

MASTERING THE CRAFT OF NARRATIVE WRITING
Narratives build on and encourage the development of the fundamentals of writing. They also require developing an additional skill set: the ability to tell a good yarn, and storytelling is as old as humanity.
We see and hear stories everywhere and daily, from having good gossip on the doorstep with a neighbor in the morning to the dramas that fill our screens in the evening.
Good narrative writing skills are hard-won by students even though it is an area of writing that most enjoy due to the creativity and freedom it offers.
Here we will explore some of the main elements of a good story: plot, setting, characters, conflict, climax, and resolution . And we will look too at how best we can help our students understand these elements, both in isolation and how they mesh together as a whole.

WHAT IS A NARRATIVE?

A narrative is a story that shares a sequence of events , characters, and themes. It expresses experiences, ideas, and perspectives that should aspire to engage and inspire an audience.
A narrative can spark emotion, encourage reflection, and convey meaning when done well.
Narratives are a popular genre for students and teachers as they allow the writer to share their imagination, creativity, skill, and understanding of nearly all elements of writing. Occasionally, we refer to a narrative as ‘creative writing’ or story writing.
The purpose of a narrative is simple, to tell the audience a story. It can be written to motivate, educate, or entertain and can be both fact or fiction.
A COMPLETE UNIT ON TEACHING NARRATIVE WRITING IN 2022

Teach your students to become skilled story writers with this HUGE NARRATIVE & CREATIVE STORY WRITING UNIT . Offering a COMPLETE SOLUTION to teaching students how to craft CREATIVE CHARACTERS, SUPERB SETTINGS, and PERFECT PLOTS .
Over 192 PAGES of materials, including:
TYPES OF NARRATIVE WRITING
There are many narrative writing genres and sub-genres such as these.
We have a complete guide to writing a personal narrative that differs from the traditional story-based narrative covered in this guide. It includes personal narrative writing prompts, resources, and examples and can be found here.

As we can see, narratives are an open-ended form of writing that allows you to showcase creativity in many different directions. However, all narratives share a common set of features and structure known as “Story Elements”, which are briefly covered in this guide.
Don’t overlook the importance of understanding story elements and the value this adds to you as a writer who can dissect and create grand narratives. We also have an in-depth guide to understanding story elements here .
CHARACTERISTICS OF NARRATIVE WRITING
Narrative structure.
ORIENTATION (BEGINNING) Set the scene by introducing your characters, setting and time of the story. Establish your who, when and where in this part of your narrative
COMPLICATION AND EVENTS (MIDDLE) In this section activities and events involving your main characters are expanded upon. These events are written in a cohesive and fluent sequence.
RESOLUTION (ENDING) Your complication is resolved in this section. It does not have to be a happy outcome, however.
EXTRAS: Whilst orientation, complication and resolution are the agreed norms for a narrative, there are numerous examples of popular texts that did not explicitly follow this path exactly.
NARRATIVE FEATURES
LANGUAGE: Use descriptive and figurative language to paint images inside your audience’s minds as they read.
PERSPECTIVE Narratives can be written from any perspective but are most commonly written in first or third person.
DIALOGUE Narratives frequently switch from narrator to first-person dialogue. Always use speech marks when writing dialogue.
TENSE If you change tense, make it perfectly clear to your audience what is happening. Flashbacks might work well in your mind but make sure they translate to your audience.
THE PLOT MAP

This graphic is known as a plot map, and nearly all narratives fit this structure in one way or another, whether romance novels, science fiction or otherwise.
It is a simple tool that helps you to understand and organize the events in a story. Think of it as a roadmap that outlines the journey of your characters and the events that unfold. It outlines the different stops along the way, such as the introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution, that help you to see how the story builds and develops.
Using a plot map, you can see how each event fits into the larger picture and how the different parts of the story work together to create meaning. It’s a great way to visualize and analyze a story.
Be sure to refer to a plot map when planning a story, as it has all the essential elements of a great story.
THE 5 KEY STORY ELEMENTS OF A GREAT NARRATIVE (6-MINUTE TUTORIAL VIDEO)
This video we created provides an excellent overview of these elements and demonstrates them in action in stories we all know and love.

HOW TO WRITE A NARRATIVE

Now that we understand the story elements and how they come together to form stories, it’s time to start planning and writing your narrative.
In many cases, the template and guide below will provide enough details on how to craft a great story. However, if you still need assistance with the fundamentals of writing, such as sentence structure, paragraphs and using correct grammar, we have some excellent guides on those here.
USE YOUR WRITING TIME EFFECTIVELY: Maximize your narrative writing sessions by spending approximately 20 per cent of your time planning and preparing. This ensures greater productivity during your writing time and keeps you focused and on task.
Use tools such as graphic organizers to logically sequence your narrative if you are not a confident story writer. If you are working with reluctant writers, try using narrative writing prompts to get their creative juices flowing.
Spend most of your writing hour on the task at hand, don’t get too side-tracked editing during this time and leave some time for editing. When editing a narrative, examine it for these three elements.
- Spelling and grammar ( Is it readable?)
- Story structure and continuity ( Does it make sense, and does it flow? )
- Character and plot analysis. (Are your characters engaging? Does your problem/resolution work? )
1. SETTING THE SCENE: THE WHERE AND THE WHEN

The story’s setting often answers two of the central questions in the story, namely, the where and the when. The answers to these two crucial questions will often be informed by the type of story the student is writing.
The story’s setting can be chosen to quickly orient the reader to the type of story they are reading. For example, a fictional narrative writing piece such as a horror story will often begin with a description of a haunted house on a hill or an abandoned asylum in the middle of the woods. If we start our story on a rocket ship hurtling through the cosmos on its space voyage to the Alpha Centauri star system, we can be reasonably sure that the story we are embarking on is a work of science fiction.
Such conventions are well-worn clichés true, but they can be helpful starting points for our novice novelists to make a start.
Having students choose an appropriate setting for the type of story they wish to write is an excellent exercise for our younger students. It leads naturally onto the next stage of story writing, which is creating suitable characters to populate this fictional world they have created. However, older or more advanced students may wish to play with the expectations of appropriate settings for their story. They may wish to do this for comic effect or in the interest of creating a more original story. For example, opening a story with a children’s birthday party does not usually set up the expectation of a horror story. Indeed, it may even lure the reader into a happy reverie as they remember their own happy birthday parties. This leaves them more vulnerable to the surprise element of the shocking action that lies ahead.
Once the students have chosen a setting for their story, they need to start writing. Little can be more terrifying to English students than the blank page and its bare whiteness stretching before them on the table like a merciless desert they must cross. Give them the kick-start they need by offering support through word banks or writing prompts. If the class is all writing a story based on the same theme, you may wish to compile a common word bank on the whiteboard as a prewriting activity. Write the central theme or genre in the middle of the board. Have students suggest words or phrases related to the theme and list them on the board.
You may wish to provide students with a copy of various writing prompts to get them started. While this may mean that many students’ stories will have the same beginning, they will most likely arrive at dramatically different endings via dramatically different routes.

A bargain is at the centre of the relationship between the writer and the reader. That bargain is that the reader promises to suspend their disbelief as long as the writer creates a consistent and convincing fictional reality. Creating a believable world for the fictional characters to inhabit requires the student to draw on convincing details. The best way of doing this is through writing that appeals to the senses. Have your student reflect deeply on the world that they are creating. What does it look like? Sound like? What does the food taste like there? How does it feel like to walk those imaginary streets, and what aromas beguile the nose as the main character winds their way through that conjured market?
Also, Consider the when; or the time period. Is it a future world where things are cleaner and more antiseptic? Or is it an overcrowded 16th-century London with human waste stinking up the streets? If students can create a multi-sensory installation in the reader’s mind, then they have done this part of their job well.
Popular Settings from Children’s Literature and Storytelling
- Fairytale Kingdom
- Magical Forest
- Village/town
- Underwater world
- Space/Alien planet
2. CASTING THE CHARACTERS: THE WHO
Now that your student has created a believable world, it is time to populate it with believable characters.
In short stories, these worlds mustn’t be overpopulated beyond what the student’s skill level can manage. Short stories usually only require one main character and a few secondary ones. Think of the short story more as a small-scale dramatic production in an intimate local theater than a Hollywood blockbuster on a grand scale. Too many characters will only confuse and become unwieldy with a canvas this size. Keep it simple!
Creating believable characters is often one of the most challenging aspects of narrative writing for students. Fortunately, we can do a few things to help students here. Sometimes it is helpful for students to model their characters on actual people they know. This can make things a little less daunting and taxing on the imagination. However, whether or not this is the case, writing brief background bios or descriptions of characters’ physical personality characteristics can be a beneficial prewriting activity. Students should give some in-depth consideration to the details of who their character is: How do they walk? What do they look like? Do they have any distinguishing features? A crooked nose? A limp? Bad breath? Small details such as these bring life and, therefore, believability to characters. Students can even cut pictures from magazines to put a face to their character and allow their imaginations to fill in the rest of the details.
Younger students will often dictate to the reader the nature of their characters. To improve their writing craft, students must know when to switch from story-telling mode to story-showing mode. This is particularly true when it comes to character. Encourage students to reveal their character’s personality through what they do rather than merely by lecturing the reader on the faults and virtues of the character’s personality. It might be a small relayed detail in the way they walk that reveals a core characteristic. For example, a character who walks with their head hanging low and shoulders hunched while avoiding eye contact has been revealed to be timid without the word once being mentioned. This is a much more artistic and well-crafted way of doing things and is less irritating for the reader. A character who sits down at the family dinner table immediately snatches up his fork and starts stuffing roast potatoes into his mouth before anyone else has even managed to sit down has revealed a tendency towards greed or gluttony.
Understanding Character Traits
Again, there is room here for some fun and profitable prewriting activities. Give students a list of character traits and have them describe a character doing something that reveals that trait without ever employing the word itself.
It is also essential to avoid adjective stuffing here. When looking at students’ early drafts, adjective stuffing is often apparent. To train the student out of this habit, choose an adjective and have the student rewrite the sentence to express this adjective through action rather than telling.
When writing a story, it is vital to consider the character’s traits and how they will impact the story’s events. For example, a character with a strong trait of determination may be more likely to overcome obstacles and persevere. In contrast, a character with a tendency towards laziness may struggle to achieve their goals. In short, character traits add realism, depth, and meaning to a story, making it more engaging and memorable for the reader.
Popular Character Traits in Children’s Stories
- Determination
- Imagination
- Perseverance
- Responsibility
We have an in-depth guide to creating great characters here , but most students should be fine to move on to planning their conflict and resolution.
3. NO PROBLEM? NO STORY! HOW CONFLICT DRIVES A NARRATIVE

This is often the area apprentice writers have the most difficulty with. It is vital that students understand that without a problem or conflict, there is no story. The problem is the driving force of the action. Usually, in a short story, the problem will center around what the primary character wants to happen or, indeed, wants not to happen. It is the hurdle that must be overcome. It is in the struggle to overcome this hurdle that events happen.
Often when a student understands the need for a problem in a story, their completed work will still not be successful. This is because, often in life, problems remain unsolved. Hurdles are not always successfully overcome. Students pick up on this.
We often discuss problems with friends that will never be satisfactorily resolved one way or the other, and we accept this as a part of life. This is not usually the case with writing a story. Whether a character successfully overcomes his or her problem or is decidedly crushed in the process of trying is not as important as the fact that it will finally be resolved one way or the other.
A good practical exercise for students to get to grips with this is to provide copies of stories and have them identify the central problem or conflict in each through discussion. Familiar fables or fairy tales such as Three Little Pigs, The Boy Who Cried Wolf, Cinderella, etc., are great for this.
While it is true that stories often have more than one problem or that the hero or heroine is unsuccessful in their first attempt to solve a central problem, for beginning students and intermediate students, it is best to focus on a single problem, especially given the scope of story writing at this level. Over time students will develop their abilities to handle more complex plots and write accordingly.
Popular Conflicts found in Children’s Storytelling.
- Good vs evil
- Individual vs society
- Nature vs nurture
- Self vs others
- Man vs self
- Man vs nature
- Man vs technology
- Individual vs fate
- Self vs destiny
Conflict is the heart and soul of any good story. It’s what makes a story compelling and drives the plot forward. Without conflict, there is no story. Every great story has a struggle or a problem that needs to be solved, and that’s where conflict comes in. Conflict is what makes a story exciting and keeps the reader engaged. It creates tension and suspense and makes the reader care about the outcome.
Like in real life, conflict in a story is an opportunity for a character’s growth and transformation. It’s a chance for them to learn and evolve, making a story great. So next time stories are written in the classroom, remember that conflict is an essential ingredient, and without it, your story will lack the energy, excitement, and meaning that makes it truly memorable.
4. THE NARRATIVE CLIMAX: HOW THINGS COME TO A HEAD!

