Time? 162. What Do You Wish You Could See, Hear, Read or Experience for the First Time All Over Again? 163. Have You Ever Felt Embarrassed by Things You Used to Like? 164. Do You Wish You Could Return to Moments From Your Past? 165. Was There a Toy You Wanted as a Child but Never Got? 166. What’s the Best Gift You’ve Ever Given or Received? 167. What’s the Most Memorable Thing You Ever Got in the Mail? 168. Have You Ever Lost (or Found) Something Valuable? 169. What Nicknames Have You Ever Gotten or Given? 170. What Are Your Best Sleepover Memories? 171. What Old, Worn Out Thing Can You Just Not Part With? 172. What Is Your Most Prized Possession?

173. What Have You Learned in Your Teens? 174. What Do You Remember Best About Being 12? 175. What Personal Achievements Make You Proud? 176. What Are Some Recent Moments of Happiness in Your Life? 177. What Rites of Passage Have You Participated In? 178. What Are You Grateful For? 179. What Advice Would You Give Younger Kids About Middle or High School? 180. What Have You Learned From Older People? 181. What Can Older People Learn From Your Generation? 182. What Do Older Generations Misunderstand About Yours? 183. Do You Recognize Yourself in Descriptions of ‘Generation Z’?

184. What Ethical Dilemmas Have You Faced? 185. Have You Ever Had to Make a Sacrifice to Help Someone You Care About? 186. Have You Ever Donated Your Time, Talents, Possessions or Money to Support Anyone in Need? 187. When Is the Last Time You Did Something Nice for a Stranger? 188. Have You Ever ‘Paid It Forward’? 189. How Trustworthy Are You? 190. How Comfortable Are You With Lying? 191. When Do You Lie? 192. Have You Ever Lied to Your Parents or Done Something Behind Their Backs? 193. If You Drink or Use Drugs, Do Your Parents Know? 194. Have You Ever Taken Something You Weren’t Supposed To? 195. Do You Ever Eavesdrop? 196. How Much Do You Gossip?

Religion & Spirituality

197. What Is the Role of Religion or Spirituality in Your Life? 198. How Important Is Your Spiritual Life? 199. Do You Believe That Everything Happens for a Reason? 200. How Much Control Do You Think You Have Over Your Fate? 201. Can You Be Good Without God? 202. Are You Less Religious Than Your Parents? 203. Can You Pass a Basic Religion Test? 204. What Can You Learn From Other Religions?

Gender & Sexuality

205. How Do Male and Female Roles Differ in Your Family? 206. Do Parents Have Different Hopes and Standards for Their Sons Than for Their Daughters? 207. How Do Your Parents Share the Responsibilities of Parenting? 208. Is There Too Much Pressure on Girls to Have ‘Perfect’ Bodies? 209. How Much Pressure Do Boys Face to Have the Perfect Body? 210. How Did You Learn About Sex? 211. What Experiences Have You Had With Gender Bias in School? 212. What Have Been Your Experiences With Catcalling or Other Kinds of Street Harassment? 213. What Does it Mean to Be ‘a Real Man’? 214. Do You Consider Yourself a Feminist? 215. What Does Feminism Mean to You?

Race & Ethnicity

216. What Is Your Racial and Ethnic Identity? 217. Have You Ever Tried to Hide Your Racial or Ethnic Identity? 218. How Often Do You Interact With People of Another Race or Ethnicity? 219. Do You Ever Talk About Issues of Race and Class With Your Friends? 220. Is Your Generation Really ‘Postracial’? 221. What’s the Racial Makeup of Your School? 222. Does Your School Seem Integrated? 223. Have You Experienced Racism or Other Kinds of Discrimination in School?

Money & Social Class

224. What Are Your Attitudes Toward Money? 225. Are You a Saver or a Spender? 226. What Have Your Parents Taught You About Money? 227. Do You Expect Your Parents to Give You Money? 228. How Important a Role Has Money, Work or Social Class Played in Your Life? 229. Do You See Great Disparities of Wealth in Your Community? 230. Can Money Buy You Happiness? 231. What Are the Best Things in Life and Are They Free?

232. Are You Distracted by Technology? 233. Are You Distracted by Your Phone? 234. Are You ‘Addicted’ to Texting? 235. Do You Always Have Your Phone or Tablet at Your Side? 236. Do Screens Get in the Way of the Rest of Your Life? 237. Do You Experience FOMO When You Unplug? 238. Does Your Digital Life Have Side Effects? 239. Do You Spend Too Much Time on Smartphones Playing ‘Stupid Games’? 240. Do Apps Help You or Just Waste Your Time? 241. What Tech Tools Play the Biggest Role in Your Life? 242. What New Technologies or Tech Toys Are You Most Excited About? 243. To What Piece of Technology Would You Write a ‘Love Letter’?

The Internet

244. What’s So Great About YouTube? 245. What Has YouTube Taught You? 246. What Are Your Favorite Viral Videos? 247. What Are Your Favorite Internet Spoofs? 248. What Would You Teach the World in an Online Video? 249. Do You Ever Seek Advice on the Internet? 250. Would You Share an Embarrassing Story Online? 251. How Do You Know if What You Read Online Is True? 252. What Are Your Experiences With Internet-Based Urban Legends? 253. How Much Do You Trust Online Reviews? 254. How Do You Use Wikipedia? 255. How Careful Are You Online? 256. What Story Does Your Personal Data Tell? 257. Do You Worry About the Lack of Anonymity in the Digital Age? 258. Would You Mind if Your Parents Blogged About You? 259. Do You Wish You Had More Privacy Online? 260. Have You Ever Been Scammed? 261. Whom Would You Share Your Passwords With?

Social Media

262. How Do You Use Facebook? 263. What Is Your Facebook Persona? 264. How Real Are You on Social Media? 265. What Memorable Experiences Have You Had on Facebook? 266. Does Facebook Ever Make You Feel Bad? 267. Would You Consider Deleting Your Facebook Account? 268. Do You Have ‘Instagram Envy’? 269. Do You Use Twitter? 270. Why Do You Share Photos? 271. How Do You Archive Your Life? 272. Have You Ever Posted, Emailed or Texted Something You Wish You Could Take Back? 273. Have You Ever Sent an Odd Message Because of Auto-Correct? 274. Would You Want Your Photo or Video to Go Viral? 275. Do You Worry Colleges or Employers Might Read Your Social Media Posts Someday? 276. What Advice Do You Have for Younger Kids About Navigating Social Media?

277. What Are You Listening To? 278. What Songs Are on Your Favorite Playlist? 279. What Musicians or Bands Mean the Most to You? 280. What Music Inspires You? 281. Who in Your Life Introduces You to New Music? 282. How Much Is Your Taste in Music Based on What Your Friends Like? 283. What Role Does Hip-Hop Play in Your Life? 284. Which Pop Music Stars Fascinate You? 285. Who Is Your Favorite Pop Diva? 286. What’s Your Karaoke Song? 287. Which Artists Would You Like to See Team Up? 288. How Closely Do You Listen to Lyrics? 289. What Are Your Earliest Memories of Music?

290. What Are the Best Things You’ve Watched, Read, Heard or Played This Year? 291. What Are Your TV Habits? 292. Do Your Television Viewing Habits Include ‘Binge-Watching’? 293. What Role Does Television Play in Your Life and the Life of Your Family? 294. What Television Shows Have Mattered to You? 295. How Often Do You Watch a Television Show When It Originally Airs? 296. Have You Fallen Into ‘Friends’ or Any Other Older Television Shows? 297. What Old Television Shows Would You Bring Back? 298. Why Do We Like Reality Shows So Much? 299. What Ideas Do You Have for a Reality Show? 300. What Reality TV Show Would You Want to Be a Guest Star On? 301. What Are Your Favorite Cartoons? 302. What Are Your Favorite Commercials? 303. How Much Are You Influenced by Advertising?

Movies & Theater

304. What Are Your Favorite Movies Ever? 305. What Were the Best Movies You Saw in the Past Year? 306. What Movies Do You Watch, or Reference, Over and Over? 307. What Movies, Shows or Books Do You Wish Had Sequels, Spinoffs or New Episodes? 308. Do You Like Horror Movies? 309. What Is Your Favorite Comedy? 310. Who Are Your Favorite Movie Stars? 311. Would You Pay Extra for a 3-D Movie? 312. Where, and How, Do You Watch Movies? 313. What Are the Best Live Theatrical Performances You’ve Ever Seen? 314. Have You Ever Stumbled Upon a Cool Public Performance?

Video Games

315. What Are Your Favorite Video Games? 316. What Have You Learned Playing Video Games? 317. Do You Play Violent Video Games? 318. When Should You Feel Guilty for Killing Zombies? 319. Who Are Your Opponents in Online Gaming? 320. Do You Like Watching Other People Play Video Games? 321. How Excited Are You About the Possibilities of Virtual Reality?

Books & Reading

322. Read Any Good Books Lately? 323. What Are the Best Books You’ve Read This Year? 324. What Are Your Favorite Books and Authors? 325. What Are Your Favorite Young Adult Novels? 326. Do You Read for Pleasure? 327. What Memorable Poetry Have You Ever Read or Heard? 328. What Magazines Do You Read, and How Do You Read Them? 329. Do You Enjoy Reading Tabloid Gossip? 330. When Have You Seen Yourself and Your Life Reflected in a Book or Other Media? 331. Has a Book, Movie, Television Show, Song or Video Game Ever Inspired You to Do Something New? 332. Do You Prefer Your Children’s Book Characters Obedient or Contrary? 333. Do You Read E-Books? 334. Would You Trade Your Paper Books for Digital Versions? 335. To What Writer Would You Award a Prize?

336. Why Do You Write? 337. Are You a Good Storyteller? 338. What’s Your Favorite Joke? 339. Do You Keep a Diary or Journal? 340. Do You Have a Blog? 341. Do You Want to Write a Book? 342. When Do You Write by Hand? 343. Do You Write in Cursive? 344. Do You Write in Your Books? 345. What ‘Mundane Moments’ From Your Life Might Make Great Essay Material? 346. What Is Your Most Memorable Writing Assignment? 347. Do You Ever Write About Challenges You Face in Life?

348. What’s the Coolest Thing You’ve Ever Seen in a Museum? 349. What Are the Most Memorable Works of Visual Art You Have Seen? 350. What Are Your Favorite Works of Art? 351. How Important Is Arts Education? 352. What Has Arts Education Done For You?

Language & Speech

353. What Words Do You Hate? 354. What Words or Phrases Do You Think Are Overused? 355. How Much Slang Do You Use? What Are Your Favorite Words? 356. What Current Slang Words and Expressions Do You Think Will Endure? 357. Why Do So Many People Say ‘Like’ and ‘Totally’ All the Time? 358. Do You Say ‘Kind of, Sort of’ More Than You Realize? 359. How Much Do You Curse? 360. How Good Are You at Coming Up With Witty Comebacks? 361. When Did You Last Have a Great Conversation? 362. How Often Do You Have ‘Deep Discussions’? 363. Do You Wish Your Conversations Were Less Small Talk and More ‘Big Talk’? 364. When Do You Choose Making a Phone Call Over Sending a Text? 365. How Much Information Is ‘Too Much Information’? 366. Do You Sometimes ‘Hide’ Behind Irony? 367. How Good Is Your Grammar? 368. Do You Speak a Second, or Third, Language? 369. When Do You Remember Learning a New Word? 370. What Does Your Body Language Communicate?

371. Do You Like School? 372. Are You Stressed About School? 373. Are High School Students Being Worked Too Hard? 374. What Are You Really Learning at School? 375. What Are You Looking Forward To, or Dreading, This School Year? 376. Would You Want to Be Home-Schooled? 377. Would You Like to Take a Class Online? 378. Would You Rather Attend a Public or a Private High School? 379. How Much Does It Matter to You Which High School You Attend? 380. How Would You Grade Your School? 381. What Can Other Schools Learn — and Copy — From Your School? 382. What Would You Miss if You Left Your School? 383. Is Your School Day Too Short? 384. What Do You Hope to Get Out of High School?

Learning & Studying

385. Do You Have Too Much Homework? 386. Does Your Homework Help You Learn? 387. Do You Participate in Class? 388. What Is Your Best Subject? 389. What’s the Most Challenging Assignment You’ve Ever Had? 390. What Memorable Experiences Have You Had in Learning Science or Math? 391. Are You Afraid of Math? 392. Do We Need a Better Way to Teach Math? 393. What Are the Best Ways to Learn About History? 394. How Would You Do on a Civics Test? 395. Does Your School Offer Enough Opportunities to Learn Computer Programming? 396. Does Your School Value Students’ Digital Skills? 397. Do You Know How to Code? Would You Like to Learn? 398. What Career or Technical Classes Do You Wish Your School Offered? 399. What Was Your Favorite Field Trip? 400. What Are Your Best Tips for Studying? 401. Do You Use Study Guides? 402. Is Everything You’ve Been Taught About Study Habits Wrong? 403. What Would You Like to Have Memorized? 404. How Well Do You Think Standardized Tests Measure Your Abilities? 405. Do Your Test Scores Reflect How Good Your Teachers Are?

406. What Do You Wish Your Teachers Knew About You? 407. When Has a Teacher Inspired You? 408. What Teacher Would You Like to Thank? 409. What Makes a Good Teacher? 410. Have You Ever Been Humiliated by a Teacher? How Did it Affect You? 411. Have Your Teachers or Textbooks Ever Gotten It Wrong? 412. Do Your Teachers Use Technology Well? 413. Do You Have a Tutor?

School Life

414. How Do You Feel About Proms? 415. Do You Want to Be ‘Promposed’ To? 416. Is Prom Worth It? 417. What Role Do School Clubs and Teams Play in Your Life? 418. How Big a Problem Is Bullying or Cyberbullying in Your School or Community? 419. Would You Ever Go Through Hazing to Be Part of a Group? 420. Is Your School a ‘Party School’? 421. Have You Been To Parties That Have Gotten Out of Control? 422. How Common Is Drug Use in Your School? 423. Can Students at Your School Talk Openly About Their Mental Health Issues? 424. How Does Your School Deal With Students Who Misbehave? 425. Do You Know People Who Cheat on High-Stakes Tests? 426. How Much Does Your Life in School Intersect With Your Life Outside School? 427. Do You Ever ‘Mix It Up’ and Socialize With Different People at School? 428. What Fads Are You and Your Friends Into Right Now?

429. Where Do You Want to Go to College? 430. What Are Your Sources for Information About Colleges and Universities? 431. What Role Has Community College Played in Your Life or the Life of Someone You Know? 432. Is College Overrated? 433. How Much Do You Worry About Taking the SAT or ACT? 434. What Personal Essay Topic Would You Assign to College Applicants? 435. What Qualities Would You Look For in a College Roommate? 436. Would You Want to Take a Gap Year After High School? 437. What Makes a Graduation Ceremony Memorable?

