Thursday, February 24, 2022
Wednesday, February 23, 2022
Tuesday, February 22, 2022
Prompts for 2-22-22
Most people aren't loyal to you...
They are loyal to their needs
fulfilled through you
Once their needs change
their loyalty to you changes
Tuesday, February 15, 2022
How to Write A Narrative Essay
Lily writes a narrative essay with the hope of developing writing skills.
But she is terrified and getting goosebumps while writing. She used her complete knowledge in writing, and after that, she went to the kitchen to make a cake. She comes and revises it later.
She comes back and starts revising, but she feels it’s not up to the mark. It’s too dull. She thinks about how to write a narrative essay impressively. How can I impress the audience with the story?
Are you also one of those assigned to write a narrative essay in your college or high school? Remember, it is a good opportunity to improve your storytelling skills. For most students writing a narrative essay is so much fun. In this blog post, we will be discussing “how to write a narrative essay.”
What Is A Narrative Essay?
A narrative essay is an essay that tells us a story. These are commonly assigned in high schools and colleges. It also contains a plot, characters, conflicts, etc., like stories. Most of the time, students are told to write their personal experiences in the form of a story. It is done so that class or readers can connect with it.
Since everyone likes stories, so these essays got so many readers. Hence it is very important to work on its content and format. Writing a narrative essay can be fun if you do it properly. Movies and some YouTube videos are also narrative essays, but they are in the form of videos.
Apart from this, the narrative essay is one of the types of essays assigned to the students as an academic writing paper. That is why its quality depends on the technique that you have used to write it. There is a specific structure of this essay type, and it is as follows:
- Introduction: It consists of an overview of your narrative essay that allows the readers to understand your story’s motive. Don’t forget to include a thesis statement of 3-4 lines so that it can easily direct your essay in a proper direction to the readers.
- Main Body: Try to gather all the relevant facts, details, and supporting arguments that can support your story. Logically write each idea and place them in a sequence. If your main body of the essay is of 3-4 paragraph, then go for it. But remember to include a new idea in each paragraph.
- Conclusion/Summary: Here, students have to sum up their ideas that have been included in the main body of the essay. Writing 3-5 lines in it are sufficient to end up your essay writing. Do not put a new idea here as it can lead the readers to misguide about your narrative essay.
Purpose of Narrative Essays
This essay is all about telling stories to the readers. It is their main purpose. As a writer, you have to mention personal experience, but you have to make sure you mention your point clearly so that the reader understands. Explain why your story is worth sharing.
Many students have confusion regarding the persuasive essay and narrative essay. They considered them the same. Do they are the same?
No, that’s not right. Let’ compare the both-
| Points of comparison | Persuasive essay | Narrative essay |
| 1. Objective | To convince with specific arguments | To tell the story |
| 2. Temperament | Sensible | Creative, emotional |
| 3. Writing style | logical, purpose, 3rd person | Compelling, personal, 1st person |
| 4. Example | Should soda be offered in school cafeterias? | Meeting a famous person |
What Are The Narrative Essay Examples?
- Meeting a famous person.
- Playground Memory.
- My first job.
- Traveling to the US for the first time.
- Little leader.
- Ultimate cricket match.
- My secret place.
- Living a dream.
- Near-death experience.
- Best vacation with my family.
How To Write A Narrative Essay: Step By Step Guide
If you are searching for how to write a narrative essay then you should know about some important steps for writing a narrative essay that are as follows-
Choose a good topic
It is the first step toward writing a narrative essay. At first, you should have a good topic to write about. Choose your topic in such a way that you can convert it into a story of yours.
Choose your story
After choosing a topic, you need to choose a good story. The story must be related to the topic or theme you choose. It should not hurt anyone’s sentiments, and it must relate to the reader so that they can enjoy the narrative essay more.
Do the research if required
Writing a narrative essay does not need much research. It is because it is related to your personal experiences. But some topics are there, which require research to add extra information to the content.
Write the draft
Now outline the plot before you begin. Make a list of all the incidents systematically so that you will not miss any point during writing. This will enable you to know where the story starts, its main incidents and where does it end. Remember you are writing an essay, not a novel. So, your story must be fairly contained and concise.
Describe important characters
While writing a narrative essay, you must describe all the important characters. Describe them about how they look, what they wear, age, height and also mention some interesting facts about them.
