autobiographical narrative essay example

How to Write an Autobiography: Format + Writing Tips

autobiographical narrative essay example

The world is eager to hear your story, which is one that deserves to be told. The options are unlimited when you have a blank sheet and a pen in your hand. It might be both thrilling and terrifying at the same time, but don't allow your fear of writing an autobiography to deter you!

Writing about your life has a lot more to it than meets the eye. It's a fantastic chance to get to know yourself and learn how to talk to new people - two important life skills that can be used in a lot of other contexts. It will also be helpful to you as a writer. It's normal for writers of books, papers, and different attempts to deliver their own self-portraits to acquaint themselves with the crowd.

Although it could appear challenging to write a successful autobiography, this is only true when you don't know how to approach the work. Our term paper writing services have included important guidelines, tips, and recommendations on this page to help you while you write. By the end of this post, you'll be able to fearlessly get started on writing your own life story.

What Is an Autobiography

It is essential to define what an autobiography is and specify the various forms before we can move on to our writing advice. An autobiography is a self-written work depicting the author's life story chronologically. These narrative-style articles can serve a variety of purposes, depending on the type of writing. You can also look at other narrative essay topics on our blog for endless inspiration.

There are typically four categories of autobiographical writing:

  • An autobiography is a lengthy and thorough account of the author's life. Everything from birth to the present is covered in this type of writing. Frequently, the reason for composing a life story is: to convey a person's life story to a large audience, to leave a mark, to reconcile one's past, or to preserve one's memories.
  • Autobiographical essay for college – Typically, this type of autobiographical writing is submitted with the rest of your application. This essay aims to present yourself to admissions officers and persuade them that you are a good fit for their educational establishment.
  • Memoirs – The only difference between memoirs and autobiographies is that memoirs do not have to cover a person's entire life. Instead, you can focus on a memoir's most exciting and significant past events and include as many details as possible.
  • Personal essay – This is the last and shortest form of autobiographical writing. Simply put, it is a self-portrait essay. This type of essay, unlike others, is more personal and emotional; sharing your personal experiences is necessary. Such a paper typically focuses on a single event, period, individual, etc. In schools and colleges, this is a common type of academic assignment.

Because of their distinct characteristics, each type may necessitate a different strategy. As a result, the purpose of this article will be to specifically discuss how to write a autobiography about yourself effectively.

Autobiography Example

As was mentioned earlier, reading a few good examples of autobiographies can give you an additional burst of inspiration and help find the right tone for your own writing. And you will say 'Yes, I can do my paper'! Here are a few brilliant examples to help you generate fresh ideas to get rolling:

As mentioned earlier, reading a few good examples of autobiographies can give you an additional burst of inspiration and help you find the right tone for your writing. And you will say, 'Yes, I can do my paper'! Here is a brilliant sample to help you generate fresh ideas on how to write an autobiography example:

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Autobiographical Essay Structure

Although the exact format of an autobiography will depend on the chosen type of writing, there are some basic principles to bear in mind.

autobiographical essay structure

First, similar to any other kind of essay, an autobiographical one should consist of three main blocks:

So, how to start autobiography? The introduction of any text has three main objectives: to introduce the reader to the topic of your text, to present your core idea, and to drive the reader's attention (i.e., to make them want to read further). Therefore, this part of your text should be concise and straight to the point. As a rule, intros should be between one to three sentences long.

A good way to make your introduction for autobiography example flawless is to outline your general portrait and to make an intriguing statement that will encourage the reader to continue reading.

The body of your text is its main and biggest part, which basically tells your story. Unlike the intro or conclusion, the body doesn't have any specific requirements in terms of length. You can make it as long as you need to uncover the main events of your life. The only rules applicable to this section of your text are that should be:

  • Well-structured – each paragraph should focus on a specific event or a period of time;
  • Clear – make sure your text is easy to read and understand;
  • Logical – since you are writing an autobiography, it is vital to present facts in a logical sequence and with smooth transitions between every paragraph.

An introduction is what makes people interested in your story and engages them to read the whole thing, but the conclusion is what leaves a lasting impression. Therefore, you want to know how to end an autobiography. The conclusion of your autobiography is a great place to assess your life, consider the lessons you've learned, and state how they took you to where you are now. Like your intro, your conclusion shouldn't be too long. Keep it clear and concise for a good story.

Creating a proper title page is essential to writing an interesting story. Just like selecting a font and font size, title page requirements could vary based on the standards of the institution you are writing for. However, there are some commonly established rules for making a title page. The following information usually goes on the title page:

  • Your phone number
  • Date of creation
  • Class, you are writing this for (optional)

The title and the author section must always be separate from the contact information and the rest. It's usually located in the middle of the paper, while the rest of the info goes in the bottom right corner.

This is an approximate autobiography template. In the following parts of our guide, we will focus more on the details and tips on writing an autobiography flawlessly.

Literary Forms of Autobiography

Let’s examine the literary forms of autobiography:

Literary Forms of Autobiography

Autobiographies with a central topic frequently go beyond just telling a person's life narrative. Through this storytelling style, the author may be attempting to communicate particular ideas or thoughts that they feel are important to share. Again, the objective is to express your views and opinions.

Religious/spiritual 

An author of a religious autobiography is someone who has or has had a relationship with God. Before being redeemed by God, the individual goes through several events and circumstances. They could also discuss their actions before being rescued.

Intellectual

In an intellectual autobiography, you describe your path and the significant events that shaped who you are today. You consider the factors influencing your viewpoint and share them with the audience. The person reading this is curious about how you became who you are.

The goal of a fictional autobiography is to accurately depict the author's experiences. To preserve people's identities, as some of it has been fabricated. Actions in this kind of autobiography may be inflated or altered for artistic reasons.

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How to Start an Autobiography: 8 Steps for the Writing Process

Writing your life story can be quite frustrating. Many people find it hard to look at themselves from a different angle. However, if you are up for the challenge, these tipWriting your life story can be quite frustrating. Many people find it hard to look at themselves from a different angle. However, if you are up for the challenge, these tips will guide you through the step-by-step process of how to start an autobiography essay:

Step 1: Find an Example

The first thing you should do before you rush to begin writing is to study one or a few examples of autobiographies written by famous people. This step has several purposes: to get a clear example of what a flawless autobiography should look like, to grasp the general tone, autobiographical format, and structure—applicable to this form of writing, and to get inspired.

Just in case you have no idea whose autobiography to start with, here are a few inspiring examples:

  • The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, Benjamin Franklin
  • Long Walk to Freedom, Nelson Mandela
  • The Diary of a Young Girl, by Anne Frank
  • A Moveable Feast, Ernest Hemingway
  • Dreams from my Father, Barack Obama

Step 2: Write Down Your Most Important Memories

Your next step is to remember everything that matters to you. Think of remarkable people, unique experiences, key events, and other things that have influenced your life the most. Recall all the worthwhile details and make a list of them.

Step 3: Pick One Point You Want to Focus On

Generally, you would have to write about your whole life in an autobiography. However, since we are focusing on tips for great essay writing about your own life, you have to pick a focus point.

In an autobiographical essay, you must focus on a single event, person, memory, place, etc. Therefore, you should pick one point from your list. It can be hard to decide what to write about, so consider the most engaging for your readers.

Step 4: Ask the Right Questions

Writing about your own life can be confusing. You may find it hard to brainstorm ideas and maintain inspiration. To make sure that you won't get stuck wondering what ideas to include in your essay, here is a list of questions that should set you on the right track:

  • How would you describe yourself with three adjectives?
  • What famous quotes describe you and your life best?
  • What is the ethnic and social background of your family?
  • Who and what made you who you are today?
  • What are your biggest achievements so far?
  • What are your main goals?
  • What are your main strengths and weaknesses?
  • What are your key values?
  • What are your worst and best memories of your childhood?
  • What has been the most memorable day for you?
  • What are your relations with your family members?
  • What is the most vital life lesson you've learned so far?
  • What fault could you never forgive yourself or others for?

Answering these questions should help to find inspiration and generate brilliant ideas for your autobiographical essay writing.

Step 5: Create a Detailed Outline

Although many people skip this step, writing a good outline can make the writing process simpler and more productive. There are plenty of reasons that indicate the importance of planning. Most importantly, making a proper autobiography format helps you follow the right structure and sequence and helps ensure that you won't miss out on important details.

Here is a sample outline of autobiography template that can come in handy:

  • Basic background information that engages readers
  • Thesis statement – main idea and key points‍
  • Thesis statement
  • Supporting ideas (details, facts, reasons, and a smooth transition between every idea)
  • Summary - use this outline for every paragraph in the main body. Include at least three paragraphs.‍
  • Restate your thesis statement
  • Summary of all key ideas
  • Conclusion (lessons you've learned, personal thoughts, etc.)

Step 6: Write Your First Draft

Once you have a specific plan in mind, you can create your first draft. Follow your outline to ensure you don't miss anything important, and don't rush.

Step 7: Proofread!

Although many people neglect its importance, proofreading is the key to success. It doesn't matter how interesting your story is if the text contains mistakes. Therefore, allocate enough time for proofreading and carefully check your essay for spelling, punctuation, grammar, style, and other mistakes.

Step 8: Ask for a Feedback

When you write an autobiography, no matter how carefully you proofread your text, there is always a chance that you've missed out on something important. That's why asking someone else to read your essay and share their thoughts is always a good idea. In addition, you can request help from close friends or family members. They should be able to look at your autobiography differently and notice things you haven't.

Writing Techniques to Use in an Autobiography

Here is a list of useful techniques for writing an autobiography for students.

  • A clear narrative

Remembering that autobiographies are still literature is important when discussing them. There should be a unifying storyline to link all of these experiences, regardless if they may not adhere to traditional creative narrative techniques. It should seem like a tale rather than just a series of disconnected incidents.

  • Attention to detail and key points

Detail-oriented autobiographies are advisable. We read this book to learn about the writer's unique history and expect interesting facts and key points from the subject's life. For reference, what career did they pursue, and where did they receive an education? 

  • Chronological order 

The majority of autobiographies are written in the following order: birth, childhood, adolescence, early adulthood, maturity, and senior years. Remember that this sequence does not always apply to all autobiographies. Autobiographies can be quite extensive and exhaustive, covering every aspect of a person's life.

The Perks of Writing About Your Life Story

When you write a good story of your life, it'd be great to include:

  • Helps you establish your place 

You don't need to be well-known or a professional writer to document your life's journey. Not all legacies are intended to reach a broad audience. Instead, most people leave behind a legacy in family history that is more humble in scope—with the people they have a lasting impact on.

The entire autobiography will be passed from one generation to the next. Admittedly, life events written on paper cannot easily be wiped out. A life story is a perfect tool for establishing one's auWhen you write a good story of your life, it'd be great to include the following:

The entire autobiography will be passed from one generation to the next. Admittedly, life events written on paper cannot easily be wiped out. A life story is a perfect tool for establishing one's authority in the realm of the earlier days.

  • You can reflect on your life lessons and learn more about yourself.

An autobiography is a form of learning about oneself. It allows the writer to delve into their experiences and reflect on their lives. As an outcome, self-knowledge develops while the adventure gains clarity. The detailed account gives the audience a window into the enchanted self-exploration process. Perhaps, the readers will also find their route due to this journey. Read a little about the reflective essay ; it will be helpful.

  • It can be a powerful tool for therapy.

The writing process of an autobiography involves the writer examining their feelings at different points in their own life. But the process of writing an autobiography looks back on the author's life with the advantage of retrospect. The recovery period might then start as a result. Numerous sensations, both good and bad, abound in human psychology. Ultimately, writing helps to clear up such feelings and attain awareness.

  • You are given a fresh feeling of direction.

An autobiography gives the author a chance to consider their life's purpose. Additionally, it enables the reader to evaluate their own. It helps people determine the meaning of their lives. Life, as we experience it, frequently feels frustratingly disjointed. It seemed more like a collection of mismatched storyboards from several movies than the storyline of a cohesive movie.

Writing your life story might help your life feel more linked and worthwhile. One of the main advantages of writing your story is this. A fresh insight, appreciation, and even tenderness for your life are brought about by reliving your past and viewing it from a distinct viewpoint.

Top Tips to Make Your Autobiography Look Flawless

Hopefully, our guide will show you the right way and help you get started. Now, here are a few more tips to help make your essay perfect:

Keep it short. You don't need to write your full biography, so there is no need to write a long piece. Try to keep your essay clear and concise.

Write from the first-person perspective. While it may be inappropriate in other papers, first-person narration is perfect for autobiographical essays. After all, you are telling your life story, so it is necessary to make it personal.

Search for examples. Even if you have never dealt with this type of task before, looking at some autobiographical sketch examples will help you get some ideas about autobiographical writing. Here are a few good examples to look at:

  • The Story of My Experiments with Truth, Mahatma Gandhi
  • Chronicles, Vol 1, Bob Dylan
  • I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou
  • Agatha Christie: An Autobiography, Agatha Christie
  • Autobiography of Mark Twain, Mark Twain
  • On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, Stephen King
  • The Road Ahead, Bill Gates
  • Faster than Lightning, Usain Bolt
  • A Brief History of Time, Stephen Hawking
  • My autobiography, Charlie Chaplin

Don't make it trivial . You shouldn't be afraid of adding your personal voice to this piece. If you make your essay trivial and follow a standardized writing pattern, it can turn out dull.

Add vivid details. Since this writing is meant to be emotional, you should add as many sensory details as possible. By adding such information, you will keep your readers even more engaged as they will be able to feel and see every part of your life story.

Did all of these tips on how to write your autobiography make you overwhelmed? Then order an essay to make your life easier! In case you have already written your work, you can always ask us to ' edit my essay ,' and we'll do it asap. Don't waste any more time and get help from the top service, which incorporates many talented and professional essay writers .

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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.

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autobiographical narrative essay example

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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2.2: Autobiographical Narrative

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An autobiographical narrative is one of the most personal types of essays. Not only are you writing a paper that expresses your own views and thoughts, but autobiographical narratives are based upon your own life experiences. Thus, it follows that the organization of the paper will also be more personal in nature. Unlike a narrative essay based on another individual, an autobiographical narrative will always contain your personal thoughts, desires, and motivations. While it is hard to know the motives of other individuals when writing a biographical narrative, unless you know the individual well, you always have access to the motivations for your own personal development. Hence, when you organize your autobiographical narrative you must format your essay around the events that promote your personal growth and the feeling you experienced before, during, and after these events.

There are several ways to incorporate your thoughts, feelings, and motivations into the organization of your paper. First, you can consider integrating your description of certain events with your motives and thoughts for the events. This way, you present the events and your motivations both in chronological order and simultaneously. This means that you are describing the events and your feelings as they occurred, or at the same time. Second, you can consider blocking your description of your events and your feelings, providing a paragraph describing the event followed by a paragraph describing your motivations. Also, you could also reverse this blocking format to first provide your motivations and then the description of the event.

