personal narrative essay topics for middle school

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15 Inspiring Personal Narrative Examples for Writers

Reveal a part of yourself in your essay.

Students start writing personal narratives at a young age, learning to use descriptive language to tell a story about their own experiences. Try sharing these personal narrative examples for elementary, middle, and high school to help them understand this essay form.

What is a personal narrative?

Think of a narrative essay like telling a story. Use descriptive language, and be sure you have a beginning, middle, and end. The essay should recount your personal experiences, including your thoughts, feelings, and actions.

Learn more about personal narrative essays here:

• What Is Narrative Writing, and How Do I Teach It in the Classroom?
• Engaging Personal Narrative Ideas for Kids and Teens
• Best Mentor Texts for Narrative Writing in Elementary School

Elementary School Personal Narrative Examples

In elementary school, personal narratives might be quite short, just a paragraph or two. The key is to encourage kids to embrace a personal style of writing, one that speaks in their own voice. Take a look at these elementary school personal narrative essay examples for inspiration.

The Horrible Day

“next i fell asleep in my cereal and my brother stole my toast”—anonymous student.

In this short personal narrative written by a 2nd grader, the author describes a bad day with lots of details and an informal tone. It’s a great model for your youngest writers.

Read the full essay: The Horrible Day at Thoughtful Learning

Keep an Eye on the Sky!

“as we made our way out to the field, my stomach slowly turned into a giant knot of fear.” —anonymous student.

Any student who dreads gym class will connect with this essay, which turns a challenge into a triumph. This narrative from Time for Kids is annotated, with highlighted details and tips to help kids write their own essay.

Read the full essay: Keep an Eye on the Sky! at Time for Kids

Grandpa, Chaz, and Me

“i really miss grandpa, and so does my brother, even though he never met him.” —cody, 4th grade student.

Written by a 4th grader, this essay relates the author’s loss of a grandfather at a very young age. Using simple, personal language, they tell a compelling story in a few short paragraphs.

Read the full essay: Grandpa, Chaz, and Me at Thoughtful Learning

Surviving an Embarrassing Situation

“i had made the shot in the wrong basket, giving the green shirts the win” —anonymous student.

Personal narratives tell a story, with a beginning, middle, and end. This annotated essay outlines those parts, making it easier for young writers to do the same in their own writing.

Read the full essay: Surviving an Embarrassing Situation at Sopris West Educational Services

“Do you have a friend who loves you?” —Kendra, 4th grade student

Writing about friends gives writers the chance to describe someone’s physical characteristics and personality. This 4th grade essay uses personal details to bring a beloved friend to life.

Read the full essay: Ann at Thoughtful Learning

Middle School Personal Narrative Examples

By middle school, personal narratives are longer and more involved, telling more detailed stories and experiences. These middle school personal narrative essay examples model strong writing skills for this age group.

“As thoughts of certain death run through my mind, the world appears a precious, treasured place.” —Amy, student

Describing an opportunity to overcome your worst fears makes an excellent personal narrative topic. The vivid descriptions of the landscape and the author’s feelings help the reader make a strong connection to the author.

Read the full essay: The Climb at Thoughtful Learning

The Best Friend Question

“i’ve often wondered, does not having a best friend make me defective” —blanche li, age 13, diablo vista middle school, danville, california.

When her Spanish teacher asked students for an essay describing their best friend, 13-year-old Blanche Li fell back on her standard story: that of a made-up person. Here, she explains why she made up “Haley” and wonders what having an imaginary best friend says about her.

Read the full essay: The Best Friend Question at The New York Times

The Racist Warehouse

“i didn’t know racism was still around; i thought that situation had died along with dr. king.” —alicia, 8th grade student.

Strong personal narratives often relate the way the author learned an important life lesson. Here, an 8th grader describes her first experience with racism, in an essay that will sadly ring true with many readers.

Read the full essay: The Racist Warehouse at Thoughtful Teaching

“For the first time, we realized that we didn’t know how to express our voice, and we always suppressed it.” —Jocelyn C., 7th grade student, Texas

Seventh-grader Jocelyn C. describes the unique experience of spending two years living in an RV with her family, traveling the country. She relates the ups and downs of their trip, illustrating the way her family learned to live together in close quarters and embrace the adventure.

Read the full essay: RV Journey at Write From the Heart

An Eight Pound Rival

“i’m trying to accept that he didn’t mean to dominate the center stage all the time, that’s just one of the many lovable assets of his personality.”.

A new sibling can change everything in a family, especially when you’ve always been the baby. This middle schooler explains her challenging relationship with a little brother that she loves, even when he drives her a bit crazy. (Find this essay on page 42 at the link.)

Read the full essay: An Eight Pound Rival at Teaching That Makes Sense

High School Personal Narrative Examples

High school students have more complex stories to tell, though they’re sometimes reluctant to do so. Reading personal narrative essay examples like these can encourage them to open up and get their thoughts, feelings, and ideas down on the page.

Sorry, Wrong Number

“when i received the first text, i was a playful sixth grader, always finding sly ways to be subversive in school and with friends.” —michelle ahn, high school student.

When Michelle Ahn was 11, she started getting texts for a wrong number, a man named Jared. Rather than correcting the error, she spends the next few years occasionally engaging with his texters as “Jared,” learning more about him. Though she finally comes clean, her time as “Jared” exposes her to a way of life very different from her own, and opens her eyes to the inner lives of others.

Read the full essay: Sorry, Wrong Number at The New York Times

Caught in the Net

“little does everyone else know how often i’m not doing school research or paper writing; instead i’m aimlessly writing emails or chatting with internet friends and family hundreds of miles away.” —kim, college student.

Even before social media and smartphones swept the world, internet addiction had become a problem. Here, a student shares her experiences in AOL chat rooms, meeting people from around the globe. Eventually, she realizes she’s sacrificing life in the real world for her digital friends and experiences, and works to find the right balance.

Read the full essay: Caught in the Net at Thoughtful Learning

Nothing Extraordinary

“an uneasy feeling started to settle in my chest. i tried to push it out, but once it took root it refused to be yanked up and tossed away.” —jeniffer kim, high school student.

During an ordinary shopping trip, high schooler Jenniffer Kim suddenly realizes she’s ashamed of her mother. At the same time, she recognizes all the sacrifices her mom has made for her, and gladly takes the chance to make a tiny sacrifice of her own.

Read the full essay: Nothing Extraordinary at The New York Times

The Pot Calling the Kettle Black

“at this point in life, i had not yet learned to be gentle with myself, or others.” —anonymous student.

A teen who lives with bipolar disorder recounts a difficult conversation with her parents, in which her mother dismisses her as “crazy.” A few years later, this same teen finds herself in the emergency room, where her mother has just tried to die by suicide. “Crazy!” the daughter thinks. After her mother also receives a bipolar disorder diagnosis, the author concludes, “‘Crazy’ is a term devised to dismiss people.”

Read the full essay: The Pot Calling the Kettle Black at Pressbooks

What a Black Woman Wishes Her Adoptive White Parents Knew

“i know that i am different, but do not have the words to understand how.” —mariama lockington.

Though not written by a high schooler, this essay by Mariama Lockington makes an excellent mentor text for this age group. Lockington dives deep into her feelings about being adopted by parents of a different race, and shares her challenges in poignant language that speaks directly to the reader.

Read the full essay: What a Black Woman Wishes Her Adoptive White Parents Knew at Buzzfeed News

Do you use personal narrative examples as mentor texts in your classroom? Come share your experiences and ask for advice in the We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook !

Plus, strong persuasive writing examples (essays, speeches, ads, and more) ..

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65 Engaging Personal Narrative Ideas for Kids and Teens

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50 Narrative Essay Topics

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but a narrative essay can also tell an exciting story and create vivid pictures in the reader’s mind! We’ve got 50 narrative essay topics designed to prompt students to craft memorable written narratives. These can be modified for students in elementary, middle and high school. Feel free to print the entire narrative essay topics list for plenty of inspiration for your next narrative essay assignment!

Narrative Essay Topics

• Your first day of school.
• Your most exciting day of school
• A field trip that your class took.
• Your favorite summer vacation.
• A trip that included something unexpected or surprising.
• A time that you experienced something spooky.
• A time that you experienced something truly frightening.
• A time that you learned something new that changed you in some way.
• The moment when you met someone who changed your life.
• The day that you got your first pet.
• A move from one place to another.
• Something funny that happened to you.
• Something funny that happened to one of your family members or friends.
• Something embarrassing that happened to you.
• Your favorite birthday party.
• A birthday that was disappointing.
• A big storm (rain, snow or even a tornado!).
• A time that the power went out.
• A summer day when the temperature got much higher than expected.
• A time when you went to an amusement park.
• A time when you got lost somewhere.
• A memorable experience with a favorite family member.
• A sad experience with someone about whom you care.
• Your most exciting moment playing sports.
• Your most exciting moment performing in a play, singing, playing music or dancing.
• An experience that left you feeling frustrated.
• An experience that was hard but ended up being worth it.
• A time that you experienced rejection.
• A weird encounter with a stranger.
• A random act of kindness.
• A time that you took a stand for someone or for an issue that you care about.
• A moment when you thought you might get hurt but didn’t.
• Breaking a bone (or otherwise suffering an injury).
• Your first time away from home for the night (or longer).
• A time when you experienced a historic event.
• Where you were when a major event happened. (Note: You don’t need to have been at the site of the event; this prompt is about where you were when you found out about the event and how you reacted.)
• A time when you rebelled against your parents or teacher.
• A dangerous experience.
• A misunderstanding between yourself and someone else.
• A difficult decision that you had to make.
• The end of a friendship or relationship.
• The beginning of a friendship or relationship.
• A time when you judged someone first and then realized that you were wrong about the person.
• A time when someone judged you first and then realized that he or she was wrong about you.
• A moment when you felt that you were starting to grow up.
• A time when you saw one or both of your parents in a different light.
• A time when you looked up to your older sibling.
• A time when your younger sibling looked up to you.
• A time when you were grateful to be an only child.
• An experience that you think has only ever happened to you!

Looking for more essay topics? Compare and Contrast Essay Topics Descriptive Essay Topics Cause and Effect Essay Topics Persuasive Essay and Speech Topics

The Best Narrative Writing Prompts for Middle School

Narrative writing can be super exciting, especially when guided by a super fun prompt!

Prompts are powerful tools for inspiring students to their best writing. They allow you to guide and help young learners stay focused on a specific topic as they engage in the writing process. Furthermore, the sheer simplicity of writing prompts in middle school classrooms, compared to worksheets or handouts , makes them the perfect last-minute addition to any lesson plan.

In this article, we’re giving you a few narrative writing prompts for middle school that students will absolutely love! Before we begin, however, let’s take a quick look at the importance of narrative writing.

The importance of narrative writing

People ask–why do students need to learn narrative writing? For teachers, the answer is simple. Many standardized tests , such as the Louisiana Education Assessment Program (LEAP), require students to demonstrate their ability to analyze and write narratives.

Learning to write narratives helps learners understand narrative structure, which in return, improves their reading comprehension. Thus, a wholistic approach to narrative instruction, which includes both reading and writing, is an effective way to help students place higher on standardized assessments.

Aside from test-related motivations to study narratives, this particular style of writing gives students a creative outlet for expressing themselves. As a matter of fact, narrative writing is often called “creative writing.”

The purpose of a narrative is to tell audiences a story, and students are given countless opportunities to make creative choices when telling stories. Through writing, they learn to develop a unique voice and imbue their work with a distinct, personal touch.

“…students are given countless opportunities to make creative choices when telling stories.”

Example middle school narrative writing prompts

As promised, here are a the best–and only–narrative writing prompts for middle school students you’ll ever need!

• Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live as your favorite animal? What animal would you be? What would you do during a typical day? What challenges might you face? Write a narrative essay about what a day in the life as your favorite animal would be like. Use the questions in the prompt to guide your response.
• Imagine winning the lottery tomorrow. What would you do with the money? Would you spend it? If so, what would you buy? Would you save it? If so, why? Write a narrative essay describing what you would do after winning the lottery. Use the questions in the prompt to guide your response.
• Everyone has fears, and sometimes we have to face them. What is your worst fear? When did the fear begin?  Why does it make you afraid? How could you overcome it? Write a narrative about overcoming your worst fear. Use the questions in the prompt to guide your response.
• At some point, we have all had an opportunity to be strong. What has been your strongest moment? Were you mentally or physically strong? Or both? What did it feel like? Write a narrative essay about a time when you were strong. Use the questions in the prompt to guide your response.
• Imagine you are elected president of the United States. What would you say to the American people during your inauguration speech? How would you run the country? What laws would you pass? What laws would you abolish? Write a narrative essay about what you would do as the president of the United States. Use the questions in the prompt to guide your response.

Rather use narrative writing handouts? Make sure to explore our Resource section for additional teaching tools.

Final words

These narrative writing prompts for middle school students are simple, fun, and effective. Try them out and witness the endless creative stories your students will come up with!

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15 Awesome Recount & Personal Narrative Topics

Recounts and Personal Narratives can often be a dry and dreaded writing task for teachers and students as far too frequently we recount menial and boring events such as what happened over the weekend. 

These fifteen personal narrative topics / or recount prompts will encourage your students to think deeply and allow them to learn more about themselves and each other.

Here are 15 excellent recount and personal narrative topics that will engage your students and foster self-reflection and connection within the classroom. These prompts aim to alleviate the common perception of recounts and personal narratives as monotonous by encouraging students to explore meaningful and captivating experiences.

With these topics, students can delve into their own lives and share significant stories with their peers.

PERSONAL NARRATIVE TOPICS FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

• Looking back on our childhood, we often refer to key events that significantly impacted us. Tell about one of those defining events from your childhood.
• It has been said that parents are our first and most important teachers. Describe a time when you learned a valuable lesson from one of your parents.
• Recount a time when you found yourself in a perilous situation. Tell the story of how you got into that situation and survived it.
• Far too often, we take nature for granted. Describe an experience that made you appreciate our natural world.
• We have all heard the saying, “You should never judge another person until you walk in his or her shoes.” Tell about an experience that enabled you to better understand another person.
• We all possess phobias and things we are afraid of, and sometimes we find ourselves in situations that force us to face our deepest fears. Tell about a time when you had to face one of your greatest fears.
• Sometimes, something negative turns out to be positive—a “blessing in disguise.” Describe a time in your life when something bad was good.
• We often put people we admire so highly on a pedestal that we forget they’re human. Describe a time when you realized that someone you admired was imperfect.
• Have you ever forgotten something of extreme importance? Tell about your experience.
• Sports are a big part of some people’s lives, either as spectators or participants. Describe a memorable sporting event.
• Describe a time when you performed or witnessed a random act of kindness.
• Describe a time when you witnessed something unbelievable.
• Some unexpected experiences can help us mature from children into young adults. Describe one of those key experiences in your life.
• It is an amazing experience when we create something beautiful. Tell about a time when you created something.
• Rich experiences can take place when we travel. Tell about a memorable experience you had when you were traveling.

