200+ Best Narrative Essay Topics and Ideas

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Narrative Essay Topics

Some of the greatest books ever written are narratives of captivating human experiences in war, love, adversity, happiness, exploration, and so on. Writing a narrative essay is telling it from your point of view, drawing on personal experiences.

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What is a Narrative Essay?

A narrative essay is a type of writing in which the author narrates a story or incident from their own life excitingly and compellingly. It is a way to get your ideas out there while also making a personal connection with the readers. Narrative essays focus on the author’s own experiences and stories. Thus, this type of essay tells a story—a series of events or experiences—to teach its audience something.

What is Involved in Narrative Writing?

It is deceptively easy to write a narrative essay. It is about telling your experiences as you can remember them or others from your perspective. As such, most narrative essays are subjective. This is not to say that the narrative essay topics should be inaccurate or exaggerated.  You have to give details to make the story believable, but too much information can bore the reader.

Good narrative writing borrows from good storytelling. There will be a plotline, characters, and the stage. A prompt or a question often sparks narrative writing. If you need help with English, then choose Gudwriter and begin your journey towards achieving your desired grade.

How to Choose Narrative Essay Topics 

Narrative essays allow people to talk about their lives and what happened to them. However, picking the appropriate topic is essential to writing a compelling and exciting story. Below are some of the valuable tips and tactics to help you in selecting a good essay topic that will best revitalize your story and captivate your audience:

  • Select a topic that evokes powerful Emotions            

 Select a topic that elicits significant emotions in you. Your writing will be more passionate and authentic when emotionally invested in the subject matter. Emotionally charged storylines tremendously influence readers and can help you connect with your audience on a deeper level.

It is relatively simple to pick essay topics narrative writing. This is because you have a wealth of memories and experiences you can write about. But the qualifying topic has to be well-remembered to make a credible story. Some of the favorite topics would be;

  • Childhood experiences
  • Romantic experiences 
  • College life
  • Hobbies and adventures

So, none matches your experiences? Create a topic using this free essay topic generator tool.

  • Consider your own experiences

Start by thinking back on the experiences, memories, and circumstances in your life that have significantly influenced who you are today. Think about the experiences, struggles, achievements, or even ordinary happenings that have influenced how you are. These personal experiences frequently result in compelling and sincere narrative writings.

  • Brainstorm ideas and prepare a list

Dedicate some time to thinking about and writing down possible topics for your narrative essay. Note down all your opinions, no matter how ridiculous or irrelevant they may seem. Do not hold back or limit your thoughts and ideas. Thus, you will have a large pool of ideas from which to select.

  • Consider your audience

Although your essay should be based on your experiences, it is also essential to consider your audience. Consider who will read your article and what they may find intriguing or relatable. Choose a topic with global issues or touches on shared human experiences, as this will allow your essay to reach a wider audience.

  • Find a unique angle of your story

Narrative essays based on shared experiences can be quite effective, but finding a way to make them stand out is essential. Try to focus on what makes your narrative unique, whether it be specific details, feelings, or lessons. Your essay will stand out if you give it a fresh spin or investigate nontraditional tales.

Narrative Essay Topics to Explore

Like an excellent narrative essay, a great topic for a narrative essay will convey an exciting and engaging story. The following are some excellent options for your narrative essay.

Literary Narrative Essay Topics

Narrative essays in the literature provide a rare chance to combine the literary arts and storytelling. These essays allow authors to dive into human emotion and creativity by drawing on characters, literary works, and topics. Below are some of the issues that will get your creative juices flowing and have you thinking about how to incorporate literary elements into your writing.

  1. The interesting narrative of the Life of Mother Theresa: Religious Roles in the narrative
  2. Leopold Senghor and the leaders who changed West Africa
  3. New York Giants and their rise to fame
  4. A film that altered your perspective
  5. What play had the most impact on you?
  6. What inspires you to pen tales of fiction?
  7. Which author do you feel is the most overhyped?
  8. The most emotionally devastating letter ever written to you.
  9. My favorite literary class ever
  10. When did you decide you wanted to be a poet?
  11. What do you love most about poems?
  12. What types of poetry do you love to read?
  13. What are the effects of literature on our lives?
  14. When you became a writer/ poet
  15. The stories that keep you motivated in life

40 Best Narrative Essay Topics

Narrative essays are a great way to go into storytelling and give readers a glimpse into your thoughts, memories, and experiences. Thus, picking a topic that interests and inspires your audience is essential. To assist you in getting started, we have included a list of 40 excellent choices for narrative essay ideas.