The climax of the story is the dramatic high point of the action. It is also when the struggles kicked off by the problem come to a head. The climax will ultimately decide whether the story will have a happy or tragic ending. In the climax, two opposing forces duke things out until the bitter (or sweet!) end. One force ultimately emerges triumphant. As the action builds throughout the story, suspense increases as the reader wonders which of these forces will win out. The climax is the release of this suspense.
Much of the success of the climax depends on how well the other elements of the story have been achieved. If the student has created a well-drawn and believable character that the reader can identify with and feel for, then the climax will be more powerful.
The nature of the problem is also essential as it determines what’s at stake in the climax. The problem must matter dearly to the main character if it matters at all to the reader.
Have students engage in discussions about their favorite movies and books. Have them think about the storyline and decide what the most exciting parts were. What was at stake at these moments? What happened in your body as you read or watched? Did you breathe faster? Or grip the cushion hard? Did your heart rate increase, or did you start to sweat? This is what a good climax does and what our students should strive to do in their stories.
The climax puts it all on the line and rolls the dice. Let the chips fall where the writer may…
Popular Climax themes in Children’s Stories
- A battle between good and evil
- The character’s bravery saves the day
- Character faces their fears and overcomes them
- The character solves a mystery or puzzle.
- The character stands up for what is right.
- Character reaches their goal or dream.
- The character learns a valuable lesson
- The character makes a selfless sacrifice.
- The character makes a difficult decision.
- The character reunites with loved ones or finds true friendship.
5. RESOLUTION: TYING UP LOOSE ENDS
After the climactic action, a few questions will often remain unresolved for the reader, even if all the conflict has been resolved. The resolution is where those lingering questions will be answered. The resolution in a short story may only be a brief paragraph or two. But, in most cases, it will still be necessary to include an ending immediately after the climax can feel too abrupt and leave the reader feeling unfulfilled.
An easy way to explain resolution to students struggling to grasp the concept is to point to the traditional resolution of fairy tales, the “And they all lived happily ever after” ending. This weather forecast for the future allows the reader to take their leave. Have the student consider the emotions they want to leave the reader with when crafting their resolution.
While usually, the action is complete by the end of the climax; it is in the resolution that if there is a twist to be found, it will appear – think of movies such as The Usual Suspects. Pulling this off convincingly usually requires considerable skill from a student writer. Still, it may well form a challenging extension exercise for those more gifted storytellers among your students.
Popular Resolutions in Children’s Stories
- Our hero achieves their goal
- A character finds happiness or inner peace.
- The character reunites with loved ones.
- Character restores balance to the world.
- The character discovers their true identity.
- Character changes for the better
- The character gains wisdom or understanding.
- Character makes amends with others.
- The character learns to appreciate what they have.
Once students have completed their story, they can edit for grammar, vocabulary choice, spelling, etc., but not before!
As mentioned, there is a craft to storytelling, as well as an art. When accurate grammar, perfect spelling, and immaculate sentence structures are pushed at the outset, they can cause storytelling paralysis. For this reason, it is essential that when we encourage the students to write a story, we give them license to make mechanical mistakes in their use of language that they can work on and fix later.
Good narrative writing is a very complex skill to develop and will take the student years to become competent. It challenges not only the student’s technical abilities with language but also her creative faculties. Writing frames, word banks, mind maps, and visual prompts can all give valuable support as students develop the wide-ranging and challenging skills required to produce a successful narrative writing piece. But, at the end of it all, as with any craft, practice and more practice is at the heart of the matter.
TIPS FOR WRITING A GREAT NARRATIVE
- Start your story with a clear purpose: If you can determine the theme or message you want to convey in your narrative before starting it will make the writing process so much simpler.
- Choose a compelling storyline and sell it through great characters, setting and plot: Consider a unique or interesting story that captures the reader’s attention, then build the world and characters around it.
- Develop vivid characters that are not all the same: Make your characters relatable and memorable by giving them distinct personalities and traits you can draw upon in the plot.
- Use descriptive language to hook your audience into your story: Use sensory language to paint vivid images and sequences in the reader’s mind.
- Show, don’t tell your audience: Use actions, thoughts, and dialogue to reveal character motivations and emotions through storytelling.
- Create a vivid setting that is clear to your audience before getting too far into the plot: Describe the time and place of your story to immerse the reader fully.
- Build tension: Refer to the story map earlier in this article and use conflict, obstacles, and suspense to keep the audience engaged and invested in your narrative.
- Use figurative language such as metaphors, similes, and other literary devices to add depth and meaning to your narrative.
- Edit, revise, and refine: Take the time to refine and polish your writing for clarity and impact.
- Stay true to your voice: Maintain your unique perspective and style in your writing to make it your own.
NARRATIVE WRITING EXAMPLES (Student Writing Samples)
Below are a collection of student writing samples of narratives. Click on the image to enlarge and explore them in greater detail. Please take a moment to read these creative stories in detail and the teacher and student guides which highlight some of the critical elements of narratives to consider before writing.
Please understand these student writing samples are not intended to be perfect examples for each age or grade level but a piece of writing for students and teachers to explore together to critically analyze to improve student writing skills and deepen their understanding of story writing.
We recommend reading the example either a year above or below, as well as the grade you are currently working with, to gain a broader appreciation of this text type.

NARRATIVE WRITING PROMPTS (Journal Prompts)
When students have a great journal prompt, it can help them focus on the task at hand, so be sure to view our vast collection of visual writing prompts for various text types here or use some of these.
- On a recent European trip, you find your travel group booked into the stunning and mysterious Castle Frankenfurter for a single night… As night falls, the massive castle of over one hundred rooms seems to creak and groan as a series of unexplained events begin to make you wonder who or what else is spending the evening with you. Write a narrative that tells the story of your evening.
- You are a famous adventurer who has discovered new lands; keep a travel log over a period of time in which you encounter new and exciting adventures and challenges to overcome. Ensure your travel journal tells a story and has a definite introduction, conflict and resolution.
- You create an incredible piece of technology that has the capacity to change the world. As you sit back and marvel at your innovation and the endless possibilities ahead of you, it becomes apparent there are a few problems you didn’t really consider. You might not even be able to control them. Write a narrative in which you ride the highs and lows of your world-changing creation with a clear introduction, conflict and resolution.
- As the final door shuts on the Megamall, you realise you have done it… You and your best friend have managed to sneak into the largest shopping centre in town and have the entire place to yourselves until 7 am tomorrow. There is literally everything and anything a child would dream of entertaining themselves for the next 12 hours. What amazing adventures await you? What might go wrong? And how will you get out of there scot-free?
- A stranger walks into town… Whilst appearing similar to almost all those around you, you get a sense that this person is from another time, space or dimension… Are they friends or foes? What makes you sense something very strange is going on? Suddenly they stand up and walk toward you with purpose extending their hand… It’s almost as if they were reading your mind.
NARRATIVE WRITING VIDEO TUTORIAL

Teaching Resources
Use our resources and tools to improve your student’s writing skills through proven teaching strategies.
When teaching narrative writing, it is essential that you have a range of tools, strategies and resources at your disposal to ensure you get the most out of your writing time. You can find some examples below, which are free and paid premium resources you can use instantly without any preparation.
FREE Narrative Graphic Organizer

THE STORY TELLERS BUNDLE OF TEACHING RESOURCES

A MASSIVE COLLECTION of resources for narratives and story writing in the classroom covering all elements of crafting amazing stories. MONTHS WORTH OF WRITING LESSONS AND RESOURCES, including:
NARRATIVE WRITING CHECKLIST BUNDLE

OTHER GREAT ARTICLES ABOUT NARRATIVE WRITING

Narrative Writing for Kids: Essential Skills and Strategies

5 Great Narrative Lesson Plans Students and Teachers Love

Top 7 Narrative Writing Exercises for Students

how to write a scary story
The content for this page has been written by Shane Mac Donnchaidh. A former principal of an international school and English university lecturer with 15 years of teaching and administration experience. Shane’s latest Book, The Complete Guide to Nonfiction Writing , can be found here. Editing and support for this article have been provided by the literacyideas team.
NO PREP REQUIRED A ready-made unit on STORY WRITING awaits you.
Search the blog
Input your search keywords and press Enter.

Vibrant Teaching
Teaching Resources Creator and Blogger
20 Prompts for Narrative Writing That Spark Creativity

Using prompts for narrative writing motivates kids and gets them excited to write. Read on to learn more about narrative writing, mentor texts, ideas, and assessments. Plus you will find 20 fun prompts for narrative and personal narrative writing. These will be sure to spark student’s creativity and imagination!
What’s Narrative Writing?
Narrative writing tells a story using a beginning, middle, and end. It includes elements such as characters, setting, problem, and solution. The author’s purpose is usually to entertain or teach a lesson. Narrative writing can be fact or fiction but the process is the same. When it’s a real story from the author’s life, it is considered a personal narrative.
Examples for Narrative Writing
There are so many wonderful examples of narrative writing. Some are even written as personal narratives. Below you will find a list of mentor texts for elementary school. It’s helpful to immerse students in the genre before and during a narrative writing unit. These books model different strategies that kids can try in their writing.
Narrative Writing Mentor Texts:
- Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
- Come on, Rain! by Karen Hesse
- Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts
- Fireflies! by Julie Brinckloe
- Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems
- Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall
- Enemy Pie by Derek Munson
- Blackout by John Rocco

Narrative Writing Teaching
There are many features to include in narrative writing, but it depends on the grade level being taught. For the lower grades, it’s important to start with the concept of beginning, middle, and end written in sequential order. Then you can expand to the introduction, body, and conclusion using details. Other important elements are character, setting, problem, and solution. As the student’s abilities increase the number of sentences will grow and expand to paragraphs.
For the older grades, you can introduce plot structure. It follows the beginning, middle, and end format but on a higher level. This story arc includes exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. Use the diagram below to see how these features overlap.
Plot Structure

Topics for Narrative Writing
The possibilities are endless when it comes to narrative writing ideas. Kids can create a fiction piece or write about an experience in their life. Check out some writing prompt ideas below for narrative and personal narrative writing. You might also like this blog post about opinion writing prompts: 20 Prompts for Opinion Writing That Motivate Kids
Writing Prompts for Narratives
- I was taking my friend’s picture in front of the volcano when all of a sudden . . .
- What if you were given 3 wishes but couldn’t use them on yourself. Tell a story about what you would wish for and why.
- Write a story called, “The Luckiest Day of My Life.”
- Imagine you went to the zoo and could take home any animal for the day. Tell a story about your time together.
- Write a silly story that uses these words: airplane, grapes, elephant, and book.
- You have just been shrunk down to the size of an ant. Write a story including the good and bad things about being so small.
- Think about your favorite character from a book. Tell a story about getting to meet them for the first time.
- What would happen if you lived during a time when there was no electricity? Write a story about your school day.
- Finish this story: The pirates set sail on their ship in search of . . .
- Suppose you were teacher for a day. Write a story about the changes you would make.

