Writing An Excellent Narrative Essay On A Visit To The Zoo

Narrative essays are one of the most popular kinds of creative nonfiction writing because they allow you to write from your own perspective in the first person point of view to tell a story about something that happened to you. Strictly speaking, they are typically true, not fiction, but in some cases it is acceptable to take some liberties with their telling.

The best topics for narrative essays are those that are memorable and that can be told using a variety of senses and storytelling techniques. A visit to the zoo is a great topic, because it is something that many people remember vividly having experienced themselves, and something that many people can relate to.

Follow these easy tips to write a great narrative essay about a trip to the zoo:

Engage all your senses

We experience things with all of our senses: sight, touch, smell, sound, and taste. Too often when writing about an experience we focus only on how things looked. But try to use all the senses when telling about a visit to the zoo—what did the animal cages smell like? What did the cotton candy or popcorn taste like? How did the glass between you and the animals feel? This will make your writing much more rich and will make your reader feel like they are really there experiencing it too.

Use as much detail as possible

Part of giving your reader an authentic view of the experience is using as much detail as possible. Rather than just describing the color of something, also try to describe the texture or how it catches the light.

Try to include a surprise or a lesson

Most narrative stories will include some sort of surprise or lesson to make the story more interesting. Usually it isn’t enough to just write about how you went to the zoo and liked it. Instead, think about how it might have changed your point of view. Did you imagine what it would be like to live in a cage? Did you see your cat a little differently when you got home? Or did you learn something new while you were at the zoo? Any of these will bring another dimension to your paper that will make it much more interesting for your readers. They will also help your readers to understand why it was a significant experience that you remember and would write about.