the story i like best essay 300 words brainly

Home — Free Essays — 300 Words — 300

300-Word Essay Examples

300-word essay topics are a great way for students to practice their writing skills and develop their ability to express their thoughts and ideas concisely. These topics typically require students to explore a specific issue or concept in depth within the constraints of a short word count. Some common 300-word essay topics include analyzing a piece of literature, discussing a current event, evaluating a scientific theory, or exploring a personal experience. These topics challenge students to present a clear thesis, provide evidence to support their arguments, and craft a well-structured essay that effectively communicates their ideas. By engaging with 300-word essay topics, students can improve their critical thinking, research, and writing abilities, preparing them for academic success and beyond.

Brief Description of 2000-Word Essay Topics

2000-word essay topics are more comprehensive and in-depth compared to 300-word essay topics. These topics require students to delve deeper into a subject, providing a detailed analysis, argumentation, and evidence to support their claims. With a higher word count, students have the opportunity to explore complex ideas, theories, or issues from multiple perspectives, allowing for a more nuanced and thorough examination of the topic.

Some common 2000-word essay topics may include exploring a historical event, analyzing a philosophical concept, critiquing a social phenomenon, or examining a cultural artifact. These topics challenge students to conduct extensive research, engage with scholarly sources, and develop a well-structured argument that demonstrates their understanding and critical thinking skills.

Writing a 2000-word essay requires students to carefully plan and organize their thoughts, ensuring that they effectively communicate their ideas in a coherent and persuasive manner. Students must craft a strong thesis statement, provide supporting evidence, and offer insightful analysis to convince readers of the validity of their arguments.

By engaging with 2000-word essay topics, students not only enhance their writing abilities but also develop their research, analytical, and communication skills. These longer essays provide students with the opportunity to deepen their understanding of a subject, hone their academic writing skills, and demonstrate their intellectual prowess. Overall, 2000-word essay topics offer a challenging yet rewarding experience for students looking to expand their knowledge and academic prowess.

Popular Essay Topics

The Impact of Social Media on Society

The Importance of Education in Today's Society

The Effects of Climate Change on the Environment

The Role of Technology in Modern Education

The Benefits of Exercise and Healthy Eating Habits

The Influence of Advertising on Consumer Behavior

The Rise of Online Learning and its Impact on Traditional Education

The Pros and Cons of Legalizing Marijuana

The Effects of Stress on Mental Health

The Impact of Immigration on the Economy

The Importance of Diversity in the Workplace

The Rise of Mental Health Awareness in Society

The Effects of Social Media on Mental Health

The Role of Government in Promoting Public Health

The Benefits of Volunteer Work in the Community

The Influence of Pop Culture on Society

The Effects of Bullying on Mental Health

The Importance of Gender Equality in the Workplace

The Impact of Technology on Communication Skills

The Role of Art and Music in Society

Importance of Materialism: Balancing Positive and Negative Impacts

Materialism is a philosophy that places a high value on material possessions and physical comfort. In today’s society, materialism is often seen as a negative trait, associated with greed and selfishness. However, there are also arguments to be made for the importance of materialism in…

Comparing Mayan and Aztec Civilizations: Similarities and Differences

The ancient Mayan and Aztec civilizations were two of the most influential and complex cultures in the history of the Americas. Although they share many similarities, such as their religion, social structure, and architecture, they were distinct societies with their own unique traditions and ways…

The Essence of Africa: Maya Angelou’s Poetic Tribute

Maya Angelou’s poem, “Africa,” is a powerful and thought-provoking piece of writing that encapsulates the essence of the African continent. With vivid imagery and evocative language, Angelou captures the beauty and complexity of Africa, while also acknowledging the challenges that the continent faces. The Beauty…

Alexander the Great: A Hero or Villain?