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

Rubrics for Narrative Writing
I often hear from teachers that one of the most difficult parts of teaching writing is how to assess it. Assessments should be accurate and helpful for both the student and teacher. When it comes to narrative writing, there are many different approaches. Some teachers prefer to do a more informal assessment for daily writing pieces and then a formal assessment for the final copy. Informal assessments can be completed with written comments or student-teacher conferences.
It would be very difficult to use a rubric for every narrative writing a student completes in their notebook. Instead, most teachers prefer to choose one to three writing pieces to assess with a rubric. These assessments are ideal for benchmarks, progress reports, and report cards. Below you will find three types of narrative writing rubrics. Check out this blog post to learn more about student-friendly, teacher-friendly, and time-saving rubrics: 3 Types of Writing Rubrics for Effective Assessments

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

Related Articles:
- 20 Prompts for Opinion Writing That Motivate Kids
- What is Narrative Writing
- A Complete Guide to Narrative Writing
- Personal Narrative Writing for Elementary School
- Narrative Writing: How to Teach a Story Arc That’s as Exciting as a Roller Coaster
Angela Sutton
Related posts.

6 Important Writing Prompt Examples for the Classroom

3 Types of Writing Rubrics for Effective Assessments

How to Create a Google Classroom
[…] Source: https://vibrantteaching.com/20-prompts-for-narrative-writing-that-spark-creativity/ […]
[…] Learn more: Vibrant Teaching […]
Leave a Reply Cancel Reply

I specialize in helping elementary teachers with writing resources, tips, and ideas. My goal is to save teachers time and energy so they can be vibrant inside and outside of the classroom! Read More
SEARCH THE BLOG
Subscribe to our mailing list.
Get the news right in your inbox!
Health and Wellness
Reading Worksheets, Spelling, Grammar, Comprehension, Lesson Plans
50 Narrative Essay Topics
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but a narrative essay can also tell an exciting story and create vivid pictures in the reader’s mind! We’ve got 50 narrative essay topics designed to prompt students to craft memorable written narratives. These can be modified for students in elementary, middle and high school. Feel free to print the entire narrative essay topics list for plenty of inspiration for your next narrative essay assignment!
Narrative Essay Topics
- Your first day of school.
- Your most exciting day of school
- A field trip that your class took.
- Your favorite summer vacation.
- A trip that included something unexpected or surprising.
- A time that you experienced something spooky.
- A time that you experienced something truly frightening.
- A time that you learned something new that changed you in some way.
- The moment when you met someone who changed your life.
- The day that you got your first pet.
- A move from one place to another.
- Something funny that happened to you.
- Something funny that happened to one of your family members or friends.
- Something embarrassing that happened to you.
- Your favorite birthday party.
- A birthday that was disappointing.
- A big storm (rain, snow or even a tornado!).
- A time that the power went out.
- A summer day when the temperature got much higher than expected.
- A time when you went to an amusement park.
- A time when you got lost somewhere.
- A memorable experience with a favorite family member.
- A sad experience with someone about whom you care.
- Your most exciting moment playing sports.
- Your most exciting moment performing in a play, singing, playing music or dancing.
- An experience that left you feeling frustrated.
- An experience that was hard but ended up being worth it.
- A time that you experienced rejection.
- A weird encounter with a stranger.
- A random act of kindness.
- A time that you took a stand for someone or for an issue that you care about.
- A moment when you thought you might get hurt but didn’t.
- Breaking a bone (or otherwise suffering an injury).
- Your first time away from home for the night (or longer).
- A time when you experienced a historic event.
- Where you were when a major event happened. (Note: You don’t need to have been at the site of the event; this prompt is about where you were when you found out about the event and how you reacted.)
- A time when you rebelled against your parents or teacher.
- A dangerous experience.
- A misunderstanding between yourself and someone else.
- A difficult decision that you had to make.
- The end of a friendship or relationship.
- The beginning of a friendship or relationship.
- A time when you judged someone first and then realized that you were wrong about the person.
- A time when someone judged you first and then realized that he or she was wrong about you.
- A moment when you felt that you were starting to grow up.
- A time when you saw one or both of your parents in a different light.
- A time when you looked up to your older sibling.
- A time when your younger sibling looked up to you.
- A time when you were grateful to be an only child.
- An experience that you think has only ever happened to you!
Looking for more essay topics? Compare and Contrast Essay Topics Descriptive Essay Topics Cause and Effect Essay Topics Persuasive Essay and Speech Topics
- 1st Grade Spelling
- 2nd Grade Spelling
- 3rd Grade Spelling
- 4th Grade Spelling
- 5th Grade Spelling
- High School Spelling
- Spelling Patterns
- Spelling Rules
- Reading Comprehension
- Cause and Effect
- Character Descriptions
- Character Traits
- Context Clues
- Drawing Conclusions
- Fact and Opinion
- Figurative Language
- Making Inferences
- Point of View
- Story Elements
- Text Features Posters
- Parts of Speech
- Parts of a Sentence
- Punctuation
- Sentence Structure
- Dictionary Skills
- Dolch Sight Words
- Proverbs and Adages
- Shades of Meaning
- Synonyms Antonyms
- Editing and Proofing
- Handwriting
- Cursive Alphabet
- Lined Paper
- Sentence Patterns
- Topic Sentences
- Transition Words
- Essay Introductions
- Writing Conclusions
- Writing Prompts
50 Engaging 6th Grade Writing Prompts for Thoughtful Essays
Narrative writing prompts, story starters, personal narrative prompts.
8. Think about your future self–where do you see yourself in 1 year? Write about it.
Reflective Writing Prompts
12. Take a walk in nature and describe what you see. What emotions does it evoke in you?
Informational Writing Prompts
Informational writing is an essential skill for middle-schoolers, especially as they head into high school and college, where they’ll be expected to write long-form essays rather than fiction. These informational writing prompts will give your students plenty of practice with this type of writing.
Expository Prompts
Research prompts.
22. What animals are on the verge of extinction?
Procedural Prompts
Argument writing prompts.
The next type of writing prompt is argument writing. Argumentative writing is a type of nonfiction writing that requires students to investigate a topic, collect evidence, and assess their findings to defend a point of view while also considering the perspectives of others.
Argumentative Essay Prompts
Persuasive prompts, poetry prompts, creative writing prompts, dust off those pencils and get ready to write .
Emily is an active mother of two and a dedicated elementary school teacher. She believes the latest technology has made a huge impact on the quality of early learning and has worked hard to upgrade her classroom and her own children’s learning experience through technology. She created this blog to make it easier for other teachers to take advantage of some of the best devices out there to upgrade their classrooms without having to do the research themselves. She loves to hear your tech-based problems and share her extensive experience :)
- Writing Tips
- 500+ Free Fiction Writing Prompts For Adults By Genre
- Self Publishing 101
- Best Writing Books
- Dragon Dictation Software Review
- Editing Software
- Email Marketing
- Formatting Software
- Gifts for Writers
- MasterClass Reviews
- Online Courses
- Scrivener 3 Review
- Website Hosting
- YouTube Channels
Select Page
100 creative 6th Grade Writing Prompts
Disclosure: The content on this site is free. Some of the links below are affiliate links from companies like Amazon.com and if you click the links and make a purchase we will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you in advance if you decide to support our site by using our affiliate links!
100 Creative 6 th Grade Writing Prompts
Sixth grade is the right time to introduce students to activities that promote self-expression and improves their overall writing skills. In this post, we have come up with a list of 100 writing prompts — from storytelling and expository to research and creative writing prompts — to help students tap into their creativity and hone their writing skills.
In this post, we have for you:
- Storytelling writing prompts
- Research writing prompts
- Reflective writing prompts
- Narrative writing prompts
- Expository writing prompts
- Procedural writing prompts
- Creative writing prompts
So, let’s put this show on the road.
Storytelling writing prompts for 6 th grade
- When we found that the grandpa’s closet opens up to a deep forest, we decided to…
- As I was walking around the local park, a dog came up to me and said, “You have got to listen to my story.” And then he began speaking…
- The most surprising thing we have found in our school was…
- As I was cleaning the attic in my grandparent’s house, I found the genie’s lamp. I decided to…
- My brother and I were in the first fight ever. It all began when…
- Our dream family vacation to… got canceled my younger brother woke up with…
- As the world’s first 12-year scientist, I need to share my invention…
- My first road trip with my dad didn’t go as per the plan. First…
- When Lucy opened her lunch box, she couldn’t help exclaiming “Ugh” because the food looked as gross as…
- I got the biggest surprise of my life when my dog…
- I had never laid eyes on a dragon until that morning when our school took us to the nearby jungle as part of a trekking tour.
- I woke up one morning only to find I have been turned into a big bug. While I was still coming to terms with this, my mother shouted, “Hurry up or you’ll be late for the school.” So I did what I had to do, which was…
Research writing prompts for 6 th grade
- How much time do students spend on the internet?
- How much screen time students have per day?
- Does social media makes peer pressure worse?
- How long can human beings survive without water?
- How long can human beings survive without food?
- How long can fish survive out of water?
- Research your dream career? Mention all the things you must do to achieve it.
- Research the childhood of your favorite writer?
- When, why, and how was your country founded?
- How long camels can go without drinking water? Can they survive long? If yes, how do they manage that?
- How smoking affects your lungs?
- Which has been the most important discovery in the last 50 years?
- What steps can we take to minimize global warming?
- What are civil rights? Who fought for them?
- How do penguins survive in extreme cold?
- Are polar bears good swimmers? If yes, how are they able to swim efficiently in spite of their weight?
- How much food does an elephant needs in a day?
- How shark uses senses to hunt?
Reflective writing prompts for 6 th grade
- Write about a time when you were not able to keep a promise. What had happened? How did you feel?
- What’s the best thing about being in the 6 th grade?
- What’s the worst thing about being in the 6 th grade?
- What has been your biggest learning in the last six months?
- What are the qualities that a good friend must have?
- Write about three qualities you admire in your dad?
- Which sport you like the best and why?
- List your favorite extracurricular activities. What have you learned from them?
- Track the weather for five days? Which was the most comfortable day?
- How students can reduce their screen time?
- Is reading a more satisfying activity than watching television?
- What are the negative effects of social media?
Narrative writing prompts for 6 th Grade
- Do you think you can go three months without the internet?
- Write a letter to your emotional self?
- Is it important for kids to have responsibilities and chores at home?
- What advice would you give to someone who is being bullied at the school?
- Which animal in your opinion represents your personality the most and why?
- Do you like making new friends? Why or why not?
- If you could change one thing about your school, what would it be?
- Write a poem or essay about your parents?
- Describe your favorite family vacation?
- Think about the best day in your life so far. What made the day so memorable?
- Think about the worst day in your life so far. What made the day so miserable?
- Which is your favorite book? How has it impacted you?
- Which your favorite movie? Why do you like it so much?
- Think about your future self. Write about a day in your life, five years from today.
- Tell a family story from the perspective of your mom.
- Who is the fittest person you know? Would you like to become as fit as this person? Why or why not?
- Write about how it feels to spend a night at home alone?
- What are three great things about your school?
- Describe your life if you lived during the Middle Ages?
- What is the biggest problem the world is facing today? How would you solve it?
- How did computers affect our lives?
- Imagine you were asked to pick a new holiday. Describe what you’ll be celebrating and how.
- Could you live without a cell phone for a year? How would you communicate with your friends?
- How hearing and listening are two different things?
- If you could go back in time, which year would you choose?
- You meet a wise man who knows answers to all questions, but you can ask him only one question. What would you ask?
- Who is the oldest person you know?
- Think about a time you were not able to keep a New Year’s resolution? What had happened? Why did you fail?
Expository prompts for 6 th grade
- Describe your favorite short story in your own words.
- Find an interesting story in the newspaper or a local magazine and write it in your own words.
- Write an essay explaining the similarities and differences between you and your sibling or your best friend.
- In what ways Barrack Obama and Abraham Lincoln are similar? In what ways they are different?
- Is life as a sixth grader today different than it was when your parents were studying in the sixth grade? If yes, how it is different.
- Compare and contrast your two close friends.
- How has been your school year so far? What are the main highlights?
- What was the cause of the recent argument you had with your mom or dad? How did it go?
- Compare and contrast two of your most favorite books?
- How is empathy different from sympathy? Explain the concept of empathy?
- How important is to have a hobby? Explain the benefits of having a hobby.
- Explain a problem in your school? How would you solve it?
- How has cell phone changed our lives?
- Is there really something as cell phone addiction? If yes, what it is?
- Gaming addiction is on the rise among kids? How do you think we can tackle this problem effectively?
Procedural writing prompts for 6 th Grade
- Your friend wants to learn how to play your favorite board game. Explain the steps to him or her.
- Explain a grandparent how to use Facebook.
- Explain a reader how to play your favorite computer game.
- Write step-by-step instructions to tie shoelaces.
- Explain a reader how to play your favorite card game.
- Write step-by-step instructions to create a post on Instagram.
- Explain how to complete all the levels of a video game.
- Describe how you get home from school.
Creative writing prompts for 6 th Grade
- If you could spend a week in any holiday destination in the world, where would you go?
- If you had the power to communicate with pets, what conversations would you have?
- Write a poem that describes your family.
- If you could meet one media personality, who would you choose and why?
- If you could change one thing about your country, what would you choose and why?
- You wake up one morning to find that you can fly. What adventures will you have?
- You wake up one morning to find that you have grown taller and your clothes and shoes don’t fit you anymore. What would you do?
We hope these writing prompts will help get your pen or pencil moving. Some of these writing prompts need research, some are intellectually challenging, and some others are fun and creative. If you would like more writing prompts, have a look at this post , which offers tons of additional writing prompts you can use to unleash your writing talent. Good luck!
- Get other writing prompts for kids here :
- 3rd-grade writing prompts
- 4th-grade writing prompts
- 5th-grade writing prompts
- Middle School Writing Prompts
Related Posts