For example: “My grandmother was sharpening her pencil with a razor blade and unpacking her watercolor paint and paintbrushes from their special travel box. She was wearing a loose green cardigan with her floral printed skirts. Her white hairs were combed neatly and tied in a bun”.
Find the antagonist of the story
It is very important to find the antagonist of the story and the conflict. Without this, it will be boring. In most of the stories, the protagonist is the writer itself. The antagonist is always the person who stops the protagonist from achieving what he wants.
Describe the scene
You also need to describe the scene in detail. It is important because by this you can make readers imagine the scene properly.
Omit unnecessary details
You do not need to provide any unnecessary details. Omit those details or topics that are not relevant to your story.
Write events chronologically
It is very important to write all the events in a chronological manner. If not done so, your story will not make sense. So what happened first must be written at first.
Revise your essay
After making the first draft of your narrative essay:
- Revise it.
- Check whether the theme, title, and story are related.
- Proceed with editing and proofreading.
Make the final draft
Now make the final draft of your narrative essay.
Quick Links
- Tips For Structuring An Essay
- How To Write An Essay
- Fruitful Ways Of How To Write An Autobiography Essay
Things To Remember While Writing A Narrative Essay: Do’s And Don’ts
- Keep your essay concise. Do not over-explain unnecessary things, people and plots.
- Always make an outline of events before you start writing
- Do not describe each and every character in detail. For non-important characters, a brief description is enough.
- Add vibrant details. You can add some details just to spice up the story. But try to stay as true as possible.
- Always stay consistent. Narrative essays are always written in the past tense. Do not mix up tenses.
- These are generally written in the first person, i.e. making use of “I” statements.
- Take care of your grammar. Do not make any grammatical mistakes.
- Always highlight the important moments of your story. This enables the readers to remember those points.
- Get assistance if you are not able to do it well.
Additional tips for writing an effective narrative essay
- The words and sentences of your narrative essay must be clear. Use different colors to highlight the main points.
- Factors in your essay must be supported with relevant details and mention the references for each point.
- If there is a need to write the conflict, put it without hesitation as it makes your narrative essay more realistic.
- Flash-forwards and flashbacks can help you to direct the narrative story to an exciting ending.
- Besides the first person, you can use the third person perspective also.
Bonus Point: How To Choose The Narrative Essay Topics?
Following these points while selecting the narrative essay topics-
1. Understand the assignment-
It is best to go through them carefully to understand what your professor expected from you. Also, see if there is any question you require to answer.
2. Brainstorming session–
Do brainstorm and find out possible story ideas for your narrative essay. Firstly, add the ideas freely. After that, choose whether you want to write fiction or a personal narrative. Once you have got the appropriate topic, then choose the one that is useful for you.
3. Narrow down your ideas–
Check the list of your ideas and think that which fits your assignment. Narrow down the list of your ideas and come to the appropriate one.
Wrap up!
We have discussed all the important aspects of writing a narrative essay. But still, if you find any difficulty in writing it, feel free to seek our help.
Here at CallTutors, we have a team of experts who can help you in completing your assignment before the deadline, and that too at very reasonable prices. We are 24*7 available to help you out. Submit your requirements now.
FAQs Related To How To Write A Narrative Essay
What’s The Difference Between A Narrative Essay And A Descriptive Essay?
A narrative essay is meant to narrate a whole story, whereas a descriptive essay communicates a description of a specific object, place, or concept.
How Do I Write A Narrative Essay Plan?
Step 1. Brainstorm your ideas and organizing them systematically
Step 2. Research your topic
Step 3. Write an engaging Thesis Statement
Step 4. Write the Introduction, Main Body, and the conclusion of the essay
Step 5. Proofread the narrative essay once or twice
Step 6. Make necessary changes if required.
How Many Paragraphs Are In A Narrative Essay?
Students require to write a narrative essay as per the norms of academic writing. Try to use a usual 5-paragraph narrative essay format that starts from writing an introduction. Don’t neglect to include a thesis statement, a hook, and a description of the topic.
How Long Does It Take To Write An Essay?
When it comes to estimating the time a narrative essay will need to write even an introductory essay, students have to examine research time and various other factors. Almost a 1200 word paper might take from four to five hours to complete the narrative essay.