How do these two examples compare? Although they both narrate the same event, is one more effective than the other? Generally, the first organizational scheme (when you integrate description and motivations together) is the most seamless. By incorporating the two together, you provide the reader with a more complete picture of the event – as if the reader is experiencing the event as it unfolds in your narration. However, sometimes this formatting does not work, specifically with complicated events. If you feel that the event you are narrating is too difficult to explain or clarify, then you should consider breaking your description and thoughts into two separate paragraphs. Although, you need to be aware of how this affects the story you are telling. Do you want the importance of the event to be at the end? In doing so, you make the event seem more suspenseful, and you can make the reader more compelled to finish your narrative. Nevertheless, organizing your paper in this way places more of a burden on you as a writer because you must clearly connect the separate ideas in the paragraphs.

Regardless of the organizational scheme you choose, you must properly describe your personal growth. In order to do so, you must organize your essay around one significant event or a collection of interrelated specific events. Generally, the number of events you include defines the amount of detail you put into describing your events. If your paper centers around one main event that helped shape your personal growth, the majority of the body would describe the one event while the introduction and conclusion would include your thoughts and feelings from before and after the event to help clarify how the occurrence helped shape you. However, if your paper details a succession of events that culminate in your personal growth, the description of each event, including the insights and feelings associated with it, would be limited to a single body paragraph. In this case, the introduction and conclusion would still indicate how you felt and thought both before and after the transformation.

How to Write an Autobiography Essay: Guide for College Students

So what is an autobiography essay? It is a paper based on your own personal knowledge that usually dwells upon one episode that had a major influence on one’s personality or worldview. It might be a part of a usual assignment or a necessary part of a college application. In any case, it is something you are sharing to present some personal qualities or make an interesting outcome. It might seem very simple to write about yourself at first glance, however, it takes a lot of skill and planning to select the subject and display it in the best possible way. Some people find writing an autobiography essay even more complicated than any other paper as there is a lot of freedom regarding the subject and there are always worries about not being too self-involved. This article on how to write an autobiography essay will help you complete a flawless and powerful paper.

Autobiography Essay Format

Considering planning a paper, an outline is one of the fundamental parts. You need to have a draft plan for the work’s structure. Not only does it provide a coherent order to your reflections, but it also makes a paper more readable and easy to follow. The first thing to do before starting on your own paper is to find inspiration. You can ask for some illustrations from your professor, or look for them online – there are many good presentations on the internet. An autobiography essay is not a story of one’s life; it usually concerns one event or experience that is worth sharing. An event that had an influence on the person who lived it through, and can provide a meaningful message to the reader.

How Do You Structure an Autobiography?

Generally, an autobiography essay outline follows the common framework of any essay, meaning a five-paragraph paper. It shouldn’t be very long; however, you may change the standard outline according to your needs. It might be closer to a narrative paper, but remember to use the first-person narration, as it is not fiction. It is not a short story, it is a personal essay.

When planning an outline consider the story and how it can be presented, how many paragraphs do you need and what are the demands to an assignment. It might be a good point to include a plot twist. However, you can never go wrong with a well-proven traditional structure.

How to Title an Autobiography Essay?

There is no right or wrong time for choosing the title for life story. Some start with it, others do it in the end, it is totally up to you. A title can be creative if you want but it should be appealing, intriguing and deal with the main point of your paper.

The tips on how to write a title vary, but the main aspects are:

  • It shouldn’t be very long;
  • Do not try to include all the key points in a title;
  • You may use puns for a comedy effect if it is appropriate;
  • Make it engaging for a reader.

You can look through creative titles about yourself online and use them as a basis for your thought process. However, do not use someone’s idea as your own as it won’t represent your writing.

Here are some autobiography titles ideas that might inspire you:

  • Driving Exam that Almost Drove me Crazy;
  • Living Through a Happy Accident;
  • What My First Job Taught Me;
  • The Day that Changed it All;
  • Surviving High-School Graduation.

The choice of a title is completely up to you as long as it is made in accordance with the assignment’s requirements.

How to Start an Autobiography Essay?

Before you start writing, brainstorm and choose an incident you want to depict. It must be relevant and have something to tell the reader. Create an outline and follow a coherent way to describe it. The first sentence of an autobiography paper must be attention-grabbing and interesting. You might as well start right with the story instead of putting a long autobiography introduction. Underline the main idea of your writing and what is going to be disclosed.

There are several good ways to start an autobiography, such as to start in the middle of a setting, “Here I was standing in front of the whole group with my presentation.” Another way is to add a little bit of suspense, like “I never knew that such a simple thing as going to a vet with my dog can change my whole perspective”.

An autobiography essay introduction doesn’t have to be very long. Underline the main point, create a setting or go directly to the events that inspired you. A good idea is to use a non-chronological order in the description of events to make the story more interesting. It is also crucial to have a nice transition to the main part; it can be a sentence like, “I’d never expected that what was coming next would be the most important day of my life.”

How to End an Autobiography Essay?

Autobiography conclusions are as essential as the beginning, as they sum up the story, tie the ends together and make a meaningful impact on the reader. How to end an autobiography in a stylish and exciting way? First of all, conclude what has been stated before and focus on why it is important, what was the influence on your life and what conclusion did you make from this experience. Refer to the significance and make a connection to the beginning. Describe the central person in the story if there had been one. It is also great if you tell what was so unexpected for you and what this event has taught you about yourself or the world around you.

If the story was non-chronological, make sure that by the end of an autobiographical essay it all comes together as one comprehensive piece. Check one more time if it is easy to follow and creates a vivid picture in the reader’s mind.

autobiographical narrative essay example

Extra Tips on How to Write a Good Autobiography Essay

Writing an autobiography essay can be challenging as it deals with the introspective process and makes us learn about ourselves more. It is important not only to follow formatting requirements but also to create a living picture of an event that the reader can re-live. Some students choose to use a fast essay writing service to help them with this assignment and it is only understandable.

Here are some more tips for writing an excellent autobiography narrative essay:

  • Select an event you are excited to tell about, it will make it more engaging and easy to write;
  • Think about the audience of your paper, who will read it and what they might be interested in;
  • Use a first-person narration to underline your perspective;
  • Be sincere and be yourself. After all, this is your life you are writing about. Even a negative experience can teach us a lot;
  • Understand the purpose of your work – what is the key point you are making? What is the question you are trying to answer?
  • When writing an autobiography essay always check the demands of the assignment. An application and a college task have different purposes. Be sure you know all the guidelines;
  • Don’t forget to describe the setting and add some vivid details to make the story more interesting and create a picture in the reader’s mind;
  • After you are done, take some time to proofread your text. Here are some useful proofreading tips that might help you to check your writing and make sure it is flawless.

Autobiography Essay Example/Autobiography Sample Essay

Here is a short excerpt from an autobiography essay:

“When I was growing up I had never wanted to be a teacher unlike many of my peers. However, one day what promised to be a normal Monday changed my whole perspective. I was in high school at that time, and we went with my mother to visit a college to find out more about the programs I might follow in the future. We were lucky to visit a lecture by a physics professor and I thought it might be boring at first. Little did I know, this lecture was the most important hour in my life.

It was a nice sunny day and the campus looked great, there were lots of students and they all seemed so adult to me. It also was unbelievable that soon I might be one of these intelligent and nice people. We were welcomed and had a great excursion over the campus and the main building and now it was the time to visit a lecture.”

It is an example that shows how to complete an introduction and connect it to the main part. Here are many other autobiography essay examples that you can read and use as an outline for inspiration.

When working on a personal essay it is important to spend a lot of time planning and selecting a subject. Find an event that was significant for you that can present your worldview or unique experience. Create an outline and take enough time to draft ideas and think on how to present a story.

Remember to be frank about what you are writing, do not make fiction as it is inappropriate. Show what you’ve learned and focus on it in the conclusion.

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autobiographical narrative essay example

Having My Say: A Multigenre Autobiography Project

Having <em>My </em>Say: A Multigenre Autobiography Project

  • Resources & Preparation
  • Instructional Plan
  • Related Resources

Students can be guided to make powerful connections between their life experiences and the world surrounding their individual narratives. In this lesson, Elizabeth and Sarah Delany's autobiography, Having Our Say , serves as a model for student texts. Students read and analyze passages from Having Our Say looking for specific examples of multigenre writing within the text. Students then choose to narrate a life event that has connections to or is informed by a larger event in their lives or in the world around them. They compose a multigenre paper that includes the autobiographical narrative essay as well as an informational nonfiction piece that provides context for and connections to the story from their life.

Featured Resources

Autobiographical Narrative Component Peer Review Guide : This handout includes a chart to guide students in a thoughtful peer review of a classmate's autobiographical essay, but it could be adapted for use with any peer review. Contextual Essay Planning Sheet : This handout provides a chart that guides students in thinking about the kinds of information an audience might need to know to understand their autobiographical essay.

From Theory to Practice

In Blending Genre, Altering Style: Writing Multigenre Papers , Tom Romano describes his ideal ELA classroom as one in which students "are both consumers and producers of all kinds of literature and media" (43).  As students are exposed to or are expected to have gained "mastery" of certain genres, teachers can challenge students by asking them to combine genres into cohesive multigenre pieces.  In her article discussing the use of multigenre writing assignments in her classroom, Nancy Mack states "I know that assignments must be innovative and interesting enough so that they appear unlike the old drudgery of hackneyed assignments. The format must be open and attractive to invite the possibility of doing something engaging rather than merely pursuing the trivial school game. Topics for writing should make use of the unique knowledge and skills that students already have, connecting school work in a respectful way to things that they value in their personal lives. The completed assignment should be personally significant and full of power and integrity for the author so that the writing itself demands to be heard by a real audience." (98) The writing assignments in this lesson do just that, as they challenge students to write in multiple genres with connections to stories from their lives. Further Reading

Common Core Standards

This resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for states in which they have been adopted. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, CCSS alignments are forthcoming.

State Standards

This lesson has been aligned to standards in the following states. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, standard alignments are not currently available for that state.

NCTE/IRA National Standards for the English Language Arts

  • 1. Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
  • 2. Students read a wide range of literature from many periods in many genres to build an understanding of the many dimensions (e.g., philosophical, ethical, aesthetic) of human experience.
  • 4. Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
  • 5. Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
  • 6. Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.
  • 11. Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.
  • 12. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).

Materials and Technology

  • Copies of Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters’ First 100 Years by Sarah L. Delany and A. Elizabeth Delany with Amy Hill Hearth (Dell)
  • Overhead or large post-its for recording student responses
  • Pens, paper for drafting in class or time in a computer lab for composition and revision
  • “Teaching Racially Sensitive Literature: A Teacher’s Guide” (optional)
  • Multigenre Autobiography Planning Sheet
  • Contextual Essay Planning Sheet
  • Autobiographical Narrative Component Peer Review Guide
  • Contextual Component Peer Review Guide
  • Multigenre Autobiography Project Rubric
  • Understanding the Two Genres Handout (optional)

Preparation

  • Determine how much of the book you will ask students to read. You may wish to use this text in its entirety as an example of the genre of autobiography. Alternately, a few of the sections can serve as supplementary resources to existing units. For example, the section “I Am Free! ” could supplement a unit on slavery, “Jim Crow Days” could enrich a unit on Civil Rights and segregation, and “Harlem-Town” would integrate into a study of the Harlem Renaissance. A third option is to treat one of the sections as a stand-alone autobiographical piece.
  • Preview the section(s) you plan to teach and read Teaching Racially Sensitive Literature: A Teacher’s Guide .  Having Our Say does contain frank conversations about race, including representations of blatant racism through language and action. Determine the type and level of preparation your students might need.
  • Make copies of all necessary handouts.
  • Think about an event from your life you would be comfortable using in the modeling the drafting process. (See Instruction and Activities Session 3.)
  • Plan for computer lab/internet access for any sessions during which you will use ReadWriteThink interactives or students will be word processing.
  • If you are unfamiliar with the story of the  Delany sisters, the Having Our Say Website includes brief information about the sisters and how their story came to be written, as well as a study guide for the book.
  • Test the Venn Diagram and Timeline interactives on your computers to familiarize yourself with the tools and ensure that you have the Flash plug-in installed. You can download the plug-in from the technical support page.

Student Objectives

Students will

  • identify features that are unique to and common between informational and autobiographical nonfiction.
  • choose an event from their life to narrate in essay form, adopting genre-appropriate voice, style, and methods of development.
  • determine the specific historical, cultural, or familial background information that readers of the above essay would need.
  • craft an informational nonfiction essay around that information, adopting genre-appropriate voice, style, and methods of development.
  • successfully integrate informational and autobiographical nonfiction.

Session One

  • Prepare students for the reading by discussing its unique structural features.  Have them leaf through the book and take note of its structure while you guide them through the different sections (major sections indicated by roman numerals and titles, unlabeled introductory chapters, alternating chapters labeled with the narrating sister’s name, etc. ).
  • Point out that the third author, a writer for The New York Times , is the objective voice in the chapters at the beginning of the sections.
  • Offer students the label of “multigenre text” and ask if they have read or are familiar with any multigenre texts (Avi’s Nothing But the Truth , Walter Dean Myers’ Monster ).  Ask them what genres seem to be represented in this work.  See the ReadWriteThink lesson Reading and Analyzing Multigenre Texts for more information on this specialized reading and writing, including a booklist with more examples.
  • Have students produce a list of ways that informational nonfiction (perhaps students can conceive of it as “newspaper” writing) and autobiographical nonfiction are similar and different.  You may wish to use the Venn Diagram tool to facilitate this discussion.
  • Extend this discussion into a conversation about what makes each of these genres especially effective.  Write students’ observations on an overhead or large sheet of Post-It paper for later use/reference.  You can then use these preparatory materials as a rubric for the final student product or use the Multigenre Autobiograpy Project Rubric included in this lesson.

Session Two

  • Have students read the desired section(s) of the book. 
  • direct presentation of ideas: “A generation after the end of slavery, freedom for black Americans was still elusive” (90)
  • a focus on facts and events:  “1896…the Supreme Court ruling in the Plessy v. Ferguson case” (90)
  • development with third-person examples and explanation:  “The case stemmed from an incident in which a Louisiana citizen named Homer Plessy lost his appeal to the Supreme Court, which sanctioned the establishment of ‘separate but equal’ facilities for blacks and whites” (90 – 91)
  • formal, standard English throughout and objective perspective throughout.

The style here stands in marked contrast to the conversational style of the sisters’ chapters, where the narrative is driven by dialogue, descriptions, stories, and opinions.

  • Use an overhead of the Multigenre Autobiography Planning Sheet to have students summarize the Delanys’ story in the center circle.  Then review the section opener to list context the third author provides and put the contextual information in the outer circle.  Point out that, diverse as the styles of the two sections may be, they work together to show how the sisters’ lives were part of a larger, more dynamic picture than their individual life experiences alone.
  • Preview the multigenre autobiography assignment, noting to students that they will write about an event from their life as well as the larger context surrounding it.  Encourage students to make connections between their autobiography and the information they include in the contextual essay like the ones from Having Our Say .