When it comes to discussing Alexander the Great, opinions are often divided. Some see him as a great leader, a military strategist, and a man who left an indelible mark on history. Others view him as a ruthless conqueror, driven by ego and ambition, whose…

Get professional help in 5 minutes

How Does Odysseus Show Strength

In Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey, the protagonist Odysseus is depicted as a hero with a combination of physical, mental, and emotional strength. Throughout his challenging journey, he showcases his strength in various ways, from his cleverness and cunning to his resilience, determination, and leadership…

How Did Nile Shape Ancient Egypt

The Nile River is a crucial element in the history of ancient Egypt, shaping the civilization in numerous ways. The annual flooding of the Nile was predictable and beneficial, depositing nutrient-rich silt onto the surrounding land. This allowed the ancient Egyptians to grow abundant crops…

Importance Of Trust Essay

Trust is the foundation of personal relationships, providing a sense of security and support. When trust is present, individuals feel safe to be vulnerable, share openly, and rely on each other for emotional support. This allows couples to build a strong and lasting bond, friends…

Mama’s Dream In A Raisin In The Sun By Lorraine Hansberry

Mama’s dream of owning a house represents her desire for stability, security, and a better future for her family. As an African American woman living in a segregated society, Mama has faced discrimination, poverty, and limited opportunities. Owning a house symbolizes her belief in the…

Character Foils In Shakespeare’s Romeo And Juliet

Character foils are a common literary device used by authors to highlight and contrast the traits of different characters in a story. In William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the use of character foils is particularly prevalent and effective. Shakespeare pairs characters with contrasting qualities to…

The Jefferson Case: An Unprecedented Legal Benchmark

Video Description The essay in the video will delve into the Jefferson case, a pivotal moment in American jurisprudence that tackled complex legal and ethical issues. It will explore how this case challenged existing norms on property rights, human dignity, and slavery, sparking debates on…

Overcoming Ignorance and Prejudices in Raymond Carver’s Cathedral

In Raymond Carver’s short story “Cathedral,” the author effectively uses an unlikely scenario – a casual interaction between the narrator and a blind man – to comment on racial discrimination, prejudices, and stereotypes. The story conveys important themes about racism and racial prejudices, suggesting that…

The Passion for Entrepreneurship: Opening a Cozy Coffee Shop

As a college student, I have always been drawn to the idea of starting my own business and making my mark on the world. While it may be a daunting task, the thought of creating something from scratch and seeing it flourish is incredibly exciting….

Conflicts in Relationships

Conflicts are a common occurrence in various relationships, whether it be between friends, family members, colleagues, or even strangers. Some conflicts require resolution, while others are best to be avoided altogether. I have personally experienced both outcomes – a broken friendship due to conflicting interests,…

Humanities Influence on Culture

The humanities have played a crucial role in the development of societies throughout history. This essay aims to explore the influence of humanities on culture and its significance in shaping societal values, beliefs, and identity. Definition of Humanities The humanities encompass a wide range of…

Literary Analysis of “Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston

Introduction Zora Neale Hurston was a prominent African-American author, folklorist, and anthropologist of the Harlem Renaissance. Her literary career is marked by an exploration of the African-American experience, particularly the lives of women in the South. One of her notable works, “Sweat,” centers around themes…

Emily Grierson in a Rose for Emily by William Faulkner

A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner is a captivating short story that delves into the life of the mysterious Emily Grierson. Faulkner uses the character of Emily Grierson to explore themes of tradition, isolation, and the effects of time on one’s mental state. Emily…

Manifestations, Impacts, and Strategies: Combating Sexism

Sexism is a pervasive issue that continues to affect individuals and society at large. This essay aims to explore the various manifestations of sexism and their impacts on individuals and society, as well as propose strategies for combating sexism. Definition and Manifestation of Sexism Sexism…

Gun Control Background Check

Gun control has been amongst the most disputable arguments in the news as of late. Some contend that guns ought to be prohibited to reduce the loss of lives, while others think it is their entitlement to remain battle ready. …should not be handled by…

Exploration and Innovation: Competition or Cooperation

Introduction The space race between the United States and the Soviet Union was a competition between two global superpowers, marked by a series of significant achievements such as the first satellite, the first man in orbit, and landing men on the moon. This competition began…

The Grapes of Wrath: Critical Analysis

Introduction The Grapes of Wrath is a novel and movie written by Jon Steinbeck in 1939. Steinbeck aimed to criticize those responsible for the poverty of the American people in the 1930s, telling the story of the Joad family’s migration from Oklahoma to California. Despite…

How Is a 300-Word Essay Look Like?

