The most important element of a personal narrative is the message, which often involves an experience aimed at a particular age group or section of society. Writing for a targeted audience helps you choose an appropriate memory and perspective. It also helps you focus on the style and tone of the piece. The most successful narratives sound authentic, absorbing and realistic, using incidental detail and dialogue to engage the reader and convey your message effectively.
Some narratives are chronological, while others use flashbacks. Whatever form it takes, a strong personal narrative flows sequentially at an even pace. It needs a definite beginning, middle and end, and the structure of the narrative relies on this sequence to build a framework. One idea or thought leads into another, as the writer builds the story with detail that will bring it alive.
A successful personal narrative conveys a point of view while encouraging the reader to react in her own way to events in the story. The author's perspective, if disclosed in the first paragraph, grabs the reader's attention with a comment or reflection that makes her want to read on. An alternative approach reveals the significance of the experience gradually, peeling back layers of the story to open up new perspectives for the reader.
The first-person narrative, telling the story using "I," is direct and intimate. It allows the reader to share the narrator's thoughts and gives an authoritative tone to the writing. This intimate approach sounds reliable, allowing the message or moral to be more convincing. Other stylistic features that engage the reader include emotional and sensory detail -- taste, sight, touch, smell and sound -- and a consistent approach.
The nature of personal writing makes it essential to step back and see it from a reader's perspective. To achieve this distance require putting the paper away for a few days before reworking it. The most successful edit is scrupulous and forthright, cutting out unnecessary detail or repetition and livening up weak sections with colorful words and phrases.
The final draft requires an honest, objective appraisal. The point of personal writing is to recreate an experience in an entertaining way. A trusted friend can tell if the piece is authentic and comment on whether it's lively and engaging. At this point, changes to the content and language can improve the tone of a personal narrative. The final proofreading stage irons out errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar to ensure the text reads fluently.