personal narrative topic ideas

• Grades 6-12
• School Leaders

Check out today's amazing teacher giveaway! 🎁.

65 Engaging Personal Narrative Ideas for Kids and Teens

Tell a story to engage the reader.

Personal narrative essays are all about telling stories. Engage your reader with lots of descriptive language, and ensure you have a beginning, middle, and end. ( Get more tips about teaching narrative writing here. ) Try these personal narrative ideas to inspire kids and teens to tell meaningful stories from their own lives, no matter what they’ve experienced.

“Describe a Time When You …” Personal Narrative Ideas

Firsts and bests personal narrative ideas, general personal narrative essay ideas, college essay personal narrative ideas.

These personal narrative ideas urge students to dig into their past experiences and share them with their audience. Be sure to share the details, including what took place and how it made you feel, and anything you learned from the experience.

Describe a time when you:

• Were scared
• Overcame a big challenge
• Learned an important life lesson
• Had to make a difficult decision

• Were proud of a friend or family member
• Did something you didn’t want to and ended up liking it
• Met a celebrity or someone you really admire
• Tried something new
• Made a mistake and had to apologize and/or fix the mistake
• Were in danger
• Helped someone in need
• Had a dream come true
• Felt inspired
• Had a really terrible day

• Were a leader
• Made someone else laugh
• Did something you later regretted
• Set a goal and achieved it

These essay topics explore the times you did something for the first time ever, or when you were the best version of yourself.

• Write about meeting your best friend for the first time and how your relationship developed.

• Tell about learning to ride a bike or drive a car.
• Tell about your proudest moment.
• What is your happiest memory?
• What is your earliest memory?
• Explain what it’s like to move to a new town or start a new school.
• What’s the best (or worst!) vacation you’ve ever taken?
• Tell the story of the time you got your first pet.
• Describe your favorite field trip of all time.
• Tell the story of your first day of kindergarten.
• What’s the best meal you’ve ever eaten?
• Describe the best party or celebration you’ve ever attended.
• Tell about the first time someone ever paid you for work (first job, chores for a neighbor, babysitting, etc.) and how it made you feel.

• Describe the first time you spent a night away from home without your family.
• What’s the best gift you’ve ever been given?

Here are more personal narrative topics to inspire young writers.

• Describe a performance or sporting event you took part in.
• Explain the process of cooking and eating your favorite meal.
• Write about a time when you or someone you know displayed courage.
• Share the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you.
• Describe a time when you or someone you know experienced prejudice or oppression.

• Explain a family tradition, how it developed, and its importance today.
• What is your favorite holiday? How does your family celebrate it?
• Describe your morning routine from the time you wake up until the moment the school bell rings to start the day.
• Share what you do on a typical non-school day.
• Tell about a time when you were injured. How did it happen?
• Describe an argument you and a friend had and how you resolved it.
• Tell about what you think your life will be like when you’re 25 years old.
• Explore a time when you felt you were treated unfairly.
• What makes your family different from everyone else’s family?
• If you could relive any day in your life, what would it be? Would you want it to be the same or different?

These personal narrative essay topics all come from real 2022–2023 college applications. ( See more college essay prompts here. )

• Discuss a time when reflection or introspection led to clarity or understanding of an issue that is important to you.
• Share an example of how you have used your own critical-thinking skills on a specific subject, project, idea, or interest.

• Using your personal, academic, or volunteer/work experiences, describe the topics or issues that you care about and why they are important to you.
• Reflect on a personal experience where you intentionally expanded your cultural awareness.
• When was the last time you questioned something you had thought to be true?
• Reflect on a time when you or someone you observed had to make a choice about whether to act with integrity and honesty.
• Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time.
• Describe a time when you were challenged by a perspective that differed from your own. How did you respond?
• Elaborate on an activity or experience you have had that made an impact on a community that is important to you.

• Describe any meaningful travel experiences you’ve had.
• Choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it.
• What is the greatest compliment you have ever been given? Why was it meaningful to you?
• What has been your best academic experience in the last two years, and what made it so good?
• Describe a time when you’ve felt empowered or represented by an educator.
• Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.

What are your favorite personal narrative ideas? Come share on the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook.

Plus, check out the big list of essay topics for high school (100+ ideas) ., you might also like.

What Is Narrative Writing, and How Do I Teach It in the Classroom?

It's more than just telling stories. Continue Reading

Copyright © 2023. All rights reserved. 5335 Gate Parkway, Jacksonville, FL 32256

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

Student Opinion

525 Prompts for Narrative and Personal Writing

Questions that invite students to write about themselves, their lives and their beliefs.

By The Learning Network

Updated with 80 new prompts from the 2022-23 school year!

We’ve been posting fresh writing prompts every school day for over a decade now, and every so often we create a themed collection like this one to help you find what you need all in one place.

Below, we’ve rounded up 525 evergreen questions to encourage you to write about your life. They cover everything from family, friendships and growing up to gender, spirituality, money, school and more. (They’re also all available here as a clickable PDF .)

We hope they’ll inspire you, whether you’re entering our related 100-Word Personal Narrative Contest this fall, or just want to improve your writing skills. Like all our Student Opinion questions , each links to a related Times article, which is free to read if you access it from our site.

So dive in and pick the questions that motivate you to tell an interesting story, describe a memorable event, observe the details in your world, imagine a possibility, or reflect on who you are and what you believe.

Overcoming Adversity

1. How Mentally Tough Are You? 2. What Is the Bravest Thing You’ve Ever Done? 3. When Have You Made the Best of a Difficult Situation? 4. How Have You Gotten Over Disappointment? 5. How Do You Get Over Rejection? 6. How Do You Deal With Self-Doubt? 7. How Resilient Are You? 8. What Do You Gain From Pursuing Something You Do Really, Really Badly? 9. How Do You Handle Fear? 10. Are You Too Hard on Yourself? 11. How Do You Silence Your Inner Critic? 12. Have You Ever Experienced ‘Impostor Syndrome’? 13. Have You Ever Benefited From Rejection? 14. Do You Give Yourself Enough Credit for Your Own Successes? 15. How Do You Overcome Your Fears? 16. Stress, Worry and Anxiety Are All Different. How Do You Cope With Each? 17. How Do You Cope With Grief? 18. How Do You Make Hard Decisions? 19. Have You Ever Quit Something? 20. Have You Ever Felt as if You Didn’t Belong? 21. When Has Starting Over Worked for You? 22. When Have You Reinvented Yourself? 23. Do You Find It Hard to Let Other People Help You? 24. Have You Ever Felt Like an Outsider? 25. Do You Appreciate When Celebrities Share Their Struggles? 26. Have You Ever Worried About Making a Good First Impression? 27. Have You Ever Felt Pressure to ‘Sell Your Pain’?

Your Personality

28. Are You an Optimist or a Pessimist? 29. How Competitive Are You? 30. Do You Like Spending Time Alone? 31. Are You a Good Person? 32. Are You a Perfectionist? 33. Do You Hold Grudges? 34. Do You Seek Out New Experiences? Or Stick With the Things You Know and Love? 35. How Do You Express Yourself Creatively? 36. What Animal Are You Most Like? 37. Are You a Patient Person? 38. Are You a Worrier? 39. Are You a Risk-Taker? 40. How Do You Handle Boredom? 41. How Well Do Rewards and Incentives Work to Motivate You? 42. How Good Are You at Judging Your Own Talents? 43. Are You a Procrastinator? 44. Do You Suffer From ‘Task Paralysis’? 45. Do You Feel Joy at Others’ Success? 46. What Role Does Envy Play in Your Life? 47. How Do You Like to Be Comforted When You Are Sad? 48. How Easy — or Hard — Is It for You to Say No When You Want To? 49. Are You More of a Leader or a Follower? 50. How Well Do You Read Other People? 51. Are You Good at Giving Gifts? 52. Do You Complain Too Much, Too Little or Just the Right Amount? 53. How Would You Rate Your Listening Skills and Those of the People Around You? 54. Do You Prefer to Dwell in the Past, Live in the Present or Dream of the Future? 55. What Makes You Cringe? 56. What Disgusts You? 57. Are You Easily Distracted? 58. How Punctual Are You? 59. Are You a Good Conversationalist? 60. How Emotionally Intelligent Are You? 61. Are You an Orchid, a Tulip or a Dandelion?

Hobbies & Interests

62. What Are Your Hobbies? 63. What Is Your Passion? 64. How Do You Spend Your Downtime? 65. How Do You Have Fun? 66. What Would You Choose to Do If You Had Unlimited Free Time and No Restrictions? 67. What Activities Make You Feel Most Alive? 68. What Big Project Do You Hope to Accomplish Someday? 69. What Work, Sport or Pastime Do You Like to Do at Night? 70. What Seemingly Mundane Feats Have You Accomplished? 71. What Have You Made This Year? 72. What Do You Collect? 73. Which Fandoms Are You In? 74. What Competition Do You Think You Could Win? 75. What Is Something You Want to Try, Even Though Others Might Think It’s Weird? 76. Are There Activities You Used to Love That Are Now So Competitive They’re Not Fun Anymore? 77. What Would You Recommend That Is ‘Overlooked and Underappreciated’? 78. What New Innovations and Discoveries in STEM Intrigue You?