Session Three

  • Have students brainstorm a significant event or experience from their lives that they would like to share.  Some students will choose to start with a significant world, community, or family event first ( e.g. , the September 11 attack, the closing of a plant or factory in their town, the birth of a sibling) and then determine the personal narrative they will write in relation to that event.  Others will have an experience they want to narrate and will determine the focus of the contextual information later.  Either approach can work, but ensure that students choose a personal experience that will need to be contextualized.
  • Refer to the list of qualities of narrative/autobiographical nonfiction the class produced in Session 1 (or use the Understanding the Two Genres handout ). 
  • Remind students that they will need to work toward these objectives as they produce a rough draft of their personal essay.
  • Distribute the Multigenre Autobiography Planning Sheet .
  • Model for students the functionality of the Multigenre Autobiography Planning Sheet . Using an event from your own life, start jotting down the events, feelings, and reactions you would need to include in an autobiographical essay recounting the event.
  • As the connections become apparent, or after you’ve modeled the inner circle, write down in the outer circle elements of context you would need to include.
  • Answer any student questions about the process and give them time to start planning the autobiographical component in the inner circle.

Session Four

  • At the beginning of this session, ask students to recall specific instances from the book to exemplify the qualities of autobiographical narrative writing (focus on events and reactions; indirect presentation of main ideas; opinions and reactions are central to the piece; etc .) from the Understanding the Two Genres handout or the list of qualities the class developed to help them focus their efforts.
  • Give students time to work on composition of a draft of the personal essay.  Use the Timeline tool to help students plan the structure of their essay. 
  • Ask students to complete a draft of the essay by the next session.  They should be ready for a peer review activity.

Session Five

  • Put students in pairs to read each others’ drafts and provide feedback to their partners’ essays.  Use the Autobiographical Component Peer Review Guide or a similar resource reflecting the qualities on which you wish students to focus.
  • After giving students time to share their comments with each other, tell students that their attention will now be shifting to concerns of audience as they prepare for the second essay in the project. They need to consider the questions  “Who will be reading this piece?” and “What kind(s) of information do those readers need to gain a full understanding of the experience?”
  • Refer back to sections such as “Harlem Town” or “Jim Crow” to give students a model for this way of thinking.  Remind them that the essay at the beginning of each section provides historical, familial, or cultural context for the individual stories that the sisters narrate in the chapters that follow. 
  • Ask for a few volunteers to tell what event they are narrating.  As a class, discuss the kind of context they will need ( e.g. , If a student is writing about moving from a large city to his/her new home in a smaller town, he/she could describe their city/neighborhood as a reporter would; If a student is narrating the divorce of his/her parents, he/she could provide a brief objective chronology of his/her family life up to that point).
  • Direct peer response pairs to focus on the type and amount of contextualizing their essays will require.  Does the reader need background on the author’s family?  On a historical event?  About a cultural term or concept?  These mini-conferences will produce a plan for the second piece in this assignment.
  • Have students record their needs on the outer circle of the Multigenre Autobiography Planning Sheet .
  • For homework, have them further think about/refine their plan for the contextual essay using the Contextual Essay Planning Sheet . There they should make firm decisions about the amount and type of background information they will need to give their readers. 
  • Ask students to begin the process of researching any information to which they do not have immediate access (family history, historical events).  This research need not be formal, but students should gather information they will need.

Session Six

  • Check students’ plans for the contexual essay and review the guidelines for effective informational writing (see the Understanding the Two Genres handout). 
  • Answer any questions students have about the contextual essay and allow time for the composition of the context opener. 
  • Ask students to have the context opener drafted for the next session.  They should be ready for a second peer review activity.

Session Seven

  • Students meet in the same response pairs and use the Contextual Component Peer Review Guide or a similar resource to provide each other feedback on their partners’ work. 
  • Have pairs go back to the autobiographical essays as well as their plans from Session 5 to make sure the contextual essay sufficiently prepares the reader for the autobiographical essay.
  • If time allows, give students time to begin preparations for revision.

Session Eight

  • Allow students time to revise and polish their project based on feedback and self-evaluation.
  • As a class, choose a unifying school, community, national, or world event.  Write a collaborative contextual essay and have students contribute individual autobiographical essays.
  • Families can choose a unifying event and write a contextual essay together.  Individual family members can contribute individual autobiographical essays.
  • Expand the multigenre requirement to include photographs, poetry, a play, or another genre of your choice.
  • Deepen or expand your study of the literary piece or of autobiographical writing by exploring these related ReadWriteThink Lessons: Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges: Critical Discussion of Social Issues , Paying Attention to Technology: Writing Technology Autobiographies , and The Year I Was Born: An Autobiographical Research Project .

Student Assessment / Reflections

  • Use the Multigenre Autobiography Project Rubric to evaluate the revised student work.
  • Students should also be asked to reflect on what they learned by putting their story into a larger context.  Although they may not have the dynamic connections that are present in the Delany sisters’ story, encourage them to see how putting their stories in a new perspective can help them understand themselves more critically.  This reflection could come as a preface or introduction to the completed multigenre piece.
  • Calendar Activities
  • Professional Library
  • Student Interactives
  • Lesson Plans

Students come together with family and friends to take part in a read-in of books by African American authors and report their results.

Students generate descriptive timelines and can include images in the description.

This interactive tool allows students to create Venn diagrams that contain two or three overlapping circles, enabling them to organize their information logically.

To understand the historical background that influenced Maya Angelou's poems, students research events to produce trading cards using the ReadWriteThink Trading Card Student Interactive. Through the sharing of these trading cards, students understand the historical background as they analyze Angelou's poetry.

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How to Write an Autobiographical Essay

Last Updated: March 12, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Alicia Cook . Alicia Cook is a Professional Writer based in Newark, New Jersey. With over 12 years of experience, Alicia specializes in poetry and uses her platform to advocate for families affected by addiction and to fight for breaking the stigma against addiction and mental illness. She holds a BA in English and Journalism from Georgian Court University and an MBA from Saint Peter’s University. Alicia is a bestselling poet with Andrews McMeel Publishing and her work has been featured in numerous media outlets including the NY Post, CNN, USA Today, the HuffPost, the LA Times, American Songwriter Magazine, and Bustle. She was named by Teen Vogue as one of the 10 social media poets to know and her poetry mixtape, “Stuff I’ve Been Feeling Lately” was a finalist in the 2016 Goodreads Choice Awards. There are 11 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 868,425 times.

An autobiographical essay is just an essay about something you experienced. Even so, writing an autobiographical essay can be challenging. You might write an autobiographical essay for a class, an application, or just for your own personal enjoyment. Whatever your reason, there are some key concepts and strategies that you will want to keep in mind as you write. Keep reading to learn more about how to write an autobiographical essay.

Planning Your Essay

Step 1 Choose a story that you really want to tell or that you just want to get out of your system.

  • an accomplishment like winning an award, getting a job, or graduating from high school
  • a trial like a difficult class, an injury, or losing a loved one
  • a meaningful experience like discovering a hobby, meeting your best friend, going away to camp, or learning something about yourself
  • Make sure that you are comfortable sharing your story. Don’t write about anything too hard or heartbreaking if you are not emotionally ready to handle it.

Step 2 Define your purpose for writing.

  • If you are writing an autobiographical essay for an application, make sure that you read the instructions well. If the application includes a prompt or question that you need to answer, make sure that the story you intend to tell will respond to this prompt or question.
  • If you are writing an autobiographical essay for a class, make sure that you read the assignment guidelines well. Make sure that the story you intend to tell will work for this assignment. Ask your instructor if you have any questions about the assignment.

Step 3 Consider your audience.

  • If you are writing your essay as part of an application, consider what your readers will be most interested in hearing about.
  • If you are writing your essay for a class assignment, consider what your instructor will expect you to include in your essay.

Step 4 Generate ideas for your autobiography.

  • Try listing. List the ideas that you have for your autobiography and then look over the list you have made and group similar ideas together. Expand those lists by adding more ideas or by using another prewriting activity. [5] X Research source
  • Try freewriting. Write nonstop for about 10 minutes. Write whatever comes to mind and don’t edit yourself. Review what you have written. Highlight or underline the most useful information for your autobiography. Repeat the freewriting exercise using the passages you underlined as a starting point. You can repeat this exercise many times to continue to refine and develop your ideas. [6] X Research source
  • Try clustering. Write a brief explanation of the subject of your autobiography on the center of a piece of paper and circle it. Then draw three or more lines extending from the circle. Write a corresponding idea at the end of each of these lines. Continue developing your cluster until you have explored as many connections as you can. [7] X Research source
  • Try questioning. On a piece of paper, write out “Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?” Space the questions about two or three lines apart on the paper so that you can write your answers on these lines. Respond to each question in as much detail as you can. [8] X Research source

Step 5 Make an outline.

  • It may be helpful to decide where to start from and where to finish, and then work on filling in the middle.

Drafting Your Essay

Step 1 Write in the first person.

  • Do not use the second person perspective (“you”) or switch back and forth between “I” and “you.” Use the first person perspective (“I”) throughout your entire essay.

Step 2 Begin with an engaging sentence that gets right into your story.

  • Jump right in. One way to begin a story is to immediately begin describing something that happened, even if it happened in the middle of your story. You might start with something like, “There I was, standing in front of the entire 10th grade reading a story I had written.” [11] X Research source
  • You can start writing your draft in any order that you like, but then remember to organize the completed story in the proper order.

Step 3 Describe the setting.

  • Say something tantalizing to your reader. For example, you might start with something like, "I never expected to be as happy as I was on that day." Or, "Many things have happened to me in my life, but this was the worst.” Just make sure that the opening fits with your topic.
  • Avoid beginnings that are too general or broad. Never open with, “Since the dawn of time…” This type of opening does not help your reader understand what your story is about. "Too general" openings are boring as well. [13] X Research source
  • Avoid opening with a quote, unless it is meaningful to you and crucial to your story. If you want to include a meaningful quote in your autobiographical essay, it should have something to do with your story. You should talk about what it means to you when you provide it.

Step 4 Transition from the introduction into your story.

  • You might say something like, “Under these circumstances, I began the most challenging year of my life.” Or, “Before this happened, I had no idea that I could do something so huge.” Choose a transition that fits your introduction and that will connect with the ideas in your next paragraph.

Step 5 Tell your story.

  • Talk about why this story is significant to you and what you learned from it. [16] X Research source
  • Refer to the beginning of your story in the end by mentioning a situation or person that was central to your introduction. [17] X Research source
  • Tell your readers about something that came out of this experience that you were not expecting. [18] X Research source

Enhancing Your Essay

Step 1 Include lots of vivid details and dialogue where appropriate.

  • Instead of saying that your teacher wore a blue dress, say that it was aqua blue with white lace trim on the sleeves.
  • Instead of saying you felt nervous, describe your trembling hands, the knot in your stomach, and the weak feeling in your knees.
  • Instead of saying that you spoke to your teacher about something important, put the conversation that you had with your teacher into dialogue.

Step 2 Consider organizing your story in a non-chronological manner.

  • Use chronological organization if you want to start at the beginning and describe your story in the order that it happened.
  • Use starting in the middle organization if you want to put your readers into the midst of your story and then go back to the beginning.
  • Use starting at the end organization if you want to tell your readers how your story ended up and then explain how you got to that point.

Step 3 Be yourself.

  • Don’t be afraid to show your sense of humor, as long as you don’t think it will disrupt the tone of your essay. In other words, if you are telling a sad story, using sarcasm or making a joke about something serious might not be appropriate.

Writing Help

autobiographical narrative essay example

Community Q&A

Community Answer

Video . By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube.

  • Be concise. When writing a story about your life, it’s best to keep it simple and be straightforward. Avoid padding out your autobiographical essay with unnecessary information. Just include the most important details and describe those details well. Thanks Helpful 6 Not Helpful 0
  • Share your work with supportive friends and family. Ask for feedback on what they like and how you can improve your story. If you're a student, try asking your English teacher to help you. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 3

autobiographical narrative essay example

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  • ↑ http://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-an-autobiographical-essay-biography-examples.html
  • ↑ http://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/write/fieldguide/writing_guides.asp#BLUE08
  • ↑ http://writing.ku.edu/prewriting-strategies
  • ↑ https://selfpublishingadvice.org/writing-when-to-use-first-person/
  • ↑ https://www.esu.edu/writing-studio/guides/hook.cfm
  • ↑ http://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/write/fieldguide/writing_guides.asp
  • ↑ https://www.otago.ac.nz/classics/otago055219.pdf
  • ↑ http://www.writing.ucsb.edu/faculty/donelan/para.html
  • ↑ http://writetodone.com/how-to-use-vivid-description-to-capture-attention/
  • ↑ http://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/write/fieldguide/writing_guides.asp#BLUE07
  • ↑ http://www.cbsnews.com/news/10-great-opening-lines-from-stanford-admissions-essays/

About This Article

Alicia Cook

To write an autobiographical essay, choose a story from your own life that you're excited to share. Consider who your audience is when selecting a story and go with something that will appeal to them. Next, create an outline for your essay to help you organize all of your thoughts. When you're ready to get started, kick off your essay with an engaging sentence, then jump right into the action to hook your readers. Remember to write in first person and include vivid details to bring your story to life. Let your unique personality shine through! To learn how to enhance your essay by including dialogue, keep reading the article! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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The Winners of Our Personal Narrative Essay Contest

We asked students to write about a meaningful life experience. Here are the eight winning essays, as well as runners-up and honorable mentions.

autobiographical narrative essay example

By The Learning Network

Update: Join our live webinar on Oct. 8 about teaching with our Narrative Writing Contest.

In September, we challenged teenagers to write short, powerful stories about meaningful life experiences for our first-ever personal narrative essay contest .

This contest, like every new contest we start, was admittedly a bit of an experiment. Beyond a caution to write no more than 600 words, our rules were fairly open-ended, and we weren’t sure what we would get.

Well, we received over 8,000 entries from teenagers from around the world. We got stories about scoring the winning goal, losing a grandparent, learning to love one’s skin and dealing with mental illness. We got pieces that were moving, funny, introspective and honest. We got a snapshot of teenage life.

Judging a contest like this is, of course, subjective, especially with the range of content and styles of writing students submitted. But we based our criteria on the types of personal narrative essays The New York Times publishes in columns like Lives , Modern Love and Rites of Passage . We read many, many essays that were primarily reflective but, while these pieces might be well-suited for a college application, they weren’t exactly the short, powerful stories we were looking for in this contest.

The winning essays we selected were, though, and they all had a few things in common that set them apart:

They had a clear narrative arc with a conflict and a main character who changed in some way. They artfully balanced the action of the story with reflection on what it meant to the writer. They took risks, like including dialogue or playing with punctuation, sentence structure and word choice to develop a strong voice. And, perhaps most important, they focused on a specific moment or theme — a conversation, a trip to the mall, a speech tournament, a hospital visit — instead of trying to sum up the writer’s life in 600 words.

Below, you’ll find these eight winning essays, published in full. Scroll to the bottom to see the names of all 35 finalists we’re honoring — eight winners, eight runners-up and 19 honorable mentions. Congratulations, and thank you to everyone who participated!