THE STORY TELLERS BUNDLE OF TEACHING RESOURCES

A MASSIVE COLLECTION of resources for narratives and story writing in the classroom covering all elements of crafting amazing stories. MONTHS WORTH OF WRITING LESSONS AND RESOURCES, including:

How to write an Autobiography

Point of view in literacy: A guide for students and teachers

How to Write a Descriptive Text

IIf you are looking for an incredible free resource for teaching how to write recounts, be sure to check out innovativeteachingideas.com It has complete guides to teaching all major styles of writing.

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10 Tips for Teaching Personal Narrative Writing in Middle School ELA

One of my favorite middle school ELA writing activities for the beginning of the school year is a personal narrative essay . I find this assignment is a great way for us to learn a lot about who our students are – as writers, and as people! It’s a great way to build foundational relationships with new students and set everyone up for a positive year!

Here’s how I like to set up personal narrative essay writing in the classroom:

1. Teach about the Genre

To begin, I like to explore the idea of personal narrative writing . While many of our middle school ELA students have written other types of essays before, this is often the first time they encounter this the personal narrative writing genre. First, I like to ask students if they have ever heard of personal essays and guide a brief class discussion.

Personal narratives create a valuable opportunity for students to share relevant stories from their own lives. Usually, this type of writing is designed to provoke an emotional reaction. Often, they find that personal narratives can be one of the most enjoyable writing assignments in ELA class!

2. Help them Choose a Topic

I find that one of our students’ biggest roadblocks to writing a personal narrative essay is the fact they think they don’t have anything worthwhile to say!

When this inevitably happens, I like to remind them that personal narratives can encompass a broad range of topics. As they plan their writing, they can choose to write about a single event, or an overall experience. For example, they might like to highlight on a moment in time. Alternatively, they could focus on a single thing that spanned a number of years (developing a skill at swimming lessons or dance class, for example). Even the simplest story can make an excellent topic for a personal narrative essay, as long as it is presented in a powerful way.

I also like to emphasize that the most important part of a personal narrative is that the writing has a purpose. For example:

• A funny story might enlighten readers on a lesson learned the hard way.
• A scary story might serve as a warning or wake up call.
• A touching story might inspire others to be a better person or view the world from a different perspective.

Sometimes I even like to share one of my favorite quotes. The saying (which is often attributed to the Dalai Lama) goes, “If you think you’re too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito!” This usually reassures our middle school ELA students that we all have the ability to make a powerful impact!

If they are stuck…

If the class still seems stuck on choosing a topic, I like to set stations up around the room and break students into small groups. Next, I provide them with task card prompts at each station to get them thinking about their various life experiences that might make a good topic for a personal narrative essay.

When they arrive at each station, they read the card. Each member of the group briefly shares a story that relates to the prompt, and students take a few minutes to jot down a few possible ideas on their brainstorming sheet. As they move through the stations and repeat the process, they should generate a number of different ideas to consider.

When their sheet is full, I invite them to narrow down their choices by considering their answers to the following questions:

• What are you most inspired by or excited to write about? 
• What might be the most interesting for others to read? 
• Which topic can be told with a clear series of events and interesting details or enticing descriptions? 
• Which story has a thought-provoking message or point? 

3. Share Two Important Questions

As the class works through the brainstorming process, they need to also consider the fact that personal narrative essays are meant to be shared with others. I will read their work when I grade it, of course, and I also like to share and display students’ writing around my classroom.

With this in mind, I like to invite students to consider two questions before they get too deep into their initial draft:

• Am I comfortable sharing this story with others?
• Will people be able to relate to my experiences and what I learned?

When thinking about these questions, if the student cannot respond with an enthusiastic “yes” to both, it is time to go back to the brainstorming sheet and choose a different topic. But if their topic passes this important self-check, they can keep going!

4. Start With the End in Mind

Now, it’s time for students to step back and consider the purpose of their writing. In this section of the lesson , I encourage the middle school ELA class to think about the “heart” of the story. In other words, what do they want the audience to notice and consider as they read?

This is also an opportunity for students to consider their own purpose for writing. Some questions I like to ask are:

• Why do you want to share this story?
• What do you want people to feel as they read your personal narrative essay?
• What should the lasting impression of this story be on your reader?

5. Consider Your Audience

As part of the pre-planning process, I also like to remind middle schoolers of who their audience for this task will be. After all, personal stories should be shared with others!

I find that sometimes students approach an assignment from a different perspective depending on who will be reading their written work. This is why I like to make it very clear about the audience for their finished writing upfront.

There are many options for sharing students’ written work. Sometimes, after the essays are written, I have students sit and read them aloud to small groups of their peers. I also usually invite them to include their personal narratives in their portfolio of work from the year, which can be accessed by parents and guardians through an online portal. I may also keep a copy of their personal narratives to share with families during student-led conferences.

In some cases, a conversation with students about how they would like their words and ideas to be shared can be useful. They may surprise you with their own ideas. For example, they might like to post excerpts from their personal narratives to a blog, or even make them into a podcast! 

6. Plan Out Your Story Elements

Once you have addressed the issues of topic and audience, it’s time to consider the elements of a personal narrative.

Characters:

I like to emphasize that while the writer is the main character, a personal narrative essay usually involves other characters as well. When preparing to write, I invite students to consider:

• Who else is involved in the story or event?
• What are their character traits, and how will you show them through your writing?
• What is your relationship like with this person (or people?)

Once the characters are established, a next step for students is to consider the setting. For example, if location is important to the story, I might ask the class how they will convey a sense of place. 

Here, I find it helps to brainstorm sensory details to include. I like to ask the class about the weather, time of day, sounds (for example, birds chirping, crowds, rain on the roof) and other details. These can help add color to the overall scene.

During the lesson , I like to explain that most personal narratives include one of the four types of conflict. This is sometimes new information for my middle school ELA students! I find it helps to ask the following questions:

• Is there conflict between you and another person in the story? (person vs. person) 
• Are you struggling with some type of inner turmoil or struggling to make a decision? (person vs. self) 
• Are you in conflict with the natural elements? (person vs. environment)
• Are you challenging an element of government or society? (person vs. society)

7. Provide an Organizational Framework

As we discuss the organizational framework of a personal narrative essay, middle school ELA students usually notice similarities to traditional story writing. During this process, a graphic organizer can support them with their planning.

Planning the Beginning of the Essay:

I remind them that the beginning of their essay should provide a captivating hook, establishing the basic details of the story. This can include background information, as well as information about the characters and setting. Most importantly, I like to reinforce that this is where they need to establish themselves as the main character! Depending on the topic, the students might introduce the conflict in this section as well.

Planning the Middle of the Essay :

As they move on to the middle of the personal narrative, I like to tell middle school ELA students to dive even more deeply into the situation, problem, or event they are describing. This helps their reader connect with the story. To do this, I also like to invite them to consider the character’s experiences (how they were feeling and what they were thinking). Just like in traditional fiction, this is also the place to build to some kind of climax.

Planning the Conclusion of their Essay:

Finally, I have students consider how they plan to conclude their personal narrative writing ELA task. In this section, they will want to tie up any loose ends, and identify any key messages they want to leave with the reader. As they organize their ideas, I ask them to think about a few things: 

• What could the reader learn from your experience?
• Is there a moral or lesson the reader might consider in their own life?  
• Will your story leave the reader laughing, in tears, or ready to take action?  

One thing I emphasize is that students who are unfamiliar with personal narrative writing will probably want to stick quite closely to this planning format at first. As they become more comfortable with this type of writing task, they will gain more confidence in their own style, and take more creative risks.

8. Share Writing Strategies

Now it’s time for the fun part – the writing itself! Before my middle school ELA students write their essays in earnest, I offer a few tips to get them started.

First, I remind them to write their narrative essays in first person. After all, they’re telling their own stories! We discuss the idea of being “true to your voice” as a writer, and consider how the students wish to tell their personal stories. A humorous, witty, inspiring or sad story will all require a different tone – and whatever direction the student chooses to go in, the writing should be consistent.

Next, I like to offer a few tips about engaging the reader . Dialogue can add color and vibrancy to a personal narrative. Vivid imagery and sensory details can show, rather than tell, a sense of place or emotional connection. I love sharing the sample sentence, “Her face flushed to a shocking shade of red.” This is much more effective than, “She was embarrassed.”

9. Allow Time For Peer Editing

In my classroom, I like to leave a period or two for peer editing and revisions at the end of the writing process.

The first time, I encourage ELA students to read their personal narrative writing aloud. Or – even better – they can have a peer read their work back to them. This is a great starting point for finding mistakes or weak spots in the writing that need to be changed. The second time through, students can use a checklist to edit the work in sections and offer suggestions for improvement.

By breaking the editing process down into three key areas (grammar, content, and writing structure), I find students can keep their feedback constructive, focused and efficient. Finally, I leave time for the students to go over their writing again, making spelling and grammar corrections to ensure they turn in their best work.

10. Give Options for Sharing

It’s important to remember that each student has their own personal comfort level about sharing their work with a large group. A brief survey (either on paper or via Google Forms) is a great way to check in on students and find out how they would like to share their writing.

Here are some choices I like to offer:

• sharing their personal narrative essay through a pre-recorded podcast or video
• reading their essay in front of the class
• presenting their work to a small group of their peers
• booking a private meeting with me (usually at lunch) to go through their essay together

There you have it! I hope your middle school ELA students love writing personal narrative essays as much as mine do!

If you’re looking for more unique writing ideas for middle and high school, check out 5 Outside the Box Creative Writing Assignments in ELA !

Students stuck in a writing rut? Here are 8 Ways to Engage Reluctant Writers .

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• Oct 25, 2022

Personal Narrative Writing in Middle School: Digging Deeper

Updated: Oct 25, 2022

For years, I didn't do personal narrative writing in middle school. In fact, I wrote an entire blog post about why I didn't do it . Main reason...it's been done before in many years prior to when those students came to you, especially if teachers prior use writing workshop.

However, I've grown to embrace it again. The biggest reason why is because I think it helps build a classroom community. I decided to go with personal narrative instead of my usual fiction writing in response to reading during the pandemic. I felt, since the kids were remote, this was a good way to get to know each other a little better.

I did peruse Lucy Calkins' Personal Narrative unit for the digital notebook, however, as I went through the unit, I changed a lot.

I like to have the students do a quick narrative based on a person in their lives . The idea of writing about a special moment with a person has been done a lot up until this point so I feel it's an easy way to get a sense of where they are. I have them start with listing moments with an important person. They pick one of those moments to write about.

I don't necessarily need an entire story; I just want them to show me what they can do.

Getting Started

If you don't know already, a personal narrative focuses on a small moment , not an entire day, trip, game, etc. In the earlier grades, teachers spend a lot of time on this (think less watermelon, more seed). At this point, I feel that students just need a refresher.

I like to do this through mentor texts . I provide students with actual written student narratives from my past students. (Here are two you can use. These are by actual students, so definitely not perfect examples. Student Narrative #1 and Student Narrative #2 ).

Students go in to highlight specifically the small moment components of the stories. We discuss how these stories are small moments (or not) and they also start analyzing what the stories did well (or not).

I think it is super valuable to see other students' stories to give students perspective of what's expected or what can be improved.

Brainstorming

Students begin to brainstorm by thinking of a place that is important to them. I tell them to be as specific as possible.

Their idea may be big, but then they make a map of the place. The map is more focused on the moments that happened in the place. They then pick one of those moments in the place and write long about it.

Next, I have students write about moments that mattered. For this, I like to do Show and Tell . I tell students a few days before to bring in an item that is important to them. This should symbolize something or someone that is important in their lives. This goes so well! It goes beyond just what the objects are, but also what they can represent.

They use that object to brainstorm ideas within the topics of "first times", "last times", and "moments I learned something" . For example, I showed a picture of my husband and me at my brother's wedding. This was important to me because it was the first time I had left my son with another babysitter. I was dealing with post-partum anxiety. This stemmed lots of ideas: first time I left my son with a babysitter, first time I had an anxiety attack, the LAST time I had an anxiety attack, the first time I changed a diaper, the moment I learned it's important to enjoy small things, etc.

I start with students focusing on story structure . I have them look at short stories to do this. I really like "Eleven" and "Fish Cheeks". They are short and sweet and are great models for personal narrative.

They fill out the chart for those stories. We discuss, then they plan their own stories on a story structure chart.

The next day we focus on internal and external . This is something we cover in our unit prior. I do a Deep Study of Character before this and we often get into internal and external characteristics of characters. For writing, they focus on what they could be thinking (internal) in each part of their chart and what they could be doing (external) in each part.

Like everything else, we look at short stories first to see how these mentor authors do the same.

Before getting into the actual writing, I spend a day on Show Don't Tell . There are so many things you can do with this, but here's how I do it .

I usually break down each part of the story structure chart by day. So, I will do exposition one day, rising action another, etc. I will start each day with them looking at mentor expositions, etc. Each year, I've done different things. I also share MY PERSONAL NARRATIVE. This is so important; you HAVE to write what the students are expected to write .

A few things I've done:

I would share a Doc with a page or two out of a shared read aloud. I'd give them specific questions that focus on that part of the story map; for example, "how did Jason Reynolds introduce the characters in this chapter?".

I'd have them go back into whatever books they are reading and answer similar questions ("how did the author introduce setting/problem/solution?" "how did the author show feelings/thoughts/actions?").

I always share with them MY exposition, rising action, etc. Sometimes I just read it to them, other times I have them work with partners to look for similar things mentioned in the bullets before this.

It's important to look at mentors. I don't just have them go and write the whole story in a day. It's so important to break it up.

There are so many different lessons you can do. I always have to remind myself that you don't have to teach them EVERY thing. I try to keep revision pretty straightforward.

Of course, there is editing; focusing on grammar, punctuation, spelling. I like to tie in anything I do with mentor sentences or vocabulary . It's a good idea to connect it to anything you do for grammar or word study.

Four major areas of revision as per the Lucy Calkins' unit:

Looking at mentor sentences and trying it out with their own writing.

Finding the heart of the story.

Stretching out scenes (finding a moment that can use more detail and stretching it).

Slowing down the problem scene.

I don't always commit to these exactly. I do like to spend time on dialogue and elaboration . I really get into how important it is to punctuate it properly and how to tag it so it shows more description.

I also revisit their showing and not telling slides and have them apply it to their writing.

One of the very last things I do in the revision stage is have them do critique groups . This is a bit different than just them swapping Docs with each other and commenting. It's more of a dialogue.

Lastly, they finalize their draft and put it on a Padlet . This is used for lots of things. Guardians are able to see their writing. They can see each other's writing. And I have a spot with ALL of their stories.

Bottom Line

While personal narrative has been done, there is always room to grow. I really feel it depends on the group you have. It's a nice way to start the year to get to know each other. I usually spend about a month on the entire unit.

Click below to get my digital notebook for the unit!