Work & Careers

438. What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up? 439. Do You Have a Life Calling? 440. What’s Your Dream Job? 441. What Are Your Longtime Interests or Passions? 442. Do You Think You Will Have a Career That You Love? 443. What Do You Want More From a Career: Happiness or Wealth? 444. What Investment Are You Willing to Make to Get Your Dream Job? 445. Would You Consider a Nontraditional Occupation? 446. Would You Rather Work From Home or in an Office? 447. Would You Want to Be a Teacher? 448. What Hidden Talents Might You Have? 449. What ‘Back-to-the-Land’ Skills Do You Have, or Wish You Had? 450. What Skill Could You Teach in Two Minutes? 451. What Have You Made Yourself? 452. Do You Have an Idea for a Business or App? 453. What Would You Create if You Had Funding? 454. How Did You Start Doing Something You Love? 455. Did You Ever Take a Break From Doing Something You Love? 456. What Have You Done to Earn Money? 457. Do You Have a Job? 458. Would You Quit if Your Values Did Not Match Your Employer’s? 459. What Do You Hope to Be Doing the Year After You Graduate From College? 460. Where Do You See Yourself in 10 Years?

461. Do You Have a Best Friend? 462. How Often Do You Spend One-on-One Time With Your Closest Friends? 463. How Do You Feel About Introducing Friends from Different Parts of Your Life? 464. Do You Find It Easier to Make New Friends Online or In Person? 465. How Good a Friend Are You? 466. How Have You Helped a Friend in a Time of Need? 467. Do You Like Your Friends? 468. Is Competitiveness an Obstacle to Making or Keeping Friendships? 469. How Should You Handle the End of a Friendship? 470. Have You Ever Felt Left Out?

471. Have You Ever Been in Love? 472. What Are the Most Meaningful Relationships in Your Life? 473. What Advice Would You Give to Somebody Who Just Started Dating? 474. Are You Allowed to Date? 475. Is Dating a Thing of the Past? 476. Is Hookup Culture Leaving Your Generation Unhappy and Unprepared for Love? 477. What Are the Basic ‘Rules’ for Handling Breakups? 478. What’s the Best Way to Get Over a Breakup? 479. What Are Your Beliefs About Marriage?

Sports & Games

480. What’s the Most Impressive Sports Moment You’ve Seen? 481. Who Are Your Sports Heroes? 482. What Sports Teams Do You Root For? 483. Does Being a Fan Help Define Who You Are? 484. How Far Would You Go to Express Loyalty to Your Favorite Teams? 485. Are You a Fair-Weather Fan? 486. When Has a Sports Team Most Disappointed You? 487. Do You Watch the Super Bowl? 488. What Fan Memorabilia Would You Pay Big Bucks For? 489. What Extreme Sports Interest You Most? 490. Why Do You Play Sports? 491. What Rules Would You Like to See Changed in Your Favorite Sports? 492. Do You Enjoy Playing Games or Solving Puzzles? 493. What Are Your Favorite Board Games? 494. What Are Your Favorite Games? 495. What Game Would You Like to Redesign?

496. Where in the World Would You Most Like to Travel? 497. What Is Your Fantasy Vacation? 498. What Would Your Fantasy Road Trip Be Like? 499. What Crazy Adventure Would You Want to Take? 500. What Local ‘Microadventures’ Would You Like to Go On? 501. What’s Your Perfect Family Vacation? 502. How Has Travel Affected You? 503. What Kind of Tourist Are You? 504. What Are the Best Souvenirs You’ve Ever Collected While Traveling? 505. What Famous Landmarks Have You Visited? 506. What’s the Coolest Thing You’ve Ever Seen in Nature? 507. How Much Do You Know About the Rest of the World? 508. Would You Like to Live in Another Country? 509. Would You Want to Be a Space Tourist? 510. If You Could Time-Travel, Where Would You Go?

Looks & Fashion

511. What Is Your All-Time Favorite Piece of Clothing? 512. Do You Have a Signature Clothing Item? 513. What’s Your Favorite T-Shirt? 514. Do You Care What You Wear? 515. Does What You Wear Say Anything About You as a Person? 516. What Does Your Hairstyle Say About You? 517. What’s on Your Fashion Shopping List? 518. How Far Would You Go for Fashion? 519. What Are the Hot Fashion Trends at Your School Right Now? 520. What Current Trends Annoy You? 521. Would You Ever Consider Getting a Tattoo? 522. What Are Your Opinions on Cosmetic Surgery? 523. Do Photoshopped Images Make You Feel Bad About Your Own Looks? 524. Have You Inherited Your Parents’ Attitudes Toward Their Looks? 525. Has Anyone Ever Said That You Look Like Someone Famous?

Exercise, Health & Sleep

526. Do You Like to Exercise? 527. Do You Get Enough Exercise? 528. How Has Exercise Changed Your Health, Your Body or Your Life? 529. How Much Do You Think About Your Weight? 530. How Often Do You Engage in ‘Fat Talk’? 531. Do You Pay Attention to Calorie Counts for Food? 532. Do You Pay Attention to Nutrition Labels on Food? 533. How Concerned Are You About Where Your Food Comes From? 534. Are Your Eating Habits Healthy? 535. Do You Eat Too Quickly? 536. What Are Your ‘Food Rules’? 537. What Are Your Healthy Habits? 538. What Health Tips Have Worked for You? 539. What Rules Do You Have for Staying Healthy? 540. How Careful Are You in the Sun? 541. What Are Your Sleep Habits? 542. How Much of a Priority Do You Make Sleep? 543. Do You Get Enough Sleep?

Meals & Food

544. What Are the Most Memorable Meals You’ve Ever Had? 545. What’s Your Favorite Holiday Food Memory? 546. What’s Your Comfort Food? 547. What Are Your Favorite Junk Foods? 548. What’s Your Favorite Candy? 549. What’s Your Favorite Sandwich? 550. Do You Prefer Your Tacos ‘Authentic’ or ‘Appropriated’? 551. What Food Would You Like to Judge in a Taste-Off? 552. Do You Cook? 553. What Would You Most Like to Learn to Cook or Bake? 554. What Messages About Food and Eating Have You Learned From Your Family? 555. How Often Does Your Family Eat Together? 556. What Are Your Favorite Restaurants? 557. What Restaurant Would You Most Like to Review? 558. What Do You Eat During the School Day? 559. Do You Eat Cafeteria Food? 560. Is School Lunch Really All That Bad?

Holidays & Seasons

561. How Do You Celebrate Your Birthday? 562. Will You Be Wearing a Halloween Costume This Year? 563. Do You Like Scary Movies and Books? 564. Do You Believe in Ghosts? 565. What Are Your Thanksgiving Traditions? 566. What Do You Look Forward to Most – and Least – During the Holiday Season? 567. What Are Your Tips for Enjoying the Holiday Season? 568. How Will You Spend the Holiday Break? 569. What Does Santa Claus Mean to You? 570. Do You Look Forward to New Year’s Eve? 571. Do You Make New Year’s Resolutions? 572. How Do You Fight the Winter Blues? 573. What Would You Do on a Snow Day? 574. What Are Your Experiences With Severe Weather? 575. How Do You Feel About Valentine’s Day? 576. How Do You Celebrate Spring? 577. What Would Your Fantasy Spring Break Be Like? 578. What Are You Looking Forward to This Summer? 579. What Would Your Ideal Summer Camp Be Like? 580. What Are Your Favorite Summer Hangouts? 581. What’s Your Favorite Summer Food? 582. What Is Your Favorite Summer Movie? 583. What’s on Your Summer Reading List? 584. Do You Have a Summer Job? 585. Do You Choose Summer Activities to Look Good on Applications? 586. What Are the Best Things You Did This Summer? 587. How Do You Prepare to Go Back to School? 588. How Can People Make the Most of Long Holiday Weekends? 589. What’s Your Sunday Routine?

590. What’s Your Favorite Store? 591. To What Company Would You Write a Letter of Complaint or Admiration? 592. To What Business Would You Like to Give Advice? 593. Do You Ever Hang Out at the Mall? 594. How Would You Make Over Your Mall? 595. Do You Shop at Locally Owned Businesses? 596. What Are the Best Things You’ve Acquired Secondhand?

Cars & Driving

597. How Important Is It to Have a Driver’s License? 598. Are You a Good Driver? 599. Do You Have a Dream Car? 600. Would You Like to Ride in a Car That Drives Itself?

Animals & Pets

601. What Are the Animals in Your Life? 602. What’s Your Relationship Like With Your Pet? 603. How Well Do You Know Your Pet? 604. What Are Your Thoughts on Cats? 605. Would You Want to Hang Out at a Cat Cafe? 606. Why Do We Love Watching Animal Videos So Much? 607. What Are Your Most Memorable Stories About Wildlife? 608. How Do You Feel About Zoos?

Environmental Issues

609. How Green Are You? 610. How Do You Try to Reduce Your Impact on the Environment? 611. Do You Ever Feel Guilty About What, or How Much, You Throw Away? 612. How Much Food Does Your Family Waste? 613. What Could You Live Without? 614. How Do You Celebrate Earth Day?

Politics & Beliefs

615. How Would You Like to Help Our World? 616. What Cause Would Get You Into the Streets? 617. Have Your Ever Taken Part in a Protest? 618. What Would You Risk Your Life For? 619. When Have You Spoken Out About Something You Felt Had to Change? 620. What Would You Invent to Make the World a Better Place? 621. Given Unlimited Resources, What Scientific or Medical Problem Would You Investigate? 622. What Organizations Do You Think People Should Give to This Holiday Season? 623. Do You Trust Your Government? 624. When You Are Old Enough to Vote, Will You? 625. Do You Consider Yourself a Republican, Democrat or Independent?

History & Current Events

626. What Event in the Past Do You Wish You Could Have Witnessed? 627. What Are the Most Important Changes, in Your Life and in the World, in the Last Decade? 628. What National or International Events That You Lived Through Do You Remember Best? 629. Why Should We Care About Events in Other Parts of the World? 630. What News Stories Are You Following? 631. How Do You Get Your News? 632. Is Your Online World Just a ‘Filter Bubble’ of People With the Same Opinions? 633. Do Your Friends on Social Media All Have the Same Political Opinions You Do?

634. What Would You Do if You Won the Lottery? 635. What Superpower Do You Wish You Had? 636. What Era Do You Wish You Had Lived In? 637. Would You Want to Be a Tween or Teen Star? 638. Would You Want to Be a Child Prodigy? 639. Would You Want to Grow Up in the Public Eye? 640. What Kind of Robot Would You Want? 641. What Would You Outsource if You Could? 642. What Would You Like to Learn on Your Own? 643. What Would You Be Willing to Wait in a Really Long Line For? 644. If You Were a Super Rich Philanthropist, What Causes Would You Support? 645. What Would You Do if You Were President? 646. What Famous Person Would You Like to Visit Your School? 647. Who Would Be the Ideal Celebrity Neighbor? 648. What Do You Want to Be Doing When You’re 80? 649. Do You Want to Live to 100? 650. What Do You Want Your Obituary to Say?

