Consider the overall impact of your narrative. Will the narrative report an event, inspire an action, profile an organization or make a larger point using the narrative as a microcosm? Decide on the essay's narration: first-person, second-person or third-person. Is the character fictional or real?
Gather the evidence needed to reach your goal. Find examples, situations or ideas to put within the narrative. Explore how the evidence provided reflects the larger understanding of the narrative. For example, if writing a narrative reporting a news story using a fictional character to represent the telling of the story, the factual evidence combined with the fictional narrative should exemplify the larger theme of the story.
Write the body of the essay. Describe events and ideas in original ways to promote the significance of your narrative and examples. Verbs and nouns should be used for descriptive purposes rather than adjectives and adverbs, which take away from the impact of descriptive writing. Write using lively language and an active voice. Avoid cliches and write until the basic story exemplifies the main point you are trying to make.
Write an introduction clearly detailing what the essay is about and why it is important. Frame the essay by introducing the narrative you intend to use. For instance, begin in the middle of things from the characters perspective. The character should tell the audience what the essay is about and why it is important. Give the essay its focus with a succinct thesis statement near the end of the introduction.
Outline the essay and reorder the body paragraphs to more accurately represent the main idea of the essay. Write the main point of each paragraph followed by its secondary points. Ensure the essay flows together without jumping around the narrative.
Revise the paper for mistakes in continuity, grammar, voice and style. Watch out for danger words starting sentences such as "because," "if" and "when." Ensure correct subject-verb agreement. For example, if a sentence has more than one phrase, each phrase should either be singular or plural. Edit for correct parallel structure to foster reader comprehension. Include transitional phrases such as "in spite of," "furthermore" and "to enumerate" to promote continuity. If writing a first-person narrative, make sure to remain consistent and avoid jumping in and out of perspectives.