The Winning Essays

Nothing extraordinary, pants on fire, eggs and sausage, first impressions, cracks in the pavement, sorry, wrong number, the man box.

By Jeniffer Kim

It was a Saturday. Whether it was sunny or cloudy, hot or cold, I cannot remember, but I do remember it was a Saturday because the mall was packed with people.

I was with my mom.

Mom is short. Skinny. It is easy to overlook her in a crowd simply because she is nothing extraordinary to see.

On that day we strolled down the slippery-slick tiles with soft, inconspicuous steps, peeking at window boutiques in fleeting glances because we both knew we wouldn’t be buying much, like always.

I remember I was looking up at the people we passed as we walked — at first apathetically, but then more attentively.

Ladies wore five-inch heels that clicked importantly on the floor and bright, elaborate clothing. Men strode by smelling of sharp cologne, faces clear of wrinkles — wiped away with expensive creams.

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. It got more unbearable with every second until I could deny it no longer; I was ashamed of my mother.

We were in a high-class neighborhood, I knew that. We lived in a small, overpriced apartment building that hung on to the edge of our county that Mom chose to move to because she knew the schools were good.

We were in a high-class neighborhood, but as I scrutinized the passers-by and then turned accusing eyes on Mom, I realized for the first time that we didn’t belong there.

I could see the heavy lines around Mom’s eyes and mouth, etched deep into her skin without luxurious lotions to ease them away. She wore cheap, ragged clothes with the seams torn, shoes with the soles worn down. Her eyes were tired from working long hours to make ends meet and her hair too gray for her age.

I looked at her, and I was ashamed.

My mom is nothing extraordinary, yet at that moment she stood out because she was just so plain.

Mumbling I’d meet her at the clothes outlet around the corner, I hurried away to the bathroom. I didn’t want to be seen with her, although there was no one important around to see me anyway.

When I finally made my way to the outlet with grudging steps, I found that Mom wasn’t there.

With no other options, I had to scour the other stores in the area for her. I was dreading returning to her side, already feeling the secondhand embarrassment that I’d recently discovered came with being with her.

I couldn’t have been more wrong. Mom was standing in the middle of a high-end store, holding a sweater that looked much too expensive.

She said, “This will look good on you. Do you want it?”

It was much too expensive. And I almost agreed, carelessly, thoughtlessly.

Then I took a closer look at the small, weary woman with a big smile stretching across her narrow face and a sweater in her hands, happy to be giving me something so nice, and my words died in my throat.

I felt like I’d been dropped into a cold lake.

Her clothes were tattered and old because she spent her money buying me new ones. She looked so tired and ragged all the time because she was busy working to provide for me. She didn’t wear jewelry or scented perfumes because she was just content with me.

Suddenly, Mother was beautiful and extraordinarily wonderful in my eyes.

I was no longer ashamed of her, but of myself.

“Do you want it?” My mom repeated.

“No thanks.”

By Varya Kluev

I never kissed the boy I liked behind the schoolyard fence that one March morning. I never had dinner with Katy Perry or lived in Kiev for two months either, but I still told my entire fourth-grade class I did.

The words slipped through my teeth effortlessly. With one flick of my tongue, I was, for all anybody knew, twenty-third in line for the throne of Monaco. “Actually?” the girls on the swings beside me would ask, wide eyes blinking with a childlike naivety. I nodded as they whispered under their breath how incredible my fable was. So incredible they bought into it without a second thought.

I lied purely for the ecstasy of it. It was narcotic. With my fabrications, I became the captain of the ship, not just a wistful passer-by, breath fogging the pane of glass that stood between me and the girls I venerated. No longer could I only see, not touch; a lie was a bullet, and the barrier shattered. My mere presence demanded attention — after all, I was the one who got a valentine from Jason, not them.

This way I became more than just the tomboyish band geek who finished her multiplication tables embarrassingly fast. My name tumbled out of their mouths and I manifested in the center of their linoleum lunch table. I became, at least temporarily, the fulcrum their world revolved around.

Not only did I lie religiously and unabashedly — I was good at it. The tedium of my everyday life vanished; I instead marched through the gates of my alcazar, strode up the steps of my concepts, and resided in my throne of deceit. I believed if I took off my fraudulent robe, I would become plebeian. The same aristocracy that finally held me in high regard would boot me out of my palace. To strip naked and exclaim, “Here’s the real me, take a look!” would lead my new circle to redraw their lines — they would take back their compliments, sit at the table with six seats instead of eight, giggle in the back of the class when I asked a question. I therefore adjusted my counterfeit diadem and continued to praise a Broadway show I had never seen.

Yet finally lounging in a lavender bedroom one long-sought-after day, after absently digesting chatter about shows I didn’t watch and boys I didn’t know, I started processing the floating conversations. One girl, who I had idolized for always having her heavy hair perfectly curled, casually shared how her parents couldn’t afford to go on their yearly trip the coming summer. I drew in an expectant breath, but nobody scoffed. Nobody exchanged a secret criticizing glance. Instead, another girl took her spoon of vanilla frosting out of her cheek and with the same air of indifference revealed how her family wasn’t traveling either. Promptly, my spun stories about swimming in crystal pools under Moroccan sun seemed to be in vain.

The following Monday, the girls on the bus to school still shared handfuls of chocolate-coated sunflower seeds with her. At lunch, she wasn’t shunned, wasn’t compelled to sit at a forgotten corner table. For that hour, instead of weaving incessant fantasies, I listened. I listened to the girls nonchalantly talk about yesterday’s soccer game where they couldn’t score a single goal. Listened about their parent’s layoff they couldn’t yet understand the significance of. I listened and I watched them listen, accepting and uncritical of one another no matter how relatively vapid their story. I then too began to talk, beginning by admitting that I wasn’t actually related to Britney Spears.

By Ryan Young Kim

When first I sat down in the small, pathetic excuse of a cafeteria the hospital had, I took a moment to reflect. I had been admitted the night before, rolled in on a stretcher like I had some sort of ailment that prevented me from walking.

But the nurses in the ward were nice to me, especially when they saw that I wasn’t going to be one of the violent ones. They started telling me something, but I paid no attention; I was trying to take in my surroundings. The tables were rounded, chairs were essentially plastic boxes with weight inside, and there was no real glass to be seen.

After they filled out the paperwork, the nurses escorted me to my room. There was someone already in there, but he was dead asleep. The two beds were plain and simple, with a cheap mattress on top of an equally cheap wooden frame. One nurse stuck around to hand me my bedsheets and a gown that I had to wear until my parents dropped off clothes.

The day had been exhausting, waiting for the psychiatric ward to tell us that there was a bed open for me and the doctors to fill out the mountains of paperwork that come with a suicide attempt.

Actually, there had been one good thing about that day. My parents had brought me Korean food for lunch — sullungtang , a fatty stew made from ox-bone broth. God, even when I was falling asleep I could still taste some of the rice kernels that had been mixed into the soup lingering around in my mouth.

For the first time, I felt genuine hunger. My mind had always been racked with a different kind of hunger — a pining for attention or just an escape from the toil of waking up and not feeling anything. But I always had everything I needed — that is, I always had food on my plate, maybe even a little too much. Now, after I had tried so hard to wrench myself away from this world, my basic human instinct was guiding me toward something that would keep me alive.

The irony was lost on me then. All I knew was that if I slept earlier, that meant less time awake being hungry. So I did exactly that. Waking up the next day, I was dismayed to see that the pangs of hunger still rumbled through my stomach. I slid off my covers and shuffled out of my room. The cafeteria door was already open, and I looked inside. There was a cart of Styrofoam containers in the middle of the room, and a couple people were eating quietly. I made my way in and stared.

I scanned the tops of the containers — they were all marked with names: Jonathan, Nathan, Kristen — and as soon as I spotted my name, my mouth began to water.

My dad would sometimes tell me about his childhood in a rural Korean village. The hardships he faced, the hunger that would come if the village harvest floundered, and how he worked so hard to get out — I never listened. But in that moment, between when I saw my container and I sat down at a seat to open it, I understood.

The eggs inside were watery, and their heat had condensated water all over, dripping onto everything and making the sausages soggy. The amount of ketchup was pitiful.

But if I hadn’t been given plastic utensils, I think I would have just shoved it all into my mouth, handful by handful.

By Isabel Hui

When I woke up on August 4, 2016, there was only one thing on my mind: what to wear. A billion thoughts raced through my brain as wooden hangers shuffled back and forth in the cramped hotel closet. I didn’t want to come off as a try-hard, but I also didn’t want to be seen as a slob. Not only was it my first day of high school, but it was my first day of school in a new state; first impressions are everything, and it was imperative for me to impress the people who I would spend the next four years with. For the first time in my life, I thought about how convenient it would be to wear the horrendous matching plaid skirts that private schools enforce.

It wasn’t insecurity driving me to madness; I was actually quite confident for a teenage girl. It was the fact that this was my third time being the new kid. Moving so many times does something to a child’s development … I struggled finding friends that I could trust would be there for me if I picked up and left again. But this time was different because my dad’s company ensured that I would start and finish high school in the same place. This meant no instant do-overs when I pick up and leave again. This time mattered, and that made me nervous.

After meticulously raiding my closet, I emerged proudly in a patterned dress from Target. The soft cotton was comfortable, and the ruffle shoulders added a hint of fun. Yes, this outfit was the one. An hour later, I felt just as powerful as I stepped off the bus and headed toward room 1136. But as I turned the corner into my first class, my jaw dropped to the floor.

Sitting at her desk was Mrs. Hutfilz, my English teacher, sporting the exact same dress as I. I kept my head down and tiptoed to my seat, but the first day meant introductions in front of the whole class, and soon enough it was my turn. I made it through my minute speech unscathed, until Mrs. Hutfilz stood up, jokingly adding that she liked my style. Although this was the moment I had been dreading from the moment I walked in, all the anxiety that had accumulated throughout the morning surprisingly melted away; the students who had previously been staring at their phones raised their heads to pay attention as I shared my story. My smile grew as I giggled with my peers, ending my speech with “and I am very stylish, much like my first period teacher.” After class, I stayed behind and talked to Mrs. Hutfilz, sharing my previous apprehension about coming into a new school and state. I was relieved to make a humorous and genuine connection with my first teacher, one that would continue for the remainder of the year.

This incident reminded me that it’s only high school; these are the times to have fun, work hard, and make memories, not stress about the trivial details. Looking back four years later, the ten minutes I spent dreading my speech were really not worth it. While my first period of high school may not have gone exactly the way I thought it would, it certainly made the day unforgettable in the best way, and taught me that Mrs. Hutfilz has an awesome sense of style!

By Adam Bernard Sanders

It was my third time sitting there on the middle school auditorium stage. The upper chain of braces was caught in my lip again, and my palms were sweating, and my glasses were sliding down my nose. The pencil quivered in my hands. All I had to do was answer whatever question Mrs. Crisafulli, the history teacher, was going to say into that microphone. I had answered 26 before that, and 25 of those correctly. And I was sitting in my chair, and I was tapping my foot, and the old polo shirt I was wearing was starting to constrict and choke me. I pulled pointlessly at the collar, but the air was still on the outside, only looking at the inside of my throat. I was going to die.

I could taste my tongue in my mouth shriveling up. I could feel each hard-pumping heartbeat of blood travel out of my chest, up through my neck and down my arms and legs, warming my already-perspiring forehead but leaving my ghost-white fingers cold and blue. My breathing was quick. My eyes were glassy. I hadn’t even heard the question yet.

Late-night readings of my parents’ anatomy textbooks had told me that a sense of impending doom was the hallmark of pulmonary embolism, a fact that often bubbled to the surface of my mind in times like these. Almost by instinct, I bent my ring and little fingers down, holding them with my thumb as the two remaining digits whipped to my right wrist and tried to take my pulse. Mr. Mendoza had taught us this last year in gym class. But I wasn’t in gym class that third period. I was just sitting on the metal folding chair, waiting for Mrs. Crisafulli to flip to the right page in her packet for the question.

Arabella had quizzed me in second-period French on the lakes of Latin America. Nicaragua. Atitlán. Yojoa. Lake Titicaca, that had made Raj, who sat in front of me, start giggling, and Shannon, who sat three desks up and one to the left, whip her head around and raise one fist to her lips, jab up her index finger, and silence us. Lakes were fed by rivers, the same rivers that lined the globe on my desk like the cracks in the pavement I liked to trace with my shoe on the walk home. Lake Nicaragua drains into the San Juan River, which snakes its way around the port of Granada to empty into the Caribbean Sea. I knew that.

At that moment I was only sure of those two things: the location of Lake Nicaragua and my own impending doom. And I was so busy counting my pulse and envisioning my demise that I missed Mrs. Crisafulli’s utterance of the awaited question into her microphone, as I had each year in the past as one of the two people left onstage.

“ … Coldest … on earth,” was all I heard. My pencil etched shaggy marks as my shaking hands attempted to write something in the 20 seconds remaining.

“Asia,” I scrawled.

So, for the third time in three years, I got it wrong, and for the third time, I didn’t die. I walked home that day, tracing the faults in the pavement and wondering what inside me was so cracked and broken. Something had to be fissured inside, like the ridges and rivers on my desk globe that I would throw out later that evening, but fish from the trash can when the sun rose the next day.

By Michelle Ahn

My phone buzzes. An unfamiliar number with a 512 area code — I later find out it’s from Texas. It’s a selfie of a 30-something man, smiling with his family, a strange picture to receive as I live halfway across the country.

For the past three years, I — a 14-year-old girl living in Virginia — have been getting texts meant for this man, Jared. Over the years, I’ve pieced together parts of who he is; middle-aged, Caucasian, and very popular according to the numerous messages I’ve received for him.

Throughout this time, I’ve also been discovering who I am. When I received the first text, I was a playful sixth grader, always finding sly ways to be subversive in school and with friends. With this new method of mischief in my hands, naturally, I engaged:

“My sweet momma just told me that BYU Texas Club is holding a Texas Roundup free BBQ dinner on October 10th! Thought y’all would enjoy,” came one of the texts.

After staring at the message for a while, I responded.

As time went on, the story of the mystery man deepened. I was halfway through sixth grade, for example, when I learned he was part of the “Elder’s Quorum,” a rather ominous-sounding group. Looking it up, I learned that it was not a cult, as I’d initially thought, but rather an elite inner circle within the Mormon Church.

This was around the same time my family had stopped going to church. I’d started to spend more time taking art classes and trying out various sports — tennis, basketball, even archery — and soon church fell to the side. Instead, I meddled in the Quorum’s group texts; when a message came about a member moving away, I excitedly responded, “Let me help y’all out, brother!”

I’m not sure exactly when it happened, but after a while I started to feel guilty about this deception. I wondered if I’d somehow ruined Jared’s reputation, if his friends were turned off by my childish responses. I was also dealing with changes within my friend group at the time; the biggest change being letting go of a close but toxic friend; I realized that I needed friendships that were more mutually supportive.