79. What Are the Little Rituals That Keep You Going? 80. What Are Your Best Life Hacks? 81. What Ordinary Moments Would You Include in a Video About Your Life? 82. What Habits Do You Have, and Have You Ever Tried to Change Them? 83. Do You Wish You Had a Different Morning Routine? 84. Does Your Life Ever Feel Too Busy? 85. How Can You Tell a Story About Your Life Right Now Through a Few Simple Numbers? 86. What Is Your Secret to a Happy Life? 87. What’s Your Sunday Routine? 88. What Slang Words Do You Use? 89. How Often Do You Treat Yourself to Something Special? 90. How Often Do You Just ‘Hang Out’ With Others? 91. What Are You Grateful For? 92. Where Do You Find Peace and Quiet? 93. Do You Spend Enough Time With Other People? 94. Do You Talk to Yourself? 95. Is Clutter a Problem in Your Life? 96. How Do You Remember What You Need to Remember? 97. When and For What Reasons Do You Seek Silence? 98. How Do You Greet Your Friends and Family? 99. What Is the Most Wholesome Thing You’ve Seen Lately?

Home & Community

100. Who Are the ‘Characters’ That Make Your Town Interesting? 101. If You Made a Mixtape for Your Hometown, What Sounds and Songs Would You Include? 102. What Do the Types of Dogs in Your Neighborhood Say About Where You Live? 103. What Are Your Hometown’s Shortcomings? 104. Do You Have a Favorite Local Hangout? 105. After Home and School, Where Do You Find the Strongest Feeling of Community? 106. What Grievances Do You Have With Your Local Community? 107. Who in Your Community Might Be Interesting to Interview? 108. What Role Do Parks Play in Your Life? 109. What Role Do Trees Play in Your Neighborhood? 110. How Diverse Is Your Community? 111. How Do You Come Together With Your Community? 112. What Is Unique About Your Hometown? 113. What’s Your Favorite Local Business? 114. Do You Wish You Had the Go-to House? 115. Do You Think You Might Like Communal Living When You’re an Adult? 116. Do You Have Enough Access to Places Where You Can Play and Exercise? 117. What Do the Objects in Your Home Say About You?

118. How Do You Define ‘Family’? 119. Who Is in Your Chosen Family? 120. How Well Do You Get Along With Your Siblings? 121. How Well Do Your Parents Deal With Sibling Conflicts? 122. Do You Have a Family Motto or Creed? 123. How Much Do You Know About Your Family’s History? 124. Where Would You Visit To Find Out More About Your Family’s Past? 125. What Is a Meaningful Family Relationship That You Have? 126. What Is Your Relationship Like With Your Grandparents and Elders? 127. Do You Have Any Family Heirlooms?

Parents & Parenting

128. How Involved Are Your Parents in Your Life? 129. How Similar Are You to the Adults Who Raised You? 130. Do You Push Your Parents’ Buttons? 131. How Do You Get What You Want From Your Parents? 132. Do Your Parents Yell at You? 133. What Advice Do You Have for Teenagers and Their Parents? 134. Are You Conforming to or Rebelling Against Your Parents’ Wishes for You? 135. Do Your Parents Spy on You? 136. Do You Turn to Your Parents for Advice? 137. How Do You Connect With Your Parents? 138. Do Your Parents Overpraise You? 139. Have You Ever Felt Embarrassed by Your Parents? 140. Who Cooks, Cleans and Takes Care of the Kids in Your Family? 141. What Kind of Time Management Skills Are You Learning from the Adults in Your Life? 142. Are Your Parents Addicted to Their Phones?

Role Models

143. What Role Have Mentors Played in Your Life? 144. Whom Do You Turn to for Good Advice? 145. What Can We Learn From Older Adults? 146. What Does the World Need to Know About an Important Person in Your Life? 147. Who’s Your ‘Outsider Role Model’? 148. What Does Dr. King’s Legacy Mean to You? 149. Who Do You Turn To in a Crisis? 150. Who Is Someone You Would Like to Thank? 151. Have You Ever Written Fan Mail? If Not, Would You? 152. How Have You Coped With the Death of an Idol?

Childhood Memories

153. What Is Your Earliest Memory? 154. What Things Remind You of Your Childhood? 155. What Childhood Rules Did You Break? 156. What’s the Craziest Thing You Did as a Kid? 157. What Magic Did You Believe In as a Child? 158. What Is the Most Memorable Thing You Have Ever Lost or Found? 159. Have You Ever Given, or Received, a Perfect Gift? 160. What’s the Best Party You’ve Ever Been To? 161. What Smells Trigger Powerful Memories for You? 162. What Is Your ‘Good Luck Charm’? 163. What Objects Bring You Comfort?

164. What Is It Like to Be a Teenager Now? 165. What Is the Best Thing About Being Your Age? 166. What Do Older Generations Misunderstand About Teenagers Today? 167. What Rites of Passage Mark the Transition to Adulthood in Your Community? 168. How Important to You Is Being Able to Drive? 169. Do Other People Care Too Much About Your Post-High School Plans? 170. Do You Hate When Adults Ask You What You Want to Be When You Grow Up? 171. Have You Ever Felt Pressured by Family or Others in Making an Important Decision About Your Future? 172. Do You Have ‘Emerging Adult’ Skills? 173. How Long Do You Hope to Live at Home? 174. What Letter of Inspiration Would You Write to Your Younger Self? 175. What Have You Learned From a Younger Person — and What Have You Taught An Older Person? 176. Have You Ever Helped an Adult? 177. When — if Ever — Do You Call Adults by Their First Names? 178. What Advice Do You Have for Younger Students? 179. Are You Optimistic About the Future? 180. Do You Want to Have Children Someday? 181. Do You Look Forward to Old Age? 182. What Legacy Do You Want to Leave Behind? 183. What Do You Want to Be Known for After Your Death?

Morality & Ethics

184. Have You Ever Taken a Stand That Isolated You From Your Peers? 185. What Acts of Kindness Have You Witnessed or Participated In? 186. How Good Are You at Apologizing? 187. Do You Ever Laugh at the Misfortune of Others? 188. When Have You Either Forgiven Someone or Been Forgiven Yourself? 189. Has Forgiving Someone Ever Made You Feel Better? 190. What Is the Code You Live By? 191. Have You Ever Been Surprised by an Act of Generosity?

Race, Ethnicity, Gender & Sexuality

192. What Cultural Traditions Are Important to You? 193. How Do You Connect to Your Heritage? 194. What Role Does Your Family’s Native Tongue Play in Your Life? 195. How Does Your Identity Inform Your Political Beliefs and Values? 196. How Much Racism Do You Face in Your Daily Life? 197. What Is Your Gender Identity? 198. Do You Feel Constricted by Gender Norms? 199. Have You Ever Been Told You Couldn’t Do Something Because of Your Gender? 200. What Messages About Gender Have You Gotten From Music? 201. How Do You Feel About Being Told to Smile? 202. What Has Your Sex Education Been Like? 203. How Do You Respond When People Ask, ‘Where Are You From?’ 204. What Does Your Accent Say About Who You Are?

Money & Social Class

205. What Are Your Expectations About Earning, Saving and Spending Money? 206. What Choices Do You Make About Money Every Day? 207. How Do You Get and Spend Money? 208. Have You Ever Tried to Make Money Online? 209. How Much Financial Help Do You Expect From Your Parents in the Future? 210. Do You Get an Allowance? 211. How Much Has Your ZIP Code Determined Your Opportunities? 212. What Has Television Taught You About Social Class?

Religion, Spirituality & Beliefs

213. What Role Does Religion Play in Your Life? 214. How Often Do You Start Conversations about Faith or Spirituality? 215. What Do You Think Are the Secrets to Happiness? 216. What Legends and Myths Do You Believe In? 217. Do You Believe in Astrology? 218. Do You Believe in Manifesting? 219. What Are Your Experiences With Meditation? 220. How Important Is Mindfulness to Your Daily Life? 221. How Do You View Death? 222. We Document Life’s Milestones. How Should We Document Death? 223. Do You Believe in Ghosts?

Technology & the Internet

224. How Are You Using A.I.? 225. What Old Technology Do You Think Is Cool? 226. What Don’t Adults Understand About Teenage Life Online? 227. What Online Communities Do You Participate In? 228. Could You Go a Year Without a Smartphone? 229. Is Your Phone Love Hurting Your Relationships? 230. How Much of Your Day is Voluntarily Spent Screen-Free? 231. How Would Your Life Be Different if You Didn’t Have Wi-Fi and Cellular Service? 232. Where Do You Go to Find Cool, Strange or Fascinating Information on the Internet? 233. Does the Future of Robots Get You Excited, or Fill You With Dread? 234. Do You Worry About Your Digital Privacy? 235. Do You Feel Safer When You Know You’re Being Watched? 236. Do You Leave Funny Comments Online? 237. Have You Experienced Any Embarrassing Zoom Mishaps? 238. Have You Ever Encountered Racist or Extremist Content Online? 239. How Do You Know if What You Read Online Is True? 240. How Much Do You Trust Online Reviews?

