Prewriting for Narratives
The narrative portion of your narrative argument needs to accomplish two things: (1) share a real story about someone impacted by the topic of your argument and (2) include details that support your argument. These prewriting activities will help you identify a person and story connected to your topic, gather important details for the story, and organize your thoughts before you begin a first draft.
Prewriting to Select a Narrative Topic
You have several options for a narrative topic. You can choose an event that you yourself have exprienced, one involving someone you know personally, or the experience of someone you have never met but have learned about through your research. Consider people you encountered in the books, articles, videos, podcasts, and other sources you explored to create your argument essay.
Explore topic ideas.
Answer these questions to gather topic ideas for your narrative. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.
- What issue does my argument focus on?
(Answers will vary.)
- What experiences do I have related to the topic of my argument?
 
- What family members, friends, or other personal acquaintances have experiences directly related to the issue?
 
- What people in books, news stories, or other media have experiences related to the issue?
 
- Of the people identified in questions 2–4, whose experience best supports my argument?