Selecting a topic is a difficult choice regardless of the type of writing assignment. A narrative essay should relate a personal experience, but it does not have to be your experience. You can write about someone you know well, like your children, spouse or parents. You can also write about your favorite sport or a hobby that is important to you.
Your introduction should tell the reader what to expect from the rest of the essay. It should explain what event or observation you will be writing about and a description of the locations and people involved in the story and how they interact together. Your introduction must give some indication as to the point you will make with the essay.
Once you have written your story, the reader should get a sense of the conflict that occurred, whether it is an internal conflict, a physical conflict or simply a battle of wills with another person. From this conflict, a lesson should emerge. This lesson can be one that you learned from the experience, or even one that revealed itself as you wrote the essay. Regardless of where the lesson comes from, you should make sure your narrative essay does make a point.
After you have written all of the details that make up your story, it is time to add some style. Go back through your work and add dialogue. This should be as accurate as possible if you are writing a true story, but feel free to use lively writing to increase interest without using cliches. It is also important to review the language used to describe places or events and make them more descriptive and interesting.