Shortly after, I got a phone call from a strange woman. She started talking about the struggles in her life; her children, her job, even about how she wanted to leave Texas forever. In comparison, my own problems — the B minus I’d gotten, the stress of an upcoming archery tournament, the argument I had with my sister — all seemed superficial. I timidly informed her I wasn’t Jared, and her flustered response told me that I should have told her at the start of the call.

A while later, I got another text: “Congratulations on getting married!” It had never occurred to me how much Jared’s life had changed since I had received his number. But of course it did; over time, I’d outgrown my prankster middle school self, gained the confidence to build a solid friend group, and devoted myself to my primary loves of art and archery. Why wouldn’t Jared also be settling into his own life too?

Though I’ve since taken every opportunity to correct those who text Jared, it still happens every once in a while. Just last month, I got another random text; all it said was: “Endoscopy!” When I got it, I laughed, and then I wrote back.

“Hey, sorry, you have the wrong number. But I hope Jared’s doing well.”

By Maria Fernanda Benavides

“Mayfier? Marfir?” the tournament judge called squinting her eyes, trying to find the spelling error, although there was no error.

“It’s Mafer. It’s a nickname for my full name, Maria Fernanda.”

She stared at me blankly.

“My parents are creative,” I lied, and she laughed.

“O.K., Mahfeer, you’re up!”

I walk to the center and scanned the room before starting as instructed. I took a deep breath.

I reminded myself, “Use your voice.”

I spoke loudly at first, trying to hide the fact that I was overthinking every single word that came out of my mouth. As my performance continued, the artificial confidence became natural, and I started speaking from my heart as I told the story of my experience as an immigrant woman, and I described how much I missed my father who had to travel back and forth every weekend to see my mom and me, and how disconnected I felt from my family, and how I longed to have a place I could call home.

My performance came to an end, and I made my way back to my seat with newly found optimism as I reflected on how performing had consumed me.

I used my voice. Finally. I had found my home in the speech program.

Waiting for the speech tournament to post the names of the finalists was excruciating. I jumped off my seat every time a staff member passed by. I didn’t care about accumulating state points or individual recognition. I wanted the chance to speak again.

Finally, a girl walked up to the oratory postings with a paper on her hand, and the entire cafeteria surrounded her, impatiently waiting to see who the finalists were. Then, I saw it.

My name. Written in dense, black letters.

I smiled to myself.

This time, as I walked to the oratory final, I did so by myself, as I had finally acquired self-assurance needed to navigate the quiet hallways of the high school. I could only hear the heels of the two girls behind me.

“I heard that Saint Mary’s Hall freshman made it to oratory finals,” one of them said, obviously speaking about me. “She broke over me. I didn’t see her performance. Did you? Did you see her performance? What is her speech about?” she questioned the other one.

“It’s about being a Mexican immigrant.”

“Oh, so that’s why she broke.”

“It’s the same pity narrative, there’s nothing different about it.”

Suddenly, the confidence that I had acquired from the previous rounds vanished, and I found myself wishing that I had my older, more experienced teammates by my side to help me block the girls’ words. But no one was there.

I thought my narrative was what made my words matter, what made me matter.

But they didn’t matter. Not anymore. From that moment on, I knew I would be recognized around the circuit as the Mexican girl whose name no one knows how to pronounce. I didn’t even need to speak about my identity to be identified. Everyone would recognize me not for my achievement or my being, but by the peculiar way I pronounce words. I could speak about different topics, but it felt like it wouldn’t make a difference. It felt like my voice didn’t make a difference.

“Mafer, how did it feel?” my coach asked me after the round. “It felt amazing!” I lied.

I didn’t feel anything. Not anymore. Speech gave me a voice, but it also took it away.

By Gordon Lewis

We’re all average boys: hard working in school, spending every minute together in the summer, and doing our best to pretend we don’t have a worry in the world. The facts are no different as the sun is beginning to set on a warm July evening. Sam and I say goodbye to Ben, stepping out of our best friend’s house.

“My sister is going to pick me up while we’re walking, is that O.K.?” I ask.

“Actually, she can probably drive you home, too.”

“Sounds good,” says Sam, but lacking his usual upbeat, comedic energy. Neither of us says anything else, but I’m O.K. with it, we just keep walking. I look around, admiring the still, peaceful park as the warm summer breeze brushes across my face. The crickets are chirping and an owl sings along between the soft hum of cars rolling along nearby. It’s nature’s tune of serenity.

I almost forgot Sam was with me until he asked, “Can I ask you kind of a weird question?”

“Sure,” I say, expecting a joke in poor taste as per usual.

“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to,” he says before asking.

More hesitantly, I say, “O.K.”

“Do you have someone that you talk to about like deeper stuff … Like more emotional stuff?” Silence hits us like a brick wall: The crickets stop chirping, the owl stops hooting, even the cars stop driving by. It’s deafening. I’m only shocked at the question because it’s Sam, one of the happiest and funniest people I know.

I’m wondering. My disappointment takes over just as quickly as my hope fades as I fail to come up with a name. In the end, the closest thing I can think of is the book I occasionally write in when I’m feeling sad or stressed.

“Huh,” I say quietly, “I’ve never really thought about that, but I guess not.”

“Yeah, I didn’t either, but at camp we did activities and had talks that led to more emotional conversations.” I’m silently both jealous and proud of him, but it’s mostly jealousy.

“It’s funny,” I say, “in English we always joked about that TED Talk guy talking about the man box, but it’s actually so true. We shouldn’t feel like we can’t talk about deeper stuff like that.”

“Yeah,” laughed Sam. Silence drapes over us again, but this time it’s more comfortable. I’m lost in my thoughts trying to think of what to say next, but there’s too much. I’ve never had an opportunity like this before. However it’s not shocking or overwhelming, even though it’s with Sam of all people — instead it’s therapeutic.

The silence is broken once again by Sam:

“Like I never told you guys that my parents got divorced.”

“I’m-I’m sorry,” I say, “That really sucks.” I’m disappointed in myself for not saying more.

“It’s O.K.,” Sam says, but I know he’s lying. I can feel his sadness.

Drowning in my thoughts, I try to pick out something to say. But there’s too much to say. There are too many options after being silent for 16 years.

Headlights appear in front of us, and for a split second I’m relieved, but it rapidly turns into regret.

Knowing it’s Rose, I quickly tell sam, “If you ever want to talk again just let me know.”

I say hi to Rose, masking my solemn, thoughtful mood as tiredness. The warm breeze gives my cheek one final kiss; nature resumes her number, and the cars roll by again as Sam and I reluctantly step into the car.

In alphabetical order by the writer’s last name

“Sorry, Wrong Number” by Michelle Ahn

“Speechless” by Maria Fernanda Benavides

“First Impressions” by Isabel Hui

“Nothing Extraordinary” by Jeniffer Kim

“Eggs and Sausage" by Ryan Young Kim

“Pants on Fire” by Varya Kluev

“The Man Box” by Gordon Lewis

“Cracks in the Pavement” by Adam Bernard Sanders

“The First (and Last) Time Speedy Wasn’t Speedy Enough” by Maya Berg

“Searching for Air” by Sydney Do

“Fear on My Mind” by Daytona Gerhardy

“Under the Starry Sky” by Letian Li

“Chinatown Diptych” by Jeffrey Liao

“They” by Haven Low

“The Vigil” by Beda Lundstedt

“How My Brother Taught Me to Drive” by Sarah Shapiro

Honorable Mentions

“The Six in Mid-August” by Liah Argiropoulos

“‘Those Aren’t Scratches Are They?’” by Casey Barwick

“Brown Is Beautiful” by Tiffany Borja

“I Am Ordinary, After All” by Rebecca Braxley

“Torn” by Melanie D.

“The Stupid Seven” by Madeline G.

“Speak No Evil” by Amita Goyal

“Building My Crown” by Ambar Guzman

“Me, Myself, and a Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich” by Zachary Hommel

“The Tomato” by Raymond Huang

“Out” by Michael H.

“Cold Noodles With a Side of Birdballs” by Audrey Koh

“Banya in Siberia” by Arshiya Sanghi

“Traffic” by Kecia Seo

“The Power of Ambiguity” by Marcus Shallow

“Land Mine” by Geneve Thomas-Palmer

“How to Fall Asleep With the Lights On” by Caroline Wei

“The Taste of Tofu” by Amy Zhou

“The Newcomer’s Journey” by Maria Z.

Thank you to all our contest judges!

Edward Bohan, Amanda Christy Brown, Elda Cantú, Julia Carmel, Elaine Chen, Nancy Coleman, Nicole Daniels, John Dorman, Shannon Doyne, Jeremy Engle, Tracy Evans, Ross Flatt, Vivian Giang, Caroline Crosson Gilpin, Michael Gonchar, Lovia Gyarkye, Annissa Hambouz, Karen Hanley, Christine Hauser, Susan Josephs, Shira Katz, Dahlia Kozlowsky, Megan Leder, Miya Lee, Debbie Leiderman, Shauntel Lowe, Keith Meatto, Sue Mermelstein, Amelia Nierenberg, Anna Nordeen, John Otis, Ken Paul, Pia Peterson, Natalie Proulx, Nancy Redd, Kenneth Rosen, Rebecca Rufo-Tepper, Kristina Samulewski, Meghan Stoddard, Brett Vogelsinger, Bonnie Wertheim, Jack Wheeler, Lena Wilson, Sanam Yar

How To Write An Autobiography

Autobiography Examples

Barbara P

11+ Autobiography Examples: A Detailed Guide

Published on: Sep 22, 2019

Last updated on: Nov 24, 2023

Autobiography Examples

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Have you ever thought about telling your life story? 

An autobiography is like a special book about you – your experiences, ups, downs, and everything in between. 

But when it comes to autobiography writing , putting it all into words, it can feel a bit tricky, especially for students like you.

In this blog, we're here to help you understand what an autobiography is all about and make it easier for you to write one with the help of examples. 

We'll dive into practical examples and autobiography templates to help you see how it's done. 

So, let's dive in!

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Memoir Vs Autobiography Example 

Memoirs and autobiographies both delve into personal experiences, but they have their own styles and purposes. 

Let’s jump into example to see what is the actual difference between memoir and autobiography:

Memoir Vs Autobiography Example PDf

Autobiography Outline Examples

Any academic or professional writing needs to follow a proper format to organize the information. And an outline is the best way to follow the proper format. It helps you organize your information and structure your data into a proper format.

Here are some autobiography outline examples to help you learn the basics of the autobiography format .

Autobiography Outline for College - Example

Autobiography Sample Outline

How to Write an Autobiography - Examples

As we have mentioned earlier, there are as many stories as there are people on earth. Each of the stories is different from the others; no two of them could be the same. 

How you present your ideas really matters. That's why using the right strategies and the correct format is essential to make your writing creative.

It is important to know the difference between autobiography and biography . These examples will help you learn how to start an autobiography that leaves a good impression on the reader’s mind.

Autobiography Sample PDF

Writing an Autobiography - Example

Autobiography Examples for Students

An autobiography is your life story. If your teacher tells you to write one, they just want to hear about your life. Even if you think your story isn't super exciting, following the structure can make it work better.

These autobiography examples for students will help you understand how you can properly format the autobiography.

Autobiography Examples for Kids 

School is a time of discovery, and what better way to explore your own journey than through the lens of an autobiography? Here are some great autobiography examples crafted specifically for kids.

Autobiography Examples Ks2

Autobiography Examples For Grade 7

Autobiography Examples For Class 6

Short Autobiography Example for Students

Here is a sample of a short autobiography for you. Give it a good read and learn how to write an excellent short autobiography.

Short Autobiography for Students - Example

High School Autobiography Example

Check out this sample and learn to write an incredible  autobiography for  high school students.

High School Autobiography - Example

Spiritual Autobiography Example for College Students

Spiritual autobiographies give a glimpse into the spiritual person's life. Have a look at the following sample spiritual autobiography and give it a good read to learn more.

Spiritual Autobiography for College Students - Example

Cultural Autobiography Examples 

Here is a sample of a cultural autobiography that contains detailed information on culture. Have a look at the sample to know more about it.

Cultural Autobiography Examples

Funny Autobiography Examples 

Autobiographies are thought to be boring and mundane, but that is not the case. You can make an interesting story, as well as funny. Learn to write a funny autobiography by this example.

Funny Autobiography Examples

Educational Autobiography Example

Here is a sample educational autobiography that will help you formulate an effective and inspiring autobiography.

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Social Class Autobiography Example

Writing a social class or sociology assignment could be a bit difficult. This sample will help you work on yours easily.

Rambling Autobiography Examples

Rambling autobiographies are like a casual conversation with a friend, where stories unfold in their own unique way. 

Let’s jump into some fascinating examples about this type of autobiography:

Personal Autobiography Examples

Personal autobiography or personal narrative essay provides a complete picture of the author’s life story. The following personal autobiography demonstrates how to write a personal narrative autobiography.

Personal Narrative Autobiography - Example

Autobiography Examples for Students About Yourself

Famous Autobiography Examples

Autobiographical essays are usually about famous people or historical figures. Just as a renowned autobiography of Benjamin Franklin tells us about his life, his unfinished records, his accomplishments, etc.

Below are some examples of famous autobiographies for your better understanding:

Famous Literacy Autobiography Example

Famous Autobiography - Sample

All in all, we have explored different examples, like understanding what makes memoirs different from autobiographies and exploring rambling ones. These examples are like guides to help you tell your own story and maybe inspire others on your writing journey. 

So, go ahead, give it a try, and have fun telling your unique tale!

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Autobiography Examples

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How to Write an Autobiographical Essay: Tips and Examples

How to Write an Autobiographical Essay: Tips and Examples

Writing an autobiographical essay is a great way to reflect on your life and share your unique perspective with others. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just starting out, this article will provide you with the tools and guidance you need to craft a powerful essay that showcases your experiences, thoughts, and interests.

When writing an autobiographical essay, it’s important to first think about your purpose and audience. What do you hope to accomplish with your essay? Are you looking to simply tell your story or do you aim to provide insights into a specific aspect of your life? Understanding your purpose will help you choose the right topics and structure for your essay.

One of the most crucial steps in the writing process is outlining your essay. This will help you organize your thoughts and ensure that your essay flows smoothly from one topic to the next. A clear outline will also make it easier to stay focused on your main thesis statement and avoid veering off track.

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When structuring your essay, consider the narrative form. Autobiographies are often written in a chronological order, starting from your earliest memories and progressing through significant events in your life. This approach allows your readers to travel along with you on your journey, experiencing each moment as it happened. However, you can also choose to organize your essay thematically, grouping similar experiences or topics together.

In the body of your essay, it’s important to remember to provide specific examples and evidence to support your statements. Whether you’re discussing a historical event, your personal achievements, or your thoughts on a particular philosophy or topic, make sure to back up your claims with facts, anecdotes, or personal experiences. This will add depth and credibility to your writing.

Lastly, don’t forget to revise and proofread your essay before submitting it. This extra step is crucial in ensuring that your essay is free from errors and that your thoughts are clearly communicated. Consider having a trusted friend or mentor read through your essay and provide feedback. Their fresh perspective may help you identify areas that need improvement and make your essay even stronger.