Chess (Gr. 1-4)
TV (Gr. 1-4)
Metal Detectors (Gr. 2-6)
Tetris (Gr. 2-6)
Seat Belts (Gr. 2-6)
The Coliseum (Gr. 2-6)
The Pony Express (Gr. 2-6)
Wintertime (Gr. 2-6)
Reading (Gr. 3-7)
Black Friday (Gr. 3-7)
Hummingbirds (Gr. 3-7)
Worst Game Ever? (Gr. 4-8)
Carnivorous Plants (Gr. 4-8)
Google (Gr. 4-8)
Honey Badgers (Gr. 4-8)
Hyperinflation (Gr. 4-8)
Koko (Gr. 4-8)
Mongooses (Gr. 5-9)
Trampolines (Gr. 5-9)
Garbage (Gr. 5-9)
Maginot Line (Gr. 5-9)
Asian Carp (Gr. 5-9)
Tale of Two Countries (Gr. 6-10)
Kevlar (Gr. 7-10)
Tigers (Gr. 7-11)
Statue of Liberty (Gr. 8-10)
Submarines (Gr. 8-12)
Castles (Gr. 9-13)
Gutenberg (Gr. 9-13)
Author's Purpose Practice 1
Author's Purpose Practice 2
Author's Purpose Practice 3
Fact and Opinion Practice 1
Fact and Opinion Practice 2
Fact and Opinion Practice 3
Idioms Practice Test 1
Idioms Practice Test 2
Figurative Language Practice 1
Figurative Language Practice 2
Figurative Language Practice 3
Figurative Language Practice 4
Figurative Language Practice 5
Figurative Language Practice 6
Figurative Language Practice 7
Figurative Language Practice 8
Figurative Language Practice 9
Figurative Language of Edgar Allan Poe
Figurative Language of O. Henry
Figurative Language of Shakespeare
Genre Practice 1
Genre Practice 2
Genre Practice 3
Genre Practice 4
Genre Practice 5
Genre Practice 6
Genre Practice 7
Genre Practice 8
Genre Practice 9
Genre Practice 10
Irony Practice 1
Irony Practice 2
Irony Practice 3
Making Inferences Practice 1
Making Inferences Practice 2
Making Inferences Practice 3
Making Inferences Practice 4
Making Inferences Practice 5
Main Idea Practice 1
Main Idea Practice 2
Point of View Practice 1
Point of View Practice 2
Text Structure Practice 1
Text Structure Practice 2
Text Structure Practice 3
Text Structure Practice 4
Text Structure Practice 5
Story Structure Practice 1
Story Structure Practice 2
Story Structure Practice 3
Author's Purpose
Characterizations
Context Clues
Fact and Opinion
Figurative Language
Grammar and Language Arts
Poetic Devices
Point of View
Predictions
Reading Comprehension
Story Structure
Summarizing
Text Structure
Character Traits
Common Core Aligned Unit Plans
Teacher Point of View
Teaching Theme
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Everybody gets afraid sometimes. If there were no fear, there would be no opportunity for bravery. Write about the scariest moment in your life.
Some people avoid challenges. Others see them as opportunities to grow. Write about a time when you overcame a great challenge.
One person’s trash is another person’s treasure. Write about a time when you discovered something valuable that others had discarded or ignored.
The golden rule states that you should treat others as you’d like to be treated. It’d be nice if everyone followed this rule, but its been broken more than once. Write about a time when you felt disrespected. How did you handle it and what did you learn?
Everybody has a special talent. Write about the time when you discovered one of your talents.
It’s no fun to be in pain, but it can be worse to watch someone you love suffer. Write about a time when one of your loved ones was hurt.
The world can be a cold place, but a little bit of kindness can make it a lot warmer. Write about a time when you made the world a better place for someone by being kind.
It’s a good thing that nobody’s perfect. Some of life’s greatest lessons are learned on accident. Write about a time when you learned an important lesson by making a mistake.
It can be hard to see ourselves for who we really are at times. Write about a time when someone else taught you something about yourself.
Doing the right thing isn’t always easy. Write about a time when you got in trouble or made someone angry by doing what you thought was right.
You don’t have to learn everything the hard way. Write about a time when you avoided trouble by taking someone’s advice.
You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. Write about a time when you were underestimated or when you underestimated someone else.
Practice makes perfect. Write about a time when you got better at doing something by practicing.
Can’t we all just get along? Write about a time when you got into a disagreement with someone. How did you resolve it?
There’s a time for work and a time for play, but it’s a lot more fun to play. Write about a time when you put off doing something important to have fun. How did it work out for you in the end and what did you learn?
You never know until you try. Write about a time when you learned something about yourself by trying something new.
Hard work doesn’t always payoff. Write about a time when you worked hard on something but felt like your efforts weren’t appreciated.
You can’t trust everyone. Write about a time when someone betrayed your trust. How did you react? Did you ever forgive them?
You can’t make everybody happy. Write about a time when you made a decision that disappointed or hurt someone.
Nobody said that life would be fair. Write about a time when you witnessed someone taking advantage of a weaker person. How did it make you feel?
Sometimes two people just click. Write about a time when you formed a genuine connection with someone.
So much in life is about the choices that you make. Write about a time when you had to choose between two things that were important to you.
It’s the people we love that can hurt us the most. Write about a time when you had to confront a loved one over their decisions.
Accomplishments mean so much more when work for them. Write about a time when you worked hard to earn something. How did it make you feel to meet your goal?
Even the best of friends have the occasional argument. Write about a time when you got into a dispute with a friend. How did the situation get resolved?
Appearances are important. Sometimes your appearance can work for you. Other times it can work against. Write about a time when someone treated you differently because of your appearance. You can share a negative or positive experience.
You can’t always get what you want and sometimes that’s for the best. Write about a time when you were denied something that you wanted and it worked out alright in the end.
Once in a while everything just goes your way. Write about a time when you felt on top of the world.
Sometimes people drift apart. Other times they are torn apart. Write about a time when you were separated from someone with whom you were close.
It’s been said that every gray cloud has a silver lining. The hard part is looking for it. Write about a time when you made the best of a bad situation.
Faith is believing in something that you cannot prove. Write about a time when you had faith in someone or something that others doubted.
There’s a time to be creative and there’s a time to follow directions. Write about a time when you benefitted from following directions.
Some people are just looking for a reason to not like you. Write about a time when you got on someone’s bad side just by being yourself.
No matter how badly someone messes up, they always have the potential to redeem themselves. Write about a time when you or someone you know made a mistake and found redemption.
It’s good to play it safe, but sometimes you have to take chances. Write about a time when you took a risk. Did it work out for you?
Most people agree that honesty is a virtue, but sometimes being too honest can get you into hot water. Write about a time when you got in trouble or on someone’s bad side just by telling the truth.
Nothing sours an accomplishment like jealousy. Write about a time when you or someone you know was affected by the jealousy of another.
The older that you get, the more responsponsibilities you gain. It can be too much at times. Write about a time when you felt overwhelmed by your responsibilities. How did you handle it?
Part of growing up is facing your fears. Write about a time when you did something that you were afraid to do.
It’s hard to think about anything else when danger is approaching. Write about a time when you felt unsafe.
You wouldn’t be where you are today without the countless sacrifices of others. Once in a while you have to give back too. Write about a time when you gave up something that was important to you to help somebody else.
It’s been said that forgiveness is divine. Write about a time when you forgave someone for hurting or disappointing you.
Our first impressions aren’t always accurate. Write about a time when your first impression of someone or something proved to be wrong.
Everybody makes mistakes, even teachers. Write about a time when you were affected by one of your teachers’ mistakes.
With so many awesome things to learn and do in the world, nobody should ever be bored. Write about a time when you turned a boring day into an exciting one.
People change. That’s a part of life. Write about a time when you or someone you know changed in an important way.
When opportunity knocks, it’s up to you to answer the door. Write about a time when you took advantage of an interesting or exciting opportunity.
A kind word can go a long way. Write about a time when someone affected you by saying something nice or encouraging.
The world needs heroes and anyone can be one. Write about a time when you did something heroic. It doesn’t have to be as dramatic as saving someone’s life. It can be as simple as helping someone out when they needed it.
Your reputation is important. People will treat you differently based on how you are reputed to be. Write about a time when you did something that affected your reputation for better or worse.
Anger can blind. Write about a time when anger caused you to behave in a way that you later regretted.
Authority is when someone has the power to make decisions for you. Write about a time when you wanted to challenge someone’s authority. What were they doing to cause you to feel this way? How did you handle the situation?
Everybody has had someone awkward moments in life. Write about a time when you felt embarrassed. How did you deal with your embarrassment?
The process of growing up is a slow one. It takes your whole childhood. But some events cause us to grow quicker than others. Write about an experience that caused you to grow up quickly.
You can’t give everyone everything that they want. That would leave nothing for you. You have to set limits. Write about a time when someone wanted more from you than you had to give.
Your conscience is that little voice in your head that tells you when you are doing something wrong. Write about a time when your conscience stopped you from doing something.
Friendship can be found in unexpected places. Write about a time when you became friends or partners with an unlikely person.
It’s important to be persistent, but you have to know when to let go too. Write about a time when you quit pursuing something or let go of a dream.
Anyone can talk. Followsing through is the hard part. Write about a time when you proved yourself with your actions.
We are all tempted to do things that we shouldn’t at times. It takes integrity to do the right thing against your baser desires. Write about a time when you resisted the temptation to do something wrong.
Tact is the ability to phrase criticism in a sensitive way. It’s hard to be tactful all of the time. Write about a time when you blurted out something that you immediately regretted saying.
It’d be nice if there were a sure fire way to tell if someone were lying, but there isn’t. Write about a time when someone deceived you. How did you find out that they were lying to you? What did you do?
You can’t win all of the time. Some of life’s greatest lessons are learned in defeat. Write about a time when you lost or failed at something and learned a lesson.
You can predict the future, but you’re not alway going to get it right. Write about a time when you were surprised by the outcome of an event.
William Shakespeare said that “Parting is such sweet sorrow.” Write about a time when you had to say goodbye to someone or something that was important to you. How did you get over the loss?
Money can’t buy everything. Write about a time when you gained something valuable that can’t be bought or sold. Some examples might include a special skill, an important understanding, or a good relationship with someone.
Presentation is everything. Write about a time when you or someone else made a strong impression based on manners. It can be a good impression or a bad one.
A little bit of gratitude goes a long way. Write about a time when you felt unappreciated.
Bad habits are hard to kick. Write about a time when you gave up something that was bad for you.
A hypocrite is a person who tells you not to do something that he or she does. Write about a time when a person acted hypocritically toward you. You may want to write about a teacher, parent, or friend.
Not knowing your limits can be dangerous. Write about a time when you or someone you know took things too far.
Laws were put in place for a reason. Still, not everyone follows them. Write about an experience that you shared with someone who broke a law.
Sometimes we make decisions without fully considering the consequences. Write about a decision that you made which you later regretted.
The only constant is change. People can change in ways that we find disappointing. Write about a time when someone you know turned out to be different than you thought they were.
You never know what you’re capable of until you try. Write about a time when you succeed at something despite your doubts.
Technology is supposed to solve our problems, but sometimes it just complicates them. Write about a time when technology made your life more difficult.
The person you are today might not be the one you are tomorrow. People always have the potential to change, to improve. Write about an experience that changed you for the better.
Our actions can have far reaching consequences that can be difficult to predict. Write about a time when you unintentionally hurt someone as a result of your actions. Did you make it up to them?
Misunderstandings are the source of many conflicts. Write about a time when you solved a problem by talking about it.
It can be hard to fit in when you feel awkward. Write about a time when you felt out of place. How did you adapt to the situation?
Staying cool and calm helps you perform better, but this isn’t always easy. Some situations push you to the edge. Write about at time when you lost your patience.
Sometimes the greatest conflicts come from within. Write about a time when you were challenged by an inner conflict. How did you resolve the problem?
The world can be an overwhelming place. Write about a time when you just wanted to get away from everything.
The best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry. Write about a time when things did not work out the way that you planned.
Not everyone is a good leader, and even good leaders can make bad decisions. Write about a time when you disagreed with someone who was in charge of you.
Sometimes we think that we need help when all we really need to do is to put forth a decent effort. Write about a time when you learned to rely on yourself.
Your national identity is complicated. Sometimes we are proud to be citizens of our country. Other times things are done in our country’s name that we dislike. Write about a time when you were either proud or ashamed of your nationality.
You can’t always get what you want, but that doesn’t mean that you should stop trying. Write about a time when you fought for what you wanted and got your way.
The world would be a better place if everyone treated each other with love and respect, but people don’t always act like that. The world can be unfair. Write about a time when you witnessed or were the victim of an injustice.
Opinions can make or break you. Write about a time when someone misjudged you.
Boys and girls are treated differently at times. It’s not fair, but it happens. Write about a time when you were treated differently because of your gender. It can be in a way that benefited you or worked against you.
It’s been said that no good deed goes unpunished. Write about a time when you were trying to help someone and it backfired.
Sometimes its best to keep your mouth shut. Write about a time when you got in trouble for sharing your opinion.
The sense of smell is closely tied to memory. Think about scents that you have linked to experiences in your mind. Write about a time when an aroma became part of your memory.
People are social by nature. Being alone can be torturesome. Write about a time when you felt lonely or abandoned.
You can’t run from your past. It will always find a way to catch up with you. Write about a time when something from your past came back to haunt you.
Many people are resistant to change, even when it is good for them. Write about a time when you grew to appreciate something that you once resisted.
Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than talented. Write about a time when you benefitted just by being in the right place at the right time.
Everybody has perfect vision when they look into the past. Write about a time when you learned something a bit too late to help.
It’s been said that the thrill is in the chase. Write about a time when you worked hard to get something, only to find out that you didn’t really want it after all.
It’s a lot easier to go with the flow, but sometimes our hearts won’t let us. Write about a time when you supported an unpopular position because of your feelings or ideals.

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Narrative Essay Writing

Narrative Essay Topics

Interesting Narrative Essay Topics and Ideas

16 min read

Published on: Mar 22, 2023

Last updated on: Mar 25, 2024

Narrative Essay Topics for Students

If you're a student, you probably have to write an essay at some point. Getting an interesting topic idea is not easy. We have gathered some essay topics for different academic levels to help you with the task.

Let's dive right into the narrative essay topics list without any delay.

Narrative Essay Topics For University Students

The worst interview of your life
A time when you discovered something precious
A time when you were insulted or disrespected
A time you discovered one of your skills
The moment when your loved one was hurt
The moment when your best friend had an accident
The day your father caught you smoking
A mistake that taught you something significant
An action you thought would help the person but got you in trouble.
The moment when someone else's experience saved your life
The time when you underestimated a junior
How has practicing helped you become a professional?
The time when your beliefs were shaken
An event that made you feel sorry about a person
The time when you had to let go of one of your most important things

Narrative Essay Topics For College Students

First experience of living in a hostel
The worst roommate ever
Frightening memory of your childhood
Why you chose a specific major
What studying in a dream college feels like?
The most healthy part of your routine
The time you inspired someone
What should you tell your younger self?
Your favorite author and his work that you most relate to
A moment when your joke offended your friend

Narrative Essay Topics For Grade 12

Your favorite activities in your leisure time
How you overcome your fears
The hardest thing you did in life
What regrets do you have in life?
Your biggest motivation to score well in academics
Share a cherished family tradition and its impact on you.
Recall a moment where you stood up for your beliefs.
Discuss a tough decision and its impact on your character.
Explore a memory that highlights the value of friendship.
Reflect on a book, movie, or art that shaped your perspective.
Overcome a setback or failure and what you learned.

Narrative Essay Topics High School

The most interesting summer school memory
The moment when you saw your favorite actor in real life
The first time you helped a needy person
How you became friends with your best friend
A person who left a deep influence on you
The day when you became a class representative
Your first speech on the stage
Your first term paper
Your favorite high school studentâs profession
The first time you stood up for something you believed in

Narrative Essay Topics For Grade 10

A time when you had to stand up for something you believed in
The most significant challenge you have faced in your life so far
A moment that changed your life forever
A decision that you regret making and what you learned from it
A person who has had a significant impact on your life
A time when you learned an important life lesson through a mistake you made
A trip that you will never forget
A time when you felt like you had to prove yourself to someone
A moment when you felt like giving up, but you pushed through anyway
An experience that helped you discover something new about yourself.

Narrative Essay Topics For Grade 9

A time when you overcame a fear
The most memorable day of your life
A difficult decision you had to make
The first time you tried something new
A moment when you learned an important life lesson
An experience that changed your perspective on something
A time when you made a mistake and what you learned from it
A memorable trip you went on
The first time you fell in love with a hobby or activity
A moment when you felt proud of yourself for overcoming a challenge.

Narrative Essay Topics For Class 7

My favorite sibling
Betrayal in friendship
Why is television so important in your life?
A hobby of yours that you recently adopted
The most memorable farewell
A memorable encounter with a new friend
The day when you became a class representative
Your dream college
Your favorite profession

Narrative Essay Topics For Class 6

The time when you underestimated a junior
The time when your beliefs were shaken
An event that made you feel sorry about a person
The time when you had to let go of one of your most important things
Your favorite activities in your leisure time
The most adventurous thing you've ever done
Your biggest motivation to score well in academics

Narrative Essay Topics For Grade 5

Your first day at school
Your favorite teacher
Your best winter vacations
The happiest day of your life
Your best birthday ever
The moment when you got lost in a mall
The most painful injury
Your first pet
The feeling of losing loved ones
The hardest goodbye

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Short Narrative Essay Topics

Exploring family traditions
Narrating standing up for beliefs
Recounting a tough decision
Reflecting on the value of friendship
Sharing shaping perspectives
Reflecting on overcoming failure
Revisiting meaningful places
Delving into a social passion
Narrating stepping out of comfort zones
Reflecting on influential role models

Best Narrative Essay Topics

An unexpected act of kindness
A transformative travel experience
The day everything changed
Lessons learned from failure
A secret that changed everything
Discovering my passion
The power of forgiveness
A moment of serendipity
Conquering my greatest fear
Lessons from a cultural exchange

Topics For Narrative Essays on Themes

Narrative essay themes contain a range of subjects and ideas that serve as the central focus or underlying message of the narrative. These themes often reflect aspects of human experience, emotions, relationships, and societal issues.