A 300-word essay is a relatively short piece of writing that consists of approximately 300 words. It is often used to express an idea, argument, or provide a brief analysis on a specific topic within a concise format.

How Long Is a 300-Word Essay?

A 300-word essay typically spans around 1 to 1.5 pages, depending on factors such as font size, spacing, and formatting. It is important to adhere to any specific formatting guidelines provided by your instructor or institution to determine the exact page count.

How Should You Write a 300-word Essay?

A typical structure for a 300-word essay includes an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The introduction should provide a brief overview of the topic and present a thesis statement. The body paragraphs should present supporting evidence or arguments, and the conclusion should summarize the main points and provide a closing thought.

How to Write a 300-Word Story Essay?

Remember, a 300-word story essay requires you to be concise and selective with your storytelling. Focus on creating a vivid and engaging narrative that captures the reader's attention within the limited word count. Also, try to introduce the setting and characters, as well as try to conclude your story by resolving the situation or adressing the central theme.

How to Write a 300-Word Article Essay?

Writing a 300-word article essay involves conveying information or expressing an opinion on a specific topic in a concise and informative manner. Select a topic that interests you and aligns with the purpose of your essay. Identify the main points or subtopics you want to cover and the order in which they will be presented. This will help you maintain a logical flow and structure in your article. Remember to cite any sources used and follow the appropriate citation style if required by your instructor or the publication guidelines.

Another Word Count

Popular topics.

• The Outsiders
• Academic Achievements
• Overcoming Challenges
• Global Warming
• Winter Break
• Fast Fashion
• Academic Challenges
• Self Reflection
• Serial Killer
• Frida Kahlo
• Penny Debate
• Supply and Demand
• Time Management
• Movie Review
• Miss Representation
• Documentary
• Movie Summary
• Madam Cj Walker
• Middle School
• Vincent Van Gogh
• Advertisement

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 3 great narrative essay examples + tips for writing.

General Education

A narrative essay is one of the most intimidating assignments you can be handed at any level of your education. Where you've previously written argumentative essays that make a point or analytic essays that dissect meaning, a narrative essay asks you to write what is effectively a story .

But unlike a simple work of creative fiction, your narrative essay must have a clear and concrete motif —a recurring theme or idea that you’ll explore throughout. Narrative essays are less rigid, more creative in expression, and therefore pretty different from most other essays you’ll be writing.

But not to fear—in this article, we’ll be covering what a narrative essay is, how to write a good one, and also analyzing some personal narrative essay examples to show you what a great one looks like.

What Is a Narrative Essay?

At first glance, a narrative essay might sound like you’re just writing a story. Like the stories you're used to reading, a narrative essay is generally (but not always) chronological, following a clear throughline from beginning to end. Even if the story jumps around in time, all the details will come back to one specific theme, demonstrated through your choice in motifs.

Unlike many creative stories, however, your narrative essay should be based in fact. That doesn’t mean that every detail needs to be pure and untainted by imagination, but rather that you shouldn’t wholly invent the events of your narrative essay. There’s nothing wrong with inventing a person’s words if you can’t remember them exactly, but you shouldn’t say they said something they weren’t even close to saying.

Another big difference between narrative essays and creative fiction—as well as other kinds of essays—is that narrative essays are based on motifs. A motif is a dominant idea or theme, one that you establish before writing the essay. As you’re crafting the narrative, it’ll feed back into your motif to create a comprehensive picture of whatever that motif is.

For example, say you want to write a narrative essay about how your first day in high school helped you establish your identity. You might discuss events like trying to figure out where to sit in the cafeteria, having to describe yourself in five words as an icebreaker in your math class, or being unsure what to do during your lunch break because it’s no longer acceptable to go outside and play during lunch. All of those ideas feed back into the central motif of establishing your identity.

The important thing to remember is that while a narrative essay is typically told chronologically and intended to read like a story, it is not purely for entertainment value. A narrative essay delivers its theme by deliberately weaving the motifs through the events, scenes, and details. While a narrative essay may be entertaining, its primary purpose is to tell a complete story based on a central meaning.