Writing an autobiographical essay can be a deeply personal and introspective process. It requires the writer to reflect on their life experiences, thoughts, and emotions, and presents an opportunity for self-discovery and self-expression. By following the tips and examples provided in this article, you’ll be well-equipped to embark on your autobiographical writing journey and create a compelling essay that leaves a lasting impact on your readers.

Understanding Autobiographical Essays

When writing an autobiographical essay, it is necessary to take certain steps in order to achieve a well-structured and compelling paper. This article will provide you with tips and examples to help you understand why these essays are important and how to write them effectively.

First and foremost, it is important to identify your target audience and the purpose of your essay. Are you writing for a professional party, a degree awarding committee, or simply for your own personal satisfaction? Understanding your audience will help you to tailor your writing style and content accordingly.

Next, you’ll need to outline the major events and experiences in your life that you want to focus on in your essay. This could include your upbringing, education, career, hobbies, or any significant moments that have shaped your life. By having a clear plan in mind, you can structure your essay in a logical and coherent manner.

As you write your essay, be sure to revise and edit your work to ensure clarity and coherence. Check for grammar and spelling errors, and make sure that your thoughts flow smoothly from one paragraph to the next. It can also be helpful to have someone else read your essay and provide feedback and suggestions for improvement.

While writing an autobiographical essay, it is important to remember that it is not just a dry recitation of facts. Instead, it should be a compelling narrative that engages and captivates the reader. Use vivid descriptions, personal insights, and examples to bring your story to life.

Finally, don’t be afraid to include personal reflections and thoughts about the larger world and society. Autobiographical essays have the power to not only tell a personal story but also to shed light on broader issues such as politics, economics, inequality, or other topics of interest. By connecting your personal experiences to larger themes, you can make your essay more relatable and impactful.

Key Tips for Writing an Autobiographical Essay

By following these key tips, you can write a compelling autobiographical essay that shares your life story and leaves a mark on the reader. Remember to have fun with your writing and let your unique voice shine through!

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Examples of Autobiographical Essays

When it comes to writing an autobiographical essay, it can be helpful to read examples to get a better understanding of the format and structure. Examples can provide insights into how to effectively share your thoughts, experiences, and perspectives with others.

Here are three examples of autobiographical essays:

  • Title: My Journey in Engineering
  • Summary: This autobiographical essay takes the reader through my journey in the field of engineering, from my childhood interest in building things to my professional accomplishments. It includes reminiscences of studying at a top engineering school, the lessons I’ve learned along the way, and my thoughts on the inequality in the field.

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  • Title: A Memoir of My Literary Journey
  • Summary: This autobiographical essay takes a more personal approach and focuses on my passion for literature and writing. It explores how my love for reading and analyzing literature evolved into a hobby and eventually a profession. It includes thoughts on the power of words and the influence of literature on society.
  • Main Body: The essay starts by describing my early encounters with literature and how they sparked my interest. It then dives into my literary education, the books that shaped my perspectives, and my experiences in writing and publishing. It also includes reflections on why literature is important and how it can inspire change.
  • Title: From Politics to Journalism: My Journey in the Media
  • Summary: This autobiographical essay explores my transition from a career in politics to pursuing journalism. It includes my experiences working on political campaigns, my decision to switch careers, and the challenges and rewards of working in the media.
  • Main Body: The essay starts by outlining my involvement in politics and the skills I gained from that experience. It then goes on to detail my thought process when deciding to make a career change and the steps I took to enter the field of journalism. It includes insights on the media industry and my experiences as a journalist.

Reading these autobiographical essay examples can be a helpful guide when starting to write your own. It’s important to choose a title and format that best fits your story and interests, and to build a clear and well-structured essay. Don’t be afraid to share your thoughts and experiences, as they can provide valuable insights to others. And remember to proofread your essay to ensure it’s free of errors and has a powerful impact.

What is an autobiographical essay?

An autobiographical essay is a piece of writing that tells the story of someone’s life. It usually focuses on significant events, experiences, and personal reflections.

Do I need to have a specific structure for my autobiographical essay?

While there is no strict structure for an autobiographical essay, it is generally recommended to have an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The introduction should provide some background information and set the tone for the essay. The body paragraphs should explore different aspects of your life and experiences, while the conclusion should sum up the main points and leave a lasting impression on the reader.

Is it necessary to include all the details of my life in an autobiographical essay?

No, it is not necessary to include every single detail of your life in an autobiographical essay. Instead, focus on the events and experiences that have had a significant impact on you or shaped you into the person you are today. Select the most relevant and interesting stories to share with your readers.

How can I make my autobiographical essay engaging and memorable?

To make your autobiographical essay engaging and memorable, try to incorporate vivid descriptions, personal anecdotes, and your own unique voice. Show, rather than tell, your experiences and emotions to draw the reader into your narrative. Additionally, consider using literary techniques such as foreshadowing or symbolism to add depth and complexity to your writing.

Do I need a title for my autobiography essay?

Yes, it is recommended to have a title for your autobiography essay. The title should be concise, eye-catching, and reflective of the overall theme or message of your essay. It should give the reader a glimpse into what they can expect from your writing. Spend some time brainstorming and come up with a title that truly captures the essence of your story.

An autobiographical essay is a piece of writing that narrates the writer’s own life story. It typically focuses on significant events, experiences, and accomplishments that have shaped the writer’s identity.

How do I start an autobiographical essay?

You can start an autobiographical essay by introducing yourself and providing some background information about your life. You can also begin with a captivating anecdote or a memorable event that has had a significant impact on your life.

Alex Koliada, PhD

By Alex Koliada, PhD

Alex Koliada, PhD, is a well-known doctor. He is famous for studying aging, genetics, and other medical conditions. He works at the Institute of Food Biotechnology and Genomics. His scientific research has been published in the most reputable international magazines. Alex holds a BA in English and Comparative Literature from the University of Southern California , and a TEFL certification from The Boston Language Institute.

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10+ Biography Narrative Essay Examples [ Fiction, Cultural, Autobiographical ]

Biography Narrative Essay Examples

If you were given a chance to write a person’s biography, would you take that opportunity? A lot of people may see this as a good type of job to get into, while others may see this as a hobby. However you want to see it, it really is a good opportunity. Better yet, what if you are given the chance to write your own autobiography? A lot of people would take that as a chance to show their readers or the rest of the world who they are and what they can do. Of course, it is not always for everyone either. When we think of narratives we often think of the length of either an essay , a story or a speech.

But we do not often think that even a biography could be part of that idea. Often than not, we mistake biography and autobiography so much that we think they mean the same thing but with different spelling. Firstly, they are different and they do mean different things. But what does a biography narrative essay mean and what can it do for you? To find out what it can do for you, check out 10+ examples of a biography narrative essay. 

10+ Biography Narrative Essay Examples

1. biography narrative essay.

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2. Autobiographical Narrative Essay

autobiographical narrative essay

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3. Political Biography Narrative Essay

political biography narrative essays

4. Biography Narrative Essay Template

biography narrative essay template

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5. Basic Biography Narrative Essay

basic biography narrative essay

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6. Biography Narrative Agency Essay

biography narrative agency essay

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7. Fiction Biography Narrative Essay

fiction biography narrative essay

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8. Formal Biography Narrative Essay

formal biography narrative essay

9. Budding Renaissance of Biography Narrative Essay

budding renaissance of biography narrative essay

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10. Cultural Autobiography Narrative Essay

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11. Biography Narrative Essay Sheet

biography narrative essay sheets

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What Is a Biography Narrative Essay?

We know that a biography and an autobiography are two different things, what we do not often hear is that a biography can also be used in a narrative essay . So what is a biography narrative essay ? This is a kind of narrative essay that you write when you are talking or writing about a person’s life story. This kind of essay focuses on you as the writer telling a story about a famous person like an author of a story, a poet or even an athlete. Of course you can also be writing an autobiography narrative essay, and it works just the same. The only difference is that you are writing your own story to let the world know who you are as a person.

In addition to that, you can also be writing about cultural biographies and they would work the same as you may write with a narrative essay. As long as you know what you are writing about and the difference between a biography and an autobiography. The importance of a biography narrative essay is to tell a story. To be able to tell the life story of a person you may or may not have met. As well as to be able to share it in the form of an essay.

How to Write a Biography Narrative Essay?

Having the opportunity to write a biography narrative essay is fun and exciting, but there are also things you should know about it. One of which is how and the other is why. Since we already know the reason, it is time we learned the ways to write it .

1. Do Your Personal Research First

Take some time to do your personal research first. Before you make your biography narrative essay, find time on who you are planning on talking about. Whether this person is alive or deceased also matters. To be able to make a good narrative essay from their lives, you must at least know or understand even a bit of information about them.

2. Permission Is Always Best and Professional

Getting permission from the person you are planning on writing a biography essay is also best and professional. It not only puts you in a good light, but it also shows that you take their word at heart. Asking for permission shows that you understand their need for privacy as well as the fact that you show them respect. It never hurts anyone to ask permission to whom they plan on writing a biography about.

3.  Draft a Short Timeline Before You Write

To make your biography narrative essay a success, draft a short timeline before you write. This timeline could be about the events of the life of the person you are going to be writing or your own if you plan to write an autobiography. Also, drafting your work before finalizing it would make it easier for you to see which should be placed and which should be disregarded.

4. Rewrite Your Essay and Finalize Everything

When you have finished writing the draft and you are sure that it is enough and okay, you can start by rewriting your essay and finalizing everything. Of course this would take time, but it is really worth rewriting if you need to check everything first. As well as finalizing everything means you have to check if the information is correct, your grammar and spelling are fine too.

5. Read Your Biography Narrative Essay Before Passing

To be sure that you got it right, the best way to do so is to read your biography narrative essay. To make sure that the tone is right, the way you are presenting it as well. Ask someone for help to be sure that how you deliver is presentable and professional. As well as using the words in your essay that would be easy to say and explain.

What is a biography narrative essay?

A biography narrative essay is a kind of essay that is based on you writing someone’s story. An essay that focuses on a person’s life story being written down by someone else and to present it to class.

Why should you ask permission to write someone’s story?

Asking for permission is not only polite, but it also gives you a chance to see if the person wants their story known. It is also a good way for you to avoid plagiarism by having the permission from the person, rather than just to write about them and pass it off as if it were nothing.

What is one thing that should be avoided?

Writing a biography narrative, avoid any fabrications and plagiarism. To avoid this kind of mistake, do not fabricate their work and pass it as yours. Avoid fabricating anything they may say and change it to something more interesting.

Having the opportunity to write biographies for famous people is what others can say is a dream come true. A lot of people would even take the opportunity to write their own autobiographies and share it to the world. Whether you plan on writing a biography or an autobiography, there should always be things you should take into consideration. Always remember that when writing these kinds of essays, fabricating it will never get you anywhere.

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15 Inspiring Personal Narrative Examples for Writers

Reveal a part of yourself in your essay.

autobiographical narrative essay example

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.

autobiographical narrative essay example

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.

autobiographical narrative essay example

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

autobiographical narrative essay example

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

autobiographical narrative essay example

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.

autobiographical narrative essay example

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.

autobiographical narrative essay example

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) ..

Find stirring personal narrative examples for elementary, middle school, and high school students on an array of topics.

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10 Personal Narrative Examples to Inspire Your Writing

Personal narratives are short pieces of creative nonfiction that recount a story from someone’s own experiences. They can be a memoir, a thinkpiece, or even a polemic — so long as the piece is grounded in the writer's beliefs and experiences, it can be considered a personal narrative.

Despite the nonfiction element, there’s no single way to approach this topic, and you can be as creative as you would be writing fiction. To inspire your writing and reveal the sheer diversity of this type of essay, here are ten great examples personal narratives from recent years: 

1. “Only Disconnect” by Gary Shteyngart

autobiographical narrative essay example

Personal narratives don’t have to be long to be effective, as this thousand-word gem from the NYT book review proves. Published in 2010, just as smartphones were becoming a ubiquitous part of modern life, this piece echoes many of our fears surrounding technology and how it often distances us from reality.

In this narrative, Shteyngart navigates Manhattan using his new iPhone—or more accurately, is led by his iPhone, completely oblivious to the world around him. He’s completely lost to the magical happenstance of the city as he “follow[s] the arrow taco-ward”. But once he leaves for the country, and abandons the convenience of a cell phone connection, the real world comes rushing back in and he remembers what he’s been missing out on. 

The downfalls of technology is hardly a new topic, but Shteyngart’s story remains evergreen because of how our culture has only spiraled further down the rabbit hole of technology addiction in the intervening years.

What can you learn from this piece?

Just because a piece of writing is technically nonfiction, that doesn’t mean that the narrative needs to be literal. Shteyngart imagines a Manhattan that physically changes around him when he’s using his iPhone, becoming an almost unrecognizable world. From this, we can see how a certain amount of dramatization can increase the impact of your message—even if that wasn’t exactly the way something happened. 

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2. “Why I Hate Mother's Day” by Anne Lamott

The author of the classic writing text Bird by Bird digs into her views on motherhood in this piece from Salon. At once a personal narrative and a cultural commentary, Lamott explores the harmful effects that Mother’s Day may have on society —how its blind reverence to the concept of motherhood erases women’s agency and freedom to be flawed human beings. 

Lamott points out that not all mothers are good, not everyone has a living mother to celebrate, and some mothers have lost their children, so have no one to celebrate with them. More importantly, she notes how this Hallmark holiday erases all the people who helped raise a woman, a long chain of mothers and fathers, friends and found family, who enable her to become a mother. While it isn’t anchored to a single story or event (like many classic personal narratives), Lamott’s exploration of her opinions creates a story about a culture that puts mothers on an impossible pedestal. 

In a personal narrative essay, lived experience can be almost as valid as peer-reviewed research—so long as you avoid making unfounded assumptions. While some might point out that this is merely an opinion piece, Lamott cannily starts the essay by grounding it in the personal, revealing how she did not raise her son to celebrate Mother’s Day. This detail, however small, invites the reader into her private life and frames this essay as a story about her —and not just an exercise in being contrary.

3. “The Crane Wife” by CJ Hauser 

Days after breaking off her engagement with her fiance, CJ Hauser joins a scientific expedition on the Texas coast r esearching whooping cranes . In this new environment, she reflects on the toxic relationship she left and how she found herself in this situation. She pulls together many seemingly disparate threads, using the expedition and the Japanese myth of the crane wife as a metaphor for her struggles. 

Hauser’s interactions with the other volunteer researchers expand the scope of the narrative from her own mind, reminding her of the compassion she lacked in her relationship. In her attempts to make herself smaller, less needy, to please her fiance, she lost sight of herself and almost signed up to live someone else’s life, but among the whooping cranes of Texas, she takes the first step in reconnecting with herself.

With short personal narratives, there isn’t as much room to develop characters as you might have in a memoir so the details you do provide need to be clear and specific. Each of the volunteer researchers on Hauser’s expedition are distinct and recognizable though Hauser is economical in her descriptions. 

