write a narrative essay on a nightmare i once had

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My Worst Nightmare Essay

Type of paper: Essay

Topic: Cinema , Family , Parents , Violence , Dreams , Movies , Thinking , Sleep

Published: 02/19/2020

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My worst nightmare occurred when I was in high school. I was trying to get used to watching horror movies. I knew my weakness and I had never tried to watch such movies alone without the company of friends. On this day, I was home alone so I decided to watch a movie about vampires. Watching the vampires scared me and I could not sleep easily. I stayed in bed just wondering if vampires really existed. After a short time of meditation I got tired, my eyes were heavy with sleep and I dozed off. No sooner had I started sleeping than I started having a horrible nightmare that everyone in my neighborhood had turned into a vampire. My family members were never affected and we were the only human beings in the area. In my dream, it occurred to me that the other vampires had realized that there were people around. This meant that we would act as their source of food on that day, and it also meant that after being bitten we would be turned into vampires. In the dream, I saw myself waking up to peep through the window to see if they were really coming for us. I was not the only who heard roars. My parents and my brother were already awake thinking of a way that they could use to prevent the vampires from attacking us. At this point, I was already sweating and my heart was beating fast. I gave up and woke up I searched for my phone and called my brother so I could explain to him, maybe I would have gotten comfort. It is normally said that what a person dreams is normally in their thoughts. Now the vampires were getting closer, at this point we had to think of ways that would keep them from reaching our house. My parents suggested will light a fire because they feared light. However, it was too late. Some of them had already reached the door and were already pushing. The windows had already been broken and they were trying so hard to get in the house. I started screaming, however, I heard no voice. Since I could not run, I had to hold my brother tight thinking he was the one who would rescue me. I heard a loud knock on the door causing me to wake up. My heart was beating fast and when I peeped through my window, I saw our neighbors standing outside. I opened the door so I could hear what was happening. One of them asked if everything was okay, claiming he heard screams all night. It is at this point that I realized that I had my worst nightmare.

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How to Describe a Nightmare in a Story

By Brittany Kuhn

How to describe a nightmare in a story? If this question has brought you here, we have an answer! Actually we have 10 answers , or should we say 10 words that will help you. Read on!

1. Frightening

Producing fear .

“The frightening nightmare kept him up all night.”

“The nightmare was so frightening that she was afraid of returning to it if she went back to sleep.”

How it Adds Description

Nightmares, by definition, are dreams so scary and upsetting that they cause rational or irrational fear. Describing them as frightening gets straight the point and says exactly what kind of nightmare it is: one that makes the character scared to have the same dream again.

2. Unsettling

• Causing upset or disturbing feelings.
• Creating a sense of discomfort or worry.

“She was highly disturbed by the unsettling nightmare; it made her anxious for reasons she couldn’t describe.”

“What an unsettling nightmare! So many thoughts and feelings with no real reason for being there…”

Nightmares aren’t just scary. Sometimes, nightmares are upsetting because they create disjointed and uncomfortable feelings or associations. Use unsettling when you want to show your characters are more concerned by the nightmare’s images than scared.

3. Distressing

• Feelings of suffering or danger.
• Causing worry or anxiety.
• Cause change through great strain or damage.

“The distressing nightmare left her feeling anxious all day.”

“He wondered why he had had such a distressing nightmare about a tornado; was it a vision or just a nightmare?”

What makes nightmares even more concerning than the fear is the anxiety and worry left in the dreamer afterward. What if the nightmare were to become real? What if there’s a reason that they dreamt it that way? Describing the nightmare as distressing highlights all those concerns by putting the word stress front and center in connection to the nightmare.

4. Disturbing

Creating thoughts of apprehension , alarm, or unease.

“He was so upset by the disturbing nightmare that he could barely sleep the next night for fear of dreaming it again.”

“The nightmare was so disturbing that she kept seeing flashes of it in her head all the next day.

One of the worst parts of nightmares is how they can stay with the dreamer throughout the rest of the following days or weeks. Use disturbing if you want to emphasize the long-lasting effects of the nightmare and how it impacts the rest of the character’s choices and mood.

5. Terrifying

• Causing extreme fright or anxiety.
• Of an intimidating sort.

“With a scream caught in his throat and sweat on his brow, he bolted upright in the bed after the terrifying nightmare.”

“She stared blankly at the ceiling above her, no longer able to sleep after such a terrifying nightmare.”