Unlike other essay forms, it is totally okay—even expected—to use first-person narration in narrative essays. If you’re writing a story about yourself, it’s natural to refer to yourself within the essay. It’s also okay to use other perspectives, such as third- or even second-person, but that should only be done if it better serves your motif. Generally speaking, your narrative essay should be in first-person perspective.

Though your motif choices may feel at times like you’re making a point the way you would in an argumentative essay, a narrative essay’s goal is to tell a story, not convince the reader of anything. Your reader should be able to tell what your motif is from reading, but you don’t have to change their mind about anything. If they don’t understand the point you are making, you should consider strengthening the delivery of the events and descriptions that support your motif.

Narrative essays also share some features with analytical essays, in which you derive meaning from a book, film, or other media. But narrative essays work differently—you’re not trying to draw meaning from an existing text, but rather using an event you’ve experienced to convey meaning. In an analytical essay, you examine narrative, whereas in a narrative essay you create narrative.

The structure of a narrative essay is also a bit different than other essays. You’ll generally be getting your point across chronologically as opposed to grouping together specific arguments in paragraphs or sections. To return to the example of an essay discussing your first day of high school and how it impacted the shaping of your identity, it would be weird to put the events out of order, even if not knowing what to do after lunch feels like a stronger idea than choosing where to sit. Instead of organizing to deliver your information based on maximum impact, you’ll be telling your story as it happened, using concrete details to reinforce your theme.

3 Great Narrative Essay Examples

One of the best ways to learn how to write a narrative essay is to look at a great narrative essay sample. Let’s take a look at some truly stellar narrative essay examples and dive into what exactly makes them work so well.

A Ticket to the Fair by David Foster Wallace

Today is Press Day at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield, and I’m supposed to be at the fairgrounds by 9:00 A.M. to get my credentials. I imagine credentials to be a small white card in the band of a fedora. I’ve never been considered press before. My real interest in credentials is getting into rides and shows for free. I’m fresh in from the East Coast, for an East Coast magazine. Why exactly they’re interested in the Illinois State Fair remains unclear to me. I suspect that every so often editors at East Coast magazines slap their foreheads and remember that about 90 percent of the United States lies between the coasts, and figure they’ll engage somebody to do pith-helmeted anthropological reporting on something rural and heartlandish. I think they asked me to do this because I grew up here, just a couple hours’ drive from downstate Springfield. I never did go to the state fair, though—I pretty much topped out at the county fair level. Actually, I haven’t been back to Illinois for a long time, and I can’t say I’ve missed it.

Throughout this essay, David Foster Wallace recounts his experience as press at the Illinois State Fair. But it’s clear from this opening that he’s not just reporting on the events exactly as they happened—though that’s also true— but rather making a point about how the East Coast, where he lives and works, thinks about the Midwest.

In his opening paragraph, Wallace states that outright: “Why exactly they’re interested in the Illinois State Fair remains unclear to me. I suspect that every so often editors at East Coast magazines slap their foreheads and remember that about 90 percent of the United States lies between the coasts, and figure they’ll engage somebody to do pith-helmeted anthropological reporting on something rural and heartlandish.”

Not every motif needs to be stated this clearly , but in an essay as long as Wallace’s, particularly since the audience for such a piece may feel similarly and forget that such a large portion of the country exists, it’s important to make that point clear.

But Wallace doesn’t just rest on introducing his motif and telling the events exactly as they occurred from there. It’s clear that he selects events that remind us of that idea of East Coast cynicism , such as when he realizes that the Help Me Grow tent is standing on top of fake grass that is killing the real grass beneath, when he realizes the hypocrisy of craving a corn dog when faced with a real, suffering pig, when he’s upset for his friend even though he’s not the one being sexually harassed, and when he witnesses another East Coast person doing something he wouldn’t dare to do.

Wallace is literally telling the audience exactly what happened, complete with dates and timestamps for when each event occurred. But he’s also choosing those events with a purpose—he doesn’t focus on details that don’t serve his motif. That’s why he discusses the experiences of people, how the smells are unappealing to him, and how all the people he meets, in cowboy hats, overalls, or “black spandex that looks like cheesecake leotards,” feel almost alien to him.