Here are some common narrative essay themes and their topic ideas:

Childhood Memories Narrative Essay Topics

My favorite toy from childhood
Exploring my grandparents' house
Building forts and imaginary worlds
The day I lost my first tooth
Baking cookies with my mom
Playing hide and seek in the neighborhood
My first pet and our adventures together
Celebrating holidays with family traditions
Exploring nature in my backyard
The joy of making new friends in kindergarten

Life Lessons Narrative Essay Topics

Overcoming stage fright during a school performance
Finding strength through a sports injury
Learning patience through gardening
Embracing change after moving to a new city
The value of empathy in understanding others
Discovering inner courage during a difficult decision
The power of forgiveness in healing relationships
Finding beauty in imperfection and embracing flaws
The rewards of volunteer work and helping others
Overcoming self-doubt through creative expression

Personal Growth Narrative Essay Topics

Exploring my cultural heritage through food and traditions
Overcoming language barriers in a foreign country
Finding confidence through public speaking
Rediscovering creativity through art and music
Exploring new career paths and passions
Finding balance between work, family, and self-care
Embracing vulnerability and authenticity in relationships
The journey of self-discovery through traveling alone
Overcoming limiting beliefs and embracing personal power
Learning to set boundaries and prioritize self-respect

Relationships Narrative Essay Topics

The bond between siblings: shared adventures and conflicts
Lessons learned from a long-distance friendship
Reconnecting with an estranged family member
The influence of a childhood teacher on personal development
Building trust and communication in romantic relationships
Exploring the dynamics of multigenerational relationships
Navigating friendships through life transitions
Overcoming misunderstandings and repairing relationships
The role of pets in family dynamics and emotional support
Exploring the meaning of unconditional love through relationships

Social Issues Narrative Essay Topics

Empowering youth through education and mentorship
Exploring access to healthcare in underserved communities
Addressing mental health stigma and promoting awareness
Bridging the digital divide: access to technology and information
The impact of climate change on local communities
Exploring racial justice and equity in society
Overcoming barriers to LGBTQ+ equality and acceptance
Supporting refugees and building inclusive communities
The importance of intersectional feminism in social justice movements
Promoting diversity and inclusion in educational settings

Personal Narrative Topics

A personal narrative essay is a type of essay in which the writer shares a personal story, experience, or event from their own life. In this section, we will look into some different personal narrative ideas:

Personal Experience Narrative Essay Topics

Overcoming a fear of public speaking
The day I conquered my greatest phobia
Learning to embrace vulnerability and authenticity
A life-changing encounter with a stranger
Navigating a crossroads: choosing between passion and stability
Finding resilience through adversity
The transformative power of self-reflection
Lessons learned from a failed business venture
Exploring the joys and challenges of parenthood
Overcoming cultural barriers in pursuit of personal growth

Personal Narrative Essay About Friendship

The unlikely friendship that changed my life
Weathering storms together: the strength of true friendship
Navigating the ups and downs of high school friendships
From strangers to soulmates: a journey of friendship
The power of empathy in strengthening friendships
Exploring cultural differences through friendship
The art of forgiveness: repairing broken friendships
Lessons learned from a childhood best friend
Finding support and laughter in friendships across generations
Celebrating diversity: embracing friendship beyond borders

Personal Narrative Stories Ideas on Traveling and Holidays

A solo journey to self-discovery
Living with locals in a foreign land
Traveling alone to remote destinations
Exploring culinary delights around the world
The joy of spontaneity
A holiday to remember
Traveling through time
From backpacker to business class
Discovering hidden gems off the beaten path
Family road trips

Fictional Narrative Essay Ideas

Lost in a parallel universe: A journey through time
The last survivors of a post-apocalyptic world
A magical creature's quest for home
The secret society of time travelers
Escaping from a dystopian society
Adventures in a virtual reality game
Discovering a hidden portal to another dimension
The mystery of the abandoned spaceship
Guardians of the enchanted forest
A quest for the legendary artifact of power

Literacy Narrative Essay Topics

How a childhood book shaped my imagination
Learning to read and write in a second language
Discovering the power of poetry through personal experience
The influence of storytelling in family traditions
Overcoming dyslexia: My journey to literacy
Exploring literary classics through different cultural lenses
The impact of technology on reading habits
The role of libraries in nurturing a love for reading
Finding my voice through creative writing workshops
Using literature to navigate life's challenges

First-Person Narrative Essay Ideas

My journey through a haunted house on Halloween night
A day in the life of a street performer in New York City
Surviving a wilderness adventure in the Rocky Mountains
Exploring the abandoned mansion at the edge of town
My experience as a volunteer in a refugee camp
Racing against time: My first marathon experience
Finding love in unexpected places: A summer romance
The night I spent stranded on a deserted island
Becoming a detective for a day: Solving a mystery in my neighborhood
My encounter with a UFO: An unforgettable extraterrestrial experience

Funny Narrative Essay Topics

The misadventures of my clumsy pet cat
Embarrassing moments during family gatherings
My hilarious attempt at learning a new dance
Surviving a disastrous cooking experiment in the kitchen
The comedy of errors: my unforgettable road trip
Accidentally sending a funny text to the wrong person
The day I accidentally wore mismatched shoes to school
My awkward encounter with a celebrity lookalike
The unintentional pranks I played on April Fools' Day
When auto-correct turns texting into a comedy show

Tips to Choose the Right Narrative Essay Topic

When selecting a narrative essay topic, consider the following tips:

Authenticity: Choose topics that align with your personal experiences and values.
Relevance: Select topics that are relevant and meaningful to your intended audience.
Engagement: Opt for topics that are engaging and thought-provoking, sparking curiosity and empathy in readers.
Scope: Ensure that the topic allows for sufficient depth and exploration within the confines of a narrative essay.

If you want to get an idea of writing a narrative essay, visit our narrative essay examples blog and get access to free PDF examples.

Summing it up!

Essays provide a unique opportunity to share personal experiences, insights, and reflections with readers. By choosing the right topic and crafting a compelling narrative, you can engage and inspire your audience.

Remember to infuse your writing with authenticity, emotion, and vivid detail to create narratives that resonate long after they're read.

If you find yourself short on time or unsure where to begin, seeking professional assistance is always an option. The custom essay writing service at CollegeEssay.org is here to help you with your writing needs.

Additionally, don't forget to try our essay writer AI tool for further assistance!

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100 Greatest Narrative Essay Topics

January 5, 2024 by Richard Leave a Comment

Welcome to our 100 Greatest Narrative Essay topics of all time list. These topics are written about over and over again by students and writers all over the world, and they are made new every time someone tells their story. Sharing personal stories can be a powerful way to connect with others. Whether it’s a humorous anecdote or an impactful life event, narrative essays give readers a glimpse into someone else’s world while reminding them of our shared humanity.

So, if you are having a hard time coming up with a topic to write about, try these 100. We seek to provide inspiration for your personal narrative essay. It compiles a list of 100 narrative essay topics ranging from lighthearted tales about childhood memories to profound life-changing events. With so many options, readers are sure to find an experience in their own lives that they can transform into an engaging first-person story.

Some of these narrative essay ideas evoke positive emotions – like achieving a major accomplishment, traveling somewhere new, or meeting someone influential. Other prompts allow reflection on challenging experiences – like encountering failure, coping with loss or illness, or facing down fears. The list also includes topics perfect for humor pieces – because the best personal narratives often share smiles and laughter too.

Readers can take a look at the list and see which topic speaks to them. Then they can start drafting their own unique story. Because each person’s tale offers its own dose of wisdom, inspiration, and connection. The stories readers craft based on these ideas will surely impact others.

Here are 100 potential narrative essay topics:

A time I overcame a fear
The day I met my best friend
A family vacation that went wrong
The experience of learning to ride a bike
Attending my first concert
My most difficult class in school so far
My proudest accomplishment
A time I failed at something
My experience learning a new language
Meeting someone famous
My experience as a camp counselor
My favorite family holiday tradition
The first time I traveled alone
A challenging hike I went on
Moving to a new place
Getting my first pet
Being bullied as a child
My first day of high school
My experience playing on a sports team
The day I got my driver’s license
Something funny my parent or sibling did
Working an unpleasant job as a teenager
Volunteering in my community
The day I became an older sibling
A parenting lesson my parents taught me
Attending my first homecoming dance
My favorite birthday celebration
A cooking disaster story
My experience getting stitches or breaking a bone
A mentor who impacted my life
My most memorable act of kindness from a stranger
The adoption of my pet
My experience being homeschooled
Starting a new hobby as an adult
My fondest childhood memory
My first heartbreak
My experience with online school
My journey recovering from an injury
Being a working student
Writing my first poem or short story
My scariest nightmare
Making a move to live on my own
Coping with my parents’ divorce
My adventure backpacking overseas
My most memorable day playing childhood games
The time I performed on stage
A cherished family tradition
My proudest moment as a parent
Meeting my grandparents for the first time
My experience being an older sibling
My fondest memory of a family pet
My most memorable birthday
My most humbling moment
My first experience with snow
A difficult goodbye
My favorite place to spend time as a child
Winning an award
My favorite holiday gathering
Studying abroad in college
Moving to a new city after graduation
My experience voting for the first time
A favorite item from my childhood
My experience overcoming sickness or surgery
My favorite family vacation
A memorable weekend road trip
My first paying job
My experience on the first day of a new school
Celebrating a cultural holiday
How I learned to overcome a bad habit
Staying up all night with friends
Attending prom
My experience being home alone
Getting elected as a group leader
Preparing for a major storm
Learning a lesson about honesty
The day I rescued an animal
My first impression of a famous landmark
My most memorable celebrity encounter
My experience with online dating
My first car buying experience
Deciding my college major
Changing career paths
My experience with unrequited love
Meeting an idol or someone I admire
My experience dealing with loss
My biggest regret
My proudest problem solving moment
My favorite concert experience
My experience with an act of heroism
My first time trying an extreme sport
How I overcame my biggest fear
My experience with an ethical dilemma
My most spiritual experience
My most terrifying moment
A major turning point in my life
My best day ever
My worst day ever
My experience immigrating to a new country
My experience parenting multiples (twins, triplets etc)
My funniest travel mishap

As evident, there is no shortage of engaging topics for personal narrative essays. The experiences humans accumulate throughout their lives – whether they make one laugh, cry, or change who one is – are what connects people at one’s core. Hopefully this list has provided some inspiration. Now one can take a chosen story and make it shine by adding rich details, thoughtful reflection, a meaningful central message, and a unique voice. After all, the magic manifests through the telling, and every individual has a one-of-a-kind tale only they can share. So embrace the memories and truths to craft an essay that resonates. Who knows which lives one’s words might touch or perspectives they may broaden? When more narratives are exchanged, perhaps we will begin to see that while specific adventures may differ, at heart most seek similar things – joy, purpose, wisdom, catharsis. And by reading others’ stories, people expand their wells of compassion. So take up the pen and start composing the next great personal narrative. Those words cannot wait to be read!

About Richard

Richard Everywriter (pen name) has worked for literary magazines and literary websites for the last 25 years. He holds degrees in Writing, Journalism, Technology and Education. Richard has headed many writing workshops and courses, and he has taught writing and literature for the last 20 years.

In writing and publishing he has worked with independent, small, medium and large publishers for years connecting publishers to authors. He has also worked as a journalist and editor in both magazine, newspaper and trade publications as well as in the medical publishing industry. Follow him on Twitter, and check out our Submissions page .

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Home — Blog — Topic Ideas — 150+ Great Narrative Essay Topics and Ideas

150+ Great Narrative Essay Topics and Ideas

Often during the education process in school or university , we are asked to write an essay. Let’s talk about essays, in particular narrative ones. In a narrative essay, the author tells a story from real life. In this form of essay, the presentation of events in chronological order will not be enough. The authors’ thesis should interest the reader and make the story as vivid as possible so that the reader wants to become a part of the events described and can easily "transfer" to the story . More often such an essay is written in the 1st person in the present or past tense.

There are also other types of essays, such as:

Description essays. In such an essay, we describe an object.
Definition essays. Here we have one goal - to reveal this or that concept.
Illustration essays. Your goal is to prove a statement.
Argument essays. Here we give examples of persuasive facts that support your assertion.

Now let's look at the most popular narrative essay topics that we can board you with.

How to Know What Topic You Need?

If you were given a list of essay topics at schools or colleges , it would be logical if you choose a topic that is closer to you, on which you are not averse to reflecting.

If there is no list of topics, and you have only indicated the direction in which you should choose a problem for the essay, you will have to formulate the topic for narrative writing yourself.

Here are some tips on how to choose a topic for your essay:

Before defining a narrative essay topic, it is worth finding the author's position. This is the moral instruction of the author, which can be written directly or encrypted in the words or thoughts of the hero-narrator. To find it, one should single out the topic and all the micro-themes in the text, and then formulate moralizing within their framework, that is, the author's position.
From the author's position, it is worth asking a special question, that is, a question that requires a general answer, and not a short "yes" or "no". This question will be a problem.
It is necessary to find two examples in the text that illustrate the transition from the question to the author's position, that is, to help answer the question posed. This will prove that such a problem is indeed raised by the author.

Narrative Essay Topic Ideas

Now, let’s take a closer look at topics for narrative essay examples you can choose.

Personal Narrative Essay Topics

Personal narrative essay examples and ideas are needed when you describe something that you experienced in your life.

How To Be a Defensive Driver.
A Personal Narrative about Fear Of Heights.
My Fear of Failure.
The Narrative about Losing My Dad.
A Day I Lost My Best Friend.
Narrative on Precious Time.
What I Did This Summer.
Personal Narrative: I Am a Perfectionist.
Why Softball Is Important in My Life.
Narrative on Vocation.
My First Rock Concert.
How I Learned to Accept Myself the Way I am.
I Helped a Person in Need.
My Last Day at School.
The Character I Associate Myself with.

Cultural Narrative Essay Topics

Cultural topics for narratives allow you to highlight the topic of culture and at the same time present the story in an interesting way for the reader.

Narrative about Mexican Culture.
What traditions are unique in your family?
Which tradition surprised you the most?
How does the media influence our perception of culture?
How does culture define a person's personality?
What culture do you identify with?
What is your favorite holiday?
How does your family celebrate Christmas?
The Impact of Narrative in English Language and Culture.
What holiday has the most sacred meaning for you?
What traditions does your family observe on the Easter holidays?
Which of the cultural events you attended did you remember the most?
What foreign tradition do you like the most?
Holiday traditions in your family.
Which festival do you like the most?

Narrative Argument Essay Topics

This type of narrative topics for an essay implies that you need to write about something that has had a big impact on you.

Conflict case from your life.
What disagreements did you have together with your friend?
The case when someone deceived you.
Has there been a choice in your life that you regret?
Have you been in conflict with other people?
A situation where you have to make a difficult decision between right and wrong.
Have you been caught doing something bad?
Have you ever had to win friends following the rules?
Have you ever blamed another person for what you did?
Have you helped someone for personal gain?
Have you ever played pranks on your friends?
What experience can you call the most difficult but important in life?
Have you ever been in a car accident?
Have you ever been humiliated?
Have you ever helped a friend solve his problem?

Interesting Narrative Essay Topics

Have you had to make a difficult decision in life?
Have you ever flooded a neighbor's house?
Has there ever been a person in your life who has changed it drastically?
Would you like to relive any of those days again?
Have you ever failed an exam?
What was the scariest moment in your life?
Have you ever been really sick?
Have you ever saved another person's life?
Have you ever worked up the courage to visit a haunted house?
Have you ever won a prize?
What was your first job in life?
Have you ever participated in educational student exchange programs ?
What do you do when you are all alone?
What was your first meeting with the police?
Have you ever been to the emergency room?

Personal Experience Narrative Essay Topics

Here you can describe people or events that influenced you in one way or another.

How have you met a special person in your life?
The person you enjoy the most.
The best place in the neighborhood.
The place you'd like to live your whole life.
A productive art, you enjoy.
What is your first job search ?
Your biggest disappointment.
Do you remember your first birthday?
Narrative on Earthquake: An Earth-Shattering Experience.
Have you ever encountered a wild animal?
Tell about the first time you got home alone.
How did you cook food for the first time?
Tell how you helped someone.
How did you overcome your fear?
Narrative about Video Games.

Relationship Narrative Essay Topics

Relationship narrative stories ideas help to describe our relationship and how our experience has influenced certain events in life.

Have you ever fallen in love?
What advice would you give to a couple who are just starting their relationship?
How would you define family?
If you have a best friend, how did you meet?
Do you think that your parents are more sensitive than others?
What is your attitude towards marriage?
Have you ever experienced gender bias?
How do you remember deceased family members?
What do you know about the origins of your family?
Narrative about Friendship.
How did you meet your best friend?
What can make you end a romantic relationship?
Is the community in your area important?
Do you think hatred can destroy a relationship?
Have you ever experienced intergenerational conflict?
What does honesty mean in a relationship?

Childhood Memories

In this type of essay, you need to describe the events and memories of childhood.

What was my first pet?
What are my first memories?
Whom did I look up to as a child?
How did I first go to the hospital?
My first meeting with my uncle/aunt.
The Impact of a Funeral.
My first terrible incident.
What are my childhood fears?
What was the happiest day of my childhood?
My first time at the stadium.

