A narrative essay tells a story from your life in a way that immerses readers in the experience
and conveys your perspective on the incident both at the time and now.
For this assignment, you should write 4-7 pages (not counting cover page or References page) on
a topic related to your experience with difference.
Some features of successful narratives include
Selecting a significant event to discuss. Significant doesn’t need to mean huge or
traumatic, however. Your event might be some small incident from which you learned or
realized something larger.
Describing a limited time frame, usually minutes or hours, rather than days or weeks
(“a brief incident in Charleston” as opposed to “my three-day trip to Charleston”.)
Conveying the scene with vivid details. You should include dialogue so we can “hear”
the voices of the people involved and provide sensory descriptions of the physical
settings and people involved, so we can “see” them.
Indicating the ongoing effects or significance of this event. For example, you might
still think of this incident from time-to-time, or you might have changed your
thinking/behavior for the better or worse as a result of the incident. How did the event
affect you both in the short- and long-term? What lesson(s) have you taken from the
event?
Writing Requirements
Organize the paper in a way that is logical and easy for the reader to follow
Write unified paragraphs: one topic per paragraph
Use clear and concise language, including concrete nouns and active verbs
Follow APA format: cover page is page 1; double-space throughout; include a title (or
shortened version) and page number in the header on each page
Use correct grammar, punctuation, spelling, and mechanics, including correctly
punctuated quotations
Incorporate and cite sources effectively and correctly (see below)