100 Writing prompts for Middle School Kids
November 7, 2020

100 FREE 5th Grade Writing Prompts
November 25, 2020

43 YA Writing Prompts with Best-Seller Potential
August 20, 2018
100 Amazing 7th Grade Writing Prompts
December 7, 2020

“This site is owned and operated by FB Global Value LLC, a limited liability company headquartered in New Jersey, USA. FB Global Value is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from Qualifying Purchases . FB Global Value LLC also participates in affiliate programs with Bluehost, Clickbank, CJ, ShareASale, and other sites. Sites like Self Publishing Hub which are owned and operated by FB Global Value LLC are compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies.”
200 Best Narrative Essay Topics and Ideas

Imagine being put in a time capsule with an artificial intelligence chauffeur who asks you, 'Which one of your memories would you like to access?'.
This scenario is rather accurate for a narrative essay. Your storyline, voice, and writing style distinguish this type of writing from others. The best option to satisfy your professor's demands and the criteria outlined in the grading scale is to acquire prompt academic assistance from the EssayPro's term paper writing service . Continue reading to find out how to write a narrative essay like a true professional and have a look at our narrative essay examples below!
Narrative Essay Definition and Types of Essay
Before we continue, let's briefly discuss what is a narrative paper. A narrative essay definition is a form of academic assignment that uses a tale about the author's personal experience to make a point. It's not enough to merely tell an amusing tale. Narrative essays rely on settings, character growth, dialogue, conflicts & resolutions, and turning points.
The other purpose of such writing is to stress reasons for sharing the episode and the significance of the experience provided. The narrative essay structure is less rigidly organized than the persuasive essay.
Speaking of which, a narrative essay format follows a typical layout. Everything in these papers needs to maintain a predetermined chronology and have a distinct beginning, middle, and end.
How to Choose Narrative Essay Topics?
In order to hone your writing skills, first you need to learn how to start a narrative essay. It begins with selecting a decent topic for your piece. Here are some tips for making a right choice with your narrative essay topics.

1. Keep in mind that narratives tell stories
The theme you choose should make it possible for the audience to connect to your personal experience, skills, and the valuable life lessons.
2. Pick useful ideas to discuss
If you have a passion for something, select issues that you have struggled with. This is a unique chance to avoid writing about things that make you yawn.
3. Be ready – don’t miss the planning stage
Your paper has to prove a particular point, so be sure to check how much information you need to collect on different topics.
4. Keep experimenting throughout
Experiment by, for instance, mixing various episodes from your life with different topics. Think of the subject that will guarantee the best emotional experience for your readers.
5. Recall the essay’s structure
An academic paper always requires a golden formula in terms of its structure. For the list of ideas you may choose from, consider whether it is possible to develop relevant, logical sections according to the intro-body-conclusion organization. As the body section of your paper will require at least three paragraphs, decide whether or not you will be able to come up with at least three claims (topic sentences) to support your thesis statement.
Our college admission essay writing service has compiled a whole list of narrative essay topics with descriptions to help you. Scroll down to find some excellent narrative essay topics for college students.
Experience Is a Teacher
Write down any experiences that come to mind using a pen and paper. Your encounter could start negatively but be pleasant, or vice versa. The fascinating aspect of a bad event is how you handled it and, ideally, prevailed. Give your reader a sense of place so they may experience this moment of transformation with you and feel a part of your tale. Consider the following literacy narrative essay examples:
- Fear is a genuine and understandable feeling. Explain the time when you managed to overcome your biggest worry.
- Heroism requires bravery—or, in certain circumstances, foolishness. Tell about a time when you showed courage.
- Everybody makes errors because nobody is flawless. Discuss a mistake and the lessons you've learned from it.
- Getting outside of your comfort zone is usually a good idea when life becomes too monotonous. Tell stories about a moment when you tried something new.
- Students learn responsibility through their first jobs and enjoy adult life. Write about your very first job.
Order an Essay Now & Get These Features For Free :
Narrative essay topic ideas.

Personal Narrative Essay Topics
A personal narrative essay is about your personal experience. It needs to have an emotional effect on the reader. In order to do so, the picture you are creating (with words) has to be vivid and appeal to the reader’s emotions. Using a lot of details is a great way to achieve this goal. Some personal narrative topics include:
- A teacher you will never forget
- An experience that put you in danger
- A funny story that happened to you
- A story from your childhood
- Your first trip abroad
- An episode from your school life
- A story of losing a friend
- A story of learning a new skill (like playing a musical instrument or surfing)
- An embarrassing story that happened to you
- A story of you participating in an extracurricular activity, such as playing football or doing gymnastics
- An experience attending a concert or sporting event
- A story of you helping people in need
- A time when you discovered a secret
- Talk about a family member who you are bonded to the most
- Talk about a class you have taken that was inspirational
- A moment when you felt alone and scared
- A story when you got lost
- The time when you saved someone
- The first time you cooked a meal by yourself
40 Best Narrative Essay Topics
Narrative essays aim for the reader to see exactly what the writer has been through. Since you cannot show your readers a picture, you need to create one with words. Make sure you pick something that you remember well—as providing all of the details for the reader is essential.
- Your favorite vacation with your family
- A trip you will never forget
- A time you made friends in an unusual circumstance
- Your first day at a new school
- Talk about something that scared you a lot
- Your most enjoyable Christmas
- The best birthday party you’ve ever had
- A life lesson you have learned
- A time someone you did not expect helped you
- Talk about the best day of your life
- A tragic event in your life
- The story of how you got your first pet
- Your best friend and how you met
- A story of how you lost something
- Talk about helping someone in need
- A story of how you dealt with a natural disaster
- A time you were called to the dean’s office
- A story of you going to a summer camp
- Your first time riding a bicycle
- A moment when you felt depressed
- A time when you had a serious argument with someone
- A story of someone treating you unfairly
- Your first time skiing
- Helping a stranger
- A time when you faced racial prejudice
- A time you misjudged someone and felt ashamed
- The most memorable day at the beach
- The best present you have ever received
- A story of you getting injured
- Your first time driving
- Ending a relationship
- Starting a relationship
- Your first plane trip and the experience of flying
- Meeting a stranger
- A story from a trip
- A time you were punished
- A time when you discovered the truth about someone
- Learning a life lesson
- Getting in a car accident
- Your favorite time hiking
Cultural Narrative Essay Topics
Cultural narrative essays allow you to show an aspect of culture to the reader yet make it informative and entertaining. Culture is a very vast and complicated system, therefore avoid touching upon several aspects at one time in the same story. Cultural narratives are great discussion starters as people get to ask questions about culture and explain what kind of prejudice they might have towards a culture or certain aspects of that culture. Here are some examples of cultural narrative essays:
- Unique family traditions
- A tradition that surprised you
- Your favorite holiday and how you celebrate it in your culture
- Why knowing your culture is important
- A time when you felt embarrassed because you did not know a certain aspect of a group of people’s culture
- How culture changes upon circumstances
- The influence of media on culture
- Food traditions in your family
- How culture defines a person
- Your cultural identity
Do You Need Professional Help with Your Hometask?