Terrifying suggests something that is so scary it cannot be conquered, like inner demons or worst fears. Is the dreamer afraid of heights? Describe their nightmare as terrifying if it focuses on them having to jump from a tall building. Is there someone the dreamer is afraid of losing? Describe their nightmare as terrifying if they’re forced to choose between letting that person live or die. Use terrifying to show a deep, existential fear in the nightmare, rather than the normal jump scares.

6. Chilling

Exceedingly distressful or scary.

“The faces of the victims in her chilling nightmare followed her throughout her waking day.”

“He couldn’t understand why he had had such a chilling nightmare; what was he so afraid of to dream such horrible things?”

Describing a nightmare as chilling suggests that whatever the nightmare was about goes beyond just being scary. The fear and stress of it has seeped into the dreamer’s bones. The nightmare and its effects have become part of the dreamer to a point that they couldn’t forget it if they actively tried.

7. Petrifying

Overpoweringly scary.

“She felt paralyzed after waking from the petrifying nightmare; not a single muscle would move.”

“He awoke with a soundless scream from the petrifying nightmare.”

To petrify means to harden, as if into rock, so to be petrified means that you are so scared you cannot move. Your fight or flight response has short-circuited, and you are stuck to the spot, like a deer in headlights. It is fear multiplied by 1000. Describing a nightmare as petrifying suggests that the fear created by it is so great that the dreamer has been shocked into inaction.

8. Startling

Creating a quick moment of shock , fear, or bewilderment.

“The nightmare was so startling that he couldn’t forget it the next day.”

“She was shocked awake by the startling nightmare.”

Startling suggests that something quickly grabbed your attention, maybe through surprise. Think of ‘jump scares’ in films or TV shows; those are startling because they make the viewer almost literally jump with surprise. A startling nightmare creates anxiety more than fear through unexpected events rather than drawn out, existential ones.

9. Horrifying

To cause feelings of dread or disgust.

“He couldn’t get across the dread of the horrifying nightmare he just had; it was too painful to describe adequately.”

“What was more horrifying about the nightmare was the fact that he would probably have it again tonight, just like he had had every night this week.”

Horrifying is often used to describe something so frightening that its effects are felt long after the event has ended. Describing a nightmare as horrifying also suggests the events of the nightmare are beyond explanation because they’ve created such a sense of dread that the dreamer doesn’t want to return to it for a second.

10. Shocking

Exceptionally disturbing , tormenting, or unpleasant.

“The shocking nightmare had her up all night, contemplating its meaning and the state of her own brain in creating it.”

“He could not believe the shocking nightmare he just had; it was like nothing he’d ever experienced before.”

Like startling , a shocking nightmare is one that creates fear and anxiety through surprise; think of the effects of an electric shock. But where startling describes quick, unexpected moments of fear, shocking can be used to describe a nightmare that is more overwhelming. Use shocking if you want to emphasize that the dreamer is shaken by the contents of their nightmare and the reasons for their fear.

How to Write a Perfect Narrative Essay (Step-by-Step)

By Status.net Editorial Team on October 17, 2023 — 10 minutes to read

• Understanding a Narrative Essay Part 1
• Typical Narrative Essay Structure Part 2
• Narrative Essay Template Part 3
• Step 1. How to Choose Your Narrative Essay Topic Part 4
• Step 2. Planning the Structure Part 5
• Step 3. Crafting an Intriguing Introduction Part 6
• Step 4. Weaving the Narrative Body Part 7
• Step 5. Creating a Conclusion Part 8
• Step 6. Polishing the Essay Part 9
• Step 7. Feedback and Revision Part 10

Part 1 Understanding a Narrative Essay

A narrative essay is a form of writing where you share a personal experience or tell a story to make a point or convey a lesson. Unlike other types of essays, a narrative essay aims to engage your audience by sharing your perspective and taking them on an emotional journey.

• To begin, choose a meaningful topic . Pick a story or experience that had a significant impact on your life, taught you something valuable, or made you see the world differently. You want your readers to learn from your experiences, so choose something that will resonate with others.
• Next, create an outline . Although narrative essays allow for creative storytelling, it’s still helpful to have a roadmap to guide your writing. List the main events, the characters involved, and the settings where the events took place. This will help you ensure that your essay is well-structured and easy to follow.
• When writing your narrative essay, focus on showing, not telling . This means that you should use descriptive language and vivid details to paint a picture in your reader’s mind. For example, instead of stating that it was a rainy day, describe the sound of rain hitting your window, the feeling of cold wetness around you, and the sight of puddles forming around your feet. These sensory details will make your essay more engaging and immersive.
• Another key aspect is developing your characters . Give your readers an insight into the thoughts and emotions of the people in your story. This helps them connect with the story, empathize with the characters, and understand their actions. For instance, if your essay is about a challenging hike you took with a friend, spend some time describing your friend’s personality and how the experience impacted their attitude or feelings.
• Keep the pace interesting . Vary your sentence lengths and structures, and don’t be afraid to use some stylistic devices like dialogue, flashbacks, and metaphors. This adds more depth and dimension to your story, keeping your readers engaged from beginning to end.