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Bell Ringers

Middle school narrative essays and middle school writing conferences.

Five years ago, I had just started my first year of teaching 7th and 8th grade English Language Arts. We were working on writing middle school narrative essays and I did a blog post on how I taught it here .

I have grown SO much since that time. My students definitely learned a lot, but especially because I teach the same kids in 8th grade as I do in 7th, I knew that I had to really up what we are doing this year.

Disclaimer: I don’t teach “personal narratives.” I know. Writing gods across the universe are gasping in shock, but it’s a decision I made a couple years ago, kind of on a whim, but has been the best thing I have ever done. 

WHY NOT PERSONAL NARRATIVES?

I just feel like kids have written 8-10 personal narratives by the time they get to me, and we are all over it. Plus, sometimes it’s REALLY hard for kids to write something meaningful about the first time they were stung by a bee… or whatever small moment I spend hours and days trying to help them come up with.

I found that when students have to use narrative elements to become a character from a narrative mentor text, they don’t spend days trying to figure out what to write. They truly use narrative craft because they have a complete and well done mentor text to constantly reference. Plus they’re final essay and their writing are just SO FREAKING GOOD.

My first year, we read Freak the Mighty in both seventh and eighth grade. Students had to write from Freak’s or from Killer Kane’s point of view. They were some of the best essay I’ve ever read.  

I used my Realistic Fiction and Literature Terms/Devices unit, along with Freak the Mighty.

I use the novels to teach literary elements and they use that knowledge to write their middle school narrative essays. We also focus a lot on thinking critically about the texts we read.

CHANGING IT UP EACH YEAR

My first year teaching middle school ELA, I taught a lot of the same lessons to both seventh and eight grade. It was honestly perfect as I learned two new grade levels, but that meant I changed things up a lot in the following years. 

I still did the same thing with my 7th graders this year, and we are just about done writing our rough drafts.

For 8th grade, I had the same students, so I decided we would read  The Outsiders . Even more so, instead of them just having to write from the point of view of a character, I actually wanted them to have to do some of that hard thinking that they might be missing out on by not doing a personal narrative.

With this in mind, my 8th graders had to continue Ponyboy’s narrative. Their middle school narrative essays still had to have a plot and climax that was completely developed. Essentially, I was asking them to write another chapter of the book.

It was REALLY HARD for all of us, especially in the planning stages, but I scaffolded and modeled A LOT. Now we’re on rough drafts too, and they’re seriously amazing.

I have since also added a sixth grade example for everything. We used Jason Reynolds novel, Ghost for their mentor text. Again, we used my realistic fiction unit and their novel study units. 

COMPLETE NARRATIVE WRITING UNIT

Each year, I changed how we did our narrative writing unit, and I continued to update my examples and lesson plans each year. 

I have since compiled all my middle school narrative writing lesson into one complete unit that you can get here. 

Since I do teach middle school narrative essays differently than a lot of teachers, I thought I would give you a better overview of what the complete units looks like, plus show you some freebies you can get to use today! 

NARRATIVE WRITING UNIT OVERVIEW

• Session 1: Elements of Narrative Essays Part one
• Session 2: Elements of Narrative Essays Part Two
• Session 3: Narrative Plot Diagrams
• Session 4: Using Sensory Details
• Session 5: Using Dialogue Correctly
• Session 6: Using Dialogue Effectively
• Session 7: Ways to Start a Narrative, Writing Rough Drafts, Writing Conferences
• Session 8: Using Narrative Transitions, Writing Rough Drafts, Writing Conferences
• Session 9: Pacing Narrative Writing, Writing Rough Drafts, Writing Conferences
• Session 10: Ways to End a Narrative, Writing Rough Drafts, Writing Conferences
• Session 11 : Consistent Verb Tenses, Peer Editing, Writing Conferences
• Session 12 : Editing vs. Revising Rough drafts, Writing Conferences
• Session 13-15: Publishing final drafts, Writing Conferences

Each lesson plan has standard alignment, lesson plans for learning period, interactive notebook pages when applicable, teacher prep, writing conference forms and examples, and more! 

INTERACTIVE NOTEBOOK PAGES

With middle school narrative essays I find that students need some front loading before drafting. Because of that, we do spend the first few days doing some interactive notebook lessons on elements of narrative. 

Personal narratives are all about teaching students to use the elements of narrative writing. Since we aren’t doing a personal narrative, I focus heavily on the elements of a narrative to start. We start by defining each of the elements but then look for examples in our mento texts. This is huge because they use their mentor text to write their essays. 

DIFFERENTIATED EXAMPLES BY GRADE LEVEL

As someone who taught all three grade levels of middle school at the same time, I always needed different examples. I like to be able to use the same units, but use different content. If there is an interactive notebook lesson, I made sure to differentiate examples by grade level. 

The same is done for all of the lesson plans when there are examples based on the mentor texts. I  use Ghost for sixth grade, Freak the Mighty seventh grade, and The Outsiders for eighth grades, so I make sure I have different examples for each. 

It drove me crazy when students would say things like, “I don’t get what to do.” So I made sure I had examples that were conceptualized for each grade level so there was no excuse. 

NARRATIVE ESSAY CHART PAPERS

I know I teach middle school ELA, but I still love using chart papers for students to reference. Most of my interactive notebook lessons were adapted and created based on the chart papers. 

You don’t have to do both the chart papers and the interactive notebook lessons, but I did include images of all my chart papers. I honestly just made them as I came up with elements that I knew we need to dig deeper into throughout the unit. 

When I was in a pinch some year, I honestly could just print the chart papers on 8×10 paper so students could glue them into their notebooks. I don’t think it is as effective as student taking their own notes, but sometimes you’re short on time. 

INDIVIDUAL WRITING CONFERENCES

I strongly believe that my students write really strong narrative essays because of how I do writing conferences with students. 

I have a separate blog post all about how I do writing conference in my middle school ELA classroom , because there was a time when I did them like I “thought” I needed to do writing conferences. 

I thought I needed to spend time training them, making them be prepared for them, and then trying to come up with discussion points. I’ve since learned that that just isn’t reality when you have 100+ middle school ELA students. 

Check out my blog post all about this here. 

I also have since made tons of editable middle school narrative essays rubrics and writing conference forms for teachers and students. 

FREE NARRATIVE REFERENCE NOTEBOOKS

One of the biggest updates I made while redoing my narrative writing unit was making a narrative reference notebook.

It’s perfect for students to create at the beginning of the units and to reference while creating their narrative essays. 

• Read more about: Back to School , Middle School ELA Assessment , Middle School Writing , Organization , Printables for Teachers

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295 personal narrative ideas: diverse topics for your essay.

January 6, 2022

Personal narrative writing involves writing about a real-life experience. It’s like non-fiction. You’re writing a story about yourself because it happened to you. At some point, your stories are the perfect personal narrative writing ideas because they are yours.

This way, you get to connect with people. As a student in high school, college, middle school, or university, you can impress your teachers or professors with good personal narrative topics. By choosing the perfect topic, you can create a stellar essay to earn high grades.

Characteristics of a Good Personal Narrative Piece

As a kind of writing which relies on individual experience, your story must:

Have a Clear Purpose This could be a narration of why the story is important to you. The purpose of the story must be clearly expressed without making direct statements about it. Organized Facts and Events The fact you are writing a story about your life doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be organized. You should write sequentially as much as possible to make it organized and lucid. Sensory Description You must also describe your feeling in a way the audience can connect with it. If you need to describe how the cold touch of rain sliced through your skin on a winter dawn, do it. Let your audience feel it as much as you felt it. Involve Readers Your readers must feel important while reading your story. To achieve this, your story must carry them along. If there’s something you need to explain, explain it to make everything clear to them. Include Conflict A story is incomplete without conflicts. This is why you must create enthralling conflicts for your characters. The higher the stake, the better the feelings when the protagonist scales through it.

All these, in addition to a thesis statement are all important features that must be seen in any personal narrative writing.

The Structure of a Personal Narrative Essay

After knowing what your personal essay must have as its features, you must also structure your essay properly. To do this, you should follow this organizational structure:

• Introduction

This is where you grab your readers’ attention. You should set the scene where major characters of the story are also introduced. After this, discuss the role of the argument and introduce the characters. Your introduction must be captivating. Note that you’re writing a story, not a paper.

This is where everything about the story is shared. You must add all the details you know to your story. For instance, the hiking experience must be profoundly discussed, and so do the events that changed you. If you also want to talk about people, describe them. Doing this lets you show your readers, not tell them the story. When you need to change the course of the story, you can write in a new paragraph.

Our list will be extremely helpful to start your essay, but we can assist you even more along the whole process if you want to pay for essay online and save your time for something more entertaining.

Personal Narrative Writing Prompts

As students, one of the most important essays you may ever write is a personal narrative one. This is one of the ways to reveal yourself to strangers and friends. It’s a way to knows more about yourself and other people. You can consider these ideas for a personal narrative piece:

• Identify your most threatening challenges
• What would you say are your survival strategies?
• How do you cope when you fail?
• Would you say that you can’t succeed unless you fail?
• Discuss what you do to achieve your goals
• Do you think “leave your comfort zone” is a sham?
• What do you think about yourself when you’re scared?
• Would you say you don’t mind loneliness?
• What does crying mean to you?
• What are your fears?
• Do you harbor superstitions, what are they?
• Do you feel no one is seeing you as they should
• Write about your rules for life
• Write about your response to bullies
• Write about how you give yourself peace
• How do you relax within the limited time you have to yourself?
• What do you do for fun?
• How do you integrate feedback to improve?
• Would you say becoming an adult is difficult?
• What is the responsibility that scares you the most and why?
• When was your saddest day and why was it?
• How does stress not make anything easy for you?
• Do you act anyhow when you’re provoked?
• How do you perform under pressure?
• Can you discuss what makes you happy?
• Discuss what criticism means and how you take them in
• Discuss what your decision-making process is like
• Explain what motivates you the most
• Do you think you have self-control
• Are you presently easy or hard on yourself to reach your goals?
• Can you work under any circumstances?
• Do you think you’re a creative person?
• What are the conditions that helped you maximize your potentials
• Would you say you’re emotionally intelligent?
• Would you say you can perform the most when you collaborate
• Are you ready for the competitive workplace?
• Would you say you’re a great speaker?
• Would you say you’re a better listener?
• Do you think you’re an agreeable person?
• Discuss what you think about peer pressure.

Personal Narrative Essay Ideas

For your personal essays, how do you discover great essay ideas? You can consider custom personal narrative prompts which are unique to specific events. Some of the topics which are target-oriented are:

• Discuss a time you took more risks than others
• What makes you a daredevil?
• What has made you brave?
• Would you say you’re impulsive?
• Discuss your strategies against boredom
• What are the pranks you’ve ever fallen for
• How do you apologize when you’re wrong?
• Do you think you’re a cynical person?
• Discuss three things that annoy you
• Would you say you’re materialistic?
• Do you consider yourself a minimalist?
• How do you say goodbye?
• Are you on the right or the left?
• What do you think people think about you?
• Why do you think what others think should matter?
• Write about your role model
• Would you say you’re weird?
• Would you say you’re a nonconformist?
• Do you believe in magic?
• Why should you be inspired by people?
• Do you think your role models are heroes?
• Would you think role models must be famous
• Outside your family, are you a different person?
• Within your family, do you want to be someone else?
• Which live show do you love the most?
• Discuss how someone has made a difference in your life
• What are the kinds of music you like?
• Discuss what you’d put in a thank you note
• Write what you’d do if you’re to invite your enemies to dinner
• Recall a time to speak to a large audience of people and write how it felt
• Do you think family is everything?
• Do you think you can’t be anything without family?
• Would you say you want to change your role in the family?
• What are the programs that keep you closer?
• If your life would be a movie, which of the autobiographies would it be?
• Choose a profession of your choice and discuss why
• What do you think about sacrifice?
• Discuss a family treasure
• Would you say you have hobbies someone has adopted
• Why are you called your name?

Personal Narrative Ideas High School

As high school students, you also need to develop personal narrative essays. These could be essays about your parents, neighbors, or your home. Choose from these personal narrative ideas for high school students:

• Describe your relationship with your parents?
• Would you say your parents permit you?
• Discuss the freedom your parents give you
• Do you think your curfew hours make it difficult to live?
• Would you say you enjoy your parents, why?
• Would you prefer to be a parent too?
• What do your parents do with your bad report card?
• Would you say parenting is difficult?
• Do your parents like online learning?
• Are your parents hard on you to do things?
• Do you think parenting could be something to be embarrassed by?
• How did your parents influence the school you attended?
• Do your parents let you create things on your own?
• Do you think you have great teachers and patients?
• What will your neighbors say about you?
• Which characters perfectly describe your neighbors and why?
• What is a common slogan in your environment?
• What are the TV shows you can’t stop watching?
• What do you think about supporting community sport?
• Write about the mayor of your city
• Where is your favorite place?
• Write about your favorite joint
• Write about a park you love
• Discuss how you spend time with nature
• Would you say you see bad things every day?
• Do you love your home?
• What is your favorite ad slogan and why?
• What does chatting with the police feel like?
• Have you ever been assaulted?
• Do you think you’re easily annoyed?

Personal Narrative Topic Ideas

If you’d love to discuss anything at all, there are tons of custom ideas on narrative writing. Some personal narrative ideas are also based on religion, sexuality, race, and many other issues of the world today. Consider:

• Would you say you have no religion?
• Do you think the older generations are too religious?
• Write about how you know about other religions
• Write about what you know about other religions
• Discuss the difference between male and female
• Do you acknowledge the rights of trans people?
• Do you think the LGTBQ is complicated?
• Will you share parental responsibilities?
• What do you know about sex?
• What do you know about gender issues?
• What is your experience of love?
• How does being a ‘real man’ feel?
• Do you think you can be biased?
• Is there a difference in the ways sons and daughters are treated in the home?
• Should there a more pressure on daughters than men
• Discuss your racial identity and why it’s important to talk about it
• Would you say you’re a feminist?
• Discuss your encounter with sexual harassment
• Discuss what you think about catcalling
• What do you think about social hierarchies?
• Discuss the last time you interacted with someone of another race
• Do you think you have racial biases too?
• Would you say you experienced racism before, as black
• Which one is more important to you: money or love
• Are you happy with yourself?
• Would you say money can’t buy happiness too?
• What do you pay attention to the most in the world?
• Do you think it’s okay to be addicted to phones
• How do you teach people about money?
• What are the most important things in your life?

