Diction and Voice

• Unlike other forms of academic writing, it is acceptable to write a narrative essay in a personal tone. Your choice of words and voice can stray from professional toward more playful prose. You do not have to make internal citations, and you are free to write in a voice that is more close to the way in which you speak. You still do need to obey most conventional wisdom concerning grammar, spelling and sentence structure. A good narrative paper has a clear, personal voice that is unique to the writer.
  
  

Clarity

• While narrative essays are written with a more personal tone, you still have to make sure that your purpose within the writing is clear. Even though a narrative paper is not a conventional essay, there should still be some thread that ties the entire work together, and it should be clear to the reader what your intentions are with the piece.
  
  

Write in First Person

• A good narrative paper is written in the first person. You will not have a lot of opportunities to use "I" in academic writing, so let that "I" shine through in a narrative essay since it is the core of the work. Try reading your work out loud so you can hear the voice, and match your internal "I" as closely as you can. You will find that narrative writing is easier than traditional academic writing, and usually more fun as well.
  
  

Selective Inclusion

• Avoid using excess detail that does not add to your paper. For instance, you do not need to describe every step that you took in moving from point A to point B. If there is a detail that is important in that movement, point it out. If not, leave it out. Selective inclusion helps your narrative to become more coherent, more refined and more unified.