  1. A personal narrative of the 2018 Halloween Party
  2. A narrative about the harshness of the police
  3. A narrative about attending a coldplay concert
  4. A narrative about the celebration of Life
  5. A narrative about being a homemaker
  6. An examination of the life of the narrator
  7. A personal narrative about boxing
  8. The event that forever changed my life
  9. An experience that changed my perspective and helped me face my biggest fear
  10. The day I ran into an unexpected obstacle
  11. A failure-related life lesson
  12. Nervousness and excitement on my first day of school
  13. An experience with a celebrity that made a long-lasting impression
  14. The pleasure of fulfilling a long-term goal
  15. An important decision that influenced my future
  16. Impact of books on the growth of my character
  17. The most memorable birthday celebration
  18. A surprising act of kindness that made me feel good
  19. The effects of a life-changing international trip
  20. A moment of serious self-reflection
  21. The day I found my true passion
  22. How I overcame a personal setback and returned stronger
  23. The benefits and drawbacks of having an elderly sibling
  24. My public speaking experience: Overcoming stage fright
  25. Technology’s effect on my daily life
  26. An experience that taught me gratitude through humiliation
  27. The value of failure in personal development
  28. Navigating a different culture or language: It’s not always easy
  29. A purely joyful moment I’ll never forget
  30. How a passive interest became a lifelong interest
  31. An important lesson from a friendship
  32. How a teacher’s influence changed my life
  33. The effects of technology on relationships and communication
  34. When I first met my best friend
  35. My fears in life
  36. The most outstanding achievement in your life
  37. The most embarrassing moment of your life
  38. The biggest prank that happened in the lecture room
  39. The unplanned family reunion
  40. The first day at work

Narrative Essay Topics for College Students

 College students can use narrative essays to express their creativity and storytelling ability while sharing personal experiences and ideas. These essays allow students to dive into their lives, reflect on significant events, and effectively articulate their opinions. Below are some of the topics students can write about:

  1. My MS family nurse practitioner graduate nursing program
  2. A memorable moment of failure or success in college
  3. School lessons that had the most significant influence on your behavior
  4. An effort you took to stand out from your class
  5. Conflicts you were a part of or faced at school age
  6. The best day I ever had in college
  7. My most tremendous success in college
  8. An experience that helped me to fight cowardice
  9. An unforgettable road trip!
  10. A sporting event to remember in my college life
  11. What are the most influential things that you learned in your childhood
  12. The scariest incident in my college life
  13. When I first met my special someone in college
  14. My favorite tutor
  15. The weird encounter with my befriend in college

Interesting Narrative Essay Topics

Creating a gripping story that engages with your audience requires selecting an interesting narrative essay topic. The following are exciting topics you can choose when writing your essay.

  1. Moments when you faced racial and religious discrimination
  2. An experience that left me disillusioned
  3. A dangerous experience
  4. A memorable moment of failure or success
  5. A memorable encounter with someone in authority
  6. The experience taught me how appearance could be deceiving.
  7. The time I saw the weirdest thing in my life
  8. The most bizarre encounter with a stranger
  9. The experience of creating secret places in your childhood
  10. Your most exciting moment performing in a sport
  11. Write about the worst fear you had being a kid
  12. The person I will never forget
  13. An experience that left you feeling frustrated.
  14. My best encounter with a stranger
  15. A picture or video that went viral on instagram

Fictional Narrative Essay Ideas

Remember that there are no boundaries in the world of fiction, so plunge in and develop compelling stories that will take your readers to extraordinary and unforgettable places. Let us look at the most captivating fictional narrative ideas students can tell stories about;

  1. Meeting Mr. Parker
  2. A personal narrative about a dream
  3. A society with many supernatural powers
  4. The individual with forgotten memories
  5. A story about a time-traveling machine
  6. The forest with a gigantic giant
  7. The city inside the jungle
  8. A story about the haunted house
  9. A narrative about a floating island
  10. The girl with superhero powers
  11. Finding the hidden treasures
  12. How to save planet earth
  13. The ghost town stories
  14. The tale about vampires and their origin
  15. A story about how an older woman discovered a ghost

Funny Narrative Essay Topics

A humorous narrative essay should be interesting, funny, and witty. Bring your story to life using vivid descriptions, enduring characters, and understandable circumstances. Below are among the funny topics:

  1. Something funny that happened to one of your family members or friends
  2. The funniest moment you ever encountered
  3. A story about pranking my best friend
  4. My encounter with an odd fear
  5. When I was in an unpleasant circumstance
  6. A story about a lousy job experience
  7. My strange hobby experience
  8. When I accidentally damaged my mother’s priceless items
  9. My encounter with a bad haircut
  10. The day I was trapped in an elevator
  11. The funniest quarrel I ever had with a friend
  12. The incident where I got lost abroad
  13. My encounter with a spooky house
  14. The incident where I unintentionally texted the wrong person
  15. My meeting with an absurd fashion trend

Narrative Essay Topics About Technology

Technology has shaped how we interact and has become an essential part of our life. When writing a narrative essay, examining how technology affects society can be a fascinating topic to explore. Here are subjects for narrative essays that explore the world of technology.

  1. A narrative about being a hacker
  2. The impact of technology in our daily lives
  3. How technology is replacing our works
  4. The development of technology in the near future
  5. A day in my life without a smartphone
  6. Visiting a friend who lives in a technologically advanced home
  7. The impact of cyberbullying
  8. My first encounter with a robot
  9. The effects of social media on our lives
  10. How playing video games helped in shaping my childhood
  11. How I picked up tech knowledge
  12. Technology’s Impact on our health
  13. How to understand the transition from analog to digital
  14. Benefits and drawbacks of technology
  15. Do we have a technological brain drain?