Personal Narrative Writing Ideas

As an attempt to discuss something that deals with people’s daily affairs, good ideas for personal narrative may be hard to come by. Rather than go through the trouble of finding how to think of ideas for a personal narrative, these are custom ideas for you:

• What are the things that matter most for you?
• Narrate what you hope to have in your dream home
• Narrate your experience as if you’d lived in the woods
• Narrate your most fun childhood memory
• Discuss what your passion was as a child
• Explain what you loved most as a child
• Write about your favorite childhood shows and books
• Discuss your favorite childhood picture book
• Write about your childhood influences
• Discuss your childhood most loved places
• Discuss the little things your parents did they made you happy
• Write about the first time you went out with your parents
• Narrate your experience of a swing
• What was your favorite song as a child? Write a response to it
• Which food do you wish you’d eaten as a child
• Narrate what made a gift the best you ever had
• Write about what your most memorable letter
• Write about the divorce of a family friend or neighbor
• Discuss the consequence of separation from a state
• Write about how migrated from a place to another
• Write about how angry your father or mother could be at themselves
• Write about your favorite memories of sleepovers
• How did it feel when you found something you thought you’d lost?
• What are your most prized lessons of teenage years?
• Would you do something else differently not as an adult when you were 13?
• Narrate the achievements that made you proud
• Discuss the rites you engaged in
• Write about your message to the older generation
• Write a message to the younger generation
• Describe yourself as if you’re a 13-year-old right now
• Share a story of your ethical dilemma
• Discuss your sex experience; whether you had it not
• Write about something you cared about that you shouldn’t have
• Write about something you didn’t care about but you should have
• Discuss the last time you collected money from a stranger
• Write about the last time a stranger kissed you
• Discuss your memorable lying experience
• Narrate your experience with drugs
• Explain your experience with gossiping
• Have you ever cheated in exams?

Personal Narrative Ideas College

As a college student, you can also develop incredible personal narrative pieces. Through these pieces, you can connect with your colleagues and share your ideas. Consider these personal narrative prompts:

• Why did you choose the screen time you chose?
• What would you do without a smartphone?
• Narrate your gaming experiences and the thrill you feel
• Write about the apps that do nothing but reduce you
• Would you say tech takes a huge responsibility for change in your life?
• Would you say you are interested in technology?
• What is your experience of religion?
• What is your experience of God?
• Narrate if you’ve had an encounter with God or religion before
• Explain what you’d do if you have control over others
• Narrate what you would control if you can
• Narrate what you can do without thinking otherwise
• What would you say are your best features of YouTube
• Narrate your experience of a date over the internet
• Narrate your experience of seeking to advice online
• Discuss your favorite online sports
• Write about your online sad story
• Write about a terrible experience of bullying online
• Discuss how you fact check what you read online
• Write about how you express yourself online
• Would you say you trust Wikipedia?
• Would you say you enjoy online reviews?
• What is your comment on porn?
• Would you give your passwords out?
• If you have a partner, will you share everything?
• What would you do if you just made a fraudulent purchase?
• Do you chat with anonymous people?
• How do you keep your passwords safe?
• Are there things your parents won’t believe that is on the internet?
• Write about why you trust social media
• What is your favorite Facebook experience?
• What is your favorite Twitter experience?
• What is your experience of wrong grammar structure online?
• Did you ever go through Instagram feeds with envy?
• Did you ever download a stranger’s picture because you like them?

Personal Narrative Ideas for Middle School

At this stage, you have also had plausible experiences of life. What can you say about your life, or your experiences? You can write from these interesting personal narrative ideas:

• What do you know about poo divas and who’s your favorite?
• Write about your first karaoke performance
• Write about the artists you’d like lined up
• Narrate your earliest connection with music
• Narrate your earliest experience of music
• Write about the most loving but sad thing that ever happened to you
• Why do you avoid people?
• Narrate your experience of being stalked
• Discuss how you think social media has been abused
• Tell a story about your most favorite songs
• Tell a story about the music which has inspired you the most
• Which television show would you bring back?
• Which of your childhood commercials is your favorite?
• Why do you prefer cartoons?
• Discuss how television helped your family stay together
• Narrate the work nature of your parents
• Discuss your experience of being cheated
• Which music star do you love?
• Which music tells you about life?
• Which artist tells stories the most?
• How does the music you listen to Influence you?
• Narrate what you think are the best period of your life yet
• Narrate your favorite movies
• Narrate a public performance experience
• Discuss the bad things about horror movies
• Write about your favorite comedians
• Narrate your experience of gaming
• Would you play violent games?
• Do you think zombies are real?
• Do you feel guilty or excited that you kill zombies?

Good Ideas for a Personal Narrative Essay

If you need to discuss cool events and languages, there are good personal narrative topics for you. Some of these topics are:

• Narrate your experience at the museum
• What is your favorite visual artist?
• Discuss your most fascinating work of art
• Write about the importance of education
• Would you say you can’t live without art
• Which words do you like using?
• Which words don’t you like using?
• What are the slangs you used to love?
• What has changed since you started using some words
• Would you call someone a shag? Why?
• Which word do you think people use too much?
• Narrate what you consider a great conversation
• Discuss your time with a lover
• Narrate your experience discussing with your mum
• Narrate your experience discussing with your dad
• Narrate your experience teaching your grandparents about something on a smartphone
• Write about a time you felt you talked too much
• Write about a time you used satires
• Write about a time you attacked people but didn’t feel bad
• What would you say are the most terrible things you’ve done?
• If you had to learn a language, which would it be?
• How do you use your body language and why do you use it?
• If you can influence someone’s memory, what would it be and why would you do it?
• Write about what stresses you the most about school without using F words or castigating anyone
• Discuss what you once looked forward to but no longer look forward to
• Would you rather take private classes, online classes, or physical classes with other students and why would you choose your choice?
• Discuss your experience with bullying and what you could have done when you were bullied or when someone you know was bullied
• Write about the kind of school you wish you had attended and the experience you wish you had had
• Write about the things you hate the most about going to your religious places and the things you wish they had
• Discuss what it would mean to not be educated at all.

Interesting Personal Narrative Ideas

There are also interesting personal narrative essay ideas across all classes. You can choose these essay ideas for your college, high school, middle school, or university assignments. Options to consider are:

• What have you had to do which you didn’t like?
• Discuss how best you once participated in class
• Write about a memorable experience of school you wish were yours
• Write about a memorable experience of a relationship you wish you could have
• Discuss your first encounter with a difficult subject and write when you realize you may fail the course
• Tell a story about what you thought is fascinating about relationships that are no longer fascinating?
• Tell a story about what you think about digital skills and why it is important in the future
• Would you say that programming and computer coding offers more opportunities than any other skills?
• Narrate a terrible experience of yours after you failed an exam and what your parents did
• Narrate the saddest day in class for you
• You were invited to speak to your class about how you spent your weekend or holiday, what were the things that ran through your mind and did you speak?
• Like your friends, you had many terrible and shameful experiences while studying simply because you’re a shy person, narrate some of the most important and terrible moments of your school life
• Write a story about a teacher you would like to appreciate detailing the important things the teacher had done to you without isolating the bad things he or she had also done
• Discuss the textbook you ever felt disgusted with and why you did
• Do you think your teachers are as vast with technology as they ought to be, and would you feel bad if you had insulted them at one time or the other when you were young?
• Narrate the most arousing party you went to focusing on the sensory details which made it different from other parties and proms
• If you will deliver a speech about the horribleness of physical bullying or cyberbullying, focusing on experiences that could make people cry, how would you write the speech and how would you perform it?
• Would you flog students you considered rebellious in your class if you were a teacher, even if the student is truly stubborn and should have probably been in a juvenile center?
• What are the mental health issues you wish people had talked about the most when you were in high school?
• If you could talk to the authorities about the things you think were important for students which weren’t done, what would they be, and how would you do it?

Get Narrative Essay Help

With these exciting topics, you can create a professional personal narrative essay based on your adult or childhood experiences. However, if you need someone to write your essay or assignment, you can hire top-notch writers online.

We are one of the best professional writing services with years of experience writing for college, high school, and university students. We have professors and teachers in our team who create essays to help students score high grades. If you’d like to make the best submission, you can hire these writers.

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Writing Curriculum

Teach Narrative Writing With The New York Times

This teaching guide, part of our eight-unit writing curriculum, includes daily writing prompts, lessons based on selected mentor texts, and an invitation for students to participate in our 100-word personal narrative contest.

By The Learning Network

Stories can thrill, wound, delight, uplift and teach. Telling a story vividly and powerfully is a vital skill that is deeply valued across all cultures, past and present — and narrative writing is, of course, a key genre for literacy instruction at every level.

When your students think “New York Times,” they probably think of our 172-year history of award-winning journalism, and may not even realize that The Times today is full of personal narratives — on love and family , but also on how we relate to animals , live with disabilities or navigate anxiety . If you flip or scroll through sections of the paper, you’ll see that personal writing is everywhere, and often ranks among the most popular pieces The Times publishes each week.

At The Learning Network, we’ve been posting writing prompts every school day for over a decade now, and many of them invite personal narrative. Inspired by Times articles of all kinds, the prompts ask students to tell us about their passions and their regrets, their most embarrassing moments and their greatest achievements. Thousands of students around the world respond each month, and each week during the school year we call out our favorite responses .

In this unit we’re taking it a step further and turning our narrative-writing opportunities into a contest that invites students to tell their own stories. Below, you’ll find plenty of ideas and resources to get your students reading, writing and thinking about their own stories, including:

✔ New narrative-writing prompts every week.

✔ Daily opportunities for students to have an authentic audience for their writing via posting comments to our forums.

✔ Guided practice with mentor texts that include writing exercises.

✔ A clear, achievable end-product (our contest) modeled on real-world writing.

✔ The chance for students to have their work published in The New York Times.

Here’s how it works.

Start with personal-narrative prompts for low-stakes writing.

Related Article | Related Picture Prompt

Every week during the school year we publish new narrative writing prompts on a vast array of topics via our Student Opinion and Picture Prompts columns. These prompts can be a starting point to help your students start reflecting on their lives and the stories they have to tell.

Each prompt is inspired by a Times article, which is free if you access it through our site, and all are open for comment for students 13 and up. Every comment is read by Learning Network editors before it is approved.

Teachers have told us they use our prompts as an opportunity for daily writing practice, a communal space where students can practice honing voice, trying new techniques and writing for a real audience. And if students are writing formal personal narrative essays, whether for college applications, for our contest or for any other reason, our prompts might serve as inspiration to help them find topics.

Student Opinion Questions

We publish a new Student Opinion question every school day, including many that invite personal writing. Students will read a related Times article and then respond to questions that help them think about how it applies to their own lives, like these:

“ What Cultural Traditions Are Important to You? ” “ Has Forgiving Someone Ever Made You Feel Better? ” “ How Do You Get Over Rejection? ”

You can find them all, as they publish, here . Or check out our collection of 445 Prompts for Narrative and Personal Writing for years-worth of evergreen questions, organized into categories like family, school, personality and childhood memories.

Picture Prompts

These accessible, image-driven prompts inspire a variety of kinds of writing and we publish them Tuesday through Friday during the school year. Each week we post at least one prompt that asks students to share experiences from their lives, such as this one that invites students to write about memories of their childhood homes , and one that asks them to tell a story about a moment from their lives inspired by an image, such as this one .

You can find all of our Picture Prompts, as they publish, here . At the end of each school year, we round them all up and categorize them by genre of writing. Take a look at our collections from 2017 , 2018 , 2019 , 2020 , 2021 , 2022 and 2023 and scroll down to look for the categories like “What story does this image inspire for you?” and “Share experiences from your own life” to find many prompts that can inspire narratives.

A special “rehearsal space” for teenagers to experiment writing 100-word narratives.

To help with our Tiny Memoir contest, we posted a student forum last year asking, “ What Story From Your Life Can You Tell in 100 Words? ” In it, we lead students through a few questions, and provide a few examples, to show them how. It is still open for comment. We hope that as they search for topics and try out techniques, students will post their drafts here for others to read and comment on.

Read mentor texts and try some of the “writer’s moves” we spotlight.

The Times is full of wonderful writing that can serve as mentor texts for helping students look at the various elements of the genre and think about how to weave specific craft moves into their own writing. We have a couple of ways students can use them for narrative writing.

Mentor Texts Lessons

For our 2023 Tiny Memoir Contest for Students, in which students are invited to describe a meaningful true moment from their lives in 100 words or fewer, we have a set of mentor texts, all of which can be found in our step-by-step guide: How to Write a 100-Word Narrative: A Guide for Our Tiny Memoir Contest . The 25 texts we use can also be found in this PDF .

During the years when we ran a Personal Narrative Contest that allowed students 600 words to tell a story, we broke narrative writing into several key elements and spotlighted a mentor text that does a particularly good job at each. All of them are still applicable to our new contest, which spotlights the same qualities, just in miniature. They have also been woven in to our step-by-step guide :

Tell a story about a small but memorable event or moment in your life.

Use details to show, not tell.

Write from your own point of view, in your real voice.

Use dialogue effectively.

Drop the reader into a scene.

Tell a complete story, with a true narrative arc.

Reflect on the experience and give the reader a take-away.

After students read each of the mentor texts on this list and focus on a specific technique, we invite them to “Now Try This” via an exercise that helps them practice that element. Then, we provide additional mentor text examples, as well as a list of questions to consider while reading any of them. The goal is to demystify what good writing looks like, and encourage students to practice concrete exercises to use those techniques.

Annotated by the Author

But our favorite mentor texts to assign? The work of the teenage winners of our narrative contests. Here are the 2019 , 2020 and 2021 collections of our Personal Narrative Contest. And here are the winners of our first-ever 100-Word Narrative Contest . Which of these pieces do your students like best? What “writer’s moves” might they emulate in their own work?

We also invited three teenagers who won our 2019 contest to annotate their winning narratives for our “Annotated by the Author” series. In these pieces, they demystify their writing process and share ideas other students can try in their own essays.

Annotated by the Author: ‘Speechless’

Annotated by the Author: ‘Pants on Fire’

Annotated by the Author: ‘Cracks in the Pavement’

In addition, we have a piece annotated by the college-aged author of a winning Modern Love piece. In Annotated by the Author: ‘Why Can’t Men Say “I Love You” to Each Other?’ Ricardo F. Jaramillo tells us how to make your reader want to keep reading, how to balance scenes and ideas, why you can’t write a personal essay without “looking inside,” and much more.

Enter our “ Tiny Memoir” Personal Narrative Essay Contest .

At this point in the unit, your students will have practiced writing about their lives using our many prompts. They will also have read several mentor texts, and practiced elements of personal writing with each one. Now, we hope, they can produce a polished piece of writing that brings it all together.

For three years, we ran a personal narrative contest that asked for a “short, powerful story about a meaningful life experience” in 600 words or less. But last year, we debuted our Tiny Memoir Contest that challenged students to tell us a story from their lives in just 100 words. The results blew us away. Teachers told us it was one of the most engaging assignments they gave all year and that the word limit made students’ writing much more focused and powerful. So this year, we’re running it again. We hope this contest will be fun for your students, and a useful exercise if they are going on to write longer pieces, such as a college essay.

Beyond a caution to write no more than 100 words, our contest is fairly open-ended. We’re not asking students to write to a particular theme or use a specific structure or style; instead, we encourage them to experiment and produce something that they feel represents their real voice, telling a tale that matters to them.

