Narrative Essay Topic Checklist
July 22, 2025
Posted by STLCC in Writing Resources
Answer the prompts below to determine whether the event you want to write about will make a good narrative essay topic.
Focused Event
Describe the event in two sentences or less:
[ Write here ]
Timeline
A strong narrative essay should have a concise time period. Narrative essays should have a specific starting and ending point.
- How long is the timeline for your narrative essay? ________________________________________________
- When does your story start? ____________________________________________________________________
- When does your story end? ______________________________________________________________________
Central Conflict/Problem
An interesting story generally develops around one of the four conflict types shown below (circle one):
- Self v. Another Person (You v. a cyber-bully; you v. your best friend who’s competing for the same job opening).
- Self v. Self (Your ambition to become an aviator v. your fear of math skills required for pilot’s license; your conscience v. desire for making easy money with a Ponzi scheme).
- Self v. Force of Nature (Your survival v. a grizzly bear encountered on a hike; your completion of marathon v. pain from sprained ankle).
- Self v. Society (Your right to keep beloved pitbull v. community ordinance prohibiting pitbull ownership; your freedom to ride your motorcycle without a helmet v. Missouri helmet law).
- Identify the type of conflict (“Self v. ___”) central to your narrative.
- Describe the specific conflict (see above examples in parentheses) central to your narrative in a short phrase or sentence.
Climax
What was the climax of this story?
Significance/Reflection
In one or two sentences, describe the major change in the way you think or feel about yourself, other people, or some aspect of life as a result of this event:
Before this experience, I would describe my attitude/perspective toward……… as……
As a result of this experience, my attitude/perspective is now:
The significance of the narrative becomes your thesis statement:
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