13 Prewriting the Narrative
Exploring Topics
When writing a narrative essay, choose a topic that you personally find very interesting or meaningful, and then share with your readers. To get started, do some guided brainstorming by asking yourself these questions:
- What experience in my life or that of someone I know interests me?
- Is there an event in my community or history that I would like to relate?
- Who was involved and what parts did they play?
- What main point would you want to make about this event in one or two sentences?
Writing Exercise: Exploring topics for a narrative essay
Read the following questions, and write the first ideas that come to your mind. Think of two to three ideas for each topic.
Example: What are some memorable moments in your life?
- I ran away from home at the age of fifteen.
- I came to the United States to study.
- What are some emotional ceremonies or celebrations that you have witnessed or been a part of?
- What significant experiences have changed you or taught you life lessons?
- Adventures have you have with a good friend? What happened?
When you have pinpointed a topic, use further brainstorming to generate supporting material. Here are some suggestions.