Descriptive Narrative Essay Topics

Through vivid and deep storytelling, descriptive narrative essays allow you to immerse your audience in your universe. You can arouse strong emotions in someone by using words to paint a picture in their mind. The following are topics of descriptive essays;

  1. A short history of Twitter
  2. An examination of the life of the narrator
  3. A story about my road trip to Paris
  4. A trip to the Tropical Forests of Africa
  5. A time when you went to an amusement park.
  6. How has a travel experience affected your life?
  7. How you spent last year’s winter holidays
  8. Most famous landmarks You’ve Visited
  9. If you were to travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
  10. A hike through the mountains
  11. What do you do when you are free?
  12. How was your college life?
  13. Understanding formula 1
  14. Things to do to lose weight
  15. The ideal type of a date
  16. Surviving a natural disaster

Narrative Essay Topics About Personality

Narrative essays provide a singular opportunity to share personal experiences, reflections, and growth while exploring the world of personality. Here are intriguing essay ideas that explore personality and encourage you to think about your experiences and insights.

  1. The moment when you met someone who changed your life.
  2. How much do you value your spiritual life?
  3. The most important conversation of my life.
  4. Why do you love sharing photos?
  5. The day I decided to change my life
  6. How to overcome social anxiety
  7. How is your personality different from the others?
  8. Attitude towards your parents in Childhood
  9. How do you express your personality?
  10. Is your personality weak or strong?
  11. What television shows have mattered to me?
  12. What type of movies do you love to watch?
  13. What are the different types of personality?
  14. An experience that changed your behavior
  15. Principles that keep you moving in life

Personal Narrative Essay Topics

The following are some of the essay topics that you can get insight from when writing a personal narrative essay:

  1. A time when you saw one or both of your parents in a different light.
  2. A memorable encounter with someone in authority
  3. People who were your idol or cult-hero
  4. An occasion when you experienced rejection
  5. The time I was wrong about a person.
  6. My sudden act of kindness.
  7. What was your favorite game in childhood, and why?
  8. The best friend you met at school In Childhood
  9. An experience that left me disillusioned.
  10. The Loan: A Personal Experience Essay
  11. A personal narrative about my family
  12. A personal narrative about giving birth to a child
  13. A personal narrative about being friends with Jake
  14. A personal narrative about being a homemaker
  15. A personal narrative about being a mother
  16. A personal narrative about forgiveness

Literacy Narrative Essay Topics

Reading and writing significantly impact our lives; literacy tales provide a unique opportunity to consider this. Thus, below are exciting topics for narrative essays that explore the world of literacy:

  1. What types of novels do you love to read
  2. What are the most influential things that you learned in your Childhood
  3. Who is your best author?
  4. The effects of poetry
  5. An experience that helped you to understand that parents or other people were right
  6. The best resume format you can use
  7. The worst course you studied in college
  8. The best poems you have read
  9. Which professional did you study in college?
  10. How to overcome the language barrier
  11. The advantages of writing
  12. The book you have ever written
  13. The experience taught me how appearance could be deceiving.
  14. A moment when you realize the truth that was hidden from you
  15. A time when you realized your parents were right

Narrative Argument Essay Topics

Below are some of the ideas for narrative argument essays that can be used to spark discussions and tell compelling stories:

  1. A conflict with another person
  2. A dangerous experience
  3. A difficult decision that you had to make.
  4. The time I was wrong about a person
  5. The most exciting moment performing in a Sport
  6. The time I was wrong about a person.
  7. A trip that included something unexpected or surprising.
  8. A rebellious act
  9. The worst decision has ever been made
  10. A memorable encounter with someone in authority
  11. A moment when people who you underestimated acted kindly or wisely
  12. Experience of living in a student dorm
  13. An experience that you think has only ever happened to you!

Example essay topics for the Romeo and Juliet story students might be interested in.

Mistakes to Avoid When Writing a Narrative Essay

While narrative essays are so easy to write, students tend to make mistakes that can be avoided. As minor as they may sound, these mistakes can cost students their grades.

  • Mistakes in verb tense are the most common. Students often forget how to correctly use the past tense, present tense, past perfect tense, and so on. This particular mistake can affect the flow of your story.
  • The singularity and plurality of nouns is also a mistake frequently made when writing narrative essays. Again, they can affect the flow of the story and can be confusing to the reader. Look out for such mistakes to have a smooth account. Learn excellent tips on how to write a perfect narrative essay.
  • The other common mistake made by students when writing narrative essays is an omission. This mistake is usually unintentional, so it is vital to proofread your work before submitting it. As insignificant as a word may appear, exclusion can change the meaning of a sentence. The most likely words to omit are usually articles and verbs.

There are plenty of topics to write about from childhood to adulthood. When picking a narrative essay topic, try to choose a compelling and captivating experience to write about. It is what distinguishes an ordinary story from the next one. Ensure you also understand the key elements that make a narrative report.

Do not be in a hurry when proofreading your essay, as you might miss out on mistakes that can impede your grades. Also, confirm the originality of your text using a plagiarism checker.

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Categories: Essay Topics