Growing Up in High School

Here you need to recall the most vivid impressions from high school.

What lessons were my favorites?
Who was my favorite teacher?
What role in the school theater did I remember the most?
How I lost a sports match.
Topics forbidden to me.
How did I feel when I failed the exam?
How did I feel when I passed the exam with excellent marks?
Is commuting to school a routine for me?
My best adventure in school.
What kind of extracurricular activities do I enjoy the most?

Moral & Ethical Dilemmas

In this type of essay, you have to describe the ideas of the complexity of moral choice.

What is your attitude towards pro-life movement: argumentative essay on abortion ?
How can we influence the fight against racism?
How should a work ethic deal with sexism?
Do you think euthanasia should be legal?
Why can't war be ethical?
What moral issues does workplace automation cause?
The Missing Climate Change Narrative Analysis.
Is it ethical to have a lot of money?
If drugs were legal, would their use be ethical?
Is it possible to justify eating meat in the modern world?

College Student Life

Try to describe events and memories from your student's life.

Narrative about Reading.
My last day with my schoolmates.
My favorite course.
Meeting my better half.
The story of my split-up.
My brightest high school moment.
How I met my old friend.
My favorite professor.
Narrative on a Trip: The Wonders of Rome.
The most symbolic episode from my college life.
The day I moved.
Narrative on a Road Trip to Remember.
My first impressions of the college campus.
How I met my roommate.
My first friends at college.

Narrative Essay Topics for Different Grades

Let’s look at the narrative speech topics for different grades.

Narrative Essay Topics for Grade 5

My first bicycle ride.
My dad is my hero.
A day with my grandmother.
My first day at school.
My best friend.
My favorite teacher.
A school trip to the zoo.
My grandpa’s hands.
The most exciting day of school.
The best summer vacation.

Narrative Essay Topics for Grade 6

A memorable teacher.
My first trip abroad.
A sad story from my childhood.
My favorite vacation with my family.
A fight with my best friend.
My best birthday party.
How we celebrate our parents’ wedding anniversary.
My first day at a new school.
Last Christmas was an interesting story.
How I lost my sister.

Narrative Essay Topics for Grade 7

Something that scared me the most.
The best day of my life.
Helping a stranger.
How I met my best friend.
My brother’s wedding.
How I got my first pet.
Once I called the dean's office.
Conflict with my father.
Unique family tradition.

Narrative Essay Topics for Grade 8

School trip to the museum.
My best day at school.
The most exciting day of summer vacation.
Worst day at school.
The day I got my first pet.
The hour we spent looking at our baby's album.
My first attempt at cooking.
My first Japanese pastry.
My first foreign friend.

Narrative Essay Topics for Grade 9

A visit to the countryside.
How I lost my faith in humanity.
A car accident.
My friend had an accident.
A trip I will never forget.
The most enjoyable Christmas.
A bad experience that completely changed my behavior.
How I used to spend my summer vacations.
My experience with a tornado.
I got lost in the streets of venus.

Narrative Essay Topics for O Levels

A special moment when I got my first bike.
A disappointing birthday party.
The most embarrassing thing that happened to me.
A disastrous date.
The moment of success.
Growing up in New York.
A sporting experience.
A random act of kindness.
The first six months of COVID-19.
The end of my relationship.

Narrative Essay Topics for High School Students

Personal narrative ideas in high school include the classic moments that are stereotypical of the secondary school experience.

Special homecoming court moment.
A friendship that started long before high school.
Prom dress shopping and your self-esteem.
Anticipation for graduation.
An award or scholarship you received.
Participating in a school musical.
Coming to America: A Narrative of a Journey of Hope.
Your first love.
A moment you stood up for what you believed in.
How your relationship with your parents changed for the better.

Narrative Essay Topics for Middle School

Middle school is a great time of self-discovery that’s filled with firsts and memorable moments. Use these milestones as the topic for your narrative essay.

Making an unlikely friend.
How bad relationships help you become a better person.
The first time you opened your locker.
The teacher that makes you feel smart.
Moving from elementary school to middle school.
A social media post that inspired you.
A news story about a kid/teen that was uplifting.
A comment from a teacher that made you feel good.
A comment from someone you’re not friends with that made you feel good.
Being yourself.

Narrative Essay Topics for College Students

College is another time in your life that’s wrought with self-discovery and seeing the world as it truly is.

Frederick Douglass Narrative.
Frame Narrative in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.
Narrative on The Definition of Bravery in Beowulf.
A Critical Examination of Social Commentary and Narrative Execution.
Examples of community on campus.
A test experience that boosts your self-esteem.
The moment you realized you were going into the right field.
What does a college degree mean to you?
College is a microcosm of the world.
The feeling of independence.

Conclusion

Teachers and students are very fond of narrative essay topics, as they are flexible enough that everyone can find a topic that is close to them. If you can’t decide on a topic yourself, then the list that we presented in our material will help you. We sincerely wish you good luck and inspiration for writing the best essay. And the topics we have suggested will help you with this!

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151 Interesting Narrative Essay Topics and Examples

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151 Interesting Narrative Essay Topics and Examples intro image

Don’t dread writing a narrative essay topic! Narrative essays can be great and fun to write. It can also be an excellent learning experience. This type of essay can be imaginative, but it is also often hugely introspective.

In fact, learning to write a good narrative essay is almost like making an investment in your future. After all, at some point or another, you will need to tell a good story. Be it to keep a crowd entertained or to make a wedding speech memorable, or even an enticing pitch, a story with a strong narrative will keep the attention on you.

Of course, coming up with a good narrative essay topic is the most important moment in your journey as an author. If you don’t already have a good story in mind, we believe we can help you find the best prompt for your essay with our list of 151 best narrative essay topic ideas .

In this article:

What Is a Narrative Essay?

Take a trip down memory lane for inspiration, think about defining moments in your life, try memory mixology (mix and match events from your life), come up with a memorable title, 40 best personal narrative essay topics, narrative essay topics about friends and relationships, narrative essay topics about childhood, narrative essay topics for middle school, narrative essay topics about family, imaginative narrative essay topics (imagine that…), values and morality narrative essay topics, narrative essay topics about defining moments, narrative essay topics about your favorite things, interesting narrative essay topics, do you need more help.

If you’ve never written a narrative essay before, think about it as an opportunity to tell a personal story about yourself. The narrative essay topic is the perfect vessel for communicating your unique perspective and interpretation of events that happened in your lifetime, especially if there was a lesson that was learned (and there always is).

A narrative essay is specifically ideal for developing the writer’s writing and storytelling skills. That’s why your subject doesn’t really need to be grand or memorable. What matters more than the essay topic itself is whether or not the author can create an attention-grabbing narrative.

Finally, a really good narrative essay relies on a masterful introduction of the setting, a realistic character growth, and an interesting conflict and its resolution. Contrast this with the more formal and rigid structure of the informative essay , where fact reporting and clear logical structure are key.

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How Can You Choose a Narrative Essay Topic?

If you don’t have an evocative story in mind yet, how should you choose your narrative essay topic? Although by definition, the narrative essay is a rather personal piece, there are several universal guidelines you can follow when you’re looking for the best topic for your essay.

As we already mentioned, the topic for a narrative essay will ask you to strongly draw from your personal history. Therefore, the logical first step in your search for the perfect topic is to search your memory for a vivid episode that made a strong impression on you.

This can be anything from a childhood memory to a national disaster, a quiet conversation on a stormy afternoon, or an introspective moment when you felt true clarity. The important thing is to be able to build a good story around it. So, try to find a relevant, engaging, fun, surprising, or unusual moment in your life to discuss, and roll the dice!

Turning points in a life make for a great story and are just as good for a narrative essay topic as they are for an Academy Award-winning movie. Think about situations in which you had an intense emotional response. A great essay topic could ask you to talk about loss, celebration, your successes or failures, lessons you’ve learned, your hobbies, or any big decisions you’ve made.

Most of your writing should be honest and personal. It’s okay if you use your creativity to fill in some gaps or make the story more compelling, but avoid writing about completely imaginary situations. Not only will you be running away from the narrative essay and into creative writing, but it’s also often more challenging to create a fictional world and a narrative entirely from imagination. The narrative essay topic should be you-centric, and the reader will expect a candid glimpse into your inner world.

If stringing together different moments of your personal history will make your narrative essay stand out, then that’s the way to go! Pick your narrative essay topic in such a way that talking about events that didn’t take place in succession will make the story even stronger.

For example, if your essay topic asked you to talk about Christmas at home, weave together anecdotes from several Christmas holidays, and make a bizarre tale. Take risks and be creative, and the result will be a compelling story that will evoke an intense emotional reaction.

It’s easier to write your narrative essay topic if you have a snappy title in mind. These usually come in the shape of a statement or a resolution. For example, instead of writing about “What Is Your Experience of Discussing Racial Issues with People of a Different Race?” consider how the tone and depth of your essay will change if you write on a topic phrased like this: “Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race”*. It’s a lot more pointed and emotionally charged already, isn’t it?

A superb way to get inspiration for an interesting narrative essay topic is to look at articles, books, podcasts, or blog posts. In general, anything that makes you want to learn more about it is a sign of an excellent title and, hence, a good essay topic for your narrative essay.

* Author’s note : The example essay title we’ve used is referring to an already- existing essay and book of the same title by author and journalist, Reni Eddo-Lodge.

Of course, sometimes, things are easier said than done, and people struggle to find the best narrative essay topic for themselves. This is why we’ve come up with 151 of the best narrative essay topics and ideas for you.

Personal stories make for the best narratives. This is why choosing a personal subject as your narrative essay topic might be the best idea. Although sharing an intimate story might seem daunting at first, remember that you have full control over what ends up in the final draft.

Of course, if you’d like to broaden your idea pool, you could search for inspiration among our list of persuasive essay topics or even argumentative essay topics . Sometimes, ideas come from the most unlikely places.

1. Talk about a time you were punished for bad behavior. Why do you remember that?

2. When did you know what you wanted to do as you grew up/what you wanted to study in college?

3. Discuss a time you experienced a rush of adrenaline. Why was it interesting? Did the experience teach you something?

4. Have you watched live events on TV (e.g., Superbowl, NBA, concerts, plays)? Was there something memorable about this?

5. What is the movie you’ve seen so many times? Why?

6. Talk about something you are really good at.

7. There are some things we need to be alone to do well. Talk about something you like to do best when you are by yourself.

8. Talk about a time you challenged yourself to do something seemingly unimportant or just for fun (e.g., learning how to solve a Rubik’s Cube). Why did you do that?

9. Olfaction (sense of smell) is strongly related to memories and is a powerful memory evoker. What does happiness smell like to you?

10. What are you deeply upset about?

11. What is something you are deeply grateful for?

12. What is the most important memory you have with your mother?

13. Do you have a sibling? How would you wish your relationship with them was?

14. Talk about a situation in which you should have asked for help but didn’t.

15. How does your sense of style relate to your identity?

16. Are you sometimes surprised by who you see in the mirror? Why do you think this happens, and what do you see?

17. Talk about the first time you danced (and had fun) in public.

18. What does your library say about you? Have you read all the books in it? How do you curate it?

19. How does social media affect your close personal relationships?

20. What was the last thing you learned (or taught yourself) how to do?

21. What are you deeply upset about?

22. Talk about a moment in which you experienced true clarity.

23. How does your social media persona compare to you in real life?

24. What soothes you when you are anxious?

25. Would you befriend yourself?

26. Who is someone you would never want to be?

27. What are three things you think about often and are truly important to you (e.g., making your own food, finding a romantic partner, the impression you leave others with)?

28. Talk about when you truly forgave someone.

29. Talk about a quality you’ve worked hard for and are proud of.

30. Talk about a moment you felt extremely humbled.

31. What inspires you (to be funny, to create, to improve)?

32. Talk about a positive change you’ve made in your life.

33. What is the most challenging thing you’ve achieved?

34. Discuss a bad decision you made. How did you justify it at that time? When did you know it was a bad decision?

35. When was the moment when you stopped taking yourself too seriously?

36. What is the story of one of your tattoos?

37. What is the reason you keep a diary?

38. What is something you do as escapism?

39. What is your coming-out story?

40. Talk about a time when you should have ended something but didn’t. Why?

Narrative Essay Topics About Friends and Relationships

1. Think about an event where you showed cynicism instead of compassion. What do you think would have been the outcome and consequences if you’d shown compassion?

2. Have you ever lost a person who was important to you? Talk about what you celebrate about them.

3. Talk about the friends that have drifted away.

4. What qualities do you look for in a new friend?

5. How is an easy or spontaneous friendship different from the ones you need to put effort to? How are they similar?

6. What would you talk about with a stranger?

7. Where do you fit in your social circle(s)?

8. Have you ever greatly misjudged a person? Did you take anything away from the experience?

9. Talk about a situation in which you showed courage. Was it easy?

10. Have you given up something that was important to you to make somebody else happy? How do you feel about that choice?

1. Remember a game you enjoyed playing as a child. Why do you think it’s important?

2. What is the best gift you’ve ever received?

3. Tell a bizarre story. Who did it happen to, and what made it strange?

4. What are “the good old times” for you?

5. What is the nightmare you remember most vividly? What do you think it means?

Narrative Essay Topics for Middle school

If you’re in middle school and looking for a narrative essay topic, you’re probably not too excited about it… but you’d be wrong. Writing a narrative essay can be good, fun, and very engaging if you choose the right topic and let your silly or creative side loose. So, we’ve tried to compile a list of topics on which teens could write a marvelous and entertaining story.

If you’re looking for more serious essay topic ideas, you’d find some in our list of 172 controversial debate topics (for teens) .

1. What is your favorite cultural holiday and why?

2. What was the last act of kindness that you saw?

3. Discuss a stressful situation in which you needed to solve a problem under pressure. What did you do?

4. Studying an experience when being organized was (not) extremely helpful.

5. How did you learn that “experience is the best teacher”?

6. Would you work on something that requires you to frequently travel?

7. Talk about the role sports plays in your life.

8. Remember a time when you decided you would never procrastinate again (even if you did after that).

9. How do you feel about getting lost? Why?

10. Write about a time you quit something (gave up). Was that the right choice?

1. Write a letter to your 4-year-old self.

2. Write a letter to your father.

3. What do you hope your relationship with your child would be?

4. Talk about an event when you and your family shared an especially memorable moment together and all of you felt very connected as a family.

5. Talk about something your parents did (for you) which you are grateful for or that made you proud.

1. If you could go back in time and change something about your life, what would it be?

2. Often, we have admiration for a public figure, and then, either through action or inaction, they lose our admiration. Imagine you could become that person for a day. What would you do?

3. If you could learn any language instantly, which one would you choose?

4. What is the most frightening noise you can imagine?

5. If you had three wishes, what would you wish for (standard genie rules apply)?

6. If you were slowly losing your memories, which memories would you want to lose last?

7. If you had to lose one of your senses, which would it be?

8. If you could easily turn into an animal and have a second life as one, what animal would you like to be?

9. If you would enter a long-term committed relationship with another person, what are the lessons from your parent’s marriage you would take with you?

10. If you were the supreme leader of the town/city/country you live in, what would be the most important action you’ll take?

