How to Write a Narrative Essay Outline – Tips & Examples

A narrative essay is a type of academic essay in which the writer narrates a story. It is the most commonly assigned form of academic writing. Students have to face the narrative essay writing task quite often, so it is essential to know how to handle it. A narrative essay is a story, so it’s important to know how to write one. The best way to start your outline is by brainstorming ideas.

Who are the characters?

What do they want?

How does this conflict with their goals and who wins in the end?

There are many different types of essays you can write about, but all will have some sort of conflict. Once you’ve figured out the basics, be creative! You could explore an event that happened in your life or tell a fictional story.

The importance of creating an outline for an essay like this cannot be overstated. This article by Custom-Writing.org will assist you in that process. In it, you will find:

• The definition of a narrative essay.
• Useful tips for crafting a narrative essay outline.
• A downloadable example template in PDF format.

Contents

• 📚 What Is a Narrative Essay?
• ✍️ How to Write an Outline
  • Introduction
  • Main Body
  • Conclusion
• 📝 Narrative Essay Outline Template
• ❓ FAQs
• 🔍 References

📚 What Is a Narrative Essay?

A narrative essay is a piece written in a story format, aiming to prove a particular point, yet distinct from typical essays. Key differences include:

• Argumentation: Unlike traditional essays, narrative essays use the entire story to convey the author’s perspective rather than presenting direct arguments.
• Unique Elements: Besides the usual parts like the introduction and thesis, narrative essays require characters, dialogues, a climax, and more.
• Creative Style: Narrative essays allow for a more creative approach, using vivid imagery and descriptive language, unlike the formal tone of standard essays.

You aren’t limited to a single story; multiple stories can be woven together to support your thesis.

✍️ How to Write a Narrative Essay Outline

First, decide the type of story you want to create. You have two options:

• Personal Experience: Easier to write as it involves recounting real events.
• Fiction: More challenging as it requires creating a story from scratch but can be more fulfilling.

Next, decide on the complexity of your outline. It can be basic or detailed, but remember, a narrative essay typically consists of five paragraphs.

Narrative Essay Structure

Introduction Your introduction should capture the reader’s attention with a hook, provide relevant background information, and present a thesis statement.

Narrative Essay Thesis Statement The thesis should convey the main idea of your story and can be part of the narrative. Examples include:

• If only I knew the power music holds and how it can dramatically change one’s perception of things.
• I didn’t know yet that this event would change how I saw classical music and its fans.

Body Paragraphs You can structure the body paragraphs in two ways:

• Separate Stories: Each paragraph as an individual story supporting your thesis.
• Single Story: The entire body tells one cohesive story.

General Storytelling Rules

• Maintain chronological order.
• Ensure the narrative includes an introduction, development, and conclusion.

Body Paragraph Content Suggestions

1. Description: Set the scene and introduce characters.
2. Development: Advance the plot and develop characters.
3. Climax and Conclusion: Reach the story’s high point and resolve it.

For example, in a story about a classical concert, the outline could be:

• Paragraph 1: Describe the concert hall and attendees.
• Paragraph 2: Develop the story, possibly mentioning an unexpected encounter with a friend.
• Paragraph 3: Culminate with an insight about classical music fans, challenging initial prejudices.

Conclusion Summarize the story, restate the thesis in a new light, and highlight the key insight. For instance:

• This is the story of my epiphany on the connection between music and personality. Judging people by their music taste turned out to be a gigantic mistake, but I am happy to have made this misstep since it helped me learn an important lesson.

📝 Narrative Essay Outline Template

• Introduction
  • Hook: A captivating sentence.
  • Background information: Essential context.
  • Thesis statement: The main point.
• Body Paragraphs
  • Description: Visualize the story and introduce characters.
  • Development: Build the storyline and character arcs.
  • Climax and End: Reach the narrative’s peak and conclusion.
• Conclusion
  • Summary: Recap the story.
  • Restated thesis: Reinforce the main claim and provide deeper insight.