Social Media

241. How Much of Your Life Do You Share Online? 242. Do Social Media and Smartphones Make Your Friendships Stronger? 243. Are You the Same Person on Social Media as You Are in Real Life? 244. What Does TikTok Mean to You? 245. Who Is Your Favorite Social Media Star? 246. Would You Want to Be a Social Media Star? 247. Do the Adults in Your Life Follow You on Social Media? 248. Have You Ever Gone to a Place for the Primary Purpose of Taking Selfies? 249. Would You Want to Live and Breathe Creating Content for Social Media? 250. Do You Feel You’re Friends With Celebrities or Influencers You Follow Online? 251. What Role Does Instagram Play in Your Life? 252. How Does Social Media Affect Your Mental Health? 253. Does Social Media Affect Your Body Image? 254. Which Emoji Do You Use the Most? 255. Do You Ever Ignore Text Messages?

Music & Podcasts

256. What Music Are You Listening to Right Now? 257. Who Was Your Favorite Musical Artist This Year? 258. What Songs Explain You? 259. What Is Your Favorite Musical Instrument? 260. What Songs Matter to You Now? 261. What Was Your First Concert? 262. Which Celebrity Performer Would You Like to Challenge to a Friendly Battle? 263. What Would You Name Your Band? 264. Do You Listen to Podcasts? 265. If You Could Make Your Own Podcast, What Would It Be About?

Movies, TV & Video Games

266. What Have You Learned About Life From Watching Movies? 267. What Is Your Favorite Sports Movie? 268. What Are Your Favorite TV Shows? 269. Who Is Your Favorite Actor? 270. What’s in Your Queue? 271. What Is Your Favorite Memory of PBS? 272. How Do You Feel About Spoilers? 273. What Stereotypical Characters Make You Cringe? 274. Are You a Fan of Rom-Coms? 275. Do You Like Horror? 276. What’s Your Favorite Video Game Ever? 277. What Classic Video Games Do You Still Enjoy Playing? 278. What Video Games Would You Like to See Adapted for Film or TV? 279. Are You a Fortnite Addict? 280. Do You Gamify Your Life?

Books & Reading

281. What Role Have Books Played in Your Life? 282. What Books Do You Think Every Teenager Should Read? 283. Do You See Yourself in the Books You Read? 284. Has a Novel Ever Helped You Understand Yourself or Your World Better? 285. What’s the Best Book You Ever Read for School? 286. What Book Would You Add to the High School Curriculum? 287. How Do You Find New Books, Music, Movies or Television Shows? 288. What Have You Learned from Comics? 289. What Role Does Poetry Play in Your Life? 290. Do You Like Romance Stories? 291. What Is the Scariest Story You Have Ever Heard? 292. Have You Ever Read a Book You Weren’t Supposed to Read? 293. What Children’s Books Have Had the Biggest Impact on You? 294. Where Is Your Favorite Place to Read? 295. What Role Do Libraries Play in Your Life?

296. What Purpose Does Writing Serve in Your Life? 297. Do You Keep a Journal? 298. What’s Your Favorite Word? 299. What’s Your Favorite Punctuation Mark? 300. Do You Read or Write Poetry? 301. Do You Love Writing or Receiving Letters? 302. What Do You Want to Investigate? 303. What Would You Write a Book About? 304. What Would You Write in a Letter to the Editor? 305. If You Had a Column in The New York Times, What Would You Write About?

306. What Movies, Shows, Books, Music, Games or Other Works Have Made a Strong Impression on You? 307. What Work of Art Has Changed Your Life? 308. Who Is Your Favorite Visual Artist? What Is Your Favorite Work of Art? 309. Which Photograph Stays In Your Memory? 310. What Would You Like to Learn to Make by Hand? 311. Are You Intimidated by Classical Music and Art? 312. Do You Love to Dance? 313. Have You Ever Performed for an Audience or Shared Creative Work With Others? 314. What Show Do You Wish Your School Would Stage? 315. How Would You Design Your Ideal Museum? 316. What Broadway Show Would You Most Like to See? 317. What Are the Most Memorable Works of Visual Art You’ve Ever Seen? 318. What Could You Read, Listen to or Watch to Stretch Your Cultural Imagination? 319. How Often Do You Read, Watch or Listen to Things Outside of Your Comfort Zone?

320. How Did You Grow and Change This School Year? 321. Do You Like School? 322. What Motivates You to Learn? 323. Would You Want to Go to a School Like This One? 324. What ‘Pop-Up’ Classes Do You Wish Your School Offered? 325. How Is What You Are Studying in School Relevant to Your Life and the Larger World? 326. Do You See the Point in Learning Math? 327. How Much Do You Speak Up in School? 328. How Diverse Is Your School? 329. Is Your School a Safe Learning Space? 330. How Comfortably Can You Speak Your Mind at School? 331. Are You Able to Be Your Whole Self at School? 332. Do You Feel Your School and Teachers Welcome Both Conservative and Liberal Points of View? 333. How Have You Learned About Slavery? 334. How Much Have You Learned About Black History? 335. Has a School Assignment or Activity Ever Made You Uncomfortable? 336. Are You Stressed About School? 337. How Good Are You at Handling Challenging School Work? 338. Do You Need a Homework Therapist? 339. What Are You Doing to Change Your School? 340. What Are Your Thoughts on Riding the School Bus? 341. Is the Diversity of Your School Accurately Reflected in Its Promotional Materials? 342. How Have Your Teachers Shaped Who You Are? 343. Does Your Teacher’s Identity Affect Your Learning? 344. Has a Teacher Ever Changed Your Mind-Set? 345. Would You Want to Be a Teacher Someday? 346. What Have Been Your Experiences With Substitute Teachers?

347. How Prepared Are You For College? How Well Do You Think You’ll Do? 348. What Worries You Most About the College Admissions Process? 349. How Much of Your Real Self Have You Revealed on Applications? 350. What Worries Do You Have About College? 351. Do You Intend to Study Abroad While You Are in College? 352. Are You Worried About the Rising Cost of Attending College? 353. Do You Talk to Your Family About the Cost of College? 354. Do You Want Your Parents to Live Nearby When You Go to College? 355. What Specialty College Would You Create?

Work & Careers

356. What Jobs Are You Most Curious About? 357. How Much Does Having a ‘Dream Job’ Matter to You? 358. Would You Pursue a Career If You Knew You Likely Would Not Make Much Money? 359. Will You Follow in Your Parents’ Footsteps? 360. Would You Consider Moving Overseas for a Job? 361. Do Your Summer Plans Include Employment? 362. Would You Consider Serving in the U.S. Armed Forces? 363. What Volunteer Work Would You Most Like to Do? 364. Have You Had a Job Recently? What Has the Experience Been Like?

365. Do You Have Satisfying Friendships? 366. How Alike Are You and Your Friends? 367. Do You Have Any Unlikely Friendships? 368. How Have Your Friends Helped You? 369. Do You Like Your Friends? 370. How Often Do You Text Your Friends Just to Say ‘Hi’? 371. Have You Ever Been Left Out? 372. Do You Ever Feel Lonely? 373. Have You Ever Had a Significant Friendship End? 374. Do You Have Any Close Friends? 375. How Many Close Friends Do You Need? 376. How Do You React When Your Friendships Change? 377. What Have Your Friends Taught You About Life? 378. What Have You Learned About Friendship This Year? 379. Do You Have Any Intergenerational Friendships? 380. What Makes a Great Conversation?

Dating, Love & Relationships

381. How Much of a Romantic Are You? 382. What Does Love Feel Like to You? 383. How Do You Think Technology Affects Dating? 384. Have You Ever Been Ghosted? 385. Do You Want to Get Married Someday? 386. Would You Want to Be Proposed to on a Jumbotron? 387. If You Got Married, Would You Want to Keep Your Last Name or Take Your Partner’s?

388. What Are You Doing to Take Care of Your Health? 389. What Rules Do You Have for Staying Healthy? 390. Do You Have Any Bad Health Habits? 391. Do You Have More Good Habits Than Bad? 392. What Do You Think Are the Secrets to a Long Life? 393. How Well Do You Sleep at Night? 394. Do You Enjoy Taking Long Walks? 395. Do You Learn Better After Moving Around? 396. Do You Have a Healthy Diet? 397. What Is Your Relationship With the Weight-Loss Industry? 398. How Strong Is Your Sense of Smell? 399. Have You Ever Jumped Into Ice-Cold Water? 400. How Is Your Mental Health These Days? 401. Do You Ever Get the ‘Bad News Blues’? 402. How Do You Hold It Together When You’re Feeling Stressed? 403. How Does Your Body React to Stress? 404. How Do You Practice Self-Care? 405. What’s Your Favorite Mood Booster?

Sports & Games

406. What Kinds of Games and Puzzles Do You Like? 407. What Are Your Favorite Games? 408. How Would You Change Your Favorite Sport? 409. Have You Ever Learned Something From a Professional Athlete? 410. Have You Ever Felt Too Much Pressure to Win? 411. What Is Your Favorite Rivalry? 412. What Role Have Coaches Played in Your Life? 413. Have You Witnessed Bad Behavior in Youth Sports? 414. Do You Like a Comeback Story? 415. Would You Ever Want to Run a Marathon? 416. Would You Make a Good Ump?

