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Essay Writing Tips

GROUP ACTIVITY:
English Literature, Creative Writing and Practice: BA Hons
Department of English and Creative Writing
Lancaster University

If doing a descriptive, argumentative or comparative essay seems to be too much work or simply isn't personal enough, considering the narrative approach is always the next best alternative.

A kind of essay writing, a narrative essay offers writers a chance to think and write about personal experiences that are worth sharing to readers.

It provides everybody the opportunity to share a meaningful experience that lead to some important realization or conclusion about himself or the world. Since a narrative relies on personal experiences, it is often told from the view point of the author.

A writer should think about one occasion or incident in his life that he finds significant. And once chosen, an essay writer should keep these three principles in mind:

- Let the readers become involved in the story. Don't merely tell a story, recreate an incident or incorporate details that will ignite the imaginations of the readers.

- A single story may have plenty of life-changing lessons a writer feels everyone should know, but in narrative essays, a writer needs to establish a central point or idea to build the story upon.

- This is an important factor to consider because it separates a narrative essay from a piece of writing that's only meant to tell a story.

- Finding a general thought for the story will also give meaning to the experience of the essay writer. This generalization doesn't have to be too profound that it has to capture the whole truth about humanity, it can be a personal realization or a reflection on the lives of women and children.

- Though a narrative is a form of essay writing that can easily be considered as mere story telling, it still shouldn't be taken lightly. Its details must be selected carefully to explain the story and illuminate the imaginations of the readers.

A narrative essay follows a convention a writer should keep in mind.

- This essay writing technique is generally written from the perspective of the writer, and therefore, should use the pronoun I. There are, however, instances when the essay writer prefers to use third person pronouns such as he, she or it.

- The important thing to consider here is consistency. A writer who begins his essay in the first person cannot switch point of view at mid-essay.

- When considering this type, essay writers must remember to include all the necessary details of storytelling ; the plot, characters, setting, climax, and ending.

- The plot should unfold in a chronological order. An essay writer, however, should feel free to break the rule if he feels it's necessary to enhance his story. Flashbacks, for instance, is a good example of defying the chronological rule.

- The use of concrete, specific details are necessary to support the thesis, because they create a unified, forceful effect.

- They say that the most memorable characters in novels are those who have flaws. The same is applicable in essay writing. Narrative writers should feel free to reveal human weaknesses, even their weaknesses, in their story.

REFERENCES:

Department of English and Creative Writing
Essay Writing
Paradigm Online Writing Assistant
The Royal Literary Fund
I Believe - Essay Writing Tips
Commonwealth Essay Competition

Supporting Documents:

gspp.berkeley.edu/admissions/docs/GPA_TipSheet.pdf
www.essaywritingpower.com/prodl29/EssayTutorEssentialTips.pdf
www.acm.edu/admiss/essay.pdf
bestessays.com
ual.stanford.edu/pdf/WritingStatementofPurpose.pdf
www.nj.gov/highereducation/PDFs/FAFSA_and_Essay_Tips.pdf