For example, Hauser describes one researcher as “an eighty-four-year-old bachelor from Minnesota. He could not do most of the physical activities required by the trip, but had been on ninety-five Earthwatch expeditions, including this one once before. Warren liked birds okay. What Warren really loved was cocktail hour.” 

In a few sentences, we get a clear picture of Warren's fun-loving, gregarious personality and how he fits in with the rest of the group.

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4. “The Trash Heap Has Spoken” by Carmen Maria Machado

The films and TV shows of the 80s and 90s—cultural touchstones that practically raised a generation—hardly ever featured larger women on screen. And if they did, it was either as a villain or a literal trash heap. Carmen Maria Machado grew up watching these cartoons, and the absence of fat women didn’t faze her. Not until puberty hit and she went from a skinny kid to a fuller-figured teen. Suddenly uncomfortable in her skin, she struggled to find any positive representation in her favorite media.

As she gets older and more comfortable in her own body, Machado finds inspiration in Marjory the Trash Heap from Fraggle Rock and Ursula, everyone’s favorite sea witch from The Little Mermaid —characters with endless power in the unapologetic ways they inhabit their bodies. As Machado considers her own body through the years, it’s these characters she returns to as she faces society’s unkind, dismissive attitudes towards fat women.

Stories shape the world, even if they’re fictional. Some writers strive for realism, reflecting the world back on itself in all its ugliness, but Carmen Maria Machado makes a different point. There is power in being imaginative and writing the world as it could be, imagining something bigger, better, and more beautiful. So, write the story you want to see, change the narrative, look at it sideways, and show your readers how the world could look. 

5. “Am I Disabled?” by Joanne Limburg 

The titular question frames the narrative of Joanne Limburg’s essay as she considers the implications of disclosing her autism. What to some might seem a mundane occurrence—ticking ‘yes’, ‘no’, or ‘prefer not to say’ on a bureaucratic form—elicits both philosophical and practical questions for Limburg about what it means to be disabled and how disability is viewed by the majority of society. 

Is the labor of disclosing her autism worth the insensitive questions she has to answer? What definition are people seeking, exactly? Will anyone believe her if she says yes? As she dissects the question of what disability is, she explores the very real personal effects this has on her life and those of other disabled people. 

Limburg’s essay is written in a style known as the hermit crab essay , when an author uses an existing document form to contain their story. You can format your writing as a recipe, a job application, a resume, an email, or a to-do list – the possibilities are as endless as your creativity. The format you choose is important, though. It should connect in some way to the story you’re telling and add something to the reader’s experience as well as your overall theme. 

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6. “Living Like Weasels” by Annie Dillard

autobiographical narrative essay example

While out on a walk in the woods behind her house, Annie Dillard encounters a wild weasel. In the short moment when they make eye contact, Dillard takes an imaginary journey through the weasel’s mind and wonders if the weasel’s approach to life is better than her own. 

The weasel, as Dillard sees it, is a wild creature with jaws so powerful that when it clamps on to something, it won’t let go, even into death. Necessity drives it to be like this, and humanity, obsessed with choice, might think this kind of life is limiting, but the writer believes otherwise. The weasel’s necessity is the ultimate freedom, as long as you can find the right sort, the kind that will have you holding on for dear life and refusing to let go. 

Make yourself the National Geographic explorer of your backyard or neighborhood and see what you can learn about yourself from what you discover. Annie Dillard, queen of the natural personal essay, discovers a lot about herself and her beliefs when meeting a weasel.

What insight can you glean from a blade of grass, for example? Does it remind you that despite how similar people might be, we are all unique? Do the flights of migrating birds give you perspective on the changes in your own life? Nature is a potent and never-ending spring of inspiration if you only think to look. 

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7. “Love In Our Seventies” by Ellery Akers

“ And sometimes, when I lift the gray hair at the back of your neck and kiss your shoulder, I think, This is it.”

In under 400 words, poet Ellery Akers captures the joy she has found in discovering romance as a 75-year-old . The language is romantic, but her imagery is far from saccharine as she describes their daily life and the various states in which they’ve seen each other: in their pajamas, after cataract surgeries, while meditating. In each singular moment, Akers sees something she loves, underscoring an oft-forgotten truth. Love is most potent in its smallest gestures.  

Personal narrative isn’t a defined genre with rigid rules, so your essay doesn’t have to be an essay. It can be a poem, as Akers’ is. The limitations of this form can lead to greater creativity as you’re trying to find a short yet evocative way to tell a story. It allows you to focus deeply on the emotions behind an idea and create an intimate connection with your reader. 

8. “What a Black Woman Wishes Her Adoptive White Parents Knew” by Mariama Lockington

autobiographical narrative essay example

Mariama Lockington was adopted by her white parents in the early 80s, long before it was “trendy” for white people to adopt black children. Starting with a family photograph, the writer explores her complex feelings about her upbringing , the many ways her parents ignored her race for their own comfort, and how she came to feel like an outsider in her own home. In describing her childhood snapshots, she takes the reader from infancy to adulthood as she navigates trying to live as a black woman in a white family. 

Lockington takes us on a journey through her life through a series of vignettes. These small, important moments serve as a framing device, intertwining to create a larger narrative about race, family, and belonging. 

With this framing device, it’s easy to imagine Lockington poring over a photo album, each picture conjuring a different memory and infusing her story with equal parts sadness, regret, and nostalgia. You can create a similar effect by separating your narrative into different songs to create an album or episodes in a TV show. A unique structure can add an extra layer to your narrative and enhance the overall story.

9. “Drinking Chai to Savannah” by Anjali Enjeti

On a trip to Savannah with her friends, Anjali Enjeti is reminded of a racist incident she experienced as a teenager . The memory is prompted by her discomfort of traveling in Georgia as a South Asian woman and her friends’ seeming obliviousness to how others view them. As she recalls the tense and traumatic encounter she had in line at a Wendy’s and the worry she experiences in Savannah, Enjeti reflects on her understanding of otherness and race in America. 

Enjeti paints the scene in Wendy’s with a deft hand. Using descriptive language, she invokes the five senses to capture the stress and fear she felt when the men in line behind her were hurling racist sentiments. 

She writes, “He moves closer. His shadow eclipses mine. His hot, tobacco-tinged breath seeps over the collar of my dress.” The strong, evocative language she uses brings the reader into the scene and has them experience the same anxiety she does, understanding why this incident deeply impacted her. 

10. “Siri Tells A Joke” by Debra Gwartney

One day, Debra Gwartney asks Siri—her iPhone’s digital assistant—to tell her a joke. In reply, Siri recites a joke with a familiar setup about three men stuck on a desert island. When the punchline comes, Gwartney reacts not with laughter, but with a memory of her husband , who had died less than six months prior.

In a short period, Gwartney goes through a series of losses—first, her house and her husband’s writing archives to a wildfire, and only a month after, her husband. As she reflects on death and the grief of those left behind in the wake of it, she recounts the months leading up to her husband’s passing and the interminable stretch after as she tries to find a way to live without him even as she longs for him. 

A joke about three men on a deserted island seems like an odd setup for an essay about grief. However, Gwartney uses it to great effect, coming back to it later in the story and giving it greater meaning. By the end of her piece, she recontextualizes the joke, the original punchline suddenly becoming deeply sad. In taking something seemingly unrelated and calling back to it later, the essay’s message about grief and love becomes even more powerful.

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Autobiography Introduction Examples (5 Writing Styles)

Last Updated on July 20, 2022 by Dr Sharon Baisil MD

Introduction

Writing an autobiography is the finest way to regard something intriguing to communicate. Self-writing your autobiography is a fantastic way to preserve your family and friends with a keepsake.

There’s no right way to write an autobiography, but these five examples show you how to start writing your autobiography in various styles. Whether you’re a detail-oriented person who wants to write an extensive work of fiction or tell your story more straightforwardly, these examples can help. So get started and experiment with different writing styles to find the one that works best for you!

How to Write an Autobiography Introduction?

You’ll usually find a narrative about how that individual was born in the typical autobiography introduction. The character is just a character to the reader, regardless of whether or not an autobiography is a life story. To get to know you, readers need a frame of reference.

Some Key Rules to Follow to Write a Compelling Autobiography Introduction

Include the theme.

There must be a certain thesis or idea underlying the various chapters of your autobiography when you’re telling a life story to interest the reader. What you’re writing has a purpose, and you’ll help to pique people’s interest for the following tale you have to tell if you include that point in your autobiography introduction to give them an idea of what’s ahead.

Give Your Reader a Taste of Topics

Autobiographies provide a safe place to explore uncomfortable topics that would otherwise go unexplored. Since you’re using your life as a safety net for those uncertainties, this is the case. You’ll offer them the opportunity to decide whether they want to invest time reading the remainder of what you’ve written to provide the reader a taste of what topics you’ll be covering throughout the autobiography.

Include a Unique Event

An autobiography introduction might begin at the pivotal moment when everything starts to shift for you, much as a film begins at a key moment near the tale’s conclusion. When readers have had life experiences similar to yours, sharing the epiphany you had can help you sync with them on a very personal level.

Create a Rythm of Your Narrative

In your autobiography, it’s sometimes more important to establish a beat than to develop an argument or thesis statement. This is especially true when your tale is difficult for the average person to comprehend. You’ll reduce the shock your readers’ eyes experience by viewing your style before you dive into your main stories.

Do a Proper Formatting

Your autobiography introduction should be written in the same style as the remainder of your book. You may desire to make an individual chapter for this introduction if you’re writing a novel-length story (120,000-ish words). You’ll want to follow whatever writing style you want to use (expository, persuasive, or analytical) while writing an essay.

Just be Yourself

Too often, people try too hard to be something they’re not in the opening paragraph of their autobiography. Just be yourself, and everything will be okay. Write anything that comes to mind. To help integrate it into the main text you’ve created, repeat that idea several times after you write it down.

Apart from these, a story is an important element in autobiography because it clearly explains how the author’s life has been affected by significant events or people. Authors can strengthen their writing skills while sharing their own personal stories through interesting anecdotes, quotes, and stories. Be aware that a story should make you feel something emotionally–this could be your experience, starting with these simple tips!

5 Writing Styles of an Autobiography

5 Writing Styles of an Autobiography introducttion

This section will discuss the five writing styles of autobiography for you to choose from when writing about your life.

Full Autobiography

This sort of autobiography centers on a person’s entire life, from birth to today. If their whole lives are different, authors choose to write a full autobiography. You allow your readers to get to know you better by writing a full or traditional autobiography.

Elia Kazan’s book , ‘A Life’ is a good example of a complete autobiography. One of the United States founders, Benjamin Franklin, wrote an autobiography that is another good example .

The autobiography of Nelson Mandela is one of the most famous autobiographies in world history. He led his country to great accomplishments through political, social, and cultural change with a nonviolent protest against oppression during apartheid. Nelson Mandela’s autobiography includes his life story from early childhood until today. His story shows what he has done for his country and how he became South Africa’s first black president after many years of imprisoned by white minority rule in South Africa.

Personal Essay

It’s one of the earliest types of personal writing. Compared to the other three types of writing, a personal essay is the most creative and intimate. The tone and style are emphasized rather than the plot in this kind of writing.

You must combine your emotions, ideas, and personal discovery into your existence or a trip. Diane Ackerman’s essay, “A Natural History of the Senses,” is a fantastic personal essay example.

Historians often write memoirs, but one compelling memoir on children was by E. Boyd Barrett: “The Boy Who Pulled Himself Up By His Bootstraps.” He shares how he overcame adversity to become a great and powerful man in his memoir. He is known as the “boy who walked 2 miles in an hour” because of his superhuman strength, which enabled him at age 9 to pull himself up on the outside window ledge!

A memoir concentrates on a certain location, period, or connection. The first-person perspective is used in memoirs. Since it concentrates on a key portion of your life, it is less comprehensive than the conventional autobiography. It may be about who you are now and your childhood years, and it might be about who you are because of your interaction with someone.

Those who have done something wrong write this type of autobiography. In the hope that other people may learn from their errors, they take solace in writing about them. Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s Confessions is a good example to look at.

Autobiographies are a great way to write about one’s life. It gives readers a clear understanding of the writer through their own story instead of creating some impression or fake person, which most writers anticipate for their works. However, this way does not always work well, and sometimes it turns out to be a failure that would give rise to many different scenarios in life and can even result in death.

Psychological Illness

Individuals who have had any mental illness find writing down their feelings therapeutic in this autobiography. Even though some people’s concerns are listened to by knowledgeable persons, writing down your tales is more comfortable. Esmé Weijun Wang’s book, The Collected Schizophrenias, is noteworthy.

How should high school students write autobiographies?

Answer: High school students might use an autobiography example for high school admission essays to connect with their own or other life experiences. You may find high school application essay examples in this article of a short autobiographical narrative (i.e., not more than ten pages) that you can copy and paste into your sentences (or paragraphs). Writing a high school admissions essay is easier by using someone else’s story as your starting point.

What is the ideal writing process for an autobiography?

Answer: The writing process allows writing the autobiography based on your knowledge and skills. This can help gain the public’s attention for you and provide an opportunity to learn new information about yourself or what others know about you. Using proper grammar with good spelling will make it easier for your audience to understand what you are trying to say in the essay, thus improving its meaning through clarity alone.

Is there a difference between an introduction and a preface?

Answer: There is a difference between an introduction and a preface, but they are typically used before a document or piece of writing. An introduction is a short statement that sets the scene for the rest of the document, while a preface is a longer overview that contextualizes the work.

How do you start an autobiography’s first sentence?

Answer: There is no one “right” way to start an autobiography. Still, some popular methods include recounting your childhood, describing your early experiences in your career, or sharing stories about significant events in your life. The important thing is to get started and to keep the momentum going. It is also helpful to keep track of what you have written and revise as needed. There is no right or wrong way to start an autobiography, as it is ultimately up to the individual to decide what they want to share with the world. Just be sure to have fun and let your imagination run wild! In the autobiography intro, you’ll need to introduce the reader. You can remind the reader why they should be interested in your story and what it is about. Some people like a good anecdote at the beginning because this helps them grasp and remember the most important point or principle within your life experience so far – which will make them interested in reading further with your book idea.

What is an autobiographical essay or autobiography essay?

Answer: An autobiographical essay is a form of essay that focuses on the writer’s memories or experiences. Autobiographical essays are written in first-person point-of-view, and they explain how one came to be who they are today, including their background information, values, and life goals.

Final Words

Writing an autobiography introduction is a daunting task, but it can be a very powerful tool in your arsenal with the right approach. This blog post will discuss the rules of writing an autobiography introduction with five different writing styles and include some FAQs to help you better understand the process. After reading this post, hopefully, you will have a better idea of what to expect when writing your autobiography introduction.

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Sharon Baisil

Hi, I am a doctor by profession, but I love writing and publishing ebooks. I have self-published 3 ebooks which have sold over 100,000 copies. I am featured in Healthline, Entrepreneur, and in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology blog.

Whether you’re a busy professional or an aspiring author with a day job, there’s no time like now to start publishing your ebook! If you are new to this world or if you are seeking help because your book isn’t selling as well as it should be – don’t worry! You can find here resources, tips, and tricks on what works best and what doesn’t work at all.