All of these details feed back into the throughline of East Coast thinking that Wallace introduces in the first paragraph. He also refers back to it in the essay’s final paragraph, stating:

At last, an overarching theory blooms inside my head: megalopolitan East Coasters’ summer treats and breaks and literally ‘getaways,’ flights-from—from crowds, noise, heat, dirt, the stress of too many sensory choices….The East Coast existential treat is escape from confines and stimuli—quiet, rustic vistas that hold still, turn inward, turn away. Not so in the rural Midwest. Here you’re pretty much away all the time….Something in a Midwesterner sort of actuates , deep down, at a public event….The real spectacle that draws us here is us.

Throughout this journey, Wallace has tried to demonstrate how the East Coast thinks about the Midwest, ultimately concluding that they are captivated by the Midwest’s less stimuli-filled life, but that the real reason they are interested in events like the Illinois State Fair is that they are, in some ways, a means of looking at the East Coast in a new, estranging way.

The reason this works so well is that Wallace has carefully chosen his examples, outlined his motif and themes in the first paragraph, and eventually circled back to the original motif with a clearer understanding of his original point.

When outlining your own narrative essay, try to do the same. Start with a theme, build upon it with examples, and return to it in the end with an even deeper understanding of the original issue. You don’t need this much space to explore a theme, either—as we’ll see in the next example, a strong narrative essay can also be very short.

Death of a Moth by Virginia Woolf

After a time, tired by his dancing apparently, he settled on the window ledge in the sun, and, the queer spectacle being at an end, I forgot about him. Then, looking up, my eye was caught by him. He was trying to resume his dancing, but seemed either so stiff or so awkward that he could only flutter to the bottom of the window-pane; and when he tried to fly across it he failed. Being intent on other matters I watched these futile attempts for a time without thinking, unconsciously waiting for him to resume his flight, as one waits for a machine, that has stopped momentarily, to start again without considering the reason of its failure. After perhaps a seventh attempt he slipped from the wooden ledge and fell, fluttering his wings, on to his back on the window sill. The helplessness of his attitude roused me. It flashed upon me that he was in difficulties; he could no longer raise himself; his legs struggled vainly. But, as I stretched out a pencil, meaning to help him to right himself, it came over me that the failure and awkwardness were the approach of death. I laid the pencil down again.

In this essay, Virginia Woolf explains her encounter with a dying moth. On surface level, this essay is just a recounting of an afternoon in which she watched a moth die—it’s even established in the title. But there’s more to it than that. Though Woolf does not begin her essay with as clear a motif as Wallace, it’s not hard to pick out the evidence she uses to support her point, which is that the experience of this moth is also the human experience.

In the title, Woolf tells us this essay is about death. But in the first paragraph, she seems to mostly be discussing life—the moth is “content with life,” people are working in the fields, and birds are flying. However, she mentions that it is mid-September and that the fields were being plowed. It’s autumn and it’s time for the harvest; the time of year in which many things die.

In this short essay, she chronicles the experience of watching a moth seemingly embody life, then die. Though this essay is literally about a moth, it’s also about a whole lot more than that. After all, moths aren’t the only things that die—Woolf is also reflecting on her own mortality, as well as the mortality of everything around her.

At its core, the essay discusses the push and pull of life and death, not in a way that’s necessarily sad, but in a way that is accepting of both. Woolf begins by setting up the transitional fall season, often associated with things coming to an end, and raises the ideas of pleasure, vitality, and pity.

At one point, Woolf tries to help the dying moth, but reconsiders, as it would interfere with the natural order of the world. The moth’s death is part of the natural order of the world, just like fall, just like her own eventual death.

All these themes are set up in the beginning and explored throughout the essay’s narrative. Though Woolf doesn’t directly state her theme, she reinforces it by choosing a small, isolated event—watching a moth die—and illustrating her point through details.

With this essay, we can see that you don’t need a big, weird, exciting event to discuss an important meaning. Woolf is able to explore complicated ideas in a short essay by being deliberate about what details she includes, just as you can be in your own essays.

Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin

On the twenty-ninth of July, in 1943, my father died. On the same day, a few hours later, his last child was born. Over a month before this, while all our energies were concentrated in waiting for these events, there had been, in Detroit, one of the bloodiest race riots of the century. A few hours after my father’s funeral, while he lay in state in the undertaker’s chapel, a race riot broke out in Harlem. On the morning of the third of August, we drove my father to the graveyard through a wilderness of smashed plate glass.