11. If you would look in a magical mirror that showed your deepest desires, what would you see?

12. If you could meet your idols, who would you want to meet and why?

13. If you had an extra 8 hours in your day (and nobody else did), what would you do with that time?

14. Some people imagine their memory and thoughts as organized in file cabinets, while others have mind castles. How do you imagine the inside of your mind is organized?

15. Imagine you had a different skin color. How would your life be different?

16. Imagine you woke up and you had switched sexes with someone of the opposite sex.

17. If you were living in a war zone, what would you be doing with your “free” time?

18. If you were to choose who to be the first people to inhabit a terraformed planet, who would you choose and why?

19. If you could be a historical figure, who would you like to be? Why would you have done something different?

20. If you could program a realistic AI, what qualities would you give it?

21. If you believe(d) in the afterlife, how do you imagine your personal heaven?

22. If you could invent anything (technological), what would it be?

23. If you could shoot an ad that would make people care about an issue you find important, what would the script for it look like?

24. If you could talk to all forms of life on Earth, what would you talk to, and what would you talk about?

25. If you could have a conversation with your favorite philosopher, what would it be about?

Values and Morality Narrative Essay Topics

What else makes us more uniquely ourselves than our moral compass? Our values are continuously tuned by new experiences, and sharing a story about the journey to your morals can make for a deeply personal narrative.

Argumentative essays and research paper topics are another good source of topic ideas about fundamental values and beliefs.

1. What would you hope to be remembered for?

2. Simple conversations can sometimes form core values and stay with us for a long time. Talk about an important conversation you’ve had.

3. What is something you would like to be good at? Why do you want this, and what would it take?

4. Talk about a charity that is important to you.

5. Is lying ever necessary?

6. What do you think is an underappreciated profession, and would you work that?

7. How is your heritage important to you? How do you embody it?

8. Talk about a situation which made you distrust authority.

9. Talk about a moment which made you respect authority.

10. Talk about an experience where you had to make up a story (tell a lie) to prove a point. Would you do that again?

11. Some people have a box in their homes labeled “In case of fire, take me.” What would your box contain if you had one?

12. Recall a situation in which you showed commendable patience and it was rewarded.

13. What do you feel entitled to?

14. What is the importance of being selfish?

15. How would you adjust your behavior if you knew you were being constantly under surveillance?

16. Talk about an event from your life (or one that you witnessed) where justice prevailed.

17. Tell a story that demonstrates one of your core values (e.g., a strong moral compass, entrepreneurial spirit, etc.)

18. When did you decide you wouldn’t eat meat anymore?

19. Do you have a motto you live by? Tell a story that illustrates how your motto has been relevant to you.

20. Is there anything you’re absolutely certain about?

Narrative Essay Topics About Defining Moments

1. Talk about a time when you felt like a fundamental human right was denied to you.

2. Talk about a difficult choice you’ve had to make.

3. When was the first time you realized you were mortal? What does mortality mean to you?

4. What lessons did you learn at your first job?

5. Making a connection.

6. Understanding a person with a disability.

7. Truth is often found in an argument. Talk about a debate in which you changed somebody’s opinion or they changed yours.

8. Although violence is rarely “the answer,” talk about a time when you resorted to aggression. Why was that the right/wrong thing to do in that situation?

9. What was the first social or political issue for which you developed a position and argued over? Has your position changed? Why?

10. Have you ever lost your sense of agency/felt trapped?

11. When was the first time you felt represented in the media?

12. Talk about a situation in which you completely lost control (over your body and movements, your emotion, or your actions).

13. Talk about a moment in your life which has been completely misrepresented by popular culture and movies.

14. What is the most memorable experience you’ve had in nature?

15. Talk about a moment in which you showed vulnerability.

Narrative Essay Topics About Your Favorite Things

1. Talk about your favorite director.

2. Talk about your favorite artist or band.

3. Who is your favorite artist, and why does their work move you?

4. Can you remember a piece of art that moved you? Why did it happen?

5. Do you have a favorite food? What feelings does it evoke in you?

6. Talk about a book or a movie you connected to in different ways during different periods of your life.

7. What collectible would you like to own and why?

8. Talk about a person you admire.

9. Who is your favorite storyteller?

10. Talk about your favorite villain.

1. What did you first use the Internet for?

2. Failure in itself is not meaningful. What holds meaning is what we do with it. Discuss a time when you felt like you failed at something. Why was it important to you?

3. Talk about how moments change when you’re viewing them through a lens (e.g., a camera or binoculars)

4. What would your role be if humanity moved to a terraformed planet?

5. When in time would you like to live and where?

6. How does showing kindness to yourself compare to being kind to others?

7. Can you see yourself through somebody else’s eyes (e.g., your younger sibling)?

8. Recall a moment when you were in a really big crowd. How would you explain it to someone who’s never been in a crowd before (e.g., children born during a global pandemic that lasted 10 years)?

9. Talk about a moment when your life had a movie-like quality.

10. Have you had anything Kafkaesque happen to you?

11. Are results important?

If you need further guidance about your essay, try to look at what other students have written about and how they approach their topics. There are plenty of forums and sources out there.

Alternatively, you can explore different catalogs of popular essay topic ideas for college or cumulative essay topics lists . If you’re looking for age-specific prompts, try going through our catalogue of essay topic ideas for teens .

Wherever you draw your inspiration from, remember, the narrative essay topic you choose should be fun or interesting for you to explore. That’s why it’s helpful to draw from your personal experiences and introspect. After all, your experiences are relevant to you, and you’re the person who’s best qualified to write about them. That is a great start to finding the perfect narrative essay topic for you!

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40 Best Narrative Essay Topics

Narrative essays provide a unique opportunity for writers to share personal experiences, explore emotions, and captivate readers with engaging storytelling. However, finding the right topic can often be a challenging task. Fear not! In this blog post, we’ll explore 40 captivating narrative essay topics that are sure to inspire your creativity and help you craft compelling narratives.

Here are the 40 best narrative essay topics:

40 Captivating Narrative Essay Topics to Spark Your Creativity

A Life-Changing Moment: Describe an event that forever altered your perspective on life.
Overcoming Adversity: Share a story of resilience and triumph in the face of challenges.
A Journey of Self-Discovery: Reflect on a period of personal growth and transformation.
Unforgettable Travel Experience: Recount an adventure that left a lasting impression on you.
An Encounter with Kindness: Narrate a moment when a stranger’s act of kindness touched your heart.
Childhood Memories: Dive into the treasure trove of your childhood and reminisce about memorable moments.
Lessons Learned from Failure: Reflect on a time when failure became a stepping stone to success.
An Unlikely Friendship: Explore the dynamics of a friendship that defied expectations.
Facing Your Fears: Share a story of confronting and overcoming your deepest fears.
The Power of Love: Write about a profound experience that taught you the meaning of love.
Cultural Immersion: Describe an experience that exposed you to a new culture or perspective.
An Unexpected Turn of Events: Recount a story where life took an unexpected twist.
Standing Up for What’s Right: Narrate a moment when you stood up against injustice or adversity.
The Magic of Nature: Reflect on a memorable encounter with the beauty and wonder of the natural world.
An Epic Adventure: Take your readers on a thrilling journey filled with excitement and discovery.
A Family Tradition: Share the significance of a cherished family tradition and its impact on your life.
Embracing Change: Write about a significant life change and how it shaped your identity.
The Gift of Gratitude: Reflect on a moment when gratitude transformed your outlook on life.
An Act of Courage: Narrate a story of bravery and courage in the face of danger or uncertainty.
Finding Your Passion: Explore the journey of discovering and pursuing your true passion in life.
The Bond Between Siblings: Share the unique and enduring bond you share with your siblings.
Lessons from Nature: Reflect on the valuable lessons learned from observing the natural world.
Celebrating Diversity: Write about an experience that highlighted the beauty of diversity and inclusion.
An Unforgettable Teacher: Pay tribute to a teacher or mentor who made a profound impact on your life.
Moments of Serendipity: Recount a story of unexpected coincidences or serendipitous encounters.
The Joys of Parenthood: Share the joys and challenges of being a parent or caretaker.
The Power of Music: Explore the transformative power of music and its influence on your life.
Overcoming Cultural Barriers: Narrate a story of bridging cultural divides and building connections.
Finding Your Voice: Reflect on a journey of self-expression and finding your authentic voice.
A Brush with Greatness: Recount a memorable encounter with a famous or influential figure.
The Wisdom of Elders: Share the valuable lessons learned from the elders in your life.
An Act of Generosity: Write about a time when a generous gesture made a profound impact on you.
Navigating Identity: Explore the complexities of identity and belonging in a multicultural world.
The Healing Power of Forgiveness: Reflect on the transformative power of forgiveness in your life.
An Unexpected Hero: Narrate a story where an unlikely hero emerged in a moment of crisis.
Exploring Cultural Heritage: Share the significance of your cultural heritage and traditions.
The Pursuit of Dreams: Write about the challenges and triumphs of chasing your dreams.
Moments of Wonder: Recount a story that filled you with awe and wonder.
The Journey of Education: Reflect on the transformative power of education in shaping your life.
A Vision for the Future: Share your hopes, dreams, and aspirations for the future.

These 40 narrative essay topics provide a rich tapestry of experiences and themes to explore. Whether you’re reflecting on personal growth, celebrating moments of joy, or confronting challenges head-on, there’s a topic here to inspire every writer. So, grab your pen and let the storytelling begin!

How to Write a Narrative Essay Outline

Writing a narrative essay outline is essential for organizing your thoughts and ensuring a coherent and engaging story. Here’s a step-by-step guide to creating an effective narrative essay outline:

1. Introduction

Start with a hook: Begin your essay with a captivating sentence or anecdote to grab the reader’s attention.
Provide background information: Offer some context or background information relevant to your story to set the scene.
Thesis statement: State the main idea or purpose of your narrative essay. This could be the lesson learned, the significance of the experience, or the central theme.

2. Body Paragraphs

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First body paragraph: Introduce the setting and characters. Describe the time, place, and any important details about the characters involved.
Second body paragraph: Develop the conflict or challenge. Describe the main problem or obstacle that drives the narrative forward.
Third body paragraph: Build tension and suspense. Describe the events leading up to the climax, highlighting the rising action and any pivotal moments.
Fourth body paragraph: Reach the climax. Describe the turning point or the most intense moment of the story where the conflict is at its peak.
Fifth body paragraph: Provide resolution. Describe how the conflict is resolved or how the story concludes. Reflect on the aftermath and any lessons learned.

3. Conclusion:

Summarize key points: Recap the main events and key moments of your narrative.
Reflect on the significance: Discuss the importance of the experience or the lessons learned from it.
End with a closing statement: Leave the reader with a final thought or reflection that ties back to the thesis statement and reinforces the central message of your essay.

4. Optional Elements:

Transitional phrases: Use transition words and phrases to smoothly connect ideas and guide the reader through the narrative.
Flashbacks or flash-forwards: Incorporate flashback scenes or hints of future events to add depth and complexity to your narrative.
Dialogue: Include dialogue to bring your characters to life and add authenticity to the storytelling.
Descriptive language: Use vivid imagery and sensory details to paint a vivid picture for the reader and evoke emotions.

5. Revision and Editing

After outlining your narrative essay, review and revise it for clarity, coherence, and flow.
Check for grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors.
Consider feedback from peers or instructors to further refine your narrative and enhance its impact.

By following these steps and crafting a well-structured outline, you can effectively organize your narrative essay and create a compelling story that resonates with your readers.

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A narrative essay is one of the most intimidating assignments you can be handed at any level of your education. Where you've previously written argumentative essays that make a point or analytic essays that dissect meaning, a narrative essay asks you to write what is effectively a story .

But unlike a simple work of creative fiction, your narrative essay must have a clear and concrete motif —a recurring theme or idea that you’ll explore throughout. Narrative essays are less rigid, more creative in expression, and therefore pretty different from most other essays you’ll be writing.

But not to fear—in this article, we’ll be covering what a narrative essay is, how to write a good one, and also analyzing some personal narrative essay examples to show you what a great one looks like.

What Is a Narrative Essay?

At first glance, a narrative essay might sound like you’re just writing a story. Like the stories you're used to reading, a narrative essay is generally (but not always) chronological, following a clear throughline from beginning to end. Even if the story jumps around in time, all the details will come back to one specific theme, demonstrated through your choice in motifs.

Unlike many creative stories, however, your narrative essay should be based in fact. That doesn’t mean that every detail needs to be pure and untainted by imagination, but rather that you shouldn’t wholly invent the events of your narrative essay. There’s nothing wrong with inventing a person’s words if you can’t remember them exactly, but you shouldn’t say they said something they weren’t even close to saying.

Another big difference between narrative essays and creative fiction—as well as other kinds of essays—is that narrative essays are based on motifs. A motif is a dominant idea or theme, one that you establish before writing the essay. As you’re crafting the narrative, it’ll feed back into your motif to create a comprehensive picture of whatever that motif is.

For example, say you want to write a narrative essay about how your first day in high school helped you establish your identity. You might discuss events like trying to figure out where to sit in the cafeteria, having to describe yourself in five words as an icebreaker in your math class, or being unsure what to do during your lunch break because it’s no longer acceptable to go outside and play during lunch. All of those ideas feed back into the central motif of establishing your identity.

The important thing to remember is that while a narrative essay is typically told chronologically and intended to read like a story, it is not purely for entertainment value. A narrative essay delivers its theme by deliberately weaving the motifs through the events, scenes, and details. While a narrative essay may be entertaining, its primary purpose is to tell a complete story based on a central meaning.

Unlike other essay forms, it is totally okay—even expected—to use first-person narration in narrative essays. If you’re writing a story about yourself, it’s natural to refer to yourself within the essay. It’s also okay to use other perspectives, such as third- or even second-person, but that should only be done if it better serves your motif. Generally speaking, your narrative essay should be in first-person perspective.

Though your motif choices may feel at times like you’re making a point the way you would in an argumentative essay, a narrative essay’s goal is to tell a story, not convince the reader of anything. Your reader should be able to tell what your motif is from reading, but you don’t have to change their mind about anything. If they don’t understand the point you are making, you should consider strengthening the delivery of the events and descriptions that support your motif.

Narrative essays also share some features with analytical essays, in which you derive meaning from a book, film, or other media. But narrative essays work differently—you’re not trying to draw meaning from an existing text, but rather using an event you’ve experienced to convey meaning. In an analytical essay, you examine narrative, whereas in a narrative essay you create narrative.

The structure of a narrative essay is also a bit different than other essays. You’ll generally be getting your point across chronologically as opposed to grouping together specific arguments in paragraphs or sections. To return to the example of an essay discussing your first day of high school and how it impacted the shaping of your identity, it would be weird to put the events out of order, even if not knowing what to do after lunch feels like a stronger idea than choosing where to sit. Instead of organizing to deliver your information based on maximum impact, you’ll be telling your story as it happened, using concrete details to reinforce your theme.

3 Great Narrative Essay Examples

One of the best ways to learn how to write a narrative essay is to look at a great narrative essay sample. Let’s take a look at some truly stellar narrative essay examples and dive into what exactly makes them work so well.