All student work will be read by Times editors or journalists and/or by educators from around the country. Winners will have their work published on our site and, perhaps, in the print New York Times.

Though our 100-word contest is slightly different than the original, we still recommend that before students submit, they watch this two-minute video in which student winners from past years share advice on the writing, editing and submission process. Ask students:

What techniques did these students employ that helped make their entries successful?

What did these students gain from having entered this contest? What were some of the challenges they encountered?

What advice can your students use as they work on their own submissions?

This contest will run from Oct. 4 to Nov. 1, 2023. We will link the official announcement here when it publishes, but in the meantime, here are last year’s rules and guidelines , which will remain largely the same.

Additional Resources

While the core of our unit is the prompts, mentor texts and contest, we also offer additional resources to inspire and support teachers, including lesson plans and great ideas from our readers around personal narrative writing.

Lesson Plans

“ From ‘Lives’ to ‘Modern Love’: Writing Personal Essays With Help From The New York Times ”

“ I Remember: Teaching About the Role of Memory Across the Curriculum ”

“ Creative State of Mind: Focusing on the Writing Process ”

“ Writing Narratives With ‘Tiny Love Stories’ ”

“ Telling Short, Memorable Stories With Metropolitan Diary ”

Reader Ideas

“ Flipping the Script on the College Essay With Help From The New York Times ”

“ Teaching Great Writing One Sentence at a Time ”

“ Using the Modern Love Podcast to Teach Narrative Writing ”

“ Fostering Selfhood and Inspiring Student Writers Using ‘Metropolitan Diary’ ”

Teaching Narrative Writing With The New York Times (On-Demand)

Personal Narratives From the Newsroom to the Classroom (On-Demand)

Narrative Essay Topics: TOP 200 Choices for Students

Imagine yourself facing a blank page, ready to fill it with your memories and imagination. What story will you tell today?

As students, you often have to write narratives that capture people's attention. But with so many stories to choose from, where do you start? How do you find the perfect topic that will grab our readers' interest and make them think?

Join our essay service experts as we explore 200 topics for college where stories are waiting to be told, and experiences are ready to be shared. From everyday events to unforgettable moments, each topic is a chance to connect with your readers and make them feel something.

Best Narrative Essay Topics: How to Choose the One That Resonates 

A narrative essay is a type of writing that tells a personal story, including characters, plot, setting, and the order of events. Its main goal is to connect with readers emotionally and share a specific message or insight through the retelling of a meaningful experience.

Students write narrative essays as part of their studies for several reasons. Firstly, it allows them to express themselves creatively by sharing their unique experiences, thoughts, and feelings. Secondly, it helps them develop important writing skills like organizing ideas and thoughts effectively.

Choosing good narrative essay ideas involves looking at personal experiences, interests, and the potential for engaging storytelling. Here's a simple guide to help you pick the right topic:

• Think about significant moments in your life that had a lasting impact, such as personal growth or overcoming challenges.
• Choose topics related to your hobbies, interests, or areas of expertise to make your story more engaging.
• Consider what your audience would be interested in and choose topics that resonate with them.
• Focus on a specific event or detail to make your narrative more focused and impactful.
• Look for universal themes like love or personal transformation that connect with readers on a deeper level.
• Brainstorm ideas and write freely to uncover compelling topics.
• Decide on storytelling techniques like flashbacks or foreshadowing and choose a topic that fits.
• Get feedback from friends, peers, or instructors to see if your topics are interesting and impactful.
• Choose topics that evoke strong emotions for a more compelling narrative.
• Select a topic that you personally connect with to make your story authentic.

Once you've chosen a topic, brainstorm ideas and create an outline for your essay. Follow your professor's instructions carefully and consider seeking help from our narrative essay writing service if needed.

Bring your stories to life with EssayPro. Select from a vast array of narrative essay topics and let our professionals help you weave your tales into captivating essays. Whether it's adventure, reflection, or imagination, we're here to assist.

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Ideas for Narrative Essay Topics

After exploring how students write narrative paragraphs, we've put together a list of narrative essay topics designed specifically for college and school students. This list covers a wide range of subjects, so pick one that speaks to you! If you want to see how to develop a topic into a written essay, check out our narrative essay example . 

Literacy Narrative Essay Topics for College Students

How about delving into captivating literacy narrative essay topics designed specifically for college-level writing? Exciting, isn't it?

• How did learning to read change my perspective on the world?
• What was my favorite childhood book and why?
• How did writing my first story impact my love for storytelling?
• What challenges did I face when learning a new language?
• How did keeping a journal help me improve my writing skills?
• How did my family influence my attitude toward reading?
• What role did literature play in shaping my identity?
• How did participating in a book club enhance my reading experience?
• How did technology affect my reading habits?
• What was the most memorable book I read in school?
• How did my favorite teacher inspire my passion for literature?
• What impact did reading diverse perspectives have on my worldview?
• How did overcoming a reading difficulty shape my relationship with books?
• What lessons did I learn from writing my first poem?
• How did storytelling traditions in my culture influence my literacy journey?

Personal Narrative Essay Topics on Relationships

Take a moment to reflect on your past experiences and craft compelling personal narratives with these essay ideas.

• How did my relationship with my best friend change over time?
• What lessons did I learn from my first romantic relationship?
• How did my relationship with my sibling influence who I am today?
• What challenges did I face in maintaining a long-distance friendship?
• How did a conflict with a family member teach me about communication?
• What role do my pets play in my life and relationships?
• How did volunteering together strengthen my bond with a friend?
• What impact did a mentor have on my personal growth?
• How did a betrayal affect my trust in relationships?
• What did I learn from a failed friendship?
• How did traveling with a friend deepen our connection?
• What role does forgiveness play in maintaining healthy relationships?
• How did my relationship with my parents evolve as I grew older?
• What lessons did I learn about teamwork from a group project?
• How did a disagreement with a colleague teach me about compromise?

Best Narrative Essay Topics on Education and Learning

Consider the beauty of sharing your personal experiences and emotions in a captivating manner through these ideas for personal narrative essays.

• How did a particular teacher inspire me to excel in school?
• What challenges did I face while adapting to online learning?
• How did participating in extracurricular activities shape my educational experience?
• What lessons did I learn from a memorable field trip?
• How did studying abroad broaden my perspective on education?
• What role does technology play in modern education?
• How did overcoming a learning obstacle impact my academic journey?
• What did I gain from tutoring a classmate in a challenging subject?
• How did a hands-on learning experience change my understanding of a topic?
• What impact did a mentor have on my educational and career aspirations?
• How did peer collaboration enhance my learning in a group project?
• What lessons did I learn from a failure or setback in school?
• How did my cultural background influence my approach to education?
• What role does self-directed learning play in my academic success?
• How did participating in a debate or public speaking event shape my communication skills?

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Personal Narrative Essay Ideas on Reflection on Life

Why not ignite your creativity with a range of narrative essay topics, from extraordinary moments to everyday experiences?

• How did confronting a fear change my view on courage and growth?
• How do family traditions shape my personal values and beliefs?
• What does success mean to me, and how has it evolved?
• Reflecting on friendships as a source of support in tough times.
• How have travel experiences expanded my global perspective?
• How do my hobbies and passions bring fulfillment to my life?
• Exploring the link between self-love and mental well-being.
• How can challenges lead to unexpected personal growth?
• Reflecting on the importance of setting and reaching personal goals.
• What pivotal moments mark my journey to self-acceptance?
• Investigating how forgiveness resolves personal conflicts.
• How do cultural expectations shape my idea of success?
• Reflecting on the significance of self-care for overall well-being.
• Exploring how technology influences my connections and worldview.
• What did I learn from facing a life-changing decision?

Ideas for a Narrative Essay on Culture and Society

Engaging your readers with narrative essays on culture and society is a great way to spark interest, offering captivating ideas for exploration.

• How has my cultural heritage shaped my identity?
• Reflecting on a tradition or ceremony that holds significance in my culture.
• Exploring the impact of globalization on local traditions and customs.
• How does language influence the way I perceive the world around me?
• Investigating the role of food in cultural identity and expression.
• Reflecting on a cultural celebration or festival that left a lasting impression.
• How does media portrayal affect societal perceptions of different cultures?
• Exploring the intersection of culture and religion in shaping values and beliefs.
• Reflecting on experiences of cultural assimilation or integration.
• How do stereotypes impact individuals within a cultural group?
• Investigating the role of art and literature in preserving cultural heritage.
• Reflecting on the challenges and benefits of multiculturalism in society.
• Exploring the significance of storytelling in passing down cultural traditions.
• How do cultural norms influence gender roles and expectations?
• Reflecting on the cultural exchange experiences that have broadened my perspective.

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Narrative Writing Topics on Hobbies and Interests

Wow your readers by turning your passions and hobbies into compelling narrative essay topics that will get them thinking.

• Describe a memorable adventure or experience related to your favorite hobby.
• Reflect on how your hobby has evolved over time and its significance in your life.
• Write about a moment when your hobby provided a sense of escape or relaxation.
• Explore the role of hobbies in promoting mental health and well-being.
• Share a story of how you discovered your passion for a particular hobby.
• Describe a challenge you faced while pursuing your hobby and how you overcame it.
• Reflect on the impact of your hobby on your relationships with others.
• Write about a hobby-related achievement or milestone that you are proud of.
• Explore how your hobby connects you to a community or group of like-minded individuals.
• Describe the process of learning a new hobby and the lessons you gained from it.
• Reflect on the role of hobbies in balancing work, leisure, and personal growth.
• Write about a hobby-related project or creation that you are passionate about.
• Explore the connection between your hobbies and your broader interests and values.
• Describe a favorite memory or experience involving your hobby.
• Reflect on how your hobbies have influenced your perspective on life and the world around you.

Narrative Essay Titles on Life-Changing Moments

Life is full of unexpected twists that can lead to life-changing moments. Take a look at these narrative essay titles for stories that have had a lasting impact on your life.

• How did meeting a lifelong friend change my life?
• What lessons did I learn from overcoming a major obstacle?
• How did traveling to a new country broaden my perspective?
• Reflecting on the day I discovered my passion.
• How did a health scare transform my lifestyle?
• What impact did volunteering in my community have on me?
• How did I find strength in a moment of loss?
• Reflecting on the decision that altered my path.
• How did a random act of kindness change my outlook?
• What lessons did I learn from a failed endeavor?
• How did confronting a fear empower me?
• Reflecting on the day I realized my potential.
• How did experiencing a natural disaster shape my priorities?
• What insights did I gain from a cultural exchange?
• How did a mentor's guidance impact my life trajectory?

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Good Narrative Topics on Travel and Adventure

Consider creating intriguing titles for your narrative essay ideas by exploring thrilling travel adventures.

• What was my most unforgettable travel experience?
• How did a solo journey change my perspective on life?
• Reflecting on an unexpected adventure in a foreign land.
• How did traveling on a budget lead to unexpected discoveries?
• What lessons did I learn from getting lost in a new city?
• How did a cultural immersion experience broaden my understanding of the world?
• Reflecting on the friendships formed during a travel adventure.
• What was the scariest moment I encountered while traveling?
• How did volunteering abroad impact my outlook on life?
• What cultural differences surprised me the most while traveling?
• Reflecting on the beauty of nature experienced during a hiking trip.
• How did traveling to a remote destination challenge my comfort zone?
• What was the most delicious food I tried while traveling?
• Reflecting on the kindness of strangers encountered during a journey.
• How did a travel mishap turn into a memorable experience?

Narrative Essay Topic Ideas on Career and Work Experience

College students can uncover captivating narrative essay ideas by exploring potential career paths or reminiscing about past job experiences.

• What was my first job, and what did I learn from it?
• Reflecting on a challenging project that taught me resilience.
• How did a career setback lead to unexpected opportunities?
• What lessons did I learn from transitioning to a new career?
• Reflecting on a mentor who influenced my career path.
• How did a workplace conflict teach me about communication?
• What was the most rewarding moment in my career so far?
• Reflecting on the importance of work-life balance in my career journey.
• How did networking help me advance in my career?
• What challenges did I face as a new graduate entering the workforce?
• Reflecting on the decision to pursue a passion versus stability in my career.
• How did a career change impact my sense of fulfillment?
• What skills did I develop through volunteer work that helped in my career?
• Reflecting on the role of mentors in my professional growth.
• How did a career milestone shape my future aspirations?

Interesting Narrative Essay Topics about Challenges and Obstacles

If you're not sure what to write about for your narrative essay, think back to the tough times you've had and how you managed to get through them.

• How did I overcome my fear of failure?
• Reflecting on a time when I felt like giving up but persevered.
• How did a personal setback lead to unexpected growth?
• What lessons did I learn from navigating a difficult relationship?
• Reflecting on a time when I had to step out of my comfort zone.
• How did I overcome a major health challenge?
• What strategies did I use to overcome procrastination?
• Reflecting on the resilience I developed after facing adversity.
• How did I navigate financial challenges and come out stronger?
• What did I learn from failing at something I was passionate about?
• Reflecting on the obstacles I faced while pursuing my dreams.
• How did I overcome imposter syndrome in my academic or professional life?
• What role did self-care play in helping me overcome challenges?
• Reflecting on a time when I had to stand up for myself in the face of adversity.
• How did I find motivation and inspiration during tough times?

Final Remarks

As we wrap up, our list of 200 narrative essay topics is here to fuel your creativity for your next writing project! Whether you're sharing a memorable event, reliving a childhood memory, or expressing a profound insight, crafting a narrative essay can be an uplifting experience that resonates deeply with readers.

And if you're gearing up for college admissions, why not check out our admission essay writing service ? We've already assisted countless students in securing their spots at their dream colleges, and we'd love to help you, too!

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A List Of Interesting Personal Narrative Essay Topics For Middle School

One of the most powerful papers that you may be asked to write in middle school is a personal narrative essay. A personal narrative is a paper that describes something that has happened to you. It is a great paper for students to write because it focuses on how you view a certain situation that has happened in your life. Since you don’t need any other resources but your memory to write this type of paper, it is a great essay to have students write because they can concentrate on the writing methods and not on finding information.

When you need to decide on a topic to write about, it can be a little difficult because most people can’t really think of something that they think is interesting enough to write about. Here is a list of some ideas you can use to write this paper.

• Favorite vacation
• Moment that was really hard
• Your greatest accomplishment
• A family reunion you went to
• Your first day of middle school
• An embarrassing moment
• Something scary that happened to you
• A big argument you and a friend had
• A sporting event you went to
• A meeting with an important person

Once you have chosen your topic, the next step will be to create an outline that lists the main ideas that you will discuss in your paper. For example, if you chose to write about your favorite vacation, you will want to jot down the various things that happened on your trip that made it so special. For this type of paper, you probably want to write these events in chronological order. That means to write them in the order that they happened.

You are telling a story to your audience about your topic. You will want to include details in your story so that it paints a picture of the events. You want to work on describing how you felt that day and what it meant to you. It is a look into your life and your perception of the day. How did that moment make you feel? Be sure to let your reader know you through your writing. It is designed for your reader to get to know you a little better so just tell a story about a day in your life.