Like Woolf, Baldwin does not lay out his themes in concrete terms—unlike Wallace, there’s no clear sentence that explains what he’ll be talking about. However, you can see the motifs quite clearly: death, fatherhood, struggle, and race.

Throughout the narrative essay, Baldwin discusses the circumstances of his father’s death, including his complicated relationship with his father. By introducing those motifs in the first paragraph, the reader understands that everything discussed in the essay will come back to those core ideas. When Baldwin talks about his experience with a white teacher taking an interest in him and his father’s resistance to that, he is also talking about race and his father’s death. When he talks about his father’s death, he is also talking about his views on race. When he talks about his encounters with segregation and racism, he is talking, in part, about his father.

Because his father was a hard, uncompromising man, Baldwin struggles to reconcile the knowledge that his father was right about many things with his desire to not let that hardness consume him, as well.

Baldwin doesn’t explicitly state any of this, but his writing so often touches on the same motifs that it becomes clear he wants us to think about all these ideas in conversation with one another.

At the end of the essay, Baldwin makes it more clear:

This fight begins, however, in the heart and it had now been laid to my charge to keep my own heart free of hatred and despair. This intimation made my heart heavy and, now that my father was irrecoverable, I wished that he had been beside me so that I could have searched his face for the answers which only the future would give me now.

Here, Baldwin ties together the themes and motifs into one clear statement: that he must continue to fight and recognize injustice, especially racial injustice, just as his father did. But unlike his father, he must do it beginning with himself—he must not let himself be closed off to the world as his father was. And yet, he still wishes he had his father for guidance, even as he establishes that he hopes to be a different man than his father.

In this essay, Baldwin loads the front of the essay with his motifs, and, through his narrative, weaves them together into a theme. In the end, he comes to a conclusion that connects all of those things together and leaves the reader with a lasting impression of completion—though the elements may have been initially disparate, in the end everything makes sense.

You can replicate this tactic of introducing seemingly unattached ideas and weaving them together in your own essays. By introducing those motifs, developing them throughout, and bringing them together in the end, you can demonstrate to your reader how all of them are related. However, it’s especially important to be sure that your motifs and clear and consistent throughout your essay so that the conclusion feels earned and consistent—if not, readers may feel mislead.

5 Key Tips for Writing Narrative Essays

Narrative essays can be a lot of fun to write since they’re so heavily based on creativity. But that can also feel intimidating—sometimes it’s easier to have strict guidelines than to have to make it all up yourself. Here are a few tips to keep your narrative essay feeling strong and fresh.

Develop Strong Motifs

Motifs are the foundation of a narrative essay . What are you trying to say? How can you say that using specific symbols or events? Those are your motifs.

In the same way that an argumentative essay’s body should support its thesis, the body of your narrative essay should include motifs that support your theme.

Try to avoid cliches, as these will feel tired to your readers. Instead of roses to symbolize love, try succulents. Instead of the ocean representing some vast, unknowable truth, try the depths of your brother’s bedroom. Keep your language and motifs fresh and your essay will be even stronger!

Use First-Person Perspective

In many essays, you’re expected to remove yourself so that your points stand on their own. Not so in a narrative essay—in this case, you want to make use of your own perspective.

Sometimes a different perspective can make your point even stronger. If you want someone to identify with your point of view, it may be tempting to choose a second-person perspective. However, be sure you really understand the function of second-person; it’s very easy to put a reader off if the narration isn’t expertly deployed.

If you want a little bit of distance, third-person perspective may be okay. But be careful—too much distance and your reader may feel like the narrative lacks truth.

That’s why first-person perspective is the standard. It keeps you, the writer, close to the narrative, reminding the reader that it really happened. And because you really know what happened and how, you’re free to inject your own opinion into the story without it detracting from your point, as it would in a different type of essay.

Stick to the Truth

Your essay should be true. However, this is a creative essay, and it’s okay to embellish a little. Rarely in life do we experience anything with a clear, concrete meaning the way somebody in a book might. If you flub the details a little, it’s okay—just don’t make them up entirely.