417. What Is Your Dream Travel Destination? 418. What Is Your Most Memorable Family Vacation? 419. How Would You Spend Your Ideal Family Vacation? 420. Would You Ever Go on a Solo Vacation? 421. What Do You Think You Would Learn From Traveling to All 50 States? 422. What Are the Places in the World That You Love Most? 423. What City or Town Most Captures Your Imagination? 424. How Good Is Your Sense of Direction? 425. How Much Do You Know About the Rest of the World?

Shopping, Looks & Fashion

426. What’s Your Favorite Item of Clothing? 427. What Does Your Unique Style Say About You? 428. What Does Your Hairstyle Say About You? 429. Are You a Sneakerhead? 430. Do You Like Getting Dressed Up? 431. Could You Stop Shopping for an Entire Year? 432. Are You an Ethical Consumer? 433. What Would You Wait All Night in the Rain to Buy? 434. Do Politics Ever Influence How or Where You Shop? 435. Do You Wear Clothes for the Logo? 436. Would You Like to Be a Fashion Model? 437. How Do You Feel About Your Body? 438. How Do You Feel About Your Height? 439. How Do You Feel About Tattoos?

Meals & Food

440. What Foods Bring Up Special Memories for You? 441. What Foods Are Closely Linked to Someone You Love? 442. Who Is the Best Cook You Know? 443. How Do You Celebrate Your Culture Through Food? 444. What Do You Eat for Dinner on a Typical Weeknight? 445. What Are the Most Popular Dishes in Your House? 446. Are You Now, or Have You Ever Been, a Picky Eater? 447. What Are the Best Places to Eat in Your Town? 448. What Foods Best Represent Your Hometown? 449. What Are the Essential Foods to Eat Where You Live? 450. What New Flavor Ideas Do You Have for Your Favorite Foods? 451. What Convenience Foods Make You Happy? 452. How Do You Like Your Pizza? 453. Would You Ever Consider Becoming Vegetarian? 454. Would You Eat Food Grown in a Lab? 455. Have You Ever Experienced Food Insecurity? 456. What Do You Think Your Favorite Book or Movie Character Eats For Dinner?

Holidays & Seasons

457. Do You Make New Year’s Resolutions? 458. What Healthy Habits Do You Hope to Build in the New Year? 459. How Do You Celebrate Spring? 460. What Are Your Favorite Memories of Spring? 461. What Are Your Plans This Summer? 462. What’s the Most Memorable Thing That Happened to You This Summer? 463. What Were Your ‘Mundane Joys’ of Summer? 464. What Are Your Memories of Halloween? 465. What’s Your Favorite Halloween Costume, Past or Present? 466. How Much Scare Can You Handle in Your Halloween Entertainment? 467. What Does Thanksgiving Mean to You? 468. What Has Been Your Most Memorable Thanksgiving? 469. What Will You Talk About on Thanksgiving? 470. Did You Take Part in Any Thanksgiving or Post-Holiday Traditions?

Animals & Nature

471. How Do Animals Provide Comfort in Your Life? 472. What Have You Learned From Animals? 473. What Are Your Experiences With Animal Adoption or Fostering? 474. How Do You Feel About the Spiders, Insects and Other Tiny Creatures in Your Home? 475. How Do You Get Your Nature Fix? 476. What Are the Most Memorable Things You’ve Seen or Experienced in Nature? 477. What Is the Coolest Thing You Have Seen in Nature? 478. Have You Ever Tried to Grow Something?

Environment

479. How Are You Doing Your Part for the Environment? 480. How Concerned Are You About Climate Change? 481. Do You Experience Climate Anxiety? 482. Do You Think You Make Good Climate Choices? 483. Would You Change Your Eating Habits to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint? 484. Could You Live an Entire Day Without Plastic? 485. How Good Are You at Recycling? 486. How Have You Experienced Extreme Weather?

487. How Similar Are Your Political Views to Those of Your Parents? 488. How Important Is It to You to Have Similar Political Beliefs to Your Family and Friends? 489. Is Your Online World Just a ‘Filter Bubble’ of People With the Same Opinions? 490. Do You Think You Live in a Political Bubble? 491. How Do You Talk With People Who Don’t Share Your Views? 492. What Do American Values Mean to You? 493. What Does Your Country’s National Anthem Mean to You? 494. Are You Optimistic About the State of the World? 495. Have You Ever Changed Your Mind About a Hot-Button Issue? 496. How Have School Shootings Shaped Your Experience as a Student? 497. How Has the Threat of Gun Violence Affected You? 498. How Do You Feel About Active-Shooter Drills in Schools?

The Pandemic

499. What Does the End of the Pandemic Emergency Mean to You? 500. How Have the Last Two and a Half Years Made You Who You Are Today? 501. How Would You Describe Your Pandemic Experience in Six Words? 502. How Have You Commemorated Milestones During the Pandemic? 503. Do You Think You Have Experienced ‘Learning Loss’ During the Pandemic? 504. How Has the Pandemic Changed Your Relationship to Your Body? 505. What Have You Learned About Yourself During This Lockdown? 506. How Will We Remember the Coronavirus Pandemic?

507. Would You Want to Live to 200? 508. Would You Want to Live Forever? 509. Would You Like to Be Cryogenically Preserved (Frozen!) Upon Your Death? 510. Would You Want to Live a Life Without Ever Feeling Pain? 511. Would You Like to Be Famous? 512. Would You Want to Be a Child Star? 513. Would You Like to Be a Farmer? 514. If You Had an Extra Billion Dollars, What Cause Would You Support With Your Philanthropy? 515. Do You Think You Will Ever Travel to Space? 516. What Fantasy Invention Would You Want to Exist in Reality? 517. If You Could Have Any Animal Feature, What Would It Be? 518. What Fictional House Would You Want to Stay In? 519. What Scientific Mysteries Do You Want Solved? 520. What Idea Do You Have That Is Ahead of Its Time? 521. What Era Do You Wish You Had Grown Up In? 522. Do You Like Your First Name? Would You Change It If You Could? 523. What Would You Like to Ask Your 40-Year-Old Self? 524. What Items Would You Place in a Time Capsule for Future Generations? 525. If the World Was Ending, What Would You Want to Say?

Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.

Find more Student Opinion questions here. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate them into your classroom.

Useful Links

Best Narrative Essay Topics: Funny, Personal, Literacy and Fictional Ideas

Researching on best narrative essay topics? Deadline approaching, but you haven’t started yet? Worried because of such a mess? Want a better and more timely solution to your problems? Well! Continue reading this if you want to seek an answer to these questions.

Selecting a suitable narrative essay topic can present a daunting challenge during one’s academic journey, as these topics are often elusive. The process hinges on an individual’s life experiences, with impactful encounters naturally suggesting engaging themes. Nonetheless, certain experiences may defy translation into compelling written pieces. This is precisely where our essay writing service comes into play, offering assistance in overcoming such hurdles. Now, let’s delve into the specifics of your quest:

Table of Contents

What Is a Narrative Essay?

A narrative essay is a form of essay in which the writer tells a story or narrates it in a way that appeals to the audience. This can involve an adventure, an incident, a life story, etc. Not always, but a narrative essay is usually about personal stories and life experiences.

In such an essay, there is the freedom to choose any good topic that suits the writer; however, when assigned by the teacher, he/she might set strict criteria or boundaries to make the roadway a bit difficult. Similarly, choosing a topic involving personal experiences might be difficult because some experiences cannot be narrated in a presentable manner. Personal topics can be used when writing a personal essay. That is why we are here to help you out choosing such topics.

Choosing a Topic for a Narrative Essay

Choosing a topic for such an essay requires some good steps. These steps are as follows:

Remember to tell a story

Choose an idea worthy of discussion.

Planning and brainstorming ideas

Structuring for the essay

Let’s discuss these in detail:

Make sure that the topic chosen for the essay must connect with the audience. The story the writer is telling should be such that the experiences, life lessons, skills etc., connect with the audience. Otherwise, it will spoil the whole writing and result in boredom.

One might have read the story of some famous writer. How do you feel when you read it? Of course, we develop a connection with that story; even some people cry reading it because they feel it’s their own. This is the art of narration. Learn it.

Choose an idea worthy of discussion

Do not randomly choose an idea for the essay; rather, choose the best one on which a good discussion would be made. Boring ideas not involving the writer’s interest make it an ambiguous essay and, in turn, make it a bad piece of writing. To make sure the idea is useful, ask yourself:

What are my associations with the chosen idea?

Would I be able to convey it to the readers the way I have an association with it?

If yes, how am I going to convey it?

Do I have enough information or memories related to the idea?

Questions like these will make the essay rigorous. However, one can always change the topic or idea of an essay if he feels at any point that the above questions are not answered.

Plan the structure of the essay. Brainstorming is a good session to start with. Do brainstorming and write good ideas and information regarding the chosen topic to give a fine structure to the essay from this stage. Make sure to plan how one will structure the essay properly at this stage. This step can also help you to make your essay longer.

Throughout, the writer needs to mix different life memories to check whether it is a good idea to mess up. The subject should be such that it hits the audience’s emotions and guarantees that the story is narrated so that it develops the same association with the audience as with the writer.