A Ticket to the Fair by David Foster Wallace

Today is Press Day at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield, and I’m supposed to be at the fairgrounds by 9:00 A.M. to get my credentials. I imagine credentials to be a small white card in the band of a fedora. I’ve never been considered press before. My real interest in credentials is getting into rides and shows for free. I’m fresh in from the East Coast, for an East Coast magazine. Why exactly they’re interested in the Illinois State Fair remains unclear to me. I suspect that every so often editors at East Coast magazines slap their foreheads and remember that about 90 percent of the United States lies between the coasts, and figure they’ll engage somebody to do pith-helmeted anthropological reporting on something rural and heartlandish. I think they asked me to do this because I grew up here, just a couple hours’ drive from downstate Springfield. I never did go to the state fair, though—I pretty much topped out at the county fair level. Actually, I haven’t been back to Illinois for a long time, and I can’t say I’ve missed it.

Throughout this essay, David Foster Wallace recounts his experience as press at the Illinois State Fair. But it’s clear from this opening that he’s not just reporting on the events exactly as they happened—though that’s also true— but rather making a point about how the East Coast, where he lives and works, thinks about the Midwest.

In his opening paragraph, Wallace states that outright: “Why exactly they’re interested in the Illinois State Fair remains unclear to me. I suspect that every so often editors at East Coast magazines slap their foreheads and remember that about 90 percent of the United States lies between the coasts, and figure they’ll engage somebody to do pith-helmeted anthropological reporting on something rural and heartlandish.”

Not every motif needs to be stated this clearly , but in an essay as long as Wallace’s, particularly since the audience for such a piece may feel similarly and forget that such a large portion of the country exists, it’s important to make that point clear.

But Wallace doesn’t just rest on introducing his motif and telling the events exactly as they occurred from there. It’s clear that he selects events that remind us of that idea of East Coast cynicism , such as when he realizes that the Help Me Grow tent is standing on top of fake grass that is killing the real grass beneath, when he realizes the hypocrisy of craving a corn dog when faced with a real, suffering pig, when he’s upset for his friend even though he’s not the one being sexually harassed, and when he witnesses another East Coast person doing something he wouldn’t dare to do.

Wallace is literally telling the audience exactly what happened, complete with dates and timestamps for when each event occurred. But he’s also choosing those events with a purpose—he doesn’t focus on details that don’t serve his motif. That’s why he discusses the experiences of people, how the smells are unappealing to him, and how all the people he meets, in cowboy hats, overalls, or “black spandex that looks like cheesecake leotards,” feel almost alien to him.

All of these details feed back into the throughline of East Coast thinking that Wallace introduces in the first paragraph. He also refers back to it in the essay’s final paragraph, stating:

At last, an overarching theory blooms inside my head: megalopolitan East Coasters’ summer treats and breaks and literally ‘getaways,’ flights-from—from crowds, noise, heat, dirt, the stress of too many sensory choices….The East Coast existential treat is escape from confines and stimuli—quiet, rustic vistas that hold still, turn inward, turn away. Not so in the rural Midwest. Here you’re pretty much away all the time….Something in a Midwesterner sort of actuates , deep down, at a public event….The real spectacle that draws us here is us.

Throughout this journey, Wallace has tried to demonstrate how the East Coast thinks about the Midwest, ultimately concluding that they are captivated by the Midwest’s less stimuli-filled life, but that the real reason they are interested in events like the Illinois State Fair is that they are, in some ways, a means of looking at the East Coast in a new, estranging way.

The reason this works so well is that Wallace has carefully chosen his examples, outlined his motif and themes in the first paragraph, and eventually circled back to the original motif with a clearer understanding of his original point.

When outlining your own narrative essay, try to do the same. Start with a theme, build upon it with examples, and return to it in the end with an even deeper understanding of the original issue. You don’t need this much space to explore a theme, either—as we’ll see in the next example, a strong narrative essay can also be very short.

Death of a Moth by Virginia Woolf

After a time, tired by his dancing apparently, he settled on the window ledge in the sun, and, the queer spectacle being at an end, I forgot about him. Then, looking up, my eye was caught by him. He was trying to resume his dancing, but seemed either so stiff or so awkward that he could only flutter to the bottom of the window-pane; and when he tried to fly across it he failed. Being intent on other matters I watched these futile attempts for a time without thinking, unconsciously waiting for him to resume his flight, as one waits for a machine, that has stopped momentarily, to start again without considering the reason of its failure. After perhaps a seventh attempt he slipped from the wooden ledge and fell, fluttering his wings, on to his back on the window sill. The helplessness of his attitude roused me. It flashed upon me that he was in difficulties; he could no longer raise himself; his legs struggled vainly. But, as I stretched out a pencil, meaning to help him to right himself, it came over me that the failure and awkwardness were the approach of death. I laid the pencil down again.

In this essay, Virginia Woolf explains her encounter with a dying moth. On surface level, this essay is just a recounting of an afternoon in which she watched a moth die—it’s even established in the title. But there’s more to it than that. Though Woolf does not begin her essay with as clear a motif as Wallace, it’s not hard to pick out the evidence she uses to support her point, which is that the experience of this moth is also the human experience.

In the title, Woolf tells us this essay is about death. But in the first paragraph, she seems to mostly be discussing life—the moth is “content with life,” people are working in the fields, and birds are flying. However, she mentions that it is mid-September and that the fields were being plowed. It’s autumn and it’s time for the harvest; the time of year in which many things die.

In this short essay, she chronicles the experience of watching a moth seemingly embody life, then die. Though this essay is literally about a moth, it’s also about a whole lot more than that. After all, moths aren’t the only things that die—Woolf is also reflecting on her own mortality, as well as the mortality of everything around her.

At its core, the essay discusses the push and pull of life and death, not in a way that’s necessarily sad, but in a way that is accepting of both. Woolf begins by setting up the transitional fall season, often associated with things coming to an end, and raises the ideas of pleasure, vitality, and pity.

At one point, Woolf tries to help the dying moth, but reconsiders, as it would interfere with the natural order of the world. The moth’s death is part of the natural order of the world, just like fall, just like her own eventual death.

All these themes are set up in the beginning and explored throughout the essay’s narrative. Though Woolf doesn’t directly state her theme, she reinforces it by choosing a small, isolated event—watching a moth die—and illustrating her point through details.

With this essay, we can see that you don’t need a big, weird, exciting event to discuss an important meaning. Woolf is able to explore complicated ideas in a short essay by being deliberate about what details she includes, just as you can be in your own essays.

Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin

On the twenty-ninth of July, in 1943, my father died. On the same day, a few hours later, his last child was born. Over a month before this, while all our energies were concentrated in waiting for these events, there had been, in Detroit, one of the bloodiest race riots of the century. A few hours after my father’s funeral, while he lay in state in the undertaker’s chapel, a race riot broke out in Harlem. On the morning of the third of August, we drove my father to the graveyard through a wilderness of smashed plate glass.

Like Woolf, Baldwin does not lay out his themes in concrete terms—unlike Wallace, there’s no clear sentence that explains what he’ll be talking about. However, you can see the motifs quite clearly: death, fatherhood, struggle, and race.

Throughout the narrative essay, Baldwin discusses the circumstances of his father’s death, including his complicated relationship with his father. By introducing those motifs in the first paragraph, the reader understands that everything discussed in the essay will come back to those core ideas. When Baldwin talks about his experience with a white teacher taking an interest in him and his father’s resistance to that, he is also talking about race and his father’s death. When he talks about his father’s death, he is also talking about his views on race. When he talks about his encounters with segregation and racism, he is talking, in part, about his father.

Because his father was a hard, uncompromising man, Baldwin struggles to reconcile the knowledge that his father was right about many things with his desire to not let that hardness consume him, as well.

Baldwin doesn’t explicitly state any of this, but his writing so often touches on the same motifs that it becomes clear he wants us to think about all these ideas in conversation with one another.

At the end of the essay, Baldwin makes it more clear:

This fight begins, however, in the heart and it had now been laid to my charge to keep my own heart free of hatred and despair. This intimation made my heart heavy and, now that my father was irrecoverable, I wished that he had been beside me so that I could have searched his face for the answers which only the future would give me now.

Here, Baldwin ties together the themes and motifs into one clear statement: that he must continue to fight and recognize injustice, especially racial injustice, just as his father did. But unlike his father, he must do it beginning with himself—he must not let himself be closed off to the world as his father was. And yet, he still wishes he had his father for guidance, even as he establishes that he hopes to be a different man than his father.

In this essay, Baldwin loads the front of the essay with his motifs, and, through his narrative, weaves them together into a theme. In the end, he comes to a conclusion that connects all of those things together and leaves the reader with a lasting impression of completion—though the elements may have been initially disparate, in the end everything makes sense.

You can replicate this tactic of introducing seemingly unattached ideas and weaving them together in your own essays. By introducing those motifs, developing them throughout, and bringing them together in the end, you can demonstrate to your reader how all of them are related. However, it’s especially important to be sure that your motifs and clear and consistent throughout your essay so that the conclusion feels earned and consistent—if not, readers may feel mislead.

5 Key Tips for Writing Narrative Essays

Narrative essays can be a lot of fun to write since they’re so heavily based on creativity. But that can also feel intimidating—sometimes it’s easier to have strict guidelines than to have to make it all up yourself. Here are a few tips to keep your narrative essay feeling strong and fresh.

Develop Strong Motifs

Motifs are the foundation of a narrative essay . What are you trying to say? How can you say that using specific symbols or events? Those are your motifs.

In the same way that an argumentative essay’s body should support its thesis, the body of your narrative essay should include motifs that support your theme.

Try to avoid cliches, as these will feel tired to your readers. Instead of roses to symbolize love, try succulents. Instead of the ocean representing some vast, unknowable truth, try the depths of your brother’s bedroom. Keep your language and motifs fresh and your essay will be even stronger!

Use First-Person Perspective

In many essays, you’re expected to remove yourself so that your points stand on their own. Not so in a narrative essay—in this case, you want to make use of your own perspective.

Sometimes a different perspective can make your point even stronger. If you want someone to identify with your point of view, it may be tempting to choose a second-person perspective. However, be sure you really understand the function of second-person; it’s very easy to put a reader off if the narration isn’t expertly deployed.

If you want a little bit of distance, third-person perspective may be okay. But be careful—too much distance and your reader may feel like the narrative lacks truth.

That’s why first-person perspective is the standard. It keeps you, the writer, close to the narrative, reminding the reader that it really happened. And because you really know what happened and how, you’re free to inject your own opinion into the story without it detracting from your point, as it would in a different type of essay.

Stick to the Truth

Your essay should be true. However, this is a creative essay, and it’s okay to embellish a little. Rarely in life do we experience anything with a clear, concrete meaning the way somebody in a book might. If you flub the details a little, it’s okay—just don’t make them up entirely.

Also, nobody expects you to perfectly recall details that may have happened years ago. You may have to reconstruct dialog from your memory and your imagination. That’s okay, again, as long as you aren’t making it up entirely and assigning made-up statements to somebody.

Dialog is a powerful tool. A good conversation can add flavor and interest to a story, as we saw demonstrated in David Foster Wallace’s essay. As previously mentioned, it’s okay to flub it a little, especially because you’re likely writing about an experience you had without knowing that you’d be writing about it later.

However, don’t rely too much on it. Your narrative essay shouldn’t be told through people explaining things to one another; the motif comes through in the details. Dialog can be one of those details, but it shouldn’t be the only one.

Use Sensory Descriptions

Because a narrative essay is a story, you can use sensory details to make your writing more interesting. If you’re describing a particular experience, you can go into detail about things like taste, smell, and hearing in a way that you probably wouldn’t do in any other essay style.

These details can tie into your overall motifs and further your point. Woolf describes in great detail what she sees while watching the moth, giving us the sense that we, too, are watching the moth. In Wallace’s essay, he discusses the sights, sounds, and smells of the Illinois State Fair to help emphasize his point about its strangeness. And in Baldwin’s essay, he describes shattered glass as a “wilderness,” and uses the feelings of his body to describe his mental state.

All these descriptions anchor us not only in the story, but in the motifs and themes as well. One of the tools of a writer is making the reader feel as you felt, and sensory details help you achieve that.

What’s Next?

Looking to brush up on your essay-writing capabilities before the ACT? This guide to ACT English will walk you through some of the best strategies and practice questions to get you prepared!

Part of practicing for the ACT is ensuring your word choice and diction are on point. Check out this guide to some of the most common errors on the ACT English section to be sure that you're not making these common mistakes!

A solid understanding of English principles will help you make an effective point in a narrative essay, and you can get that understanding through taking a rigorous assortment of high school English classes !

Melissa Brinks graduated from the University of Washington in 2014 with a Bachelor's in English with a creative writing emphasis. She has spent several years tutoring K-12 students in many subjects, including in SAT prep, to help them prepare for their college education.

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50 Narrative Essay Topics

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but a narrative essay can also tell an exciting story and create vivid pictures in the reader’s mind! We’ve got 50 narrative essay topics designed to prompt students to craft memorable written narratives. These can be modified for students in elementary, middle and high school. Feel free to print the entire narrative essay topics list for plenty of inspiration for your next narrative essay assignment!

Narrative Essay Topics

Your first day of school.
Your most exciting day of school
A field trip that your class took.
Your favorite summer vacation.
A trip that included something unexpected or surprising.
A time that you experienced something spooky.
A time that you experienced something truly frightening.
A time that you learned something new that changed you in some way.
The moment when you met someone who changed your life.
The day that you got your first pet.
A move from one place to another.
Something funny that happened to you.
Something funny that happened to one of your family members or friends.
Something embarrassing that happened to you.
Your favorite birthday party.
A birthday that was disappointing.
A big storm (rain, snow or even a tornado!).
A time that the power went out.
A summer day when the temperature got much higher than expected.
A time when you went to an amusement park.
A time when you got lost somewhere.
A memorable experience with a favorite family member.
A sad experience with someone about whom you care.
Your most exciting moment playing sports.
Your most exciting moment performing in a play, singing, playing music or dancing.
An experience that left you feeling frustrated.
An experience that was hard but ended up being worth it.
A time that you experienced rejection.
A weird encounter with a stranger.
A random act of kindness.
A time that you took a stand for someone or for an issue that you care about.
A moment when you thought you might get hurt but didn’t.
Breaking a bone (or otherwise suffering an injury).
Your first time away from home for the night (or longer).
A time when you experienced a historic event.
Where you were when a major event happened. (Note: You don’t need to have been at the site of the event; this prompt is about where you were when you found out about the event and how you reacted.)
A time when you rebelled against your parents or teacher.
A dangerous experience.
A misunderstanding between yourself and someone else.
A difficult decision that you had to make.
The end of a friendship or relationship.
The beginning of a friendship or relationship.
A time when you judged someone first and then realized that you were wrong about the person.
A time when someone judged you first and then realized that he or she was wrong about you.
A moment when you felt that you were starting to grow up.
A time when you saw one or both of your parents in a different light.
A time when you looked up to your older sibling.
A time when your younger sibling looked up to you.
A time when you were grateful to be an only child.
An experience that you think has only ever happened to you!

Looking for more essay topics? Compare and Contrast Essay Topics Descriptive Essay Topics Cause and Effect Essay Topics Persuasive Essay and Speech Topics

164 Narrative Essay Topics for School & College Students

A narrative essay tells a story about a series of events. At the core of this kind of essay can be a personal experience or a fictional plot. Any story can be a basis for a narrative essay!

Narratives can look similar to descriptions. Still, they are different. A descriptive essay aims to explain the details of a specific moment. Narrative writing focuses on a sequence of events to tell a complete story.