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242 Personal Persuasive Essay Topics and Ideas

Jim Peterson has over 20 years experience on speech writing. He wrote over 300 free speech topic ideas and how-to guides for any kind of public speaking and speech writing assignments at My Speech Class.

Personal essays are some of the most diverse assignments you can receive. Whether you’re a student in middle school or university, the best personal essay will highlight an individual’s personal views and unique experience. They’re not confined by the restrictions of literary essays and give plenty of opportunity for introducing the writer’s personality. The key here is selecting the right topics to talk about in a personal essay. Usually, this is the toughest part. After all, it’s the emotional core of your text. A lot of people also struggle to write about themselves and their experience as subjects of the text. Where does one start? Essay topics in general are frustrating to formulate so if you need help with some inspiration, take a look at some more ideas here ! And if you’re wondering what some good personal essay topics are, you’ll find a lot of sample ideas here as well as a guide on how to write a persuasive text.

In this article:

How to Write Personal Essays

Personal narrative essay topics, personal experience essay topics, personal argumentative essay topics, personal cause-and-effect essay topics, personal persuasive essay topics, personal essay topics for middle school, personal essay topics for high school students and college students.

Start by taking a trip down memory lane. The most gripping stories come from personal experience, especially if you’re thinking of writing a personal narrative essay. Think about a memory from your past that includes some inciting incident. If this is the first time you come across this phrase, inciting incidents are typically the metaphorical “ hooks ” of the story that have the audience interested in your text.

You could talk about your experience working as a volunteer, for example, or if you aren’t the volunteering type, you can write about some exciting memories from your childhood and summer vacations. Have you taken a trip abroad that has really left an impression on you? Are you drawn to different cultures because of that exotic trip? Maybe you went to visit a museum of your favourite artist, and this has inspired you to become an artist yourself. Perhaps you were immersed by the sound of a different language and decided to have a go at it. What have you enjoyed the most in the process? What did you hate about it? Perhaps you tried acquiring a new skill, but it went completely the wrong way for you. The list goes on and on.

There’s something there. Just remember the golden rule: always be honest in your personal essays . Trying to change your viewpoint on a subject so that it fits the masses’ opinion won’t make your personal essay enticing. The topic you’ll talk about in your personal essay is extremely important and so is the first sentence. Writing phrases such as “ever since I was a baby, I wanted to become a doctor” isn’t convincing or truthful. Try not to stick to clichés. You want to make an impression with your text, so ask yourself: What would grab your attention if you were reading your persuasive essay? I always think of Charles Dickens’ first sentence from A Christmas Carol : “Marley was dead: to begin with.” It begs for explanation and resolve, and it’s short and simple. The same should go for the personal essay entry sentence.

Why Choose Personal Persuasive Topics for Your Essay

If you’re wondering why you should choose personal persuasive topics for your essay, the answer lies in the question. We are a narrative-oriented society, and much of our relatability comes from convincingly expressing to others our individual, personal experience. What better way to let your personality shine than through conveying your emotions and adventures in a gripping story?

Personal experience essay topics vary depending on your age, and it’s quite likely that a story that worked for a high school assignment won’t have the same effect in your university days. That’s why in the sections below, we have divided the best personal essay topics into different categories. That way, you can easily navigate across all topics (and there’s quite a lot of them – a total of 242 ), but don’t let that restrict you. If you’re confident, you can always choose a topic from any of the categories.

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Of course, there are other important takeaways from writing a great personal essay. Usually, your teacher or admissions officer will look out that you have successfully done the following:

• Communicated and implemented your critical thinking skills
• Spoken convincingly and from experience about challenging themes that make you stand out from the crowd
• Demonstrated your creativity and unique voice all the while applying persuasive techniques in your writing

With all this in mind, you can now start by selecting the right type of personal essay topic from our categories. We have included everything from personal essay topics for middle school to personal essay topics for high school, as well as narrative essay topics and many more. Go on, what are you waiting for?

Personal narrative essays are a great way to tell your unique take on a personal story. You just have to choose a project you feel passionate about. Typically, choosing a story involving your success and personality growth is your best bet, but of course, always make sure to check that your topic is suitable for the task given by your tutors. If you’re wondering what topics are suitable for a great personal narrative essay, check out the following ideas:

• Starting your first job
• Volunteering for the first time
• A memorable teacher that made an impact on you
• A dangerous experience
• Your first journey abroad/to the countryside
• An experience that changed your behavior
• An experience that made you gain/lose religious faith
• A comedic situation based on some misunderstanding
• Events from your summer vacation that changed your life
• The first time you got a pet
• The experience of meeting your little sibling for the first time 
• A time when you decided what your future job will be 
• The change of a relationship with some you didn’t expect you’d like
• The first time you experienced a dangerous event of some kind 
• The first time you won something
• Your experience participating in a sport/political/environmental design
• A story about a teacher who inspired you
• A story about a family member who is dear to you
• Your experience of being in charge of something for the first time
• Your experience traveling on your own for the first time 
• How a book you read changed your life 
• How the most exciting subject in school changed your life
• How technology changed the way you access information
• The first time you experienced an earthquake or tornado
• A story about someone who has become your patron/idol 
• Your reaction/opinion on an event that influenced your country 
• A moment you caught someone in a lie
• An episode that changed your relationship with your parents
• An event which showed you taking responsibility and leadership 
• An event in which you face discrimination 
• An experience of successfully fighting procrastination 
• A time when you helped people in a crisis
• The experience of creating secret places in your childhood
• An experience playing your favorite game
• A time you got lost 
• Your first time going on a trip by yourself 
• The influence of technology on your younger siblings vs you
• What you would do if you won the lottery for the first time 
• Your best childhood memory
• Your experience of discovering a disability for the first time 
• A secret talent you have 
• Your experience learning a musical instrument
• Your experience with an inexplicable event that happened to you
• A story about the greatest fear you have 
• How your favorite work of art inspires you
• The best advice you have heard in your life 
• A place you would go to if you could travel in time 
• A story about the most beautiful place you have visited
• Something you witnessed in your lifetime that you will never forget
• Your favorite holiday experience 
• Your most awkward moment in college
• Your biggest fear
•  The most crucial lesson in your life 
• Your experience of being betrayed by someone and your response to it 
• An advice your parents gave you that wasn’t useful
• Describe your biggest moment of failure 
• Your biggest argument with a family member
• A difficult decision you have made 
• The day you realized you had made a best friend
• The most interesting dream you have had 

Personal experience essays aren’t that much different from personal narrative essays. They still have an element of narrative storytelling within them, but this time, they focus more on a level of experience you have gained because of a certain event. Usually, personal experience essay topics are focused around the theme of personal development. Many things can be described and included in a personal narrative essay, and you not only are given the opportunity to demonstrate your personal views on a subject, but you can also have your level of determination and ambition evaluated by a professional teacher or college admissions officer. Usually, personal narrative essay papers are written when submitting a college application, but it’s also possible to receive such an essay in school. In my personal experience, some of the greatest essays presenting an intellectual challenge are in fact the personal experience essays.

Let’s get straight into some essay prompts:

• How do you handle stress when attending an important exam?
• Which school subject motivated you to study hard?
• Did a teacher have a significant influence on your confidence in selecting a career?
• Is homework a waste of time?
• How would you go about doing research for an essay?
• What motivates you to study and pursue your dreams?
• Everyone has a plan “A” when it comes to choosing a career. What is your plan “B”?
• How has your biggest failure shaped your personality today?
• What is your biggest accomplishment outside of college/school, and how did you come to achieve it?
• What is the difference between female and male roles in your family? In what way would you change them?
• How did a book/film change your worldview?
• What role have teams and clubs had in your life?
• What role has television had in your life? 
• What is your relationship with social media?
• How have moments of racial or religious discrimination affected you?

Personal argumentative essay topics are generally given to college students or sometimes to people applying for a degree in Humanitarian Sciences. Such essays are a great way for admission officers to evaluate your knowledge of current events and relevant social discussions. Personal argumentative essay topics are usually considered more difficult than narrative essays, for example. For more argumentative ideas and speech topics , check the guide! Thus, if you’re planning on taking up this challenge, make sure you have enough time to prepare. If you have a whole term to prepare for this personal argumentative essay topic, you’ll surely be able to tackle it. Also, if that sounds too engaging, don’t worry, there are plenty of other, easier essay ideas on our lists!

Check out our example personal argumentative essay prompts for argumentative essay topics:

• Should prisons be abolished? If so, what is the negative and positive impact of this global decision?
• How does higher education affect the merit in meritocracy?
• Should artificial intelligence be applied actively in warfare?
• Does revolution go hand in hand with violence?
• Has the COVID-19 pandemic made us more prepared for the prevention of future epidemics occurring worldwide?
• In what way has the instant gratification of social media changed our relationship to technology?
• How has the digital age changed children’s relationship to empathy?
• What would the impact of a potential legalization of productivity drugs look like in current society?
• Is there a difference in work performance between Ivy League alumni and lower-ranking university students?
• Is obesity preventable?
• Is gun control a necessary method for the prevention of shootings?
• Should everyone have the right to vote?
• Should the right to vote be exclusively available to people with some form of education?
• Does the #metoo movement yield meaningful social change?
• Is knife control a necessary and sufficient method of knife crime prevention?
• How can the value of digital collectible art be accurately determined?
• Is fan fiction writing real writing?
• Do all students need to learn a foreign language?
• Should students take a gap year between high school and university?
• Why should universities teach financial literacy?
• Should students participate in the maintenance of school property?

Personal cause-and-effect essay topics are pretty self-explanatory. You’re aiming to express your opinion on a subject that has a cause, for example, supposedly, school uniforms are meant to cause discipline among students. Exercising and backing up your opinion on this essay idea will make it personal. Here is a detailed guide on how to write a great cause and effect essay . Think of a topic that excites you. It could be something you’re unhappy with or something you think is unjust.

Here are personal cause-and-effect essay topics we came up with:

• How can video games boost people’s IQ?
• Can a personal relationship in a family improve with phone use?
• Can going to college make for happier marriages?
• How can the involvement of a parent change a child’s education?
• How have smartphones impacted general communication?
• What is the effect of cookies, and does it make people shop more?
• What is the effect of tablets on young children?
• What is the effect of mobile usage during class?
• Why can’t another popular engine be established in place of Google?
• What is the effect of the financial success Disney has had in the last 30 years?
• Should dating in school be banned?
• Can living together before marriage make a relationship between partners stronger?
• Can a couple sleeping in separate beds have a healthy relationship?
• What is the effect of bullying on mental health?
• What is the cause of bullying behavior?
• Why shouldn’t women have to work after an abortion or miscarriage?
• What is the impact of smoking on a pregnant mother ?
• How can the presence of acne affect the life of a teenager? What about an adult?
• Why do some people avoid vaccines?
• What causes a lack of interest in sports?
• How can teenagers better protect themselves against cyberbullies?
• What causes certain social media apps to lose popularity?
• Can continuous sporting activities cause character development?
• Is “cancel culture” sparking meaningful change?
• What is the root cause of racism?
• Why is it essential to manage forest fires?
• What are the harmful effects of antill hunting on the ecosystem? 
• Why is it important for everyone to conserve water?
• What is the environmental impact of a single-use plastic ban?
• Can a long-distance relationship work?
• What are the causes and effects of cheating during exams?
• Is it a necessity to have an obligatory Sex Ed class ?
• How has the Internet changed the public’s sexual education?
• Should there be student bars on campus?
• Should work become mandatory for anyone over the age of 18?
• What causes some sports to be more popular among students than others?
• What are the effects of using computers and tablets in school? What about university?
• Have libraries become more popular over the last few years? 
• What caused the General Data Protection Regulation, and why is it necessary?
• What are the effects of online dating apps such as Tinder or Grindr?
• What are the effects of drugs and alcohol on people?
• Should people be allowed to drive after drinking a single unit of alcohol?
• What are the effects of a family structure on an individual?
• Does having a sibling make a person more responsible?
• Are siblings better at sharing?
• How has the golden child syndrome affected millennials?
• How can teachers positively and negatively affect student lives?
• What are the root causes of commitment phobia in men and women?
• What is the effect of social media on romantic relationships?
• How does eating fast food affect the energy levels of an individual?

Unlike personal cause-and-effect essay topics, personal persuasive essay topics aim to convince the reader that your opinion is right. This type of academic writing assignment explains a particular problem and uses research combined with personal experience in order to end up with a powerful persuasive conclusion. Through logic and convincing evidence, as well as always keeping in mind the goal of persuasion, you can write a powerful assignment.

Here are some personal persuasive essay ideas to choose from for your next writing assignment:

• Is chess considered a sport or a game?
• How is modern music not as well-composed as music from the past, such as the 1970s?
• Is it important to put PG labels on music tracks or films?
• Elaborate on the importance of the right education when playing professional music.
• Is animal hunting an immoral hobby?
• Is it a good idea to keep pets indoors?
• The cruelty behind testing beauty products on animals
• Is it ethical to breed animals for sale?
• Schools have to reduce the amount of homework assigned to students.
• SATs and ACTs are not effective ways of examining the knowledge of students.
• There should be an Emotional Intelligence mandatory class for all years.
• Vaccines can lead to autism.
• Astrology isn’t an effective way of predicting future events.
• All transport vehicles should be automatic or electric.
• Can distant online learning replace traditional classes?
• Working from home is better for finance but worse for mental health.
• The current taxation system is unfair.
• Listening to music when writing homework is an effective way of sparking productivity
• Hustle culture has taxing effects on mental health.
• People volunteer for their personal benefit, instead of kindness
• People who have survived a near-death experience have a newfound appreciation for life.
• Is “fake it until you make it” a healthy way of progressing?
• Why do people lie on their resumes?
• Why book reading during summer vacations should become mandatory.
• Weekends should change from 2 days to 3 days.
• Why we should be making selective school sports mandatory in school.
• Cooking and body health classes should be mandatory subjects in school.
• Can e-books and Kindles replace physical books?
• Should the death penalty exist?
• Why should children have chores?
• Why should it be made mandatory for children to contribute to the overall maintenance, cleanliness, and gardening of schools?