Is A Plagiarism-Free Narrative Essay Helps In Scoring Good Grades?
Yes, it is. As any of the tutors does not support plagiarism narrative essays; therefore, it becomes necessary to write a plagiarism-free essay. This helps the students to score good grades in their narrative essay writing papers.
Saturday, February 12, 2022
Tuesday, February 8, 2022
Writing Tips: Who is Your Character? / What's in a Name? / Inspiration for Mystery
Who Is Your Character? (from Writing.com)
In reading about developing characters in my story, I came across some great advice:
"Character and plot are inseparable because a person is what happens to them." Your characters are real, what happens to them in your story needs to be real. Your reader needs to know what is important to your character.
"Develop a Protagonist" The protagonist will struggle, will have flaws, and sometimes even make errors in judgment. Give them a good character arc and let them develop throughout the story.
"Develop an Antagonist" The antagonist should create a crisis for the protagonist. Make them strong and force the protagonist to struggle and acquire skills to defeat the antagonist.
"Reveal your character's world through details." Show how they move through their world and relate to it.
"Make your character memorable." Give the character a title, or something quirky / a quality that helps the reader remember who they are.
"Give access to your character's inner conflict." Help the reader relate to the character, care about them. Internal thoughts or monologues can reveal a lot.
As you develop your story and characters, write down important facts so you can refer to the list and maintain the character's qualities. YOU have to know and develop your characters before your readers can know them.
I felt much of the advice was helpful in thinking about how much or little development each character needs and how to create their arc to help the story arc, not detract from it. I hope this advice will help you too.
As always, Write On!
Whaat's in a Name? (writing.com)
We’ve all got names. Most of us are stuck with the ones our parents gave us. Some of us decide to change our names. I remember the owner of an audio equipment store in Oklahoma City who appeared in her commercials as “Linda Soundtrak.” That was a stage name, kind of like Max Griffin is a pen name.
Fictional characters are stuck with their names, too. The difference is that we, as authors, get to select their names. But that choice isn’t entirely free. For example, the name should fit time, place, and culture of story. If you’re writing about a Roman gladiator, you probably aren’t going to name him Biff or Billy Bob, for example. Similarly, a sentient alien in a SciFi novel probably isn’t going to be named Brandi.
So, besides being appropriate to the milieu of the story, what else should character names do, or not do? Well, here’s a list. It’s not complete, but it’s a start. Like all lists, no one should follow it lemming-like off a cliff. There are always exceptions. In fact, some of the “do nots” are followed by the opposite “dos,” the points being that no rule is absolute and that moderation is usually best.
Do use names that fit the character. Names like “Hunter” have clear meaning. Names like “Skywalker” and “Vader”—which is Dutch for “father”—add meaning to their characters. There are websites
that let you search for names by meaning. On the other hand, in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, the entrance to the tunnel leading to the eponymous stone is guarded by a giant, slobbering three-headed dog named...wait for it...Fluffy. It’s certainly okay for names to be ironic.
Don’t make the name too obvious. “Flower” might be a name for a botanist, but how about “Anthea” or “Lilly?” The latter names make the connection but in a more subtle way.
Do use memorable names. Think about the novel Rebecca. What’s the first name of the narrator? Sure, she’s Mrs. DeWinter after she marries the guy, but what’s her first name? Hint: this is a trick question. In this case, Du Maurier chose to not give her a first name as a reveal about her character: she derives her identity from how those around her see her. This is the exception that proves the rule. In general, give your point-of-view character a memorable name, and use it early, in the first sentence if possible. That helps to draw the readers into the character’s head and hence into the story.
Don’t use exotic names. “Alison Chains” or “Miranda Wright” might be amusing for names drag queens, but not for your novel. Well, unless your character is a drag queen—see Lady Chablis.
Do use uncommon names. Amy, Bill, Emily, and Mike are all perfectly good names, but they are perennial favorites, too. Your readers are likely to know someone with one of these names and bring unwanted character impressions to your story. So, you might consider, for example, Alessa and Brice as less common names. If one of your characters is non-binary, you might choose a name to reflect that.
Don’t use names that are similar. The reader will have trouble keeping track if your characters are named Ted, Tad, and Tom. “Similar” includes names that rhyme, sound alike, or even start with the same letter.