In this article, we have prepared a list of narrative essay topics for high school, college, and university students. The topic ideas are divided by spheres. In the collection below, you’ll find the ideas based on personal experience as well as fictional narrative essay topics. Make use of resources offered by our custom writing experts to write any paper!

🔝 Top 10 Topics
📖 Fictional Topics
🧑✍️ Personal Narrative
✈️ Traveling
🧒 Elementary

✏️ Middle School

🧑‍🏫 high school.

👫 Relationships
🧸 Childhood
💡 Writing Guide and Tips

🔝 Top 10 Narrative Essay Topics: High School

Your childhood role model
How you overcame hardship
The best news you have ever heard
The time you experienced culture shock
A story of how you mistreated someone
The most memorable encounter you’ve had
An unexpected event that changed your life
The most embarrassing conversation you’ve had
When you realized you were wrong in an argument
A person who changed your opinion on something

📖 Fictional Narrative Essay Topics

The art of writing fiction is all about narrating a story. In a fictional narrative, you are free to create a tale that doesn’t relate to real life. Take a look at the fictional narrative essay topics below:

Write a narrative where a girl discovers her superpower.
A story about a land that has 25 hours in a day.
Describe your version of the future .
Fiction narrative where a person discovers big city life.
Come up with an apocalyptic story.
A group of scientists discovering a new world inside the Earth.

Write about a hamster that prevented a house robbery.
A person who saves the country from mass-produced poisoned food .
A group of high school students helping to improve their city.
A new civilization in a far away galaxy.
Write about a grandfather who was secretly a spy.
A narrative about a person waking up from the surgery with a different identity .
Create a story about a mysterious musical instrument .
A college student who won the presidential election.
Compose a story about a painting that looks different in every new house.
An anonymous person sends lots of money to the poor.
Come up with a fictional narrative about a family with unusual tendencies.
A movie star who lives out their roles in real life.
Passengers of an airplane encounter a UFO .
A narrative where a farmer grows strange plants.
Write about an orphan who finds out about their inheritance .
Story of siblings who resolve a long-lasting argument.

🧑✍️ Personal Narrative Essay Topics

A personal narrative is devoted to the author’s own experience. Therefore, feel free to write in first person. Include your thoughts and emotions. Do your best to describe the details of your narrative. This will help the reader to relive the story with you. Here is the list of excellent topic ideas for your essay:

Memories of your first sports coach.
A story of how you dyed your hair.
Write about something you did against your parents’ will.
Recall a day when you got in a fight with your best friend .
What was the most exciting adventure in your life?
An unfortunate situation that had a good ending.
Write about the time when you had to train hard for a competition.
Describe the turning point of your life.
An experience when you had to overcome your fear.
Write about the circumstances that brought you and your parents closer.
Describe a memorable conversation with someone.

An imaginary world you’ve created as a child.
Who gave you the most valuable lesson in your life?
One time when you regretted doing something.
A particularly embarrassing situation you went through.
Your memories of seeing something very beautiful.
A moment that made you proud of yourself.
Recall a time when you taught a child to do something.
What was the most memorable news report you saw in your life?
Describe a day when you stood up for someone.
Write about the best birthday party you’ve ever had.
Share your experience of being lost.

📚 Literacy Narrative Essay Topics

Literacy narrative revolves around reflecting on feelings connected to reading and writing. For this type of essay, think of yourself as a reader and a writer. You can describe any reading experience, whether it is a book, email, or social media post.

The most touching piece of writing you’ve ever read.
Write about a book that impacted you the most.
A news article that changed your view on life.
What book character do you most identify with?
Talk about a piece of fiction that captured your imagination.
What was your favorite novel growing up?
The scariest story you’ve ever read.
Recall your emotions after reading a heartfelt social media post.
What is the most boring book you’ve read?
Describe a book that you would reread over and over again.

A book report is considered a narrative essay.

Your experience of reading a story to a child.
Have you ever read something that taught you a lesson?
Do you see yourself becoming a professional writer?
Recall the day when you had to complete your first writing assignment.
How does sharing thoughts on social media make you feel?
If you were to write a book, who would be the main character?
Talk about the most personal thing you’ve ever written.
Describe your experience of composing a poem.
Why can someone have difficulty with writing?
Recall what it was like to read for the first time.
What does journaling mean to you?
Have you ever been proud of something you wrote?

✈️ Narrative Essay Topics about Traveling

In this section, you get to engage your creativity! A narrative essay about traveling is supposed to show the reader what it’s like to explore the world. Present a story taking place in a real or imaginary location:

Your first time traveling to another country.
Friends taking a trip to the Great Canyon.
Write a narrative about traveling to your dream location.
Describe a trip to the Taj Mahal.
A day-long road trip.
Share your experience of visiting a historical site.
Come up with a story about getting around the airport .
What to do if you are lost in a foreign country?
A day in the life of a flight attendant .
Write about eating unusual foods from around the world.
Describe talking to a local in a foreign language .
A narrative about going on a seven-day cruise .
Tell the reader about the most breathtaking view you’ve ever seen.
Write a story about riding a train.
A short narrative about an out-of-state road trip.

Traveling to see your family on holidays.
Come up with a narrative about hitchhiking across America.
What is it like to travel in the air balloon?
How to prepare for a trip around the world.
What to do if your luggage got lost in a foreign country.
Describe packing a suitcase for a long trip.
A story about a person missing their plane.

🏫 Narrative Essay Topics about School

This section is for all grades! Writing a narrative essay about school gives you a chance to share your personal experience as a student. You can write about precious memories, challenges, or influential people in your school career. Pick one of the narrative essay topics about school from this list:

🧒 Elementary School

Write a story with your favorite teacher as the main character.
Describe your first day at school.
A fun memory with your best friend.
What is your favorite thing to do during a break?
Tell your reader about something interesting you learned in class recently.
A day when you had to leave school early.
Recall your favorite celebration with classmates.
Write about your favorite school subject.
A story about your most unusual day at school.
How did you bond with your classmates?
Come up with narrative about a memorable event at the cafeteria .
The last day of school before the summer break .
One time when you forgot to bring something to the class.
Describe how you worked on a science project.
The most challenging class you took in middle school.
A story of how you pranked a friend.
Have you ever won a school competition?
The day when you’ve decided on your future profession.
Write about the teacher who impacted you the most.
A story of a serious conversation you had about your grades .
The day when you got in trouble with the principal .
Reflect on a class you will never forget.

👫 Narrative Essay Topics about Relationships

Narrative essay about relationships focuses on presenting a story about connections between people. You can write about your family, friends, or loved ones. Make sure to pick a statement that you will expand on in your story. Use the following list of narrative writing topics to come up with your narrative about relationships.

A conflict between generations .
What is it like to be in love ?
Write about how hatred can destroy relationships.
Describe an example of loyalty.
A story about maintaining friendship via social media .
Come up with a narrative where people with opposite personalities are getting along.
Tell the reader about somebody being generous.
Write about a couple being honest with each other.
A story where classmates treat each other with respect.
Describe a family that maintains loving relationship no matter what.
A story where you help somebody who used to be your enemy .
How friendliness can brighten up a person’s day.
Talk about the pain of ending a relationship .

Children learning from their parents about empathy .
A narrative about food connecting people.
Come up with a story about unfulfilled expectations.
The importance of authentic conversations in a friendship.
What relational patterns do you see in your family?
Manifestations of real love in everyday life.
A story when someone makes a sacrifice for the sake of others.
Describe a situation where parents are bonding with their child.
Talk about the most meaningful relationship in your life.

🧸 Childhood Narrative Essay Topics

Childhood narrative essays are about sharing memories from the time when you were little. You can write about playing with friends or a day when you fell off the bike. Or, ask your family members to recall some episodes from your childhood.

A story of how you received your nickname.
Write about playing with your favorite toys.
What is the most memorable place you went to when you were little?
What kind of friends did you have when you were little?
Did you ever break anything?
Recall your earliest childhood memories.
What was the first valuable lesson you’ve learned as a kid?
Share your favorite childhood sports memory.
A story of your first triumph.
What did you enjoy doing when you were little?

A moment from your childhood that your parents often recall.
Which talents did you have when you were a child?
What was it like to grow up with your siblings?
Write a narrative about your favorite pet.
The most memorable childhood moment with your family.
Were there any challenges you had to overcome as a kid?
What was your favorite children’s book ?
Did you ever get lost when you were little?
An exciting sleepover you had with friends.
Write a story about how you and your friends went on an adventure.
A family holiday that you will remember forever.
What was your favorite food in your early years?

💡 Narrative Essay Writing Guide and Tips

As you already know, writing a narrative essay is very similar to telling a story. Here are a few tips to remember for narrative writing:

Tip 1: Use your memories. Take time to write down everything you can recall about the event. You can use it as a basis for your paper.
Tip 2: Be clear. Stick to the main idea of the essay. It’s better not to add characters or details that are not relevant to the story you’re telling.
Tip 3: Choose words carefully. In an essay words to are like paint on a canvas. The use of vivid language can help you create a story worth reading.

Now, pay attention to this step-by-step guide. It will help you outline an on-point narrative essay:

Introduction. In the opening paragraph, determine the main idea of the paper. Make a clear thesis that reflects the purpose of your narrative. To help yourself with this part, you can try a narrative essay thesis generator .

In this essay, I want to share my happiest childhood memory of playing with my older brother.

The body. Since you are writing the narrative essay as a story, make sure to tell the story well. Think through the plot with conflict, climax, and a powerful conclusion. Take your time to introduce the setting and the characters. All this will make your paper entertaining and easy to read.
Conclusion. Bring your narrative to a logical end. Expanding on the thesis statement will help you write a great conclusion.

Playing with my older brother taught me the true meaning of family, and I’m very grateful for it.

We hope this article helped you figure out how to write a narrative essay!

You may be also interested in:

How to Write a Narrative Essay: Easy Guide and Useful Tips
How to Start an Autobiography about Yourself: Full Guide + Autobiography Examples
How to Write a Creative Essay: Tips, Topics and Techniques
Breaking Down the Types of Essays: a Complete Guide for Success

🔍 References

Narrative Essays: Purdue University
Nailing the Craft of Narrative Writing: WeAreTeachers
Narrative and Reflection Writing Samples: Western Technical College
Drafting a Narrative: Walden University
Scholarly Personal Narrative: University of Vermont
The Power of Personal Narratives in the Classroom: University of Washington
Fiction Writing Basics: Purdue University
How to Write a Literacy Narrative: Pen and the Pad
Literacy Narratives: UNC Charlotte
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200 Best Topic Ideas for Narrative Essay
Best Narrative Essay Topics: How to Choose the One That Resonates A narrative essay is a type of writing that tells a personal story, including characters, plot, setting, and the order of events. Its main goal is to connect with readers emotionally and share a specific message or insight through the retelling of a meaningful experience.
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3 Narrative Essay Topics for Students. 3.1 Narrative Essay Topics for High School Students. 3.2 Good Narrative Essay Topics for College Students. 4 Topics for essays on themes: 4.1 Personal Narrative Essay Topics. 4.2 Personal Experience Narrative Essay Topics. 4.3 Narrative Essay Topics About Childhood.
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Narrative Essay Topics for Grade 5. My First Day at a New School. The Time I Learned to Ride a Bike. A Visit to a Haunted House. The Day I Met a Real-Life Superhero. My Most Memorable Family Vacation. A Surprising Encounter with an Animal. The Mystery of the Missing Homework. The Best Birthday Party I Ever Had.
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We've prepared a list of 100 narrative essay topics that are perfect prompts for students at all academic levels—from elementary to high school. These topics are designed to spark creativity and encourage students to write impactful narratives. ... List of Narrative Essay Topics. Your first encounter with a best friend. The most challenging ...
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A narrative essay is a prose-written story that's focused on the commentary of a central theme. Narrative essays are generally written in the first-person POV, and are usually about a topic that's personal to the writer. Everything in a narrative essay should take place in an established timeline, with a clear beginning, middle, and end.
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Narrative Essay Topics - Best Topic Ideas for Your Essay. By: Nathan D. 10 min read. Reviewed By: Rylee W. Published on: May 19, 2020 . A narrative essay is similar to storytelling. Writing a narrative essay means that the writer is narrating a story. It can be related to a person, place, personal experience, or event in your life.
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Best narrative essay topics - our choice. The best narrative essay topic ideas are going to be different for every individual. This section is going to choose some topics that offer the most space for creativity, are interesting to write about, or offer a broad chance for self-reflection. ...
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A great narrative essay topic is both personal and widely relatable. Check out these narrative essay topics to see which resonates with your story.
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These topics are all a natural fit for a story arc, which is a central part of a narrative essay. Childhood Tales. Writing about your childhood can be a great choice for a narrative essay. We are growing and learning during this delicate and often awkward time. Sharing these moments can be funny, endearing, and emotional.
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Choosing a topic. Narrative essay assignments vary widely in the amount of direction you're given about your topic. You may be assigned quite a specific topic or choice of topics to work with. ... The best kind of story for a narrative essay is one you can use to talk about a particular theme or lesson, or that takes a surprising turn ...
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A good narrative essay will begin with an attention-grabbing opening line. But make sure to avoid common clichés, such as "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.". Instead, come up with something original and specific to you and your situation. For example: "My pre-calc teacher was obsessed with circles.
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Narrative essays are truly works of art, and good artists must practice their craft. Here is a list of 101 narrative essay topics, prompts, and short story ideas to give students the practice that they need to become better writers: Everybody gets afraid sometimes. If there were no fear, there would be no opportunity for bravery.
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Here are 100 potential narrative essay topics: A time I overcame a fear. The day I met my best friend. A family vacation that went wrong. The experience of learning to ride a bike. Attending my first concert. My most difficult class in school so far. My proudest accomplishment. A time I failed at something.
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Narrative Essay Topics for Different Grades Let's look at the narrative speech topics for different grades. Narrative Essay Topics for Grade 5. My first bicycle ride. My dad is my hero. A day with my grandmother. My first day at school. My best friend. My favorite teacher. A school trip to the zoo. My grandpa's hands. The most exciting day ...
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This is why we've come up with 151 of the best narrative essay topics and ideas for you. 40 Best Personal Narrative Essay Topics. Personal stories make for the best narratives. This is why choosing a personal subject as your narrative essay topic might be the best idea. Although sharing an intimate story might seem daunting at first, remember ...
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A narrative essay delivers its theme by deliberately weaving the motifs through the events, scenes, and details. While a narrative essay may be entertaining, its primary purpose is to tell a complete story based on a central meaning. Unlike other essay forms, it is totally okay—even expected—to use first-person narration in narrative essays.
50 Narrative Essay Topics
A weird encounter with a stranger. A random act of kindness. A time that you took a stand for someone or for an issue that you care about. A moment when you thought you might get hurt but didn't. Breaking a bone (or otherwise suffering an injury). Your first time away from home for the night (or longer).
164 Narrative Essay Topics for School & College Students
Take a look at the fictional narrative essay topics below: Write a narrative where a girl discovers her superpower. A story about a land that has 25 hours in a day. Describe your version of the future. Fiction narrative where a person discovers big city life. Come up with an apocalyptic story.
150 Narrative Essay Topics To Impress Teacher in 2024
Traveling Narrative essay topics: A Journey Through Ancient Cities: Exploring History and Culture. Backpacking Adventures: Lessons Learned from Life on the Road. Navigating the World's Majestic Mountains and Rugged Terrains. Island Hopping: Experiencing the Beauty of Oceans and Beaches.

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