Narrative Argument Essay Topics
A narrative argument essay examines something that has intrigued you or has had a big impact on your life—through the form of a story. It also needs to include a point that has come from your narrative that is persuasive or argumentative. Your story acts as your argument and an example with which you persuade the reader.
- A time you had a disagreement with a friend
- A story of you having a conflict
- A time you had to deal with bullying
- Someone committing suicide
- The day you graduated from high school
- A time someone got caught cheating
- A time in which your doctor perceived to be, or was, negligent
- A car accident you were in
- A time when you were humiliated
- An act of charity you undertook
- A problem you helped a friend with
- A time someone got beat up at the school
Interesting Narrative Essay Topics
- Looking for a topic with a twist? Look no further. Here are some unusual and great topics for your narrative essay
- A tough decision you had to make
- A person that changed your life forever
- A time when you flooded your neighbor’s apartment
- A day that you wish to relive
- A time when you failed a class
- The scariest moment of your life
- A time you got very sick
- The time you saved someone’s life
- The time you ventured into a haunted house
- The time you won a prize
- Your first job
- The time you got a flat tire
- The things you do in your alone time
- The first time you were in the emergency room
- Your first encounter with the police
Childhood Memories
Take a trip down memory lane to your sincere and younger years and find a crazy story to share. If you have a setting, an idea, but no story, you can always make one up. Make it convincing, and people will think that your life is fascinating! Write about a childhood experience that showed the importance of teamwork.
- Remember when parties didn’t need alcohol to be fun? Recall the craziest party from your childhood.
- Write about your first experience of physical or emotional pain. How did you overcome it?
- Kids often have role models who are like superheroes in their eyes (from Hollywood actors to rock band players). Who was your role model and why?
- Write about a dream you remember from your childhood.
Growing Up in High School
Everyone is nostalgic for their school years in one way or another. It is a time of knowledge, development, and growth—or skipping classes and looking for trouble. Find something exciting from your high school experience and turn it into a narrative essay.
- The school was mostly dull, but some classes didn’t feel that way. Focus on a school subject that you cared about.
- Depict an experience of humiliation, whether it was yours or someone else's. How did people react and what did you learn?
- Hobbies (football, guitar, gaming, traveling) are what you looked forward to when you completed your homework. What was your after-school hobby?
- Describe your best friend from high school and how you’ve both changed since growing up.
- Write about your greatest school achievement.
Relationships start with family. As a person grows, their relationship with their family extends to their friendships, romantic interests, business relationships, and far beyond. Explore the vices and virtues of the people you’ve met.
- People change; some stay together, and some fall apart. Write about an old friend you’ve lost touch with and why it happened.
- A few words can change a person’s perception of things. Write about a conversation you’ve had that changed your life.
- Discuss a productive business relationship where you’ve achieved something great while working with your partner.
- Dads can be the voice of reason and moral discipline. Talk about the way your father has influenced you.
- As people grow and move around, they change their circles of friends. Have you had this experience? Talk about what it feels like to meet an entirely new group of people while sharing experiences, making friends, and building relationships.
Moral & Ethical Dilemmas
Laws keep the world in order. Or do they? Students from all over the world discuss plenty of challenging moral questions. The time comes when a person has to choose – do the legal thing or do the right thing—according to their set of ethical standards. These points make morality an infinite pool of inspiration for writing.
- Talk about the time you’ve done something illegal, but you feel that it was the right thing to do.
- Talk about your observation of a cowardly act. Explain why you think it was cowardly and share what you would have done instead.
- Teachers, parents, police, and government – examine the morals they preach and whether or not they can be wrong sometimes. Provide details for your act of rebellion against ‘the man in charge.’
- Talk about a time you had to do something that undermined your morality.
- From a moral perspective, how do you think your government should deal with homeless people?
Hobbies & Interests
Hobbies are the things that people enjoy doing most of all. Hobbies can end up sparking lifetime interests or involvement in one’s community. Most people end up being happier when their hobbies can be incorporated into their jobs. Additionally, people attract each other based on the things they do and the places they go. Ask yourself “What do I enjoy doing?” Or “Why do I like this particular type of music?”
- Discuss the time you’ve abandoned your responsibilities to do something in favor of your hobby.
- Write about your talent and how you have developed it.
- Would you turn your hobby into a class taught in schools?
- Tell us how your hobby or obsession managed to get you a job.
- Hobbies are often looked over by parents. They want their kids to do well in school. How do you think parents should act towards kids who care more about their hobbies than getting good grades?
Moments of Inspiration
Ever had that moment that inspired you to do great things? As students, we often get inspired by the most straightforward observations. Whatever your source of inspiration – whether it is a field trip, a beautiful view, a film with a moving story, or a classic book like ‘Catcher in the Rye’ – you can always turn it into a fascinating piece of writing.
- Have you ever seen a movie that inspired you to go out and do great things?
- Have you ever been inspired by a book character to behave a certain way? How do you empathize with this character?
- The most successful people have failed millions of times to reach success. Tell us about a successful person that inspires you to keep trying.
- Write about a time when something seemingly insignificant greatly inspired you (examples: a close person, a heroic deed, an event, etc.)
- Have you ever felt like you could do better? Remember the time you saw someone do something, and it inspired you to do it better than them.
College Student Life
Going to college means getting catapulted into a new world enriched with new impressions – new circles of people, a new system of education, student living conditions, and much more. All of the craziest stories happen in college; whether you’re there to party or use textbooks for pillows, there's plenty of narrative essay topics for college, and about college, that you can write about.
- Tell us about the time it felt very unlikely that you would pass an exam, but you passed anyway—and how you prepared for it.
- College professors are open to discussions and reinterpretations. Describe the time you felt like your professor was wrong.
- Describe a lecture that has inspired you to get out there and do great things.
- After a harsh transition from high school, there is always a moment when a student snaps and suddenly realizes that they’re in college. Tell us about the moment that kick-started your college life.
- College can refer to partying, studying, or fulfilling your dream – which one do you feel most fits your interpretation of it?
‘Imagine If’ Scenarios
Narrative essays usually require students to write about their lives. What are the exceptions? Frequently, narratives get dramatized in favor of telling a great story, over blatantly stating facts. ‘Imagine If…” scenarios can be massively dramatized versions of reality, making them one of the most popular sub-genres in essay writing. Enter the realm of free-flowing imagination and see where it takes you:
- If you had your reality show, what would it be like?
- If you could travel back in time, where would you go and why? Would you change the past?
- If you had a superpower, which one would you choose and why? Would you use it for personal gain or to help people?
- What if you were a movie director with an unlimited budget? Tell us about the movie you’d make!
- If you were a best-selling musician and you had just come off of your most successful album ever, what would you do next?
Places You Have Been
You should not necessarily discuss only places from your memories; it is also possible to describe locations that you would like to visit and provide reasons for doing so. Some ideas may include:
- Tales from history: the impression of a visit to the National Museum of U.S. History
- The first time in your life you took a trip abroad. Describe your thoughts about that flight
- The very first time you traveled to Paris—as compared to your last visit to the ‘City of Love’
- Tasting your favorite dish in a cozy restaurant by the sea
- Going to see one of your favorite rock bands in one of the best venues
Most Preferred Activities
This one is similar to your “hobbies”, yet slightly different. It is better to focus on what you do well and share some useful recommendations instead of fake memories. Describing something you have a passion for always adds a dynamic perspective.
- If you were a scriptwriter for “Game of Thrones,” what would you change about the plot of season three?
- If there is a book that changed your opinion on a specific topic, would you recommend it to others, and why?
- Do you see any resemblance between your favorite Marvel and DC heroes?
- If you were the head of a mobile app development company, which sort of game would you release first?
- Is there a music composition that always cheers you up in any situation?
Author’s Strong Sides or Expertise
If you believe you are an expert in a particular field, offer the reader some tips and tricks on how to succeed in the same area. Recall personal experiences and factors that have helped you. It may look like recommendations, but do not forget you are writing a narrative essay – involve more creativity and descriptions.
- The reasons people can cry on my shoulder and get cheered up immediately
- Several reasons that make me the top specialists when it comes to social media marketing
- The art of telling lies: how my creativity once saved the day
- Features that make me the best football player on my team
- A paper for those who seek advice in cooking Japanese dishes
Good Narrative Essay Topics Without a Category
All of the previous narrative essay topics are tied to a particular genre or theme. Still, there are plenty of good narrative essay topics you can pick from that are quite random, yet fun to write about. Check out some additional topics for narrative essay assignments that we have thought up:
- The first car you ever bought
- Something that really ‘grinds your gears’
- The worst day ever
- Your guide to dancing at parties
- The moment you realized that Google saves all of your data
- Your guide to relieving stress
- Your guide to reading books, listening to music, and watching movies
- Things to do while waiting in line
- If you had a billion dollars for one day
- A dream that came true—by accident or through hard work
Fun Narrative Essay Topics for High School Students
This section is a pleasant bonus for our young readers! A good sense of humor is an excellent ace up your sleeve in writing. You may be able to turn a serious situation into something fun and relaxing by involving a relevant joke or anecdote. The rest of your essay will then feel more alive and exciting. These ideas will help you get inspired:
- A bad experience with girls or boys
- The time you almost died doing something stupid
- The time when your fun and naive high school persona got trapped in a harsh real-world situation
- The most significant experience in your digital life
- The moment when math saved your life
- If you starred in ‘My Sweet Sixteen’
- If you starred in ‘Sixteen and Pregnant’
- The most random way you’ve made a friend
- The moment you realized that partying is destructive and decided to stop
- Your first experience with alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs. What would you tell a person who has never tried either?
Narrative Paper Topics about Personality
Each of us has their own personality. It is possible to express yourself in any light by choosing to write a narrative paper about your strengths, weaknesses, characteristics, mood, etc. We have analyzed some of the best topics for you.
- How patient can you be when you have to wait for something that matters to you?
- How much self-control do you have?
- Have you been a leader at least once in your life?
- How would your life be different if you had lost your parents early in life?
- Do you have a competitive spirit when it comes to playing various sports?
- Do you take more risks when your best friends are around you?
- List and discuss your personal superstitions
- Talk about all of the pranks, jokes, anecdotes, and hoaxes you have fallen for
- Discuss assumptions that people usually make about you
- How much of a daredevil are you?
Gender & Sexuality
Any topic related to gender is a sensitive one. Essay writers should be careful not to tread on corn. A paper about sex and gender should be objective and written in a neutral tone. Here we are with some issues that you may find interesting to discuss:
- Are there any boys in your company that regard women as “prey”?
- Is there too much pressure on women to have ideal bodies?
- The difference between male and female roles based on your family and parents
- Effective preventive measures to deal with online adult content
- The best way to learn about sex in school
- The basic principles and purposes of the feminist movement
- Is it acceptable to have gender and sexual education at school?
- Why so many parents possess different hopes for their sons than they do for their daughters
- The way sexuality is presented in the “Game of Thrones” book series
- Did you have any negative experiences with gender bias in school?

After finding a topic that suits your mood, do some brainstorming. Write all of the possible scenarios on a piece of paper and organize them into a unique narrative essay outline. Follow the instructors of your professor. Most of your questions have probably been answered there. Our essay service has compiled some writing tips to help you manage your essay without any hassle.
Narrative Essay Examples
You may also be interested in the article about the case study format . We recommend reading it to broaden your horizons.
Give Us Your Task
We provide coursework writing help as well as editing and proofreading. Every paper we deal with is written and triple-checked by a team of experts—which means that you are guaranteed to get top-quality work from our ' do my homework ' service. Order now!
Related Articles


- Search M
- Translate N
Can’t find what you’re looking for?
Translate / traduire / übersetzen / tłumaczyć / išversti / tulkot / traducir.
Westgate Primary School
We T each, We L earn, We C are
Take a look at some of our recent photos.
- Year 6 Writing Examples
- Class Pages
In this page, you will find some examples of what is expected of Year 6 writers who are meeting all the age-related requirements. SCROLL DOWN to find out what to expect from your children and some of the reasons why this is expected at Year 6. All the examples below are from "extended writing" sessions, which are generally over two lessons and are completed independently having spent previous lessons building up and practising writing skills.
Why is this writing at the age-related expectation (ARE) for the end of Year 6?
- Almost entirely grammatically correct, allowing for occasional punctuation and spelling errors.
- Capitals, full stops, commas, apostrophes and question marks are all mostly accurate.
- Uses the full range of punctuation to include evidence of dashes, brackets, hyphens, semi-colons and colons.
- Writing structure, formality and purpose should be clearly met. For example, the tone and layout of a newspaper should be clearly different to a narrative or a set of instructions.
- Handwriting should be neat, joined and legible.
- Correct tense throughout.
- A range of multi-clause sentences, including some thought into when you would use shorter or longer sentences. This is why children learn about grammar skills, such as: fronted adverbials, relative clauses, subordinate clauses, rhetorical questions and so on.
- A range of devices to create flow in the writing.
- Evidence that they have checked, improved and/or corrected their writing and spelling.
- Year 6 notes for parents - ARE.pdf

Below is what writing should look like halfway through the year. It is not yet meeting all the criteria as set out above but it is very close.
Expected to be ARE - Halfway through the year images