Do use distinctive names. For some reason, zillions of novels seem to use “Jack” as the protagonist. Instead, you might consider Zane, or Vahn, or Ivan, all of which have the same meaning and are less common.
Don’t use trendy names. A name from history or headlines like “Donald” or “Adolf” may have unintended character implications. Names in popular culture like Buffy and Frasier also carry character connotations that can either date your story or are otherwise unwelcome. Trendy names can also include names popular today that were uncommon earlier. For example, the top baby names in 2020 were Liam and Olivia. But if your characters are twenty years old in 2020, they were born in 2000. That year, Liam didn’t even make the top twenty list of baby names, and Olivia is sixteenth. Better choices might be Jacob and Emily. The Social Security Administration publishes the top twenty baby names by year
Do use pronounceable names. I don’t care if your character is a sentient spider from the fourth planet of Tau Ceti, your readers still have to be able pronounce her name at least in their heads. Don’t name her Gprlzx(pop)nh, or some other unpronounceable—and hence forgettable—gibberish. You might do what Larry Niven did with his Puppeteers—they all chose names from human mythology, such as Nessus. Alternatively, combining names or syllables from non-English sources can result in an alien-sounding name that is still pronounceable. For example, “Ortog Tywyll” combines the words for “devil” in Hungarian and Welsh.
For science fiction authors, chose place names the way Europeans named places in the Americas. Mostly, this meant using familiar names from the old country—nearly every state has at least one town named “Rome,” for example. There are also many names drawn from the indigenous cultures, but that only works if there *is* an indigenous culture, something not guaranteed in SciFi. If there are no space aliens, then the names will almost all derive from cultures, places, and languages around today, or from the names of the first explorers.
Fictional characters are stuck with their names, too. The difference is that we, as authors, get to select their names. But that choice isn’t entirely free. For example, the name should fit time, place, and culture of story. If you’re writing about a Roman gladiator, you probably aren’t going to name him Biff or Billy Bob, for example. Similarly, a sentient alien in a SciFi novel probably isn’t going to be named Brandi.
So, besides being appropriate to the milieu of the story, what else should character names do, or not do? Well, here’s a list. It’s not complete, but it’s a start. Like all lists, no one should follow it lemming-like off a cliff. There are always exceptions. In fact, some of the “do nots” are followed by the opposite “dos,” the points being that no rule is absolute and that moderation is usually best.
Do use names that fit the character. Names like “Hunter” have clear meaning. Names like “Skywalker” and “Vader”—which is Dutch for “father”—add meaning to their characters. There are websites
that let you search for names by meaning. On the other hand, in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, the entrance to the tunnel leading to the eponymous stone is guarded by a giant, slobbering three-headed dog named...wait for it...Fluffy. It’s certainly okay for names to be ironic.Don’t make the name too obvious. “Flower” might be a name for a botanist, but how about “Anthea” or “Lilly?” The latter names make the connection but in a more subtle way.
Do use memorable names. Think about the novel Rebecca. What’s the first name of the narrator? Sure, she’s Mrs. DeWinter after she marries the guy, but what’s her first name? Hint: this is a trick question. In this case, Du Maurier chose to not give her a first name as a reveal about her character: she derives her identity from how those around her see her. This is the exception that proves the rule. In general, give your point-of-view character a memorable name, and use it early, in the first sentence if possible. That helps to draw the readers into the character’s head and hence into the story.
Don’t use exotic names. “Alison Chains” or “Miranda Wright” might be amusing for names drag queens, but not for your novel. Well, unless your character is a drag queen—see Lady Chablis.
Do use uncommon names. Amy, Bill, Emily, and Mike are all perfectly good names, but they are perennial favorites, too. Your readers are likely to know someone with one of these names and bring unwanted character impressions to your story. So, you might consider, for example, Alessa and Brice as less common names. If one of your characters is non-binary, you might choose a name to reflect that.
Don’t use names that are similar. The reader will have trouble keeping track if your characters are named Ted, Tad, and Tom. “Similar” includes names that rhyme, sound alike, or even start with the same letter.
Do use distinctive names. For some reason, zillions of novels seem to use “Jack” as the protagonist. Instead, you might consider Zane, or Vahn, or Ivan, all of which have the same meaning and are less common.
