Sample Freewrite and Outline for a Narrative Essay - Part 1 - Narrative writing prompts

Oct 1, 2026

Sample freewrite and outline for a narrative essay focused on a lasting life event: the narrator’s first published article for The Comics Buyers Guide. The material includes guiding questions about the event’s impact, timing, location, involved people, audience, and the message to convey. It then provides a freewriting passage describing the submission, acceptance, delayed publication, and critical reactions from professional writers and editors. A structured outline summarizes the introduction, background, article intent, professional feedback, and a conclusion emphasizing growth through criticism and expanded perspective.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages4

Reading Time6 min

AccessFree to download

Part 1

Freewrite

Outline

Introduction and main idea

Background information

Article submission details

Reaction from comics pros

Conclusion

Sample Freewrite and Outline for a Narrative Essay Greg D. Gildersleeve College of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Arkansas Grantham EN101: English Composition I Greg Gildersleeve November 15, 2021 Sample Freewrite and Outline for a Narrative Essay Part 1 1. What specific event do you want to write about that had a lasting impact on your life? I want to write about the first article I had published. 2. In one sentence, describe the event. It was a dream come true, but the criticism I received taught me there was more to being a writer than I thought. 3. When and where did it happen. I wrote the article at my home in St. Joseph, MO, in November 1984. It was not published until February 1986. 4. What people were involved in the situation? The editors of The Comics Buyers Guide, myself, and a few professional writers who responded to the article. 5. What people are your audience? Young writers, especially those who get easily discouraged. 6. What message do you want to convey to your audience? Don’t give up, but accept criticism as a tool for growth. If you want to be a writer, you must develop a thick skin when it comes to feedback. Freewrite Getting published at 21. Wrote article for Comics Buyers Guide. A lot of new publishers in comics industry—idependents, alternatives to Marvel and DC. Tried some of the these comics, didn’t like them, too expensive, but wanted more than just two publishers. Wrote article,“How to Improve the Alternate Comics’ Success” and submitted it. Accepted! Yay! Thought I was on my way to an illustrious career of writing comics. But the article was not published until more than a year later. Reaction from pro writers not good. One said I wanted to alternate comics to succeed only in relation to Marvel and DC. Another called my article “ignorant and pointless.” Editorial comment said they published my article because it reflected an attitude all too common in fans: narrow and self-serving. So, they didn’t think my article was brilliant. Learned valuable lessons: I truly didn’t know what I was talking about. Growing up reading Marvel and DC, they were center of my comics universe. Learned there was a much larger reality and interest in comics besides super-heroes. But also felt great that real comics pros read and responded to my work. Contributed to the public conversation. Outline I. Introduction and main idea: At 21, I got my first article accepted for publication and thought I was on my way to a brilliant career of writing comic books. What I learned was not what I expected. II. Background information: “Alternate” comics challenged Marvel and DC’s dominance of comics industry. A. I read some of these new comics and didn’t like them. B. At the same time, I wanted diversity in the comics industry. III. I wrote and submitted an article entitled “How to Improve the Alternate Comics’ Success.” A. My central point was that alternate comics needed to be cheaper and to more closely match the successful super-heroes of Marvel and DC to appeal to me. B. I said the alternates needed “to put more honey before our noses” to get fans interested. IV. Reaction from comics pros was not what I expected. A. One accused me of wanting the alternates to succeed only in terms of Marvel and DC, rather than appreciating them on their own merits. B. Another explained the economics of why alternate publishers couldn’t compete with Marvel and DC in terms of price. C. Another called my article “ignorant and pointless.” D. The editors admitted that they printed my article only because it reflected common attitudes among fans. V. Conclusion: Though painful at the time, the experience made me a stronger writer. A. I learned to see things outside my own limited world view. B. I learned that criticism of my writing didn’t kill me; it showed me areas to improve. C. It was a thrill when professional comics writers read and responded to my w

FAQs

What event does the narrative essay describe?

It describes the narrator’s first article published for The Comics Buyers Guide, including the realization that writing involves more than the narrator expected.

When and where was the article written and when was it published?

The narrator wrote the article at home in St. Joseph, MO, in November 1984, and it was not published until February 1986.

What message does the author want to convey to the audience?

The message is to not give up, and to treat criticism as a tool for growth, including developing resilience to feedback.

Oct 1, 2026

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