Structuring For the Essay

The structure of the essay is always standard and is followed in every essay writing. Whatever idea or topic the writer chooses from his experiences, it should be such that it develops a logical order starting from a good introduction, passing through the body and ending with the conclusion. The standard for body paragraphs is three. So whenever choosing the topic or opting for an experience, memory or lesson, ensure enough information is available to make three paragraphs out of it. The paragraphs for the body should also have enough information to support the thesis, as will be stated in the introduction part.

40 Best Narrative Essay Topics

A narrative essay should be such that it presents a picture of the writer’s life experiences. Since the reader cannot see the picture, the writer can show him through the power of words.

Some 40 best narrative essay topics for college are as follows:

The first flight I made

My memories of the school time

My first day of school

My memorable trip

A friend in disguise

The accident I have gone through

An eye-opening event of my life

Experiencing a crash

A realization to the new world

• My favorite movie

A row with my peers

The first time I drive

A time when I faced unequal employment opportunity

• My memorable vacation
• My favorite dish

Realization of the double-faced people

betrayer friends

Going through psychological trauma in my life

• My mental health
• The diet I follow

How do I maintain a work-life balance?

The people I love the most

How do I survive shark attack?

The help that I will never forget

My favorite place in my house

How have I learned decoration?

The first time I danced

How do I manage a high workload?

If I were an HR officer

My achievements

A proud moment in my life

Changes in my body after vaccination

How do I enter into good bonding?

Why do I sometimes judge?

The biggest punishment I ever had

My shortcomings that kills me

The first time I appeared in a show

Personal Narrative Essay Ideas

The best moment of my entire life

The toughest decision I ever made

My favorite place to visit

Reason why I love my best friend

What I do in my entire day: a complete schedule of my full day routine

The most perfect decision I have ever made in my life

The story of racism I faced in a foreign country as a Muslim

The reason why I hate going to the college

How do I overcome fears and turn them into my strength?

Most embarrassing moment of my life

The moment I had to lose my best friend

The disease I have fought and defeated in my life

The memorable debate competition in the school

My first ever pet

The perfect sunset I’ve ever seen

The day I had to say good bye to my best friend

My experience with receiving my first ever degree

The most horrible food I have ever tried

My favorite fruit juice

My most liked music playlist

How do I connect with the people?

Why do I always take the blame and become bad in the picture?

The unforgettable fight with the bully in college

The most horrible and annoying teacher at school

The race I have been trying to complete since many years

My experience of university life

The perfect wedding I ever attended

The most valuable life experience I ever had

Exploring a new city in my Summer vacations

The moment I met a car accident

Fictional Narrative Essay Ideas

The incident of our friend’s day out going wrong

A dark night, and my car ran out of Petrol

The worst scenario ever happened during exams

A horrible dream that turned into reality

The story of vampires and their exact origin, a place no lesser than hell

How I felt like Cinderella once but it ended up like a nightmare

The dream I saw about myself rotting in hell

The most fierce monster I saw in a famous park in the dark

The story of my town about to suffer a hurricane

I met a person who lost his memory and I had no way to remind him anything

The story of a teen who creates a viral video and becomes famous

The story of a click that ticks 13 too

A tale of a 10 year old kid who became the President of the country

The most horrible thing happened on the island where no human existed

An art character that comes to life

A strange creature coming to life straight out of a story book

A pink hill that looks like an ice cream

A parallel world where all parents support their kid’s decisions

A world free of racism and discrimination

A tale of zero hatred in the world

The haunted place and my visit to it

A bully victim who turned into a bully himself

A wild gorilla broke into the house

A giant tree came to life

A giant candy house with chocolate doors

A normal girl got superhero powers

The paper money got replaced with digital currency

The world turned into metaverse

Time started passing backwards

A town where can read minds

Narrative Essay Topics for College Students

Most memorable incident in my life

The best college memory

The most important day of my life

My favorite course in college

My favorite book

My favorite professor

A note to my old self

A note to my future self

A research project I can never forget

The best classmate I had in college

The best teammate I had in college project

Most interesting party I attended in college

The dangerous trip we all friends had in college life

The best adventurous trip I had in college life

My most favorite dish I loved eating in college days

My hostel room in college

The tale of meeting my life mate in college

The most epic drama rehearsal in my college

How one mass bunk changed everything in my college

How hard the life of college students is

My last day at college

Narrative Essay Topics for High School Students

We agree that coming up with narrative writing topics is not easy as it sounds. But it gets convenient when you have lists of such amazing topics. Here’s another one! 

The story of my first day at high school

A bad experience with the rude teacher

My favorite subject

The most special lunch I had in school

Most memorable farewell party

The most amazing welcome party in high school

My favorite teacher at high school

My best friend at high school

The perfect friendship I saw at high school

The worst mistake I made

The best decision I took being a high school student

The best street food I tried in high schooling days

The best thing I learned in high school

The best classmate I got in high school

The worst team mate I had in high school

The most boring subjects and it’s lectures

A high school teacher that changed the way of teaching

An extremely boring day in high school

A perfect friend I made in high school

The last exam in high school

The story of my last day at high school

Literacy Narrative Essay Topics

Here’s another list of 30 unique literacy narrative topics. We have tried our best to give you some of the best literacy narrative ideas you can consider. 

The most useless book I have ever read

My most favorite subject at school

The first short story I ever wrote

My favorite novel based on real life incident

The best poem I have ever read

The worst piece of literature I have ever read and felt disappointed

The worst book I studied in my college

A large collection of books my favorite teacher recommended to me

A letter to myself that I should keep secret

The last letter I wrote to my best friend

Why did I start writing?

How writing makes me feel like?

Why I always wanted to be a writer?

Is becoming a freelance writer good career choice?

The worst writing mistakes that you should avoid

Best marketing email I have ever read

Best essay writing guide I always recommend to everyone

The most satisfying writing piece I have ever read

The poorly written writing guide I still laugh at

Best novel I read about realism

The only book that made sense to me

The best author I have ever read

Can I become an author myself?

The best writing guide my friend gave me

A collection of beautiful poems I can never forget

A list of my favorite poets and what I like about them

A list of my favorite writers and what I like about them

The best book collection my friend owns

10 ideal methods I use to write a good essay

The favorite short story of mine

Note: These are just a few literacy narrative topic ideas to get you started with this essay picked from going through hundreds of literacy narrative examples. Plus you can blend two or more subjects for a unique topic. 

First Person Narrative Essay Ideas

If you are searching for the best narrative paragraph topics, you are in luck! As this list has 30 personal narrative topics for you to consider. 

A day in my everyday life

The best thing I have done in my life

A note to myself

The scariest thing I have ever done

The first and best short story I wrote

How do I overcoming my fears and keep going in life

The right things I have ever done that turned my life upside down

My favorite ice cream parlor in the city

My go-to place for lunch and dinner

My personal tips on how to look good casually

How I turned my own life upside down

The most horrible moment of my life

Why did I decide to leave my house at 18?

The best career choice I have ever come across

Why do I hate my parents

Why don’t I have any friends

How was my experience with flipping burgers at McDonald’s?

My first adventure ever

The first mistake of my life

Why did I drop out of college?

The best decision of my life

My first best friend

My most favorite dish

The right thing I did that saved someone’s life

The day I was about to get into jail

Most embarrassing question I ever got asked

My life in my village

The best book I have ever read

The best city I have even been to

Most expensive thing I bought with my own salary

As you have finished going through the list, you must have learned that personal narrative ideas are a lot more easier to write on as compared to the others. 

Funny narrative essay topics

Writing a funny narrative essay is a great way to engage your audience and make them laugh. If you’re looking for some inspiration, check out our blogs . There, you’ll find a variety of funny narrative essays on topics such as:

Choosing to sleep over workout

A girl or boy? Who is more intelligent?

Traditional photos Vs selfie clicks

How to relate lion with a cat

If I were a grapefruit

Farming or billionaire; the choice is yours

How to enjoy during exams

Food or workout? Which to prefer?

What to choose: internet or study?

How to survive scolding by parents.

Best narrative stories

Examples of some all-time famous and best narrative stories are:

The tell-tale heart

The lottery

The metamorphosis

The lady with the dog

The gift of the Magi

Story of your life

The yellow wallpaper

The monkey’s paw

To build a fire

Perfect essay writers hope that they clarify your queries when you land on our page. We also hope that a decent explanation and good essay topics are provided to make your writing journey much more enjoyable and easier.

Are you still asking yourself “do I still need help?” Well, don’t bother yourself and let our expert essay writers help you out.

A good topic for a story is the one involving personal as well as the connection of the audience with it. Such topics can be:

• How do people change?
• Losing friends
• The double-faced world
• A friend in need is a friend indeed

A narrative essay is a form of essay in which the writer tells a story or narrates it in a way that is appealing to the audience. This can involve an adventure, an incident, a life story, etc. Not always, but a narrative essay is usually about personal stories and life experiences.