Below is what "greater depth" writing may look like halfway through the year. Note the additional flair to the sentences, improved spelling and more consistent, challenging punctuation.
Greater depth writing halfway through the year

We use cookies to track usage and improve the website.
Click here for more information .
- Schools and Districts
- Love To Write and Read All Day
- Empowering Writers
- The Canadian Teacher Couple's Instagram

- Scope & Sequence Guides
- Standards Alignment Charts
- Graphic Organizers
- Literature Connection
- Student Writing Samples
- Lessons of the Month
- Quick Writes
- Recommended Reading
Narrative Writing Sample- Grade 6

Narrative Writing Grade 6 Sample Splash!
Feedback for Improvement
What worked:
- There is a sense of story with a beginning, middle and end.
- The word choice is often high level - slammed, sprinted, flopped, tranquil, glistened
- Entertaining Beginning: There was a mix of sound, action and thought - the author established the setting - the pond on a hot day
- Elaborative Detail: There was plenty of elaborative detail - in the second paragraph, the author describes the setting - “Soon grey clouds filled the sky. Boom crash bang roared the thunder. I felt cool drops of water. We stared at the bubbles then a fish flopped into the air.”
- Extended Ending : The author used a mix of memory, hope and thought.
Can you summarize this story?
This is a story about ______________.
The problem/adventure was _____________.
The problem was solved/adventure concluded when ___________.
Feedback with Prescriptive Lesson: CHOOSE a Focus Skill:
- Section 1 Lesson 1: Introducing Graphic Organizers with Summarizing Framework
- Section 1 Lesson 9: Annotating Narrative Stories - build foundation for story writing
- Section 1 Lesson 11: Analyzing Assignments for Givens and Variables - creating pre-writing plans
Suspense: There was some evidence of suspense in the word “Suddenly,” however, it would improve the writing to add a magic of three as the thunderstorm rolled in.
- Section 4 Lesson 3: Red Flag Words and Phrases
- Section 4 Lesson 4: The Magic of Three
Main Event: What appears to be the main event is mostly description with some very general action. What was the main event of the story? Once that is established then add a balanced mix of action, description, thoughts/feelings, dialogue, and sound.
- Section 5 Lesson 1: Comparing Summaries
- Section 5 Lesson 2: Main Event
This student will benefit from participating in modeled lessons to develop the middle of the story- both suspense and main event.
Recommended Resources
- Empowering Writer's Methodology
- Narrative Writing Guide for Grade 6

731 Main Street Suite 117 Monroe, CT 06468
Administrators.
- Administrators Home
- Research & Case Studies
- Teachers Home
- The Teachers Toolbox
- Our Products
- Our Workshops
- Career Opportunities
- Tax-Exempt certificate
- Product and Services Catalogue
- Cookie Policy
- Privacy Policy
- Terms & Conditions
Get the Lesson of the Month!
- Arts & Music
- English Language Arts
- World Language
- Social Studies - History
- Holidays / Seasonal
- Independent Work Packet
- Easel by TPT
- Google Apps
Interactive resources you can assign in your digital classroom from TPT.

Easel Activities

Easel Assessments
Unlock access to 4 million resources — at no cost to you — with a school-funded subscription..
narrative writing prompts 6th grade
All Formats
Resource types, all resource types, results for narrative writing prompts 6th grade.
- Price (Ascending)
- Most Recent

Narrative Opinion Writing Prompts Paragraph Writing 3rd 4th 5th 6th Grade Tpt

Writing Prompts Narrative Opinion Informational Paragraph and Essay Writing

6th Grade Narrative Writing Rubric - Common Core Standards

Literacy Centers for 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th Grade (January)

Also included in: Monthly Themed Literacy Centers for 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th Grade

On-Demand Writing Prompts: Test Prep for Narrative, Opinion, Informative Writing

6th Grade ILEARN Test Prep Reading ELA - Printable & SELF-GRADING GOOGLE FORMS!

Also included in: ILEARN ELA Bundle Grades 6 - 8 SELF-GRADING GOOGLE FORM Tests + Games! Indiana

Narrative Writing Prompts

Writing Prompts Fan Bundle for fun picture prompt narrative writing prompts

Writing Prompts Fan for Common Core Expository Narrative and Opinion Writing
Also included in: Writing Prompts Fan Bundle for fun picture prompt narrative writing prompts

Literacy Centers 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th Grade Back to School Printables

ELA WRITING: Grade 6 ACT Aspire REFLECTIVE NARRATIVE: 15 Prompts

Creative FUN Picture Writing Prompts | Narrative, Descriptive, Opinion, & MORE!

Narrative Writing Genre Study with Lessons, Notes, and Narrative Writing Prompts

Also included in: Writing Lessons - Narrative, Informative, and Persuasive Writing (Digital incl.)

Literacy Centers for 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th Grade (March)

In The Write Direction - Daily Writing Prompts 3rd-6th grade

6th Grade State Test Prep for Language Arts (Ohio/CCSS aligned)

Also included in: 6th Grade LA Test Prep Bundle: aligned to the AIR test!

7th Grade STAAR Writing Practice Tests & Games Bundle SELF-GRADING GOOGLE FORMS!

Creative Writing Prompts 3rd Grade 4th 5th Daily Practice Google Classroom

Also included in: Writing Prompts Opinion Narrative Informational

Literacy Centers for 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th Grade (Halloween)

6th Grade Ohio State OST Test Prep ELA Reading - SELF-GRADING GOOGLE Ohio Air
Also included in: Ohio State Test (OST) Test Prep ELA SELF-GRADING GOOGLE FORM QUIZZES Ohio AIR

6th Grade ELA Standalone Questions & Writing Prompts PSSA Practice

Writing Lessons - Narrative, Informative, and Persuasive Writing (Digital incl.)

Writing Rubrics Grade 6

Literacy Centers for 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th Grade (December)
TPT empowers educators to teach at their best.
- We're Hiring
- Help & FAQ
- Terms of Service
- Trademark & Copyright
- Privacy Policy
- Student Privacy Policy
Keep in Touch!
Are you getting the free resources, updates, and special offers we send out every week in our teacher newsletter?
- Kindergarten
- Greater Than Less Than
- Measurement
- Multiplication
- Place Value
- Subtraction
- Punctuation
- 1st Grade Reading
- 2nd Grade Reading
- 3rd Grade Reading
- Cursive Writing
- Alphabet Coloring
- Animals Coloring
- Birthday Coloring
- Boys Coloring
- Buildings Coloring
- Cartoons Coloring
- Christmas Coloring
- Country Flag Coloring
- Country Map Coloring
- Disney Coloring
- Fantasy Coloring
- Food Coloring
- Girls Coloring
- Holidays Coloring
- Music Coloring
- Nature Coloring
- New Year Coloring
- People Coloring
- Religious Coloring
- Sports Coloring
- Toys Coloring
- Transportation Coloring
- US Sports Team Coloring
- Valentine Day Coloring
Year 6 Narrative Writing
Displaying top 8 worksheets found for - Year 6 Narrative Writing .
Some of the worksheets for this concept are Narrative writing unit, Nglish year 6, English term 1, Year 5 and 6 writing genres year a, Year 6 narrative unit 4 short stories with flashbacks, Dont show, Narrative writing activities83, Year 5 entry into year 6 15 hour revision booklet english.
Found worksheet you are looking for? To download/print, click on pop-out icon or print icon to worksheet to print or download. Worksheet will open in a new window. You can & download or print using the browser document reader options.
1. Narrative Writing Unit
2. nglish year 6 -, 3. english term 1, 4. year 5 and 6 writing genres year a -, 5. year 6 narrative unit 4 short stories with flashbacks, 6. dont tell. show, 7. narrative writing activities83, 8. year 5 (entry into year 6) 15 hour revision booklet english.
- International
- Schools directory
- Resources Jobs Schools directory News Search
2 WEEK - WRITING - WW2 FILM NARRATIVE - YEAR 6
Subject: English
Age range: 7-11
Resource type: Other

Last updated
22 February 2018
- Share through email
- Share through twitter
- Share through linkedin
- Share through facebook
- Share through pinterest
Tes paid licence How can I reuse this?
Your rating is required to reflect your happiness.
It's good to leave some feedback.
Something went wrong, please try again later.
This resource hasn't been reviewed yet
To ensure quality for our reviews, only customers who have purchased this resource can review it
Report this resource to let us know if it violates our terms and conditions. Our customer service team will review your report and will be in touch.
Not quite what you were looking for? Search by keyword to find the right resource:
- What is Matrix+ Online?
- English ADV
- Maths EXT 1
- English STD
- Maths STD 2
- Maths EXT 2
- Trial Exam Prep Online Courses
- HSC Exam Prep Courses
- UCAT Prep Courses
- UCAT Prep Course
- Trial Exam Prep Courses
- For aspiring students
- Inspirational Teachers
- Great Learning Environment
- Proven Results
- Customer Reviews
- For future team members
- Work at Matrix
- Jobs at Matrix
- Primary School Survival Guide
- Opportunity Class Guide
- Selective Schools Guide
- ATAR & Scaling
- Get HSC Ready in 28 Days
- High Schools Guide
- NSW High School Rankings
- Online Learning Guide
- Student Wellbeing Guide
- Student Success Secrets
- Survival Guides
- VCE School Rankings
- Year 6 English
- Year 7 & 8 English
- Year 9 English
- Year 10 English
- Year 11 English Std
- Year 11 English Adv
- Year 12 English Std
- Year 12 English Adv
- HSC English Skills
- How to Write an Essay
- English Techniques Toolkit
- How to Analyse Poetry
- Year 7 Maths
- Year 8 Maths
- Year 9 Maths
- Year 10 Maths
- Year 11 Maths Adv
- Year 11 Maths Ext 1
- Year 12 Maths Std 2
- Year 12 Maths Adv
- Year 12 Maths Ext 1
- Year 12 Maths Ext 2
- Year 11 Biology
- Year 11 Chemistry
- Year 11 Physics
- Year 12 Biology
- Year 12 Chemistry
- Year 12 Physics
- Physics Practical Skills
- Periodic Table
- ATAR Calculator
- Help Centre
- Maths Exam Book
- Term Courses
- Holiday Courses
- Trial Exam Prep
- HSC Exam Prep
- Year 3 English Online Course
- Year 3 Maths Online Course
- OC Test Prep
- Year 4 English Online Course
- Year 4 Maths Online Course
- Year 5 Online
- Year 6 Online
- Year 7 English Online Course
- Year 7 Maths Online Course
- Year 8 English Online Course
- Year 8 Maths Online Course
- Year 9 English Online Course
- Year 9 Maths Adv Online Course
- Year 9 Science Online Course
- Year 10 English Online Course
- Year 10 Maths Online Course
- Year 10 Science Online Course
- Year 11 English Adv Online Course
- Year 11 Maths Adv Online Course
- Year 11 Maths Ext 1 Online Course
- Year 11 Biology Online Course
- Year 11 Chemistry Online Course
- Year 11 Physics Online Course
- Year 12 English Standard Online Course
- Year 12 English Advanced Online Course
- Year 12 Maths Standard 2 Online Course
- Year 12 Maths Advanced Online Course
- Year 12 Maths Ext 1 Online Course
- Year 12 Maths Ext 2 Online Course
- Year 12 Biology Online Course
- Year 12 Chemistry Onlne Course
- Year 12 Physics Online Course
- Trial Exam Preparation Online Courses
- HSC Exam Prep Online Courses
- HSC Trial Exam Prep Online Courses
- Year 7 English Live Online Course
- Year 7 Maths Live Online Course
- Year 8 English Live Online Course
- Year 8 Maths Live Online Course
- Year 9 English Live Online Course
- Year 9 Maths Adv Live Online Course
- Year 9 Science Live Online Course
- Year 10 English Live Online Course
- Year 10 Maths Live Online Course
- Year 10 Science Live Online Course
- Year 11 English Advanced Live Online Course
- Year 11 Maths Advanced Live Online Course
- Year 11 Maths Ext 1 Live Online Course
- Year 11 Biology Live Online Course
- Year 11 Chemistry Live Online Course
- Year 11 Physics Live Online Course
- Year 12 English Advanced Live Online Course
- Year 12 Maths Adv Live Course
- Year 12 Maths Extension 1 Live Course
- Year 12 Maths Extension 2 Live Online Course
- Year 12 English Standard Live Online Course
- Year 12 Biology Live Online Course
- Year 12 Chemistry Live Online Course
- Year 12 Physics Live Online Course
- Online Learning
- Student Success Secrets Guide
- Year 11 Maths
- 1. Grammar Mistakes
- 2. Comprehension Skills
- 3. Reading Journals
- 4. Creative Writing
- 5. Extended Responses
- 5. Extended Responses1111
Part 4: How to Write a Year 6 Creative in 8 Steps | Free Short Story Planner
Does creative writing freak you out? Don't worry, with this process you'll have the confidence to write creatives like a High Schooler!