Also, nobody expects you to perfectly recall details that may have happened years ago. You may have to reconstruct dialog from your memory and your imagination. That’s okay, again, as long as you aren’t making it up entirely and assigning made-up statements to somebody.

Dialog is a powerful tool. A good conversation can add flavor and interest to a story, as we saw demonstrated in David Foster Wallace’s essay. As previously mentioned, it’s okay to flub it a little, especially because you’re likely writing about an experience you had without knowing that you’d be writing about it later.

However, don’t rely too much on it. Your narrative essay shouldn’t be told through people explaining things to one another; the motif comes through in the details. Dialog can be one of those details, but it shouldn’t be the only one.

Use Sensory Descriptions

Because a narrative essay is a story, you can use sensory details to make your writing more interesting. If you’re describing a particular experience, you can go into detail about things like taste, smell, and hearing in a way that you probably wouldn’t do in any other essay style.

These details can tie into your overall motifs and further your point. Woolf describes in great detail what she sees while watching the moth, giving us the sense that we, too, are watching the moth. In Wallace’s essay, he discusses the sights, sounds, and smells of the Illinois State Fair to help emphasize his point about its strangeness. And in Baldwin’s essay, he describes shattered glass as a “wilderness,” and uses the feelings of his body to describe his mental state.

All these descriptions anchor us not only in the story, but in the motifs and themes as well. One of the tools of a writer is making the reader feel as you felt, and sensory details help you achieve that.

What’s Next?

Looking to brush up on your essay-writing capabilities before the ACT? This guide to ACT English will walk you through some of the best strategies and practice questions to get you prepared!

Part of practicing for the ACT is ensuring your word choice and diction are on point. Check out this guide to some of the most common errors on the ACT English section to be sure that you're not making these common mistakes!

A solid understanding of English principles will help you make an effective point in a narrative essay, and you can get that understanding through taking a rigorous assortment of high school English classes !

Melissa Brinks graduated from the University of Washington in 2014 with a Bachelor's in English with a creative writing emphasis. She has spent several years tutoring K-12 students in many subjects, including in SAT prep, to help them prepare for their college education.

Ask a Question Below

Have any questions about this article or other topics? Ask below and we'll reply!

Improve With Our Famous Guides

• For All Students

The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 160+ SAT Points

How to Get a Perfect 1600, by a Perfect Scorer

Series: How to Get 800 on Each SAT Section:

Score 800 on SAT Math

Score 800 on SAT Reading

Score 800 on SAT Writing

Series: How to Get to 600 on Each SAT Section:

Score 600 on SAT Math

Score 600 on SAT Reading

Score 600 on SAT Writing

Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests

What SAT Target Score Should You Be Aiming For?

15 Strategies to Improve Your SAT Essay

The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 4+ ACT Points

How to Get a Perfect 36 ACT, by a Perfect Scorer

Series: How to Get 36 on Each ACT Section:

36 on ACT English

36 on ACT Math

36 on ACT Reading

36 on ACT Science

Series: How to Get to 24 on Each ACT Section:

24 on ACT English

24 on ACT Math

24 on ACT Reading

24 on ACT Science

What ACT target score should you be aiming for?

ACT Vocabulary You Must Know

ACT Writing: 15 Tips to Raise Your Essay Score

How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League

How to Get a Perfect 4.0 GPA

How to Write an Amazing College Essay

What Exactly Are Colleges Looking For?

Is the ACT easier than the SAT? A Comprehensive Guide

Should you retake your SAT or ACT?

When should you take the SAT or ACT?

Get Informed

Get the latest articles and test prep tips!

Looking for Graduate School Test Prep?

Check out our top-rated graduate blogs here:

GRE Online Prep Blog

GMAT Online Prep Blog

TOEFL Online Prep Blog

Holly R. "I am absolutely overjoyed and cannot thank you enough for helping me!”

Can i please have a 300 word essay about why i should study hard

Aliyahfox634 is waiting for your help., ai-generated answer.

• 2.5K people helped

Answer:  Do not worry my friend, I can give you one of my own documents for this!

Explanation: Hope this Helps.

Still have questions?

Get more answers for free, you might be interested in, new questions in english.