A personal narrative topic is the one that involves narration of personal experiences, life lessons, skills etc. It is the major form of narrative essay and most of them are written on such topics. These can be as follows:

Some of the examples of narrative writing are:

• Narrative essay
• Personal essays
• Biographies

Get Your Custom Essay Writing Solution From Our Professional Essay Writer's

Timely Deliveries

Premium Quality

Unlimited Revisions

• Assignment Writing Service
• Biography Writing Services
• Opinion Essay Writing Service
• Cover Letter Writing Service
• Critical Analysis Essay
• Romeo and Juliet
• Admission Essay
• Analytical Essay Writing Service
• Personal Statement
• Research Paper Writing Service
• Dream Essay
• Annotated Bibliography
• Dissertation Writing Services
• Contrast Essay
• Argumentative Essay
• College Essay Writing Service
• Application Letter
• College Paper
• Thesis Statement

We are a team of professional writers providing quality-assured essays, research papers, and assignments. We bring the most affordable services for you with multiple revisions. Get plagiarism-free content with Turnitin pass and on-time delivery. We Create Great Content, Value, & Reliability!

• Opinion Essay Writing
• Cover letter writing service
• College Essay Writing
• Our Writers

• Plagiarism checker Do The Check
• Academic editing Ask For Help
• Samples database View Samples Base

150 Best Topic Ideas For Narrative Essay

26 Apr 2022

Quick Navigation

❓How to Choose a Topic for a Narrative Essay?

☝️Some Tips for Writing Narrative Essays

📑Narrative Essay Topics for:

• High School Students
• College Students

✏️Topics for essays on themes:

• Personal Experience
• About Childhood
• Relationship
• Personal About Friendship
• Traveling and Holidays
• Argument Essay

In academic practice, the narrative essay is probably one of the key elements to train students in expressing their opinions. It teaches well how to tell a story in a clear, concise manner, that’s why it is so welcome in the language and composition classes.

Narrative essays are not only valuable as such: their contribution lies in the ability to elaborate students’ storytelling and narration skills. To touch the reader’s nerves, you should opt for exciting narrative essay ideas. There are plenty of them – but don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! Below you’ll find a comprehensive list of essay ideas.

Is writing essays your hobby?

Participate in our "Independence Day of the United States" essay writing competition and get a 12-month Quizlet subscription.

• Deadline: July 24, 2023
• Topic: Declaration of Independence
• Language: English
• Length: 1000-5000 words
• Font size: 11 or 12

How to Choose a Topic for a Narrative Essay?

When you are selecting a topic for your essay , you should consider some aspects. As a teacher, you should opt for the best narrative essay topics that would be interesting and familiar to your mentees. If you are a mentee yourself, you can be assigned a specific task to write on the topic provided by your teacher or professor. In the opposite case, you have the freedom to choose a topic on your own.

We’ve collected some useful tips on how to efficiently select a narrative speech topic for your paper. They apply to the general principles of narrative essay topic choice. You can write about something special and personal for you, or describe events and subjects that are well-known to everyone. The following rules will be a perfect support for you in the creation of a powerful narrative essay.

• Opt for relevant topics Always consider your audience when picking a topic if you are a teacher. The topic shall be cognizable and meaningful for your audience, be it higher school students or schoolchildren. They must be able to express their thoughts on the subject and relate their personal experiences to it. Obviously, the requirements for younger students are lower, and narrative writing topics shall deal mostly with descriptions or reporting. On the other hand, senior schoolers and students shall be able to write an essay that is also persuasive and reflective.
• Choose your comfortable writing style Experience in studying affairs clearly demonstrates that successful subjects for a narration essay are those you feel comfortable with. Picking up the right idea is the key to a powerful paper as it determines the style of your writing. Think about what you love to tell about. Do you like to describe events in a detailed and vivid manner? Or maybe you are factual and concise? Are you a fan of reflections and self-analysis? Recollecting or imagining, projecting or analyzing, reporting or insightful – if you identify your features, they will be helpful narrative essay prompts.
• Show your mastery Topics are essential, but that’s not the hard and fast rule: always factor into personal proficiency. This is what turns even a dull and merely informative topic into an engaging story. A narration essay is your chance to create a description that would allow your readers to pop into your experiences and share your fun or drama with you. Whether your narration concerns a film, a book, a relationship, a person, or a situation, try to complement it with a touch of personal attitude. Discourse upon the lessons you’ve learned, describe a turning point of your life or reflect on why an event from your past is so memorable. Try to convey this in the essay outline , and you’ll see how fascinating it might be. The more so as there are plenty of brilliant topics for narrative writing.

Stuck with finding the right title?

Get plenty of fresh and catchy topic ideas and pick the perfect one with PapersOwl Title Generator.

Some Tips for Writing Narrative Essays

Narration may be both rewarding and challenging. To maximize your rewarding experience and minimize the tough aspects of essay writing, follow our tips recovered from the students’ practice.

• Aim at telling a story

A narration essay stands foremost for a narration. Whether you are describing events, discussing situations, or recollecting the past, your story should be engaging and have a plot. You may introduce the elements that make your story individual. These include arguments, reflections, and opinions, but the focus of this type of essay is narrative.

• Keep to an outline

The conventional structure is not required, however, it assists in organizing your thoughts properly and preserving accuracy and distinctiveness. The introduction and conclusion parts do not differ much from those in other academic papers. The body part, in turn, presents a story that may tackle moral, practical, psychological, or other problems. This clearly distinguishes your narration from all the others. This is why personal narrative topics shall be thoroughly picked.

• Make a plan

Draft the events and characters to be introduced in your story. Don’t feel like you are limited by the structure you create. A plan is a guide rather than a mold for your text, so try making it comfortable for you. Drafting your essay before you start writing may also be helpful. This way you can break down the nuances and see what’s lacking for an immersive story.

• Remain individual

While good narrative topics circulate in the school and college assignments, you are still able to make your essay personalized. To start with, you have your own stories to be told. Then, you might express your own opinions that are unconventional. Also, you can present the lessons you’ve learned from the story. In the end, your author’s style will surely add points to your paper.

• Choose a writing narrative thoroughly

Stories may be told third-person or first-person. Weigh the pros and cons of each type of narration and opt for the one reflecting your objective. Personal experiences are usually written in first-person, and epic narratives may be third-person. Though, unconventional approaches may be an interesting artistic device making your essay even more intriguing.

Build your thesis statement

This is AI-powered online tool that lets you create a thesis statement about any topic you need.

• Simple interface
• Works with any type of paper
• Absolutely free
• Unlimited attempts

Narrative Essay Topics for Students

We’ve analyzed trainees’ experience in writing narrative paragraphs and selected narrative essay topics for college and school students. This profound list covers a wide range of subjects, so pick one!

Narrative Essay Topics for High School Students

High school students normally feel comfortable about describing their study routine. Below you’ll find interesting topics to convey some of the things at school familiar to every pupil.

• My favorite class
• An unexpected day-off
• My favorite teacher
• My most memorable participation in a sports event
• My harshest debate competition
• My best role in a school theatre
• My after-school activities
• My routine travel to school
• My funny prom night adventure
• My worst lost match
• The craziest incident on my campus
• The subject I don’t like
• How I failed an exam
• How I got through an exam
• How I got caught cheating

Good Narrative Essay Topics for College Students

Just like high schoolers, students at colleges and universities are fond of talking about their everyday matters. Whether a topic about students’ affairs or reflection on new relationships, the most popular narrative topics for college students are collected here.

• My first day at the higher school
• My last day with my schoolmates
• My favorite course
• Meeting my better half
• The story of my split-up
• My brightest high school moment
• How I met my old friend
• My favourite professor
• A funny adventure on my campus
• The most symbolic episode from my college life
• The day I moved
• How I traveled to my college
• My first impressions of the college campus
• How I met my roommate
• My first friends at college

Topics for essays on themes:

Personal narrative essay topics.

Each of us had moments in life the story of which would be interesting to others. Develop your narration mastery and tell the world a story about the very best, most memorable, extremely scary, or awkward situations. Our list is here to assist you.

• The happiest event ever
• The saddest moment in my life
• The worst moment of my life
• The best moment of my life
• If I start my life all over again, I’d…
• The most frightening episode of my life
• The most dramatic decision I had to make
• The life-changing event in my life
• The greatest risk I took
• The day I decided to move
• The worst decision of my life
• Getting lost abroad
• The most disastrous trip
• How I grew up in a city
• How I grew up in a village

Personal Experience Narrative Essay Topics

Personal experiences are way more exciting for writers. Unfortunately, personal narrative essays are not always just as fascinating for listeners unless they are presented in an entertaining manner. We’re sure that the ideas for personal narratives below will help you pick your topic to maximize readers’ engagement.

• The moment of my life I’m proud of
• My first visiting an opera house
• The weirdest accident I witnessed
• How I first tried Asian cuisine
• My most memorable birthday present
• If I was a character in a book
• The memory I wish I lived through again
• If I was my favourite movie superhero
• How I lost a thing that wasn’t mine
• My first travel to the sea
• What makes me unique
• My first trip into the wild
• My first job interview
• My most significant loss
• My most memorable Christmas

Narrative Essay Topics About Childhood

Childhood is probably the sweetest period of our lives and the one with the most number of insights. The most powerful experiences come from it, and most of our reflections are related to a child's perception in this or that way. Check out our list of captivating topics about childhood and pick one.