Don’t use trendy names. A name from history or headlines like “Donald” or “Adolf” may have unintended character implications. Names in popular culture like Buffy and Frasier also carry character connotations that can either date your story or are otherwise unwelcome. Trendy names can also include names popular today that were uncommon earlier. For example, the top baby names in 2020 were Liam and Olivia. But if your characters are twenty years old in 2020, they were born in 2000. That year, Liam didn’t even make the top twenty list of baby names, and Olivia is sixteenth. Better choices might be Jacob and Emily. The Social Security Administration publishes the top twenty baby names by year
Do use pronounceable names. I don’t care if your character is a sentient spider from the fourth planet of Tau Ceti, your readers still have to be able pronounce her name at least in their heads. Don’t name her Gprlzx(pop)nh, or some other unpronounceable—and hence forgettable—gibberish. You might do what Larry Niven did with his Puppeteers—they all chose names from human mythology, such as Nessus. Alternatively, combining names or syllables from non-English sources can result in an alien-sounding name that is still pronounceable. For example, “Ortog Tywyll” combines the words for “devil” in Hungarian and Welsh.
For science fiction authors, chose place names the way Europeans named places in the Americas. Mostly, this meant using familiar names from the old country—nearly every state has at least one town named “Rome,” for example. There are also many names drawn from the indigenous cultures, but that only works if there *is* an indigenous culture, something not guaranteed in SciFi. If there are no space aliens, then the names will almost all derive from cultures, places, and languages around today, or from the names of the first explorers.
INSPIRATION FOR MYSTERY (Writing.com)
The hardest part of writing a mystery story (or any story) is coming up with an idea. It is challenging to come up with something that doesn't sound like something you have already read, or written. At times, it may seem as if all the good stories have already been written, but that is not true. Thousands of great stories have yet to be written, or even imagined.
Every mystery starts with a puzzle. A crime has been committed, someone or something has disappeared, or any event happens that cannot be easily explained.
Your best inspiration for mystery stories might be what you see every day. If your home town is like mine, you might think, "But nothing exciting or mysterious ever happens here."
Even places that seem ordinary or boring can be full of mystery. People everywhere have secrets. Places where life "seems" predictable are often the best settings for mysteries, because anything out of place will be noticed.
Sometimes the first sign of a mystery might be a small, unexplained event. Instead of finding a body, your character might find a shoe, a scarf, or a wallet. Characters might realize that small items of little value are missing from their homes. Maybe a restaurant, library, or store that is usually open at a certain time is closed without explanation. A normally happy or friendly person might seem angry or sad for no apparent reason. Maybe the police are called about an accident or disturbance, but when they arrive, they find nothing.
Even large, busy cities can be broken down into neighborhoods or communities that are familiar to those who live and work there. Characters who live in New York City or London might not know the entire city, but might be very familiar with the neighborhood where they live, the place where they work or attend school, the park where they walk or play, or their place of worship. If something is out of place or doesn't seem right in these areas, the people who are familiar with them will notice.
Something to try: Write a mystery story that starts with a small thing out of place.
Every mystery starts with a puzzle. A crime has been committed, someone or something has disappeared, or any event happens that cannot be easily explained.
Your best inspiration for mystery stories might be what you see every day. If your home town is like mine, you might think, "But nothing exciting or mysterious ever happens here."
Even places that seem ordinary or boring can be full of mystery. People everywhere have secrets. Places where life "seems" predictable are often the best settings for mysteries, because anything out of place will be noticed.
Sometimes the first sign of a mystery might be a small, unexplained event. Instead of finding a body, your character might find a shoe, a scarf, or a wallet. Characters might realize that small items of little value are missing from their homes. Maybe a restaurant, library, or store that is usually open at a certain time is closed without explanation. A normally happy or friendly person might seem angry or sad for no apparent reason. Maybe the police are called about an accident or disturbance, but when they arrive, they find nothing.
Even large, busy cities can be broken down into neighborhoods or communities that are familiar to those who live and work there. Characters who live in New York City or London might not know the entire city, but might be very familiar with the neighborhood where they live, the place where they work or attend school, the park where they walk or play, or their place of worship. If something is out of place or doesn't seem right in these areas, the people who are familiar with them will notice.
Something to try: Write a mystery story that starts with a small thing out of place.
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