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 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.
- 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.
✏️ Middle School
- 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.
🧑🏫 High 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.
Example:
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.
Example:
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!
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