• My first memories ever
• My first pet
• The role model of my childhood
• The first time I met my uncle/aunt
• The first time I got to a hospital
• My first big sports competition
• My first day at school
• The first time at a stadium
• My best visit to a children’s entertainment park
• My favourite preschool teacher
• My first time on the airplane
• My most memorable picnic
• The scariest incident of my childhood
• My childhood phobias
• The funniest incident of my childhood

Don't let plagiarism ruin your grade

Check the originality of a paper with just a couple of clicks.

• Free unlimited checks
• Accurate results
• All common file formats
• Intuitive interface

Relationship Narrative Essay Topics

Writing about this huge layer of experience – relationships – is surely thrilling. We’ve picked just some of the great variety of narrative topics about relationships for you. Even if you don’t find here exactly what you want to talk about, you’ll definitely hit upon an appropriate idea.

• My first romantic date
• How my best friend changed my life
• How I first met my best friend
• The saddest moment in a relationship I experienced
• A turning point in my important relationship
• My role model relationship from a book/movie
• My first romantic relationship
• What my parents mean to me
• The best advice about relationships I got
• Why is my significant other so important to me
• The situation that helped me fix my ruined relationship
• The best memories I share with my friends
• My first confession
• How I helped someone with depression
• A film/book about relationships that stroke me

Personal Narrative Essay About Friendship

Friendships often determine our paths in life, and most people love telling stories. These are about their adventures with friends or reflections on the effects of getting cozy with other people. From the list below, you may pick one of the best friendship topics for narrative essay papers.

• My best friend from a summer camp
• How I reconnected with my friend after a quarrel
• How I covered my friend
• How I first met my online friend live
• How I helped my friend reconnect with his/her loved one
• The coolest adventure with my best friend
• The first time at my friend’s place
• My worst quarrel with my friend
• My best older friend
• How my foe turned into my friend
• The toughest situation I and my friend went through
• My friend’s sister/brother
• The situation where I had to choose between two friends
• How I met a friend on the Internet

Cultural Narrative Essay Topics

How about writing on culture? The variety of topics is enormous, and you can write here in different styles and tonalities. Find out effective narrative paragraph topics dedicated to traditions, holidays, or cultural events below.

• My favourite holiday
• How we celebrate Christmas
• The best Christmas present I got
• My best Christmas
• My saddest Christmas
• The holiday which is most significant for me
• Our family traditions for Easter
• How I took part in holidays abroad
• The scariest Halloween I ever had
• Home alone on a holiday night
• The most memorable cultural event I visited
• The festival I love most
• What I was thankful for this Thanksgiving Day
• My family traditions
• A foreign holiday tradition that I love most

Personal Narrative Stories Ideas on Traveling and Holidays

This segment of subjects covers individual experiences. Respectively, it has to do with reflections, opinions, and feelings. Our list of personal narrative ideas related to trips and celebrations is here for your convenience.

• My best entertainment on winter holidays
• My first traveling abroad
• How I first visited a warm country in winter
• How I missed my flight/train/bus
• The happiest moment during the holidays
• Making a new friend during the holidays
• My first time traveling alone
• My most memorable holiday ever
• The saddest incident on a holiday
• My best visit to a foreign city on holiday
• My best travel to a big city
• The worst quarrel while on holiday
• The best encounters during the holiday
• My best trip to a countryside
• How I returned home after a long vacation

Narrative Argument Essay Topics

Strong argumentation is one of the indications of a successful academic paper and a prerequisite for a higher grade. You should pick a topic you are confident in to provide your effective arguments as your objective is to persuade your readers. Opt for a narrative essay topic that speaks to you.

• The toughest decision between right and wrong
• The choice I regret
• How I helped a friend against the rules
• Involvement in a conflict between other people
• Getting caught lying
• How I let down a friend following the rules
• How I shifted the blame to someone else
• The toughest yet most important experience
• Helping someone for personal benefit
• The prank I played on my friend
• Ignoring bullying
• How my friend took the blame for me
• Does justice actually exist?
• Ignoring the wrong behavior of others
• Eavesdropping

When writing a narrative essay, it is important to choose an interesting topic that can engage your readers. Finding the right topic can be a challenge, but there is no need to worry as there are many resources available, such as online essay writers , that can help you choose the best topic for your narrative essay.

Whether a personal experience essay, a story about your best childhood birthday, a narration about your most meaningful travel, or the way you reacted to essential world events, are all worth writing. Bear in mind that each of them requires research, adhering to a structure, and planning. Focus on what’s inspiring for you and may be of interest to your readers, and you’ll get a list of the narrative ideas working best for you.

Was this article helpful?

Thanks for your feedback.

Dr. Karlyna PhD

I am a proficient writer from the United States with over five years of experience in academic writing. I comfortably complete given assignments within stipulated deadlines and at the same time deliver high-quality work, which follows the guidelines provided.

Readers also enjoyed

Legal essay topics for student.

Essay Writing Guides 22 likes

Science Essay Topics for Students

Essay Writing Guides 3 likes

Explanatory Essay Topics for Students

Essay Writing Guides 8 likes

WHY WAIT? PLACE AN ORDER RIGHT NOW!

Simply fill out the form, click the button, and have no worries!

100+ Narrative Essay Topics

Table of Contents

When looking for the best topics for your narrative essay, you need to make sure you know exactly what to write about. Writing a narrative essay involves a lot, and you need to be well informed to make sure you craft a winning paper. The topic you choose must align with your interests so that you enjoy doing the whole. There are hundreds of topics to choose from out there, and sometimes it can be confusing for a student to decide on the right one. One thing you need to note is that you must incorporate impeccable writing skills.

How you present your essay is very important, and you need to follow the right format. The grammar, sentence phrasing you use and also paragraphs have to be on point. Planning on the right topic to write about is also very essential as it greatly contributes to how well you execute the essay. Topics vary depending on what exactly you want to write about, and the good thing about this type of essay is that you can also write about your own experiences. There are no limitations to what you can do, and that’s what makes it better than other types of essays.

How to Select the Best Narrative Essay Topic? Check Insights Below

Majority of students find it hard to choose a topic. What most don’t know is that this is a similar situation as trying to choosing a topic for any other paper. When you are assigned a narrative essay mostly, you are required to write about the topic of your choice. In such a case, you need to research about a topic you are passionate about because this greatly determines how your essay will flow. You might be faced with the issue of not knowing what to write about, but you shouldn’t let that hinder you from trying to think outside the box. Think about what you would enjoy writing about.

The first thing to remember is that narrative essays are all about telling stories. Think of a story that would intrigue a reader and get them hooked to it to the end. Make sure the topic you use is also useful and has meaning to the person reading. There are plenty of ideas out there and unlimited stories you can tell. You just have to be creative while at it, and make the reader curious as well as providing insight into the whole essay. Make it as unique as possible and make sure that the story you tell aligns with the topic you choose.

Read more: How to Write a Good Narrative Essay

40 Best Narrative Essay Topics For 2023

• The moment that changed my life forever
• A difficult decision that taught me an important lesson
• My experience with overcoming adversity
• An encounter with a stranger that left a lasting impact
• My journey towards self-discovery and personal growth
• A memorable trip that broadened my perspective
• The role that family played in shaping my life
• A life-changing event that helped me find my purpose
• My experience with discrimination and its effects on me
• A meaningful conversation that changed the course of my life
• My first love and the lessons it taught me
• The value of friendship and the bonds that endure
• A transformative moment that led to personal growth
• Overcoming my fears and pushing through challenges
• The importance of education in my life
• A significant achievement that I worked hard for and earned
• My experience with a mentor who guided me towards success
• A time when I had to stand up for what I believed in
• The day I decided to pursue my passion
• A personal struggle that taught me resilience
• An act of kindness that had a profound impact on me
• A childhood memory that still brings me joy
• The lessons I learned from my mistakes
• The role that faith plays in my life
• A time when I had to adapt to a new environment
• My experience with anxiety and how I overcame it
• A meaningful relationship that changed my life
• My experience with leadership and its impact on me
• The importance of community and social responsibility
• My experience with a life-threatening illness and how it changed me
• The impact of technology on my life
• A time when I had to make a sacrifice for someone else
• My experience with a cultural tradition that influenced me
• The impact of travel on my perspective
• A moment of forgiveness that changed a relationship
• A time when I had to take a risk to pursue my dreams
• My experience with grief and how I coped with it
• The importance of self-care and mental health
• The role that sports played in shaping my character
• My experience with a social issue that inspired me to take action

Here’s a List of Narrative Essay Topics to Consider

Here, we will list some of the topics you can consider when you want to write a narrative essay.

