There are four types of essays:

• Exposition - gives information about various topics to the reader.
• Description - describes in detail characteristics and traits.
• Argument - convinces the reader by demonstrating the truth or falsity of a topic.
• Narrative - tells a story, usually from one person’s viewpoint.

Essential Elements of Narrative Essays

A narrative essay uses all the story elements - a beginning and ending, plot, characters, setting and climax - all coming together to complete the story.

The focus of a narrative essay is the plot, which is told using enough details to build to a climax. Here's how:
• It is usually told chronologically.
• It usually has a purpose, which is usually stated in the opening sentence.
• It may use dialogue.
• It is written with sensory details and vivid descriptions to involve the reader. All these details relate in some way to the main point the writer is making.

All of these elements need to seamlessly combine. A few examples of narrative essays follow. Narrative essays can be quite long, so instead of a full length example of an entire essay, only the beginnings of essays are included:

Tips on Writing a Narrative Essay

When writing a narrative essay, remember that you are sharing sensory and emotional details with the reader.
• Your words need to be vivid and colorful to help the reader feel the same feelings that you felt.
• Elements of the story need to support the point you are making and you need to remember to make reference to that point in the first sentence.
• You should make use of conflict and sequence like in any story.
• You may use flashbacks and flash forwards to help the story build to a climax.
• It is usually written in the first person, but third person may also be used.

Remember, a well-written narrative essay tells a story and makes a point.

Excerpted from Wikipedia