Part 2 Typical Narrative Essay Structure

A narrative essay typically follows a three-part structure: introduction, body, and conclusion.

• Introduction: Start with a hook to grab attention and introduce your story. Provide some background to set the stage for the main events.
• Body: Develop your story in detail. Describe scenes, characters, and emotions. Use dialogue when necessary to provide conversational elements.
• Conclusion: Sum up your story, revealing the lesson learned or the moral of the story. Leave your audience with a lasting impression.

Part 3 Narrative Essay Template

• 1. Introduction : Set the scene and introduce the main characters and setting of your story. Use descriptive language to paint a vivid picture for your reader and capture their attention.
• Body 2. Rising Action : Develop the plot by introducing a conflict or challenge that the main character must face. This could be a personal struggle, a difficult decision, or an external obstacle. 3. Climax : This is the turning point of the story, where the conflict reaches its peak and the main character must make a critical decision or take action. 4. Falling Action : Show the consequences of the main character’s decision or action, and how it affects the rest of the story. 5. Resolution : Bring the story to a satisfying conclusion by resolving the conflict and showing how the main character has grown or changed as a result of their experiences.
• 6. Reflection/Conclusion : Reflect on the events of the story and what they mean to you as the writer. This could be a lesson learned, a personal realization, or a message you want to convey to your reader.

Part 4 Step 1. How to Choose Your Narrative Essay Topic

Brainstorming ideas.

Start by jotting down any ideas that pop into your mind. Think about experiences you’ve had, stories you’ve heard, or even books and movies that have resonated with you. Write these ideas down and don’t worry too much about organization yet. It’s all about getting your thoughts on paper.

Once you have a list, review your ideas and identify common themes or connections between them. This process should help you discover potential topics for your narrative essay.

Narrowing Down the Choices

After brainstorming, you’ll likely end up with a few strong contenders for your essay topic. To decide which topic is best, consider the following:

• Relevance : Is the topic meaningful for your audience? Will they be able to connect with it on a personal level? Consider the purpose of your assignment and your audience when choosing your topic.
• Detail : Do you have enough specific details to craft a vivid story? The more detail you can recall about the event, the easier it’ll be to write a compelling narrative.
• Emotional impact : A strong narrative essay should evoke emotions in your readers. Choose a topic that has the potential to elicit some emotional response from your target audience.

After evaluating your potential topics based on these criteria, you can select the one that best fits the purpose of your narrative essay.

Part 5 Step 2. Planning the Structure

Creating an outline.

Before you start writing your narrative essay, it’s a great idea to plan out your story. Grab a piece of paper and sketch out a rough outline of the key points you want to cover. Begin with the introduction, where you’ll set the scene and introduce your characters. Then, list the major events of your story in chronological order, followed by the climax and resolution. Organizing your ideas in an outline will ensure your essay flows smoothly and makes sense to your readers.

Detailing Characters, Settings, and Events

Taking time to flesh out the characters, settings, and events in your story will make it more engaging and relatable. Think about your main character’s background, traits, and motivations. Describe their appearance, emotions, and behavior in detail. This personal touch will help your readers connect with them on a deeper level.

Also, give some thought to the setting – where does the story take place? Be sure to include sensory details that paint a vivid picture of the environment. Finally, focus on the series of events that make up your narrative. Are there any twists and turns, or surprising moments? Address these in your essay, using vivid language and engaging storytelling techniques to captivate your readers.

Writing the Narrative Essay

Part 6 step 3. crafting an intriguing introduction.

To start your narrative essay, you’ll want to hook your reader with an interesting and engaging opening. Begin with a captivating sentence or question that piques curiosity and captures attention. For example, “Did you ever think a simple bus ride could change your life forever?” This kind of opening sets the stage for a compelling, relatable story. Next, introduce your main characters and provide a bit of context to help your readers understand the setting and background of the story.

