Freshman composition teachers often assign descriptive and narrative essays. They're a favorite first-assignment, but what is a narrative essay and is it the same thing as a descriptive essay? It depends on who you talk to, but I think most teachers would tell you that although narratives and descriptive essays have similar characteristics, they are technically different genres (types of writing). Let's discuss them both! What is a descriptive essay? A descriptive essay asks the writer to describe something, usually a(n)...
I almost always suggest students organize their descriptive essays spatially, which means breaking up their subject into a sections. For example, if I were going to describe a restaurant, I might have one body paragraph about the welcome desk, the second describing the left-hand side of the dining room, the third about the center, and (maybe) a final body paragraph about the right-hand side of the dining room. What is a narrative essay? A narrative essay is extremely similar to a descriptive essay. It, too, requires you to paint a picture with words by using all five senses. The difference, however, is a focus on the experience being told. The word "narrative," after all, is a fancy word for "story." Your goal in writing a narrative is to paint a story with words. You will
This is probably the most challenging aspect of the narrative essay because we're used to having introductions that lead into our subjects, guideposts that tell our readers what to expect in each paragraph, etc. Instead, be creative! Let the timeline of your narrative help you organize your specific details, and allow plot points to guide you as you draft. How do you write a descriptive essay or narrative? For both genres (types of writing) you will want to... Start with a specific subject Most of the time, we think the bigger the subject, the more words we can write. This, however, is a myth. The smaller your subject (or topic choice) the easier it is to come with ideas for your essay. For example, you would not want to choose China as your subject for a descriptive essay. It's too big! Instead, choose a specific location, like
The same is true for a narrative. You would never want to choose my two years in the army as your subject or your entire childhood. These timelines are too long for a short and simple narrative assignment. In fact, if you think about it, you would need an entire book to cover these timelines. Instead, choose a specific moment in time. I suggest
When you choose a long timeline, you inevitably end up skipping around or omitting details simply so you can "get through" the story. Readers will feel rushed and confused. Slow down! It's okay (and preferred) to focus on a single day or hour. You will have enough ideas to write your paper. I promise! A word of caution: When choosing a subject for your narrative essay, be careful not to choose something too personal or emotional. Remember, you may be doing peer review, so your classmates will read your story--- as well as your instructor. Use all five senses Remember, the five senses are
I suggest you spend some time brainstorming each and see what you can come up with! Most of the time we rely on our sight, which is a good start--- but don't forget to include other sensory details, like smell and sound. These will make your descriptions more vivid! When using the five senses, be as specific as possible, so instead of saying the place smelled terrible, you might say, "the hotel smelled of dirty socks and day-old noodles." For narratives, you can utilize action as well as dialogue! So, instead of saying something like, my mom gets annoyed when I don't clean my room, you might try, My mom wrinkled her nose as she entered into my room and said, "I don't know how you stand being in this room. It's a pig sty!" Show, don't tell This is especially important in narratives because we often wish to convey emotions in our stories, but you will also want to use this trick in descriptive essays as well. "Show, don't tell," basically means to be as specific as you can and trust your readers to pick-up on the emotions behind images and ideas. So, instead of saying, my sister was mad at me, you'd want to describe what she did that shows she was mad. For example, "I hate you!" my sister yelled and stomped down the hall, slamming her bedroom door behind her. Can you see how the second one shows she's mad without me even telling you that? Always comb through your drafts for emotions or ideas that are "told" to the reader and see if you can flesh them out with action, vivid descriptions, or dialogue. Adhere to any special requirements from the teacher Teachers often have special requirements, so review your assignment instructions carefully. Some teachers, for example, may ask you to include a thesis statement in your narrative essay, while most do not. This thesis will likely need to sum up or give your "overall impression," which simply means to say in one sentence (after giving the set up for your story) what you learned from the experience. Or, you may be asked to reflect on the narrative at the end, which means you will include your closing thoughts after you've concluded your story, often as its own paragraph. Again, read your instructions or talk to your teacher. Concluding tips
When it comes to narrative essays, make sure you organize by beginning, middle, and end. I strongly suggest you establish the setting (location) for your story by describing the sights, sounds, and smells (etc) as you introduce key players, thoughts, and dialogue into your narrative. As always, remember that writing is a process. It's okay if you don't "get it" the first time. We often discover our "stories" as we write, so be open to multiple drafts or versions of your essay before turning in your final draft. Also, don't be afraid to reach out to a writing tutor. We understand the challenges of the writing process and the common pitfalls while writing in this genre. Oftentimes, we're able to pick up on errors (big and small) simply because we're not as emotionally attached to your writing as you are. Let me know in the comments if these tips were useful, and best of luck!
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