• My first day in high school
• The consequences of your bad decisions
• The worst experience you went through in your life
• The best trip you ever had
• My first heroism act
• Your first journey in relationships
• How you deal with depression
• The biggest risk you ever took
• The person who inspires you and why
• The one thing you are afraid to lose
• The first tour experience you had in a foreign country
• What you love about your job/school
• The time you made a new friend
• The people who have impacted your life
• The role of television in your life
• Your passion and what you love to do
• An injury you got when playing your favorite sport
• The current best songwriters that we have
• The state of corruption in the world today
• The most memorable childhood games
• Your best sport and why you love it
• The role of males and females in different homes
• The effects of gender bias in universities
• The costs of having a perfect body
• What you love about helping others
• Your first day in church
• What you remember about Nelson Mandela
• Your best video games when you were young
• The first time you fell in love
• How travel affects your life
• The Barclays premier league
• Your first world cup experience
• Your favorite music
• The great musicians that we’ve lost from drug abuse
• The first breakdown you ever had
• Your first pet
• The biggest loss you went through
• Your first heartbreak
• The most embarrassing moment you went through
• The day you lost a good friend
• Your first fight
• The tough decisions you had to make in your life
• Your favorite childhood shows
• The objects that describe your story
• The best achievements you are proud of
• The best things you created when you were young
• The rites of passage you have participated in
• The story about your family
• Your family’s possessions or treasures
• The best things your parents taught you that you’re glad they did
• How well you get long along with your siblings
• The best place you’d like to live in
• The things that motivate you the most
• The things that annoy you the most
• The challenges you’ve been through and how you overcame them
• The things you are grateful for in your life
• The role of pets in your life
• Your definition of family
• Books or movies that have changed how you view the world
• The negative effects of digital life
• The movies that inspire
• The book that inspired you the most
• Your favorite food
• Your best teacher as a kid
• Talk about your talent
• How you spend your free time
• The skills you possess and why they are so important
• Online safety
• How you use Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
• Barack Obama’s best advice
• The leader who inspires you and why
• The advantages of having a best friend
• Your first day at a new job
• How you overcame your fear
• The best Christmas present you ever got

Narrative Essay Topics for College: Our TOP-10

• What is the single best experience you’ve ever had in your entire life?
• What was your first day in college like? Did it live up to your expectations?
• Have you been in a life-or-death situation?
• Describe your favorite vacation.
• Have you ever had an out-of-body experience? If so, explain it.
• Talk about something you wish you would have done better.
• Discuss fabricated lies your parents told to make you believe in fictitious characters like Santa Clause and the Tooth fairy.
• Describe a time when you finished an assignment on the fly.
• Talk about a challenge that you faced and overcame.
• What is the most profound cultural experience you’ve had? Describe it in detail.

Great Narrative Essay Questions to Consider

Here are some questions to consider:

• How does peer pressure affect people?
• What was your first act of cowardice?
• What advice would you give someone younger than you?
• Do you believe in marriage? If so, why?
• How do you handle a long distance relationship?
• What is the craziest adventure you’ve ever been with your friends?
• What would you do if you were the president for a week?
• How has technology changed the way people co-exist?
• Have you ever been scammed? How did it happen?
• What smartphone devices do you like?

Personal Narrative Essay Topics

• My first experience in sports.
• My first love or infatuation.
• The story of my family.
• Why do I love this particular style of music?
• The story of my most interesting journey.
• My biggest fear.
• Why do I want to study in this speciality?
• How and why I acted negatively towards some people.
• My attitude towards bullying at school.
• Why do I do or don’t do charity work?

The Popular Narrative Essay Ideas

Some Narrative Essay Ideas to consider:

• Your first act of kindness and how it felt
• The best experience you ever had in school
• Things that irritate you about your family
• The best television shows you would bring back
• Your favorite movie stars

Are you looking for someone to help you write a narrative essay? Then look no further because we have professional essay writers readily available to assist you. All you have to do is make an order, pay for it and all the work will be done for you. Order your narrative essay now!

Search the blog

Input your search keywords and press Enter.

Vibrant Teaching

Teaching Resources Creator and Blogger

20 Prompts for Narrative Writing That Spark Creativity

Using prompts for narrative writing motivates kids and gets them excited to write. Read on to learn more about narrative writing, mentor texts, ideas, and assessments. Plus you will find 20 fun prompts for narrative and personal narrative writing. These will be sure to spark student’s creativity and imagination!

What’s Narrative Writing?

Narrative writing tells a story using a beginning, middle, and end.  It includes elements such as characters, setting, problem, and solution.  The author’s purpose is usually to entertain or teach a lesson.  Narrative writing can be fact or fiction but the process is the same.  When it’s a real story from the author’s life, it is considered a personal narrative.  

Examples for Narrative Writing

There are so many wonderful examples of narrative writing.  Some are even written as personal narratives.  Below you will find a list of mentor texts for elementary school.  It’s helpful to immerse students in the genre before and during a narrative writing unit.  These books model different strategies that kids can try in their writing.

Narrative Writing Mentor Texts:

• Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
• Come on, Rain! by Karen Hesse
• Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts
• Fireflies! by Julie Brinckloe
• Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems
• Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall
• Enemy Pie by Derek Munson
• Blackout by John Rocco

Narrative Writing Teaching

There are many features to include in narrative writing, but it depends on the grade level being taught.  For the lower grades, it’s important to start with the concept of beginning, middle, and end written in sequential order.  Then you can expand to the introduction, body, and conclusion using details.  Other important elements are character, setting, problem, and solution.  As the student’s abilities increase the number of sentences will grow and expand to paragraphs.

For the older grades, you can introduce plot structure.  It follows the beginning, middle, and end format but on a higher level.  This story arc includes exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.  Use the diagram below to see how these features overlap.

Plot Structure

Topics for Narrative Writing

The possibilities are endless when it comes to narrative writing ideas.  Kids can create a fiction piece or write about an experience in their life.  Check out some writing prompt ideas below for narrative and personal narrative writing. You might also like this blog post about opinion writing prompts: 20 Prompts for Opinion Writing That Motivate Kids

Writing Prompts for Narratives

• I was taking my friend’s picture in front of the volcano when all of a sudden . . .  
• What if you were given 3 wishes but couldn’t use them on yourself.  Tell a story about what you would wish for and why.
• Write a story called, “The Luckiest Day of My Life.”
• Imagine you went to the zoo and could take home any animal for the day.  Tell a story about your time together.
• Write a silly story that uses these words: airplane, grapes, elephant, and book.
• You have just been shrunk down to the size of an ant.  Write a story including the good and bad things about being so small.
• Think about your favorite character from a book.  Tell a story about getting to meet them for the first time.
• What would happen if you lived during a time when there was no electricity?  Write a story about your school day.
• Finish this story: The pirates set sail on their ship in search of . . .
• Suppose you were teacher for a day.  Write a story about the changes you would make.

Writing Prompts for Personal Narratives

• Have you ever been so proud of yourself for learning something new?  Write a story about a time this happened.
• Write a story about a time you felt your heart race.  What happened and how were you feeling at the end?
• What was your most memorable vacation?  Tell a story from part of that trip and why it stands out in your mind.
• Have you ever done something you knew would get you in big trouble?  Write a story about a time this happened and how you felt about it.
• Write a story about the strangest thing that has ever happened to you.  Why was it so unusual?
• What was your most memorable moment from this year?  Write a story telling why it’s so special.
• Tell a story about a time when you were so excited and couldn’t wait for an event to happen.
• Write a small moment story about a time you had with your favorite person.
• Write about a time that you lost something important.  Tell whether or not you found it.
• Think about the worst day you ever had.  What made it so terrible and did it get better by the end?

Rubrics for Narrative Writing

I often hear from teachers that one of the most difficult parts of teaching writing is how to assess it.  Assessments should be accurate and helpful for both the student and teacher.  When it comes to narrative writing, there are many different approaches.  Some teachers prefer to do a more informal assessment for daily writing pieces and then a formal assessment for the final copy.  Informal assessments can be completed with written comments or student-teacher conferences.

It would be very difficult to use a rubric for every narrative writing a student completes in their notebook.  Instead, most teachers prefer to choose one to three writing pieces to assess with a rubric.  These assessments are ideal for benchmarks, progress reports, and report cards.  Below you will find three types of narrative writing rubrics.  Check out this blog post to learn more about student-friendly, teacher-friendly, and time-saving rubrics: 3 Types of Writing Rubrics for Effective Assessments

Narrative writing enables kids to be creative and use their imagination. They can write a fiction story or about a real event from their life. Writing prompts are a helpful tool to get kids engaged and ready to get started. Did you grab your Free Writing Prompt Guide yet? I love using prompts for morning work, writing time, centers, or as a homework assignment. The possibilities are endless! Be sure to try these prompts for narrative writing with your students!

Genre Based Prompts

Related Articles:

• 20 Prompts for Opinion Writing That Motivate Kids
• What is Narrative Writing
• A Complete Guide to Narrative Writing
• Personal Narrative Writing for Elementary School
• Narrative Writing: How to Teach a Story Arc That’s as Exciting as a Roller Coaster

Angela Sutton

Related posts.

Holiday Writing Prompt List to Inspire Kids

The Best Holiday Gifts for Students

What are Writing Prompts? A Helpful Guide for Teachers

No comments, leave a reply cancel reply.

I accept the Privacy Policy

I specialize in helping elementary teachers with writing resources, tips, and ideas. My goal is to save teachers time and energy so they can be vibrant inside and outside of the classroom! Read More

SEARCH THE BLOG

Subscribe to our mailing list.

Get the news right in your inbox!

Health and Wellness