- Share this article

Creative writing can be hard, but it needn’t be. Many Year 6 students get overwhelmed by creative tasks. In this post, we’ll show you how to write a Year 6 creative in 8 steps as if you were in Year 7.
Get ready to rock your marker!

Download our free Creative Writing Planner
Help your child write amazing short stories
Done! Your download has been emailed.
Please allow a few minutes for it to land in your inbox.

We take your privacy seriously. T&Cs and Privacy Policy .
How do you write Year 6 creatives?
This is the process we teach students for writing high scoring creatives:
- Design your character
- Work out how your narrative ends
- Decide what happens to them
- Choose your structure
- Write your draft
- Get feedback
- Redraft for submission

Why do Year 6 students struggle with writing creatives?
Many High School students struggle with creative writing. So, it is no wonder that Year 6 students find creative writing difficult.
Year 6 students tend to get frustrated because they can come up with imaginative ideas, but then have difficulty developing them.
Do any of these sound like you?
- I can come up with a character, but I can’t make her believable
- I’ve got an idea for a plot, but I don’t know where it goes
- The narrative I’ve written is too short
- My dialogue is terrible
- I don’t know how to finish my story
- My story tells and doesn’t show
- I can’t use techniques in my narrative
These are common problems. And the good news is that they can be solved by following a process!
We’ve developed a method for writing compelling and exciting creatives that will work for Year 6 students all the way to Year 12!
What we’re going to do now is step you through the step-by-step process for writing fantastic creatives.

How to write a Year 6 creative in 8 steps!
The secret to doing anything well is following a process. Just because narratives are creative doesn’t mean they just pour out of you.
No. There’s a reason it’s called the creative PROCESS!
So, let’s go through the Matrix step-by-step process for writing creatives.

Step 1: Design your characters
Narratives require a character to be engaging. This is because we relate to people (or anthropomorphised creatures – like Simba from the Lion King or Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy.
One of the things that makes characters compelling is having qualities and flaws that are prominent and change over the course of the story.
So, the first thing you want to do is decide on who your character is.
You should use a table to plan out your character details.
Once you’ve created a character, you’re in a position to start figuring out what happens to them.
Step 2: Decide how your narrative ends
Sometimes it is hard to figure exactly how your story ends.
That’s okay. Writing endings, especially good endings, is the hardest part of writing a story.
Remember, you don’t need to produce a complete resolution. Farah doesn’t need to learn how to be a perfect bassist or acquire a taste for his Teta’s baking. You just need to show what the next logical step is in his development.
Here are some questions to ask when deciding on an appropriate ending:
- What are some negative traits that the protagonist has demonstrated? How can they change these?
- Does the protagonist have a damaged relationship that needs addressing or repairing?
- What likes or dislikes that the character has can shape what they need to overcome
- If the protagonist can’t solve their problem, what is the first thing they could do in trying to solve it?
It doesn’t matter if you can’t totally pin down the exact ending, you can always develop it further as you work through the second or 3rd draft
Once you’ve figured out a rough ending, you can plan out the structure in more detail.
Step 3: Decide what happens to get to the ending
Narratives work because they have characters we care about (like the one you just created!) that have interesting and relatable things happen to them.
When you are trying to figure out the broad elements of the narrative, it may help you to break it down into three parts:
- Introduction : Where you introduce the protagonist (the main character), other characters and the setting
- Complication : Something happens that disrupts the regular life of the protagonist, challenging them
- Resolution : The protagonist works out how to solve their challenge and tries to solve it.
Step 4: Choose your Structure
When you plan structure you need to consider:
- The scaffold of events that occur in the text
- The tense that the story is told in (past/present/future)
- The perspective the narrative is told from (1st/ 2nd/ 3rd)

You reveal what happens through your narrative structure and plot scaffold
Step 4a: Choose your plot scaffold
A plot scaffold develops your plot in more detail and gives you the structure to tell it. Do you want to use a flashback as a narrative device or would you rather tell your story from start to finish?
Your choice here would shape your plot scaffold. Below is a pair of flowcharts illustrating the two most common scaffolds:
- Scaffold 1 is a linear narrative that runs from start to finish
- Scaffold 2 uses a flashback to develop the resolution

One scaffold is not better than the other. Flashbacks can be confusing, cliche or unnecessarily convoluted, similarly linear narratives can be predictable or a little plain.
You will need to play around to see which one works best for YOUR story.
You’ll notice that this is more detailed than the initial plot structure:
- The introduction has been split into ORIENTATION and TRIGGER
- The complication has been developed into FIRST and SECOND COMPLICATIONS
Let’s see what this might look like:
Step 4b: Choose your tense
Once, you’ve picked a scaffold, you need to decide if it is told in the present or the past tense.
Writing in the simple past is the most common. It is easy to read and relatively straight forward to write.
Narratives written in the present continuous (-ing) are not uncommon but are a little harder to write. They can become hard to follow when characters in the present are remembering events in the past or they can seem overly simple and childish.
Blake Crouch’s Dark matter (2017) is a good example of an engaging and well-written present continuous narrative. You can read a sample on this page .
You should think about whether the events in the narrative are being narrated as they happen to the protagonist or if they are being remembered later on:
- Use the present tense if events are being narrated in real-time
- Use the past tense if they are being remembered later on
Step 4c: Choose your perspective
You have three choices when choosing the perspective your story is narrated from:
- First-person : Events are told from a character’s perspective. the narrator uses “I”, “me”, and “we” to describe their actions
- Second-person : Events are told from the reader’s perspective. This means that you use “you” to describe the narrator’s actions. This is a difficult perspective to write and can be quite jarring
- Third-person : Events are told from an omniscient (god’s eye-view) perspective. The common pronouns used to describe the protagonist’s actions are “they”, “he”, “she”, “it”, etc.
if you’re just getting confidence writing narratives, you’ll find it easiest to start off with a third-person perspective. As you develop confidence and skill, you should start practising first-person narration.
As a rule, second-person narration should be avoided intially as it is to get wrong and can seem quite gimmicky.
To help you choose, here are some pros and cons for each tense:
Okay, now you’ve done your planning, you’re ready to… write your 1st draft!
Step 5: Write your draft
First things first,
It’s okay for your first draft to suck!
Like, really really suck. That’s okay. That’s the point of a first draft. it is a starting point for something much much better.
Be prepared to produce something terrible and then rebuild it into something great!
Now grab your plan and we’ll develop a first draft.
Let’s see how you should do that:
Step 5a: Compose the orientation
Your narrative needs a compelling hook. It also needs to introduce the characters and setting.
Don’t worry too much about getting the hook right in the first draft.
Introduce the setting and prominent characters by providing brief descriptions rather than detailed ones. Stories are more effective when the reader gets to paint the picture of characters.
For example, compare these two openings:
- Farah was hunched over his controller focused on clearing the map with his teammates when the door to his room nearly blew off the hinges. His mother hulked in through the frame, eyes glaring.
- Farah was a fourteen-year boy with blue eyes and black hair. He was playing Fortnite Season 9 with his friends. His mum knocked on the door, but Farah couldn’t hear her. His mum opened the door and walked in. She was wearing a green dress and had her hair in a ponytail. She was unhappy with Farah.
See the difference between the two? The first is more concise and only gives the reader as much information as they need. The second is much too detailed and in the process of being detailed loses any tension.
When writing your orientation, aim to only introduce the setting and key characters. You can start developing things further when you introduce the trigger.
Step 5b: Write your trigger
The trigger is an incident that sets the course of events in the narrative in motion. It could be something small like something said in a conversation. Or it could be something huge like an alien invasion.
You should make it clear that your trigger is important. You do this by describing the protagonist’s (and other characters’) response to it.
Step 5c: Write the 1st complication
The first complication is an obstacle that a character or characters encounter
Remember, complications are meant to provoke the character to find a solution to something and to have an emotional response.
For example, in Farah’s story, the first complication is being told by his Mum that he needs to go with the family to see his Teta and Gido at the hospital. He doesn’t want to go he has band practise with his friends, but has no choice but to go to the hospital.
When you write your complication, be sure to explain what the character’s response to it is. Describe their physical response and consider how they speak to people about it.
Ask yourself:
- How does this make the character feel?
- What will my character do in response?
- Does this change the character’s environment or the story’s setting?
- Is there an impact on the character’s relationships because of this complication?
Then you can describe what the characters do in response to the first complication.
Step 5d: Write the 2nd complication
The second complication occurs while the character(s) is overcoming the first one.
As in the first one, you need to describe:
- What the complication is
- How it affects the character
- If it affects their emotions
- Whether it changes their relationships
- What the character(s) will do in response to it
For example, in Farah’s case, the second complication occurs when his Grandma gives him a hard time about not playing the cello and challenging him to play them some music. It doesn’t go well, Farah isn’t as good a bass player as a cellist.
Once you’ve written the complication and its consequences, you can finish the story by writing the resolution.
Step 5e: Write the resolution
A resolution is where you conclude the narrative.
When you resolve a narrative, you don’t need to write the complete ending!
What does this mean? When you write a creative, you are only relating a short series of events that happen to a character or group fo people. You don’t need to tell their whole life stories!
Instead, you need to think about what part of their lives you want to relate and focus on that.
For example, in Farah’s story, we don’t need to see him go to his band practice after the hospital trip. Instead, we can focus on a smaller resolution. Farah’s Gido reveals he was in a punk band, plays some really good music, and explains why he left Lebanon in the 80s. He agrees to teach Farah how to play bass. The end.
Step 6: Edit your creative
When you edit a piece of work you want to break it down into two types of editing:
- Macro edits: This is where you consider bigger picture things like structure, plot holes or characterisation, symbols and leitmotifs
- Micro edits: Where you work on correct grammar, tense consistency, incorporating techniques, making your writing concise
To edit your creative, you want to tick off the items on the following checklist.
✔ Macro: Check for plot holes
Read through your story, make sure all of the events make sense.
Ensure there are no logical flaws.
✔ Macro: Look for consistency
Make sure you’ve used the correct tenses throughout.
Ensure sure you haven’t confused tenses.
Make sure the perspective is consistent throughout.
✔ Macro: Choose a symbol/ leitmotif and develop it
You need to develop a symbol, symbols, or leitmotif (a recurrent symbol) throughout.
For example, instruments in Farah’s narrative show his passion and come to be a leitmotif showing his renewed connection to his Gido
✔ Micro: Develop your dialogue
Dialogue is important. It shows the reader how characters relate to one another.
Dialogue is hard to write right.
It takes practice. When learning how to write dialogue, focus on keeping it tight by only including dialogue that:
- Shows a relation to another character
- Develops character
- Moves the plot along
- Is only related to the plot!
If it doesn’t do any of the above, then it is unnecessary.
✔ Micro: Incorporate techniques
You need to include techniques in your writing to help represent things.
This is how you SHOW and don’t tell.
Look for parts of your narrative where you only describe things in plain language and change them to using techniques like rhetorical questions, metaphors, similes, or symbols to convey your meaning.
For example, consider the following statements:
- “In the backseat of the car, Farah sat silently but inside he was very upset”
- “Silence engulfed the car, Farah’s cold burning resentment in the backseat was a black hole that compressed the small talk to nothing.’
The second statement might be longer but, clearly, it is more evocative because it compares Farah’s mood to a black hole.
✔ Micro: Edit for grammar
Read your narrative aloud. This will help you find grammatical mistakes and other errors.
You should:
- Look for sentences that aren’t complete sentences
- Make sure you’ve used the correct form of verbs
- Ensure you’ve used possessive apostrophes
- Check you’ve spelled things correctly
- Look to see that you’ve employed paragraphing.
if you want help learning about grammar. You must read our English grammar Toolkit .
✔ Micro: Edit for concision
Finally, you want to get rid of all of the rambling and fluff from your story.
Short stories are meant to be concise. You don’t want to waste a reader’s time. Instead, you want to make sure that the action is moving along throughout.
Read through your narrative and consistently ask yourself:
Does my reader need to know this?
If the answer is no, then you should consider removing or rewriting it.
Once this is done, you’ve finished your first draft!
That’s the hardest bit done.
Now you need feedback.