Part 7 Step 4. Weaving the Narrative Body

The body of your essay is where your story unfolds. Here’s where you’ll present a series of events, using descriptive language and vivid details.

Remember to maintain a strong focus on the central theme or main point of your narrative.

Organize your essay chronologically, guiding your reader through the timeline of events.

As you recount your experience, use a variety of sensory details, such as sounds, smells, and tastes, to immerse your reader in the moment. For instance, “The smell of freshly brewed coffee filled the room as my friends and I excitedly chattered about our upcoming adventure.”

Take advantage of dialogue to bring your characters to life and to reveal aspects of their personalities. Incorporate both internal and external conflicts, as conflict plays a crucial role in engaging your reader and enhancing the narrative’s momentum. Show the evolution of your characters and how they grow throughout the story.

Part 8 Step 5. Creating a Conclusion

Finally, to write a satisfying conclusion, reflect on the narrative’s impact and how the experience has affected you or your characters. Tie the narrative’s events together and highlight the lessons learned, providing closure for the reader.

Avoid abruptly ending your story, because that can leave the reader feeling unsatisfied. Instead, strive to create a sense of resolution and demonstrate how the events have changed the characters’ perspectives or how the story’s theme has developed.

For example, “Looking back, I realize that the bus ride not only changed my perspective on friendship, but also taught me valuable life lessons that I carry with me to this day.”

Part 9 Step 6. Polishing the Essay

Fine-tuning your language.

When writing a narrative essay, it’s key to choose words that convey the emotions and experiences you’re describing. Opt for specific, vivid language that creates a clear mental image for your reader. For instance, instead of saying “The weather was hot,” try “The sun scorched the pavement, causing the air to shimmer like a mirage.” This gives your essay a more engaging and immersive feeling.

Editing for Clarity and Concision

As you revise your essay, keep an eye out for redundancies and unnecessary words that might dilute the impact of your story. Getting to the point and using straightforward language can help your essay flow better. For example, instead of using “She was walking in a very slow manner,” you can say, “She strolled leisurely.” Eliminate filler words and phrases, keeping only the most pertinent information that moves your story forward.

Proofreading for Typos

Finally, proofread your essay carefully to catch any typos, grammatical errors, or punctuation mistakes. It’s always a good idea to have someone else read it as well, as they might catch errors you didn’t notice. Mistakes can be distracting and may undermine the credibility of your writing, so be thorough with your editing process.

Part 10 Step 7. Feedback and Revision

Gathering feedback.

After you’ve written the first draft of your narrative essay, it’s time to gather feedback from friends, family, or colleagues. Share your essay with a few trusted people who can provide insights and suggestions for improvement. Listen to their thoughts and be open to constructive criticism. You might be surprised by the different perspectives they offer, which can strengthen your essay.

Iterating on the Draft

Once you have collected feedback, it’s time to revise and refine your essay. Address any issues or concerns raised by your readers and incorporate their suggestions. Consider reorganizing your story’s structure, clarifying your descriptions, or adding more details based on the feedback you received.

As you make changes, continue to fine-tune your essay to ensure a smooth flow and a strong narrative. Don’t be afraid to cut out unnecessary elements or rework parts of your story until it’s polished and compelling.

Revision is a crucial part of the writing process, and taking the time to reflect on feedback and make improvements will help you create a more engaging and impactful narrative essay.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can i create an engaging introduction.

Craft an attention-grabbing hook with a thought-provoking question, an interesting fact, or a vivid description. Set the stage for your story by introducing the time, place, and context for the events. Creating tension or raising curiosity will make your readers eager to learn more.

What strategies help develop strong characters?

To develop strong characters, consider the following:

• Give your characters distinct traits, strengths, and weaknesses.
• Provide a backstory to explain their actions and motivations.
• Use dialogue to present their personality, emotions, and relationships.
• Show how they change or evolve throughout your story.

How can I make my story flow smoothly with transitions?

Smooth transitions between scenes or events can create a more coherent and easy-to-follow story. Consider the following tips to improve your transitions:

• Use words and phrases like “meanwhile,” “later that day,” or “afterward” to signify changes in time.
• Link scenes with a common theme or element.
• Revisit the main characters or setting to maintain continuity.
• Introduce a twist or an unexpected event that leads to the next scene.

What are some tips for choosing a great narrative essay topic?

To choose an engaging narrative essay topic, follow these tips:

• Pick a personal experience or story that holds significance for you.
• Consider a challenge or a turning point you’ve faced in your life.
• Opt for a topic that will allow you to share emotions and lessons learned.
• Think about what your audience would find relatable, intriguing, or inspiring.