When choosing a personal essay topic, it’s important to take on subjects and ideas related to your age. Some topics require a lot more research, while others can be a little too sensitive for a younger writer. Selecting the right one for you will leave you with less workload and can guarantee you a better grade. Of course, if you feel confident and knowledgeable enough, you can try your skills with a more difficult essay idea. Paper writing can be a difficult intellectual challenge, but we’re sure that with these essay ideas, you’ll be able to tell your personal story and write a great essay:

• How did you make a best friend?
• A special top-secret place you have.
• A story of a time a friend let you down.
• A time when you disappointed someone.
• What is your happiest memory?
• Your first time receiving a pet.
• Your bravest moment.
• A time you felt embarrassed.
• What would you do if you were omnipotent? 
• What would you do if you could switch lives with someone? Who would it be?
• How did a book change your life?
• What would you do if your pet could talk?
• If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
• If you could shapeshift into an animal, what would you be? What would you do?
• If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? Would you change anything?
• What’s your secret talent?
• The first time you fell in love.
• An accident that changed your life.
• Talk about the ugliest thing you have seen.
• Talk about the most influential family member.
• Talk about your favorite gift.
• Talk about something you can’t resist.
• Talk about a guest you had in your house that you’ll never forget.
• Talk about the hardest news you’ve had to deliver.
• Talk about a special gift you have received.
• Talk about something that if your mum knew, you’d be in a lot of trouble. A lot.
• If you could volunteer anywhere, where would it be?
• If you won a million dollars, how would you spend them?
• What is an unexplained event that stuck with you?
• The one thing you can’t resist.
• If you could be a superhero, what power would you have? Why?
• If you could teleport anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

This list of personal essay topics for high school students will definitely inspire you to practice your personal essay skills. Covering topics like communication, ethical consumption, personal experience and more, you’ll be able to gain new ideas and express your deepest thoughts within the confines of the page. These personal essay topics for high school students are also a great way of reflecting on your growth and personal opinion, while expressing your thoughts and opinions.

• What inspires you?
• What inanimate object best embodies you?
• What’s one thing your parents don’t understand about you?
• What is the one quality a good person must have?
• Describe the best decision you ever made
• What is one thing you would change that you know will make a great difference in your life?
• How do you respond to criticism? Talk about a time you were critiqued.
• Do you feel the impact of peer pressure in your life? How is it manifested?
• Are you religious, an atheist, or agnostic? Why and why not?
• Do you feel comfortable in your body? Do you feel pressure from the media about how you “should” look?
• What are your views on ethical consumption? Does it matter to you?
• What are your views on veganism? 
• Do you feel like your friends are honest with each other? Why and why not?
• When you look back on your time in high school, what part will you remember with fondness?
• If you could tell your 12-year-old self something, what would it be and why?
• Do you have a dream profession? What is it?
• If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?
• Do you believe in “soulmates”? Why and why not?
• What is your dream goal? Do you feel like you’ll ever achieve it?
• Do you believe in the concept of “best friends”? Why and why not?
• Do you believe in astrology? Why and why not?
• What do you think the world will look like in 100 years?
• If you could bring to life any famous historical figure and spend the day with them, who would you pick, and what would you do?
• If you could go back in time, would you kill Hitler? 
• What TV series you saw recently made an impression on you? Why?
• What part of high school do you wish you could get rid of?
• If you could start your own business, what would you do?
• What issues truly motivate you and why?
• If you were an admissions officer, what positive qualities would you look for in students?
• What period of school do you think is most important? 
• What is your dream profession? What are it’s positives and negatives?
• Do you think the world can function without money? What would that alternative universe look like?
• Do you think all students should go to college? Why?

Writing essays is a great way to showcase your writing skills, as well as clearly communicate your views and ideas. Personal essay writing improves your debating, logical, and deductive skills, so it’s important that you select a topic you’re passionate about and inspired by. This will give you enough fuel to power through the most difficult essay topics while at the same time enjoy what you’re writing about. We hope you enjoyed our personal persuasive essay topics! Make sure to bookmark and come back to this personal essay ideas list in the future when you’re given an assignment! Here are some more college essay topics , check them out!

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• How to write a narrative essay | Example & tips

How to Write a Narrative Essay | Example & Tips

Published on July 24, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on July 23, 2023.

A narrative essay tells a story. In most cases, this is a story about a personal experience you had. This type of essay , along with the descriptive essay , allows you to get personal and creative, unlike most academic writing .

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Table of contents

What is a narrative essay for, choosing a topic, interactive example of a narrative essay, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about narrative essays.

When assigned a narrative essay, you might find yourself wondering: Why does my teacher want to hear this story? Topics for narrative essays can range from the important to the trivial. Usually the point is not so much the story itself, but the way you tell it.

A narrative essay is a way of testing your ability to tell a story in a clear and interesting way. You’re expected to think about where your story begins and ends, and how to convey it with eye-catching language and a satisfying pace.

These skills are quite different from those needed for formal academic writing. For instance, in a narrative essay the use of the first person (“I”) is encouraged, as is the use of figurative language, dialogue, and suspense.

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Narrative essay assignments vary widely in the amount of direction you’re given about your topic. You may be assigned quite a specific topic or choice of topics to work with.

• Write a story about your first day of school.
• Write a story about your favorite holiday destination.

You may also be given prompts that leave you a much wider choice of topic.

• Write about an experience where you learned something about yourself.
• Write about an achievement you are proud of. What did you accomplish, and how?

In these cases, you might have to think harder to decide what story you want to tell. The best kind of story for a narrative essay is one you can use to talk about a particular theme or lesson, or that takes a surprising turn somewhere along the way.

For example, a trip where everything went according to plan makes for a less interesting story than one where something unexpected happened that you then had to respond to. Choose an experience that might surprise the reader or teach them something.

Narrative essays in college applications

When applying for college , you might be asked to write a narrative essay that expresses something about your personal qualities.

For example, this application prompt from Common App requires you to respond with a narrative essay.

In this context, choose a story that is not only interesting but also expresses the qualities the prompt is looking for—here, resilience and the ability to learn from failure—and frame the story in a way that emphasizes these qualities.

An example of a short narrative essay, responding to the prompt “Write about an experience where you learned something about yourself,” is shown below.

Hover over different parts of the text to see how the structure works.

Since elementary school, I have always favored subjects like science and math over the humanities. My instinct was always to think of these subjects as more solid and serious than classes like English. If there was no right answer, I thought, why bother? But recently I had an experience that taught me my academic interests are more flexible than I had thought: I took my first philosophy class.

Before I entered the classroom, I was skeptical. I waited outside with the other students and wondered what exactly philosophy would involve—I really had no idea. I imagined something pretty abstract: long, stilted conversations pondering the meaning of life. But what I got was something quite different.

A young man in jeans, Mr. Jones—“but you can call me Rob”—was far from the white-haired, buttoned-up old man I had half-expected. And rather than pulling us into pedantic arguments about obscure philosophical points, Rob engaged us on our level. To talk free will, we looked at our own choices. To talk ethics, we looked at dilemmas we had faced ourselves. By the end of class, I’d discovered that questions with no right answer can turn out to be the most interesting ones.

The experience has taught me to look at things a little more “philosophically”—and not just because it was a philosophy class! I learned that if I let go of my preconceptions, I can actually get a lot out of subjects I was previously dismissive of. The class taught me—in more ways than one—to look at things with an open mind.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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If you’re not given much guidance on what your narrative essay should be about, consider the context and scope of the assignment. What kind of story is relevant, interesting, and possible to tell within the word count?

The best kind of story for a narrative essay is one you can use to reflect on a particular theme or lesson, or that takes a surprising turn somewhere along the way.

Don’t worry too much if your topic seems unoriginal. The point of a narrative essay is how you tell the story and the point you make with it, not the subject of the story itself.

Narrative essays are usually assigned as writing exercises at high school or in university composition classes. They may also form part of a university application.

When you are prompted to tell a story about your own life or experiences, a narrative essay is usually the right response.

The key difference is that a narrative essay is designed to tell a complete story, while a descriptive essay is meant to convey an intense description of a particular place, object, or concept.

Narrative and descriptive essays both allow you to write more personally and creatively than other kinds of essays , and similar writing skills can apply to both.

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Table of Contents:

Personal Narrative Memoir Fiction Informative Literary Analysis Argumentative Speech

Personal Narrative

Eleven   by Sandra Cisneros Best for 6th Grade

It’s Rachel’s eleventh birthday but she doesn’t feel eleven. On this day she feels more like one. Her insensitive teacher wants to find the owner of a red sweater that’s been sitting in the coatroom for a very, very long time. No one in Rachel’s class wants to claim it. When Rachel is accused she doesn’t speak up for herself. The following writing skills are beautifully done in this short story:

• Descriptive Language
• Figurative Language
• Inner Thinking

Everything Will be Okay   by James Howe Appropriate for Grades 6-8 (very sad though)

James finds a sick kitten in the woods and tells the kitten everything will be okay. He takes it home hoping his his family will help. His mother says, “we’ll see…”. His brother Paul, who works for Dr. Milk, comes home and knows what to do. They drive the sickly kitten over to the vet’s office and the scenes that follow are heart wrenching. This story flows back and forth between the events of this day and memories involving James’s family. These components of narrative writing stand out most in the story:

• Building Tension
• Character Development
• Past and Present Transitions

First French Kiss by Adam Bagdasarian Best for 8th Grade

Will is in sixth grade and invited to Maggie’s party. He and Maggie have been exchanging notes in class. She confessed she liked him better than two other boys. Will gets ready for the party and has high hopes for the night. He and Maggie slow dance and afterward Will gets pressure from his friends to french kiss Maggie. When I read this story out loud to my students they are anything but disengaged. This story is related in so many ways. The following writing skills could easily be taught using this mentor text:

Out of Bounds by Amanda Werner Appropriate for Grades 6-8

My husband and I lived in Salt Lake City, Utah for five years and bought season ski passes every year we were there. We spent most weekends in the Wasatch mountains skiing the greatest snow on Earth. As fantastic as this sounds, things went very wrong one day. Erik, my husband wanted to ski out of bounds. We’d done so before and nothing had gone wrong but every time we did it I struggled with a decision, follow my husband out of bounds or stick to the groomers. On this day, I chose to follow and things went seriously wrong. The following writing skills could be taught using this short story:

What’s the difference between memoir and personal narrative? Memoirs are usually centered on a time period in a person’s life, or a theme, whereas personal narratives are about one important event. The memoirs below are powerful stories about facing both small issues and huge. Your students will find connections and ideas from reading these:

Fish Cheeks   by Amy Tan Best for 8th Grade

Amy Tan is in love at the age of 14 with a boy named Robert. He doesn’t know it. To her horror, his family is invited over to dinner for Thanksgiving. Amy is mortified by her family and their traditional Chinese ways. This story is so short but is packed with wonderful writing lessons about the following topics:

• Setting Description
• Reflective Ending

The Jacket by Gary Soto Appropriate for Grades 6-8

Gary needs a new coat. He describes a super cool biker jacket to his mom and is excited by the potential this new piece of clothing could have on his identity. The next day he finds a guacamole colored, too large coat hanging from is bedpost. His mom says it’s for him. He wears the ugly thing for years and describes in sad detail the negative impact it had on his life and his eventual acceptance of the thing and his situation.

Superman and Me by Sherman Alexie Best for 8th Grade

Alexie describes his love of reading from the age of three to adulthood. He knows this love of reading saved him from the poverty and struggles of life on an Indian Reservation. But he doesn’t just want to save his own life, he wants to save others’ lives too, through books and writing.

Two Kinds by Amy Tan Best for 8th Grade

Jing-mei’s mom has big plans for her daughter. She wants her daughter to be a prodigy. But as time goes on and Jing-mei fails her mother’s expectations over and over, Jing-mei begins to resent her mother and fail on purpose. She and her mother eventually face off and Jing-mei wins. Her mother backs off, but eventually Jing-mei regrets what she did and the things she said to her mother that day.

• Transitions

I believe that most teachers neglect teaching fiction writing because it is a beast! Fiction includes many, many genres and trying to teach how to write all those genres seems daunting. It is daunting! Here’s what I suggest…let students choose the genre and teach core writing skills that apply to all of them. Those core skills might be: plot, character development, setting, tone, mood, point of view, description, dialogue, theme, figurative language, transitions, organization and the writing process.

But what about mentor texts? You can do one of two things: use short excerpts from your favorite fictional books or use short stories. Below are some of my favorite fictional short stories. I think most English teachers use these stories to teach reading analysis, but fictional writing skills can be taught with these stories too!

All Summer in a Day by Ray Bradbury Appropriate for Grades 6-8

Margot is from planet Earth and just moved to Venus. Most children in her class have never seen the sun, because on Venus it rains for seven years straight. On the day that the rain is finally supposed to stop the kids in Margot’s class make a horrendously cruel decision. The following fictional writing skills are very obvious in this classic sci-fi story:

Thank You Ma’am by Langston Hughes Appropriate for Grades 6-8

Mrs. Jones is walking through the street at night when suddenly a young boy tries to take her purse. She is a strong women and grabs a hold of the boy and doesn’t let go. Instead she brings him to her house, feeds him and talks to him. She learns his name is Roger and soon they begin to develop an understanding. This very short story is packed with writing lessons, here are some of the more obvious ones:

The Paper Menagerie by Ken Liu Best for 8th Grade (has mature content)

Jack or “Kan-kan”, as his mother likes to call him, has a magical, paper lion named Laohu. Jack’s mother made it for him. She has an incredible talent for making origami creatures come to life. Jack loves all his “pets”, but when another boy comes over with his Star Wars toys, Jack realizes he is different…and even more so…his mother is different. He begins to keep his distance from his mother and wants her to be more American by learning English. Jack stops speaking Chinese with her and as time goes on he discovers the story behind his mother’s past. This story is worth a read by you and your students! Here are some writing skills you could teach using it:

• Dialogue & Inner Thinking
• Integrating Historical Time Periods & Events into Stories
• Formats/Letters as Part of Stories

The Veldt by Ray Bradbury Appropriate for Grades 6-8

George and Lydia Hadley just purchased the HappyLife Home. This house does absolutely everything you can think of for them and their two children. It even has a playroom that can turn into the African savannah for their children’s entertainment. Lack of discipline and too much reliance on technology leads to a treacherous end. There are so many awesome writing techniques used in this story:

• Ending with a Twist

The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Appropriate for 8th Grade

Members of a small village gather for many events throughout the year, square dances, teen club, the Halloween fair and other civic activities. And now all the members of this small town, men, women and children gather for the annual lottery. This dark story has many writing techniques that students can emulate in their own fictional stories:

• Foreshadowing

Informative

It is fairly easy to find information mentor texts, they are all over the internet in the form of blog posts and news articles. Tween Tribune and Dogo News are my favorite free websites for informational writing mentor texts. They always have articles that interest students. Kelly Gallagher also has a comprehensive list of both information and argumentative articles all formatted to use in your classroom: Articles of the Week . Gallagher uses these articles in his high School English classes, so they are more advanced, however, access to all of these articles in one place can be super helpful for an 8th grade teacher like myself and maybe you too.

Teens and adults say they feel tethered to their phones from Tween Tribune Appropriate for Grades 6-8

Parents are depicted as a bit hypocritical in this article (students will love it). They say they want their children to use their devices less. Yet, parents seem to be on their devices just as much, if not more than their children!

• Citing Studies
• Quoting Sources

How Online Gaming Platform Roblox is Helping Teenagers Become Millionaires  from Dogo News Appropriate for Grades 6-8

Kids can become developers for games like Roblox. The company pays 30% in royalties and this has made some millionaires! Students will love reading about how to make money through what they are most passionate about…video games!