In this blog, I will help you to pick up the right tools and resources to make your ebook a best seller.

2 thoughts on “Autobiography Introduction Examples (5 Writing Styles)”

Thank you so much for this. My wife is compiling her memories of growing up to poor parents during WW2 and up to the present day. I’m assembling these into some sort of continuous narrative and I really needed help on how to begin. Thankfully, Jan’s paragraphs do fit in with your advice. You ask for a website. I’ve had three medieval adventure stories published that are centred around the town of Dudley. I hope that it’s still in operation. Jan’s work describes growing up in nearby Tipton.

Dear Robert, Thank you for taking the time to read my article and for sharing your thoughts with me. I’m delighted to hear that my tips on autobiography introduction have been helpful in guiding you and your wife’s project.

It sounds like your wife’s story is both interesting and important, and I wish you both the best of luck in bringing her memories to life. I’m glad to hear that Jan’s paragraphs align with the advice I’ve provided.

Best regards, Sharon

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An example of an autobiographical essay/personal narrative

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[Written by a student in the Labour Studies program, used with permission] My name is Carlo, and I was born in June, 1958, in Italy. Our family, made up of my mother, father, and a brother, emigrated to Noranda, Quebec, when I was five years old. I encountered my first, but not last, taste of racism when kids in the neighbourhood laughed at my poor command of English. As fast as I could I learned not only English, but French as well. I became trilingual, speaking fluent French and English, as well as Italian. In the process, I made new friends from a lot of different cultural backgrounds. We then moved to Toronto, Ontario, where my Dad got work in a rubber factory. From my earliest days, I knew our family had to struggle for every penny. My Mom baked pizza which my brother sold by the slice, door to door. I caddied at the local golf courses and brought home all the money that I made. I hated it when other kids made fun of working people, like garbage collectors, who cleaned up trash for a living. When I was in grade six, I was ill in hospital for two months with a kidney infection, and it changed my whole life. I seriously took up playing guitar. I began to do photography, and joined the audiovisual club. I discovered I was artistic with an interest in graphic art, although I didn't always agree with the kind of art assignments the teacher gave us. However, I had no idea what to do after high school graduation. Thinking electonics was the wave of the future, I enrolled in and graduated with a diploma from George Brown College in Instrumentation Technology. I was hired on by Ontario Hydro as an apprentice. Life was magical for a single guy in Toronto at this time. I made quite a bit of money. I enjoyed meeting and socializing with many new friends from a variety of different cultures. During this time, I met and married my wife, Valerie, a Registered Nurses' Assistant, and soon we had two wonderful children, a daughter, Carla and a son, Nicholas. With new family responsibilities, I felt there was not enough opportunity for advancement at work. My wife and I thought of places we would like to live such as the east coast. But there were no jobs there. We finally decided to move to northern B.C. when I was offered a job with a forestry company. Because of the children's activities, I soon became involved in the community coaching children's hockey and soccer, and being a scout leader. At work, I joined the Pulp Mill Recreation Club, eventually becoming president. There were a lot of things that needed changing. I decided I wanted our company to start a wellness program and researched to prove to them that healthy employees tremendously reduced absenteeism and health costs to the company. I wanted the company to reward those who kept themselves fit and began to lobby for this through our union.

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Home — Essay Samples — Life — Personal Experience — My Autobiography And Future Plans

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My Autobiography and Future Plans

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Published: Feb 5, 2022

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My early childhood, my education.

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autobiographical narrative essay example

How To Write An Autobiography

Autobiography Examples

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Top Autobiography Examples & Samples For Your Help

Published on: Sep 10, 2021

Last updated on: Feb 12, 2024

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An  autobiography  is a story of a person's life written down or told. They are interesting to read, but they can be even more interesting to write.

An autobiography is different from a biography. A biography is someone else's story about a person's life. But, an autobiography is the person's own story about their life.

This may make autobiographies more interesting to read than biographies. Also, they give the thoughts and feelings of the person rather than someone else's interpretation.

There are many different stories in the world. Uniquely telling your story is not easy. You need to describe what is happening to make the reader feel like they are right there with you.

In this blog, you will learn about some amazing examples of autobiographies. So, start reading now.

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Autobiography Examples For Students

An autobiography is the story of someone's life written by them. They might write about their hardships or success. Here are some examples of autobiographies that might inspire you to write your own.

Short Autobiography Examples

This is a good example of a creative and interesting autobiography to read. It will teach you how to write your own great autobiography.

Autobiography Examples For Class 6

Autobiography essays are not easy to write. They are different from other essays because they tell the story of a person's life experiences. Every person has a lot of interesting experiences, so it can be hard to choose which ones to write about.

For your help, we compiled an example that you can use for your help and make your writing process easy.

Autobiography Examples For Grade 7

Only you know yourself best. Writing an autobiography is a great way to share your life with others. Everyone has a story to tell, and writing an autobiography is one way to leave your mark on history.

Here is an example that gives you a better idea of sharing your life story with others.

Autobiography Examples For College Students

An autobiography is a text that tells your life story. It can be in the form of a  memoir , which is more informal or more formal. Autobiographies can be written for different reasons:

  • To introduce yourself to the world.
  • To get into a program at school, for a job, volunteering, etc.

You can find more ideas for an autobiography from this example.

Note: As a college student, you might encounter confusion distinguishing between an autobiography and a statement of purpose . While both involve personal narratives, autobiographies provide a comprehensive life story, while statements of purpose focus on specific goals and qualifications for academic or professional opportunities. Understanding their distinct purposes and structures can help streamline your application processes effectively.

Autobiography Examples For High School Students

An autobiography is a self-written biography that someone writes about themselves. They might write about all of their life or just some parts. They do this to share their experiences, put them in a larger cultural or historical context, and entertain the reader.

Take a look at the below example and create a well-written one without any mistakes.

Spiritual Autobiography Examples

A spiritual autobiography is your life story. In it, you write about how God has been present in your life. This includes your journey in and out of organized religion and everything spiritual.

Writing your spiritual autobiography is a chance for you to identify specific experiences with God. You will then reflect on how those experiences have impacted you.

Below is an example for your ease.

Autobiography Examples in Literature

An autobiography is a book written by somebody about their own life. It tells the story of the author’s life, accomplishments, things they have done, etc.

The following is an example that can help you better understand how to write an autobiography.

Cultural Autobiography Examples

A cultural autobiography is more than just telling your life story. Your cultural identity reveals your beliefs and ideas about culture. It also shows how culture affects different cultural groups that make up who you are.

You may want to write a cultural autobiography better to understand yourself and your culture's role in your life. It is important to be aware of your own cultural identity in a multicultural world and be open to other cultures.

An example of a perfect cultural autobiography is below for your help.

Educational Autobiography Examples

The educational autobiography is a way to tell your life story. This type of autobiography includes what you did in school and how it affected other parts of your life.

Take a look at this example to see how to write a good educational autobiography.

Social Class Autobiography Examples

In most sociology classes, students are assigned to write a socio-autobiography. This assignment helps them understand that the subject is relevant to their daily lives. Your interactions with society have a big impact on who you become as a person.

Writing your social class autobiography is a great way to show people how you fit into society. The following example will show what kind of social autobiography looks like.

Autobiography Examples For Kids

Children are often encouraged to write an autobiography, but few people recognize the importance of this task. Everyone has something special from their childhood that they should remember and reflect on. Writing about your life is a good way to do this.

There are many different ways to write an autobiography. If you are writing about yourself, it is best to start by writing about your early life and work experience.

You can also mention your school experiences. After that, you can write about other topics that may be of interest to readers, like your hobbies or interests.

Here is an example that will help in starting an autobiography.

We all have the opportunity to write our own story, but it doesn't always come easy. If writing about yourself seems difficult, then follow the examples mentioned above.

However, if you want a professional writer to write it for you, just say ' write an essay for me ' and consult a professional at CollegeEssay.org .

We have expert writers who will help you write an autobiography, personal narrative, college essay, and any academic assignment.

AI essay writing tools are also readily available to provide you with additional assistance and support.

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autobiographical narrative essay example

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  1. 40 Autobiography Examples ( + Autobiographical Essay Templates)

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  4. how to write an autobiography essay

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  5. 40 Autobiography Examples ( + Autobiographical Essay Templates)

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  6. 40 Autobiography Examples ( + Autobiographical Essay Templates)

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VIDEO

  1. Writing Systematic and Narrative Review

  2. Narrative Essay Plot Structure

  3. How to write a Narrative Essay?

  4. Narrative Essay

  5. Narrative Essay Writing

  6. Storytelling research method video 5: From stories to academic writing

COMMENTS

  1. 40 Autobiography Examples (Autobiographical Essay Templates)

    40 Autobiography Examples (Autobiographical Essay Templates) Writing an autobiography template isn't an easy undertaking. When written, there will be as many life stories as there are people. What will make an autobiographical essay stand out are the essential topics.

  2. How to Write an Autobiography? Student's Example

    February 5, 2023 11 min read Share the article The world is eager to hear your story, which is one that deserves to be told. The options are unlimited when you have a blank sheet and a pen in your hand. It might be both thrilling and terrifying at the same time, but don't allow your fear of writing an autobiography to deter you!

  3. Autobiography Definition, Examples, and Writing Guide

    Last updated: Aug 26, 2022 • 6 min read As a firsthand account of the author's own life, an autobiography offers readers an unmatched level of intimacy. Learn how to write your first autobiography with examples from MasterClass instructors.

  4. How to Write a Narrative Essay

    Interactive example of a narrative essay. 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.

  5. Autobiography Essay

    Use the first-person point of view, write in a narrative style, and include only relevant details. The essay should contain an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. How do you start...

  6. 2.2: Autobiographical Narrative

    2.2: Autobiographical Narrative. Page ID. An autobiographical narrative is one of the most personal types of essays. Not only are you writing a paper that expresses your own views and thoughts, but autobiographical narratives are based upon your own life experiences. Thus, it follows that the organization of the paper will also be more personal ...

  7. How to Write a Powerful Autobiography Essay [Free Sample Included]

    Samples Tips Topics So what is an autobiography essay? It is a paper based on your own personal knowledge that usually dwells upon one episode that had a major influence on one's personality or worldview. It might be a part of a usual assignment or a necessary part of a college application.

  8. Having My Say: A Multigenre Autobiography Project

    Autobiographical Narrative Component Peer Review Guide: This handout includes a chart to guide students in a thoughtful peer review of a classmate's autobiographical essay, but it could be adapted for use with any peer review. Contextual Essay Planning Sheet: This handout provides a chart that guides students in thinking about the kinds of information an audience might need to know to ...

  9. The Best Way to Write an Autobiographical Essay

    Part 1 Planning Your Essay Download Article 1 Choose a story that you really want to tell or that you just want to get out of your system. One of the best ways to write a good story is to choose a story that you really care about telling. Remember, you will need to write about a specific aspect of your life, not your entire life.

  10. PDF Autobiographical essay/personal narrative

    Autobiographical essay/personal narrative How to Write an Autobiographical Essay/Personal Narrative A short summary of your life story, two to four pages, begins your portfolio. It tells the assessor how you got to be who you are now (attitudes and behaviour), what things you did to gain what you know now (knowledge), and what you can do (skills).

  11. The Winners of Our Personal Narrative Essay Contest

    Here are the eight winning essays, as well as runners-up and honorable mentions. 72. Our main inspiration for this contest was the long-running New York Times Magazine Lives column. All of the ...

  12. 11+ Autobiography Examples and Templates for Students

    Personal autobiography or personal narrative essay provides a complete picture of the author's life story. ... Autobiography Examples for Students About Yourself. Famous Autobiography Examples. Autobiographical essays are usually about famous people or historical figures. Just as a renowned autobiography of Benjamin Franklin tells us about ...

  13. How to Write an Autobiographical Essay: Tips and Examples

    See Contents & Details When structuring your essay, consider the narrative form. Autobiographies are often written in a chronological order, starting from your earliest memories and progressing through significant events in your life.

  14. Biography Narrative Essay

    1. Biography Narrative Essay fcusd.org Details File Format PDF Size: 36 KB Download 2. Autobiographical Narrative Essay athabascau.ca Details File Format PDF Size: 65 KB Download 3. Political Biography Narrative Essay core.ac.uk

  15. Autobiography of Myself: Narrative Essay

    This narrative essay will delve into my personal experiences, aspirations, and the path I am pursuing to become a data analyst. From my early fascination with numbers to my current pursuit of knowledge and skill in the field of data analysis, this narrative will showcase the growth and determination that has shaped my identity and career goals.

  16. 15 Inspiring Personal Narrative Examples for Writers

    15 Inspiring Personal Narrative Examples for Writers. Reveal a part of yourself in your essay. By Jill Staake. Feb 5, 2024. 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 ...

  17. 10 Personal Narrative Examples to Inspire Your Writing

    To inspire your writing and reveal the sheer diversity of this type of essay, here are ten great examples personal narratives from recent years: Ten examples of amazing personal narrative essays to inspire your writing Click to tweet! 1. "Only Disconnect" by Gary Shteyngart

  18. Autobiography Introduction Examples (5 Writing Styles)

    Introduction Writing an autobiography is the finest way to regard something intriguing to communicate. Self-writing your autobiography is a fantastic way to preserve your family and friends with a keepsake. There's no right way to write an autobiography, but these five examples show you how to start writing your autobiography in various styles.

  19. Free Autobiography Essays Examples. Best Topics, Titles

    Free Autobiography Essays Examples. Best Topics, Titles GradesFixer Home — Essay Types — Autobiography Essays Examples Essay examples Essay topics Writing Tips Questions & answers Choose your topic: All Education Geography & Travel History Law, Crime & Punishment Life Literature Nursing & Health Philosophy Psychology Religion Science Sociology

  20. Autobiography Example

    Skip to document My Library AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY/PERSONAL NARRATIVE Stephanie Jones ID: 111222 My name is Stephanie Jones and I was born in Small Town, MB in August 1971. I am the eldest and my brother is three years younger. The two towns where I have resided most of my life are Small Town and Middle Town, Manitoba.

  21. An example of an autobiographical essay/personal narrative

    An example of an autobiographical essay/personal narrative [Written by a student in the Labour Studies program, used with permission] My name is Carlo, and I was born in June, 1958, in Italy. Our family, made up of my mother, father, and a brother, emigrated to Noranda, Quebec, when I was five years old.

  22. My Autobiography And Future Plans: [Essay Example], 872 words

    My parents are Suresh and Karolina. Unfortunately, both of my grandparents have passed away. My grandmother passed away when I was just four years old, in 2008, at the age of 65 due to lung cancer, which was a result of her lifelong smoking habit. As a child, I tried to convince her to quit smoking, but she wouldn't listen.

  23. 11 Autobiography Examples For All Academic Levels

    1. Autobiography Examples For Students 2. Spiritual Autobiography Examples 3. Autobiography Examples in Literature 4. Cultural Autobiography Examples 5. Educational Autobiography Examples 6. Social Class Autobiography Examples