Step 7: Get Feedback and incorporate
Once you’ve got the first draft and tidied it up, you’re ready to get some feedback.
Feedback is important, as it will tell you what works in your narrative and what doesn’t.
When we write, it is often very easy to write for ourselves:
- Writing big flowery sentences
- Making assumptions about events or characters in the text that a reader needs to make sense of things
- Indulge certain techniques or phrases we like that don’t work for other readers
Feedback is a way of identifying these issues.
It can be hard receiving criticism on our work. Sometimes we don’t like hearing that our work isn’t fantastic.
It’s really important that you separate criticism of your work from criticism of you. The two are not the same (take note, parents!)
To get effective feedback, it will help if you give your reader a feedback form so they can tell you what they like and don’t like.
Step 7a: Give your reader a feedback form:
Once you get the feedback, you want to review it and take on board what the reader says.
You don’t need to follow all of their suggestions, but you should pay attention to those things that the reader says affect the readability of the piece.
Step 7b: Plan your changes
Before you redraft, make a plan outlining the changes you need to make to the story to make it better:
Now you can redraft.
Step 8: Redraft
This is where you redraft your story.
Some of the pieces may need only one redraft, other times they may need to go through several drafts.
The main rule of redrafting is that you
Rewrite the story in full and don’t just cut and paster or drag and drop.
At Matrix, we prefer students to write their first and second drafts by hand. When you rewrite a second or third draft by hand, you are more willing to make drastic changes (which are really great improvements). When you use a word processor, you tend to make things that are bad work, rather than letting them go.
Make sure that after you’ve redrafted the story you give it a final proofread before you…

Submit and celebrate!
Now you’ve done all the hard work, you’re ready to submit it.
Remember, writing good narratives won’t happen overnight. Good writers become good through practice AND WIDE READING they weren’t born as good writers.
Don’t be afraid to write fan-fiction or try and imitate your favourite writers.
The best High School English Students try and write in a range of styles for fun and not just for school assessment tasks.
© Matrix Education and www.matrix.edu.au, 2023. Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Matrix Education and www.matrix.edu.au with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
More Essential Guides
Beginner's guide to year 7 maths, the beginner's guide to year 6 nsw selective schools, year 7 high school survival guide, get free study tips and resources delivered to your inbox..
- Your Name *
- Your Email *
Our website uses cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you continue to use this site, you consent to our use of cookies. Read our cookies statement .
OK, I understand
Teach Starter Teach Starter
Writing narrative texts unit plan - year 5 and year 6.

This English unit addresses the narrative text type; specifically, how to write an engaging narrative text.
It consists of 10 lessons of approximately 60 minutes duration.
The sequence of lessons and suggested time frames should be regarded as a guide only; teachers should pace lessons in accordance with the individual learning needs of their class.
An independent writing task, which may couple as an assessment task, is included in the unit. The number of lessons required to complete this task may vary from class to class.
Login to view the Unit plan.
Key Stage 2 (KS2) – Upper
Key Stage 2 (KS2) - Upper covers students in Year 5 and Year 6.
By the beginning of year 5, pupils should be able to read aloud a wider range of poetry and books written at an age-appropriate interest level with accuracy and at a reasonable speaking pace. They should be able to read most words effortlessly and to...
Composition

Teach Starter Publishing
We create premium quality, downloadable teaching resources for primary/elementary school teachers that make classrooms buzz!
Find more resources like this
- Imaginative Writing
- Key Stage 2 - Upper
Write a review to help other teachers and parents like yourself. If you'd like to request a change to this resource, or report an error, select the corresponding tab above.
Suggest a Change
Would you like something changed or customised on this resource? While our team makes every effort to complete change suggestions, we can't guarantee that every change will be completed.
Report an Error
Did you spot an error on this resource? Please let us know and we will fix it shortly.
Are you having trouble downloading or viewing this resource? Please try the following steps:
- Check that you are logged in to your account
- For premium resources, check that you have a paid subscription
- Check that you have installed Adobe Reader ( download here )
If you are still having difficulty, please visit the Teach Starter Help Desk or contact us .

IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
A narrative is a story that shares a sequence of events, characters, and themes. It expresses experiences, ideas, and perspectives that should aspire to engage and inspire an audience. A narrative can spark emotion, encourage reflection, and convey meaning when done well.
Narrative writing tells a story using a beginning, middle, and end. It includes elements such as characters, setting, problem, and solution. The author's purpose is usually to entertain or teach a lesson. Narrative writing can be fact or fiction but the process is the same.
Writing Narrative Texts PowerPoint - Year 5 and Year 6 ... 3 worksheets teaching students how to link ideas when writing narrative paragraphs. 4 pages Years: 3 - 6 teaching resource Narrative Text Type Poster With Annotations A poster about the narrative text type, including an annotated example.
Narrative Essay Topics Your first day of school. Your most exciting day of school A field trip that your class took. Your favorite summer vacation. A trip that included something unexpected or surprising. A time that you experienced something spooky. A time that you experienced something truly frightening.
Developing Narrative Features PowerPoint - Year 5 and Year 6 A 26 slide editable PowerPoint template to use when teaching your students about the features of narrative texts. 26 pages Years: 5 - 6 teaching resource Five Senses Graphic Organiser A graphic organiser to use when brainstorming sights, sounds, smells, touches and tastes.
Narrative writing revolves around telling a story with a plot that has rising action, a climax, and a resolution. These narrative writing prompts will give your 6th-grade students plenty to think about-and write about. Story Starters Students will often struggle with where to start their stories.
Narrative writing prompts for 6th Grade Do you think you can go three months without the internet? Write a letter to your emotional self? Is it important for kids to have responsibilities and chores at home? What advice would you give to someone who is being bullied at the school?
6 Year 6 Planning Exemplification 2002-2003: Narrative Writing Unit Framework objectives Weeks 1 and 2 Year 6 Term 1 Text 7. to plan quickly and effectively the plot, characters and structure of their own narrative writing; Sentence 1. to revise from Y5: • re-expressing sentences in a different order; 4. to investigate connecting words and ...
Here are some tips for making a right choice with your narrative essay topics. 1. Keep in mind that narratives tell stories The theme you choose should make it possible for the audience to connect to your personal experience, skills, and the valuable life lessons. 2. Pick useful ideas to discuss
Year 1 Victorian Day Year 2 Great Fire of Warwick Trip Year 3 and 4 visit to Warwick Castle Year 4 Roman Day Year 5 Mayan Day Year 6 Cookery at King's High School Warwick - A Singing Town Project Year 6 Butterfly Farm Visit Christmas Gala Performance at Warwick Hall Reception Gardening Easter Egg Decorating Competition
Narrative Writing Sample- Grade 6 (Click image to download sample and feedback) Narrative Writing Grade 6 Sample Splash! Feedback for Improvement What worked: There is a sense of story with a beginning, middle and end. The word choice is often high level - slammed, sprinted, flopped, tranquil, glistened
Mrs G's Goobers. 5.0. (1) $8.00. Zip. Here's a year's worth of narrative writing prompts for your sweet 6th graders. The weekly writing journals are fun & creative, giving your kiddos plenty to think about as they use their narrative writing skills. Organized by month, there are 40 writing prompts plus a focus skill for each prompt.
Year 6, Term 2: T1 and T2 understand aspects of narrative structure; analyse how individual paragraphs are structured in writing; T8 analyse the success of texts and writers in evoking particular responses in the reader; T11 write own story using, for example flashbacks or a story within a story to convey the passing of time.
Creative Writing: Y6 - Working At Greater Depth Subject: English Age range: 11-14 Resource type: Worksheet/Activity 22 reviews File previews pptx, 15.48 MB A resource designed to help Y6 pupils who are at 'expected standard' who want to move beyond to 'greater depth'.
Year 6 Narrative Writing. Displaying top 8 worksheets found for - Year 6 Narrative Writing. Some of the worksheets for this concept are Narrative writing unit, Nglish year 6, English term 1, Year 5 and 6 writing genres year a, Year 6 narrative unit 4 short stories with flashbacks, Dont show, Narrative writing activities83, Year 5 entry into ...
This is a very wonderful resource that appeals to the five senses and gives students creative ideas making writing an easy and fun activity. Helpful endahz - Verified member since 2017 Reviewed on 20 February 2021 Interesting prompts. Thank you! One person found this helpful Helpful Hello there,
2. Write about what you know. A common but very useful piece of advice when writing is to write about what you know. This means, write about things you have experienced yourself. This advice might seem limiting, but it is very sensible for young writers as it will allow you to develop more confidence.
These Narrative Writing Worksheets for Year 6 are a handy practice tool for your budding creative writers. Ideal for primary English lessons. This Narrative Writing Worksheet PDF for Year 6 is brilliant for supporting your upper primary classes as they expand on their creative writing skills.
docx, 1.46 MB. docx, 13.98 KB. docx, 441.96 KB. An approximate 3-week block of Upper Key Stage 2 (5/6) writing base don the topic of WW2 and the stimulus of a Literacy Shed video. . Can be condensed or extended to suit individual teachers. Resource pack includes: - Individual lesson plans. - Grammar starters (based on EXS at end of KS2 objectives)
Step 4c: Choose your perspective. You have three choices when choosing the perspective your story is narrated from: First-person: Events are told from a character's perspective. the narrator uses "I", "me", and "we" to describe their actions. Second-person: Events are told from the reader's perspective.
10 x lessons | Suitable for stages: 2 - 6. This English unit addresses the narrative text type; specifically, how to write an engaging narrative text. It consists of 10 lessons of approximately 60 minutes duration. The sequence of lessons and suggested time frames should be regarded as a guide only; teachers should pace lessons in accordance ...