• Citing Data
• Organization

Homework and Tests Stressing You Out? Consider Moving to Sweden  from Dogo News Appropriate for Grades 6-8

A school in Sweden decided to do an experiment…no homework or tests for a whole month. If stress is reduced in these students’ lives they may never have to do homework again! Other countries are experimenting with this idea too. Students will love learning about the negative impacts of homework in this article. Here are some of the features of this article students could emulate in their own informational writing:

• Bias (this article is a bit one-sided)
• Summarizing Studies
• Embedding Video

Giant boom hopes to corral Pacific Ocean’s plastic trash from Tween Tribune Appropriate for Grades 6-8

Between Hawaii and California there floats a patch of trash twice the size of Texas! It is disgusting. Boyan Slat, a 23 year old, has taken it upon himself to find a solution. This article talks about his invention and how he is working toward a solution to this very large and concerning problem. Here are some writing skills students can glean from reading this informative article:

• Embedding Quotes from Interviews
• Providing Differing Viewpoints
• Providing Statistics
• Use of Commas to Add Detail

Literary Analysis

Ever wonder why it is so difficult to find mentor texts to teach literary essays? It’s because people don’t write literary essays in the real world! The only time this type of writing is done is in school. This worries me a bit because I believe students should be writing what people in the real world write. Then, I came across this article called, Thinking About Mentor Texts for Literary Analysis , and was convinced that yes we should definitely still teach literary essays. Not because it is what we’ve always done in English classes, our reason should be to help students develop their analysis skills so that they can think critically about world events, business, politics, books and even their own lives! The mentor texts below are about a wide range of topics but can still be used to teach literary essay writing skills.

Picture Books Tell Children the Harsh Story of Refugee Picture Books by Monica Edingar Appropriate for 8th Grade (advanced writing)

Edingar starts off arguing how important it is that we talk about the experiences of migrants and refugees, especially to our children. She then goes on to beautifully summarize and analyze six children’s books about people from places ranging from Chile to Greece to Mexico. Students could learn these writing techniques from reading all or part of this article:

• Quoting Individuals
• Summarizing

YA Thrillers to Give You Chills This Summer   by Elisabeth Egan Appropriate for 8th Grade

Three thriller YA novels are discussed in this well written article. Not only will students learn the writing techniques listed below, they’ll also learn about some high interest YA novels too.

• Comparing Literature
• Making Connections
• Narrative Hook
• Providing Details in Parentheses

10 Benefits of Reading Everyday  by Lana Winter-Hebert Appropriate for Grades 6-8

This article discusses some excellent reasons why we should be reading everyday. Many important points are brought up such as how reading helps you become a better writer and develop analytical skills! The following writing techniques could be taught using this article:

• Hooking Reader with Questions about Their Life
• Providing Photo Credit

Movie theaters fight streaming by assaulting the senses Appropriate for Grades 6-8

Movie theaters are struggling to compete with the streaming television services Netflix and Amazon Prime. So, they are adding many creative features to keep movie goers coming back.  Reclining seats, food service and even augmented reality! There are many things to learn from this article:

• Using Dashes to Add Extra Detail
• Word Choice

Argumentative

Finding age appropriate argumentative writing samples that are at the middle school level is tricky. I rely heavily on newspaper editorials. This is real life argumentative writing at its finest. However, newspapers are often written above our students’ reading levels. Because of this fact I read these articles out loud with students first read then I have them reread and annotate. It is more likely students will retain the information and the writing skills you teach when you read it out loud first. Then, on a different day during your argumentative writing unit, analyze parts of the articles pointing out skills you want to teach that day. 

Attention, Students: Put Your Laptops Away   by James Doubek Appropriate for Grades 7-8 (article is a bit advanced)

Doubek argues that taking notes by hand is actually better than taking notes on a laptop. When you take notes by hand you synthesize information into memorable chunks because you can’t write absolutely everything down when a teacher is lecturing. When you take notes using a laptop you tend to type word for word what you hear, skipping the important synthesis and thinking process. Not only is this an important article for students to read, you can also teach the below writing skills using the article too.

• Connecting to Audience in Hook
• Making Counterarguments
• Quoting Interviews

The Big Myth About Teenage Anxiety by Richard A. Friedman Appropriate for 8th Grade (term sex is used)

Friedman is a psychiatrist and argues that screens are not causing a rise in psychological disorders like anxiety and depression. Studies done about the impact on screens to our mental health only show correlations and not causation. He argues that anxiety and stress are a normal part of everyday life and parents need to stop assuming it is psychological trauma. This article has all sorts of argumentative writing techniques students can learn from:

• Counterarguments
• Dashes to Include More Detail

An Open Letter About Female Coaches by Pau Gasol Best for 8th Grade (some locker room talk)

Pau Gasol is an NBA basketball player who has been coached by Becky Hammon, the first and only female to ever coach in the NBA. Paul writes this letter to question societal norms and assumptions about women in positions that are dominated by men. It is an excellent read. Here are some skills you could teach using this article:

• Setting Sentences off to Emphasize

Is it Actually Smart to Sit Still? by Hannah Amell

Hannah Amell is a 15 year old New York Times Learning Network essay finalist. Find out more about the contests here: Learning Network Contests.  She wrote her editorial arguing against block schedules. She thinks schools need to start incorporating more movement in their classrooms. Here are some writing techniques she used:

• Connecting with Audience in Hook
• Incorporating Interviews
• Sentence Variety
• Ending with a Question

Thanks to TED Talks (and the transcripts that are provided right beneath them), there are tons and tons of examples of speeches available online for our students. I believe this is why so many teachers are shifting from having students give speeches to having their own TED Talks! If you do this have students watch some talks, read the transcripts and then begin planning their own. Here are my favorite TED Talks to show students:

Overcoming Obstacles  [ Transcript ] by Stephen Claunch Appropriate for All Grades

Stephen Claunch was born with many health issues. But these issues have not stopped him from reaching his goals. Stephen explains that obstacles can be overcome with hard work, not excuses. There are multiple heartwarming stories and lessons students need to learn in this talk!

• Weaving Multiple Stories Together

How to Start a Movement   [ Transcript ] by Derek Sivers Appropriate for All Grades

This humorous talk analyzes the process of creating a movement. Sivers points out that leaders are important but followers might be more important to making a movement. Here are some speech writing topics you can cover with this talk:

• Summary of Lessons to End Speech
• Using Humor
• Video Analysis in a Speech

8 Secrets to Success [ Transcript ] by Richard St. John Appropriate for Grade 8 (the words damn and assholes are used)

This super concise and funny talk gives students advice for how to be successful in life. Here are some speech writing techniques you can teach with this talk:

• Acronyms to Teach
• Listing as a Way to Organize a Speech
• Slideshow Graphics

How to Tie Your Shoes [ Transcript ] by Terry Moore Appropriate for All Grades

This short talk teaches us that we’ve been tying our shoes wrong! It is eye-opening in the simplest way. Here are a few speech writing techniques you can teach with this talk:

• Connecting with the Audience
• Doing a Demonstration During a Speech
• Using a Quote to End a Speech

Type your favorite mentor texts in the comments below…

Related Articles:

How I Teach Reading and Writing Workshop in 54 Minutes

10 Best YouTube Channels for Writing Teachers

11 Comments

This is soooo helpful! Thank you so much for sharing!

Thanks Lyndsey! I’m so happy that you found this article helpful! I appreciate you taking the time to let me know:)

This post is absolute gold, Amanda! Finding good mentor texts is the biggest time-suck, and this post saves sooo much time. Thank you so much for putting it together!

Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback on this article Jeanne! It means so much to me:)

Thank you! This is so helpful! I just shared this page w/teachers in a Twitter chat about mentor texts. I appreciate it! 🙂

Tara, thanks for taking the time to comment and share:) I appreciate YOU!

Thanks you so much for all of the valuable resources and information! Can you please advise/ explain how you incorporate grammar lessons? Thank you SO much!

Hi Gina, I teach grammar as needed during conferences to students who need specific instruction because of glaring mistakes they are making over and over again. I rarely teach grammar lessons to the whole class because I honestly don’t feel my students benefit from knowing grammar terms. Their writing improves the more they read and write not the more they do grammar exercises. I hope that answers your question:)

I wish there was a section with historical fiction. I find historical fiction very interesting and it’d be very helpful right now for my assignment from class.

Great idea! My favorites are Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson, Blood on the River by Elisa Carbone, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr and I could go on. Historical Fiction is probably my favorite genre to read. Writing historical fiction brings a whole other challenge! What are your favorite historical fiction books?

The Lorax is great for teaching argument.

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50 Engaging Narrative Essay Topics for High Schoolers

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What’s Covered:

Narrative essays vs. analytical essays, how to pick the right narrative essay topic, elements of a strong narrative essay, engaging narrative essay topics for high schoolers, where to get your narrative essay edited for free.

Narrative essays are an extensive form of writing that gives readers the opportunity to follow along as a person goes through a journey or sets of experiences. Rather than providing analytic insight, narrative essays simply share a story and offer a first-person account. These essays may seem easy to write at first, but it takes a certain finesse to write a narrative essay that is interesting, cohesive, and well-researched. Whether you’re looking for a unique topic to write about, or just want some new inspiration, CollegeVine is here to help! These 50 narrative essay topics are engaging, unique and will have you writing in no time.

A narrative essay is a great way to express your personal experiences and opinions, but it is important to remember that this type of essay is different from an analytical paper. In a narrative essay, you do not need to provide background information or explain your thoughts and feelings; instead, you simply tell a story. It’s important to avoid too much telling in your writing; instead, use creative details and vivid imagery to make readers feel as if they are actually right there with you.

Where You Will Encounter Narrative Essays

This type of essay is typically encountered in high school, where students may be required to write personal statements to prepare for their Common App essay . Narrative essays are also commonly seen in AP Language and Composition. Therefore, it’s important you are aware of the style because you are bound to have a narrative essay assignment.  

Of course, before you start writing, it is important to pick the right essay topic. There are many factors involved in the process of picking the perfect narrative essay topic for your story.

You should always choose a topic that you are passionate about, since writing on something you care about will make the process much easier. Not only will it be more interesting to create your paper around something that truly interests you, but it will also allow you to fully express yourself in your essay. You also want to be sure that the topic has enough material to work with. If your chosen topic is too short, you will not have enough content to write a complete paper. For example, if you are writing about your experience getting lost at the mall, make sure that you have enough information to work with to craft an engaging narrative. 

The best topic for an engaging narrative essay is one that focuses on showing versus telling, has a clear structure, and provides a dialogue. These elements come together to form an engaging narrative essay. Regardless of what subject you pick, any topic may be turned into a fascinating, A+ worthy narrative using the tips below.

Show, Don’t Tell

To write a good narrative essay, it’s important to show, not tell. Instead of simply informing your audience, show them what you mean. For example, instead of saying “I was nervous,” you could say “My heart began to race and my stomach filled with butterflies.” Also make sure to use sensory details, such as sights, sounds and tastes, and include a personal reflection at the end of your narrative. 

Begin with a Strong Opening Line

A good narrative essay will begin with an attention-grabbing opening line. But make sure to avoid common clichés, such as “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Instead, come up with something original and specific to you and your situation. For example: “My pre-calc teacher was obsessed with circles. I mean, he even used circular note cards.” Or, “It all started the day my mom brought home a guinea pig.”

Follows a Three-Act Structure

A strong narrative essay follows the same three-act structure as other essays. But in order to make it interesting, you’ll need to come up with a creative way to break things down into sections. For example, using the guinea pig example from above, you could write the following:

• Act 1 – Introduction: The day my mom brought home a guinea pig.
• Act 2 – Conflict: The day I had to say goodbye to my beloved pet.
• Act 3 – Conclusion: Looking back at how much I miss him now that he’s gone.

Conclude with Personal Reflection

To conclude your narrative essay, you’ll want to explain what this specific experience taught you or how you’ve changed. For example, upon realizing that her pre-calc teacher was obsessed with circles, the writer of the previous example begins to notice circular shapes everywhere. Another way to conclude your narrative essay is by touching on how this experience impacted you emotionally. For example, after losing his guinea pig, the writer explains how much he missed it.

Use Dialogue

Include a conversation in your essay to make it come alive. For example, instead of simply saying that you met a new friend, talk about how you introduced yourselves or what they were wearing when you met them.

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The following list of 50 narrative essay topics is divided into categories. This will make it easier to find a topic that fits your writing style.

1. What is a childhood song that still sticks with you today?

2. Your first day of Kindergarten

3. Talk about a time when you’re siblings looked up to you

4. Describe the best birthday party you’ve ever had

5. Talk about the best day you ever spent with a childhood friend

6. Explain your first childhood hobby

7. Describe your first halloween costume

8. A family vacation gone wrong

9. Your first family reunion

10. Describe a tradition that is unique to your family

11. Describe your family to a person who’s never met them before

12. What frustrates you most about your family

13. If you could only keep one memory of your family, what would it be and why?

14. Describe a time your family embarrassed you in public

15. The most beautiful place in the world

16. Your favorite season and why

17. If you were a part of nature, what element would you be? Why?

18. When you go outside, which of your senses are you most thankful to have?

19. Describe the first time you witnessed a tornado 

20. Write a poem about your favorite season

21. Describe yourself as one of the four seasons

22. Describe a time in which you felt connected with nature

23. Describe the first time you played an instrument and how you felt

24. What major event would be much worse if music was removed, and why?

25. If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?

26. What would a life without music look like?

27. If you could master one instrument, what would it be and why?

Relationships

28. What if you had never met your best friend?

29. Describe a time when you fixed a broken relationship

30. Talk about a movie that defined a relationship for you

31. Describe your first date

32. Describe the first time you made a friend

33. Describe your relationship with your parents

Self Reflection

34. Have you ever fooled someone? If so, describe what happened and how you felt about it

35. What is the worst thing you’ve done to someone else?

36. Write about the difference between how things seem and how they really are. 

37. Have you ever been embarrassed in some way? If so, describe the situation and how it affected you as well as those around you

38. Have you ever witnessed something really beautiful? Describe it

39. Is your glass half empty or half full?

Overcoming Adversity 

40. Have you ever been very afraid of something but tried your hardest to appear fearless? If so, describe that experience

41. When have you ever succeeded when you thought you might fail

42. What are your secret survival strategies?

43. Describe the last time you were stressed and why?

44. Describe a time when you were discriminated against

45. The most memorable class you’ve had and why

46. Your favorite study abroad memory

47. Describe your kindergarten classroom

48. Describe your first teacher

49. The first time you experienced detention

50. Your first field trip

Hopefully these topics will get you thinking about a personal experience that could make for a thoughtful and engaging narrative essay. Remember, a strong narrative essay must contain relatable details and a clear flow that keeps the reader entertained and engaged to read all the way to the end.

If you need some additional guidance on your narrative essay, use CollegeVine’s free peer review essay tool to get feedback for free!

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