How do I wrap up my narrative essay with a strong conclusion?

A compelling conclusion restates the main events and highlights any lessons learned or growth in your character. Try to end on a thought-provoking note or leave readers with some food for thought. Finally, make sure your conclusion wraps up your story neatly and reinforces its overall message.

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Writing About Dreams and Nightmares

Dreams and nightmares can play a large part in people’s lives, but because of their unstructured and confusing nature, it can be difficult to include them in a story. To make it even more difficult, the majority of a dream is forgotten within the first few minutes after waking up! How are you supposed to write about something when your own experience with it is only ever a fleeting memory?

There are many ways to write about dreams in fiction, but they generally must serve a different purpose than dreams in real life. Some people could argue that real dreams have deeper meanings, but in a story, they really have to have a clear purpose. You shouldn’t just use a dream to break up a story or create comic relief. Keep that in mind before you decide to include a dream in your story. 

Is Writing About Dreams a Bad Idea?

Of course not. Writing about dreams is not an inherently bad idea. A good writer can make anything interesting to read, so if your story needs a dream sequence for some particular reason, you absolutely should write it. 

However, the people that vehemently stand by the assertion that it should never be done do have good reason to be grumpy about it. It is extremely easy to mess up a dream sequence, in an absolutely infinite number of ways. In fact, a good majority of attempted dream sequences are poorly executed. 

Dreams are confusing by nature, so when you try to write about them, you risk confusing your readers. No one wants to read a story when they have no idea what’s even going on. No amount of fantastical imagery can keep a confused or frustrated reader holding on for too long—they’re bound to skip ahead, or stop reading altogether. Acknowledging that is the first step towards crafting a memorable dream sequence that won’t drive your readers mad. 

What Makes a Dream Sequence Good or Bad?

A poorly executed dream sequence can take many different forms. They can be frustratingly vague or too overwhelming, or they can just be downright boring. Although dreams should be confusing, bad dream sequences usually take that too far and construct a narrative that is so confusing that it is rendered completely pointless. And if something in your story doesn’t serve a purpose, it shouldn’t be included.

Another thing that really bothers readers is trickery regarding dreams. It’s just a really really bad idea to disguise a dream as being part of the true narrative. When something significant happens and the character later wakes up to reveal that it was all just a dream, that can be upsetting for a reader. If you need to use a dream to trick the character, make the fact that it’s a dream obvious to the reader—or at least vaguely hinted at.

A good dream sequence is one that serves a legitimate purpose in the context of the story. Dreams can be a powerful tool for giving insight into a character’s personality and struggles, creating meaning from a scene, or emphasizing something else in the narrative. A shocking situation could leave a character fixated on an event, in which case it can be a great technique to use dreams to show how they were affected. In other words, the dream has to mean something. It must be symbolic, haunting, or revealing, and it should contribute to the plot or character in some way.

There are many other ways to make or break a dream sequence, but I’ll get to more specific examples later on.

Is There a Better Way?

There are times when it is more appropriate to use a dream than other times. If dreams play a large storytelling role in the narrative, it’s fine to go a bit overboard with them. However, in most normal situations, there’s almost always a better way to present information than with dreams. 

Try to think about what you want to achieve. If you’re using it to reveal backstory for a character, then you might want to hold off. Using dreams as flashbacks can make it unclear what parts of the dream are real, and what parts are just the usual dream nonsense. Dreams can be memories, especially if they’re recurring nightmares from a traumatic experience, but you should establish that outside of the dreamscape beforehand. 

As a general rule, using dreams in your story should be a last resort. If you’re considering using a dream in your story, try to think about other ways the same information could be given to the readers. If you can’t come up with anything, then go ahead and move forward with using the dream.

Common Mistakes Writers Make When Writing About Dreams

The biggest way that writers can mess up a dream sequence is by leaning too far into the extremes. 

Sometimes, a written dream sequence comes across as indistinguishable from reality. Sure, some dreams can feel sort of real while you’re experiencing, but it’s generally a bad idea to write it like that without some sort of indication that it’s a dream. Making a dream feel too much like a character’s waking life doesn’t make for a very convincing dream. Worse yet, readers could misunderstand and assume it isn’t a dream at all.

Other times, writers really crank up the craziness of dreams, to a degree that is too difficult to understand to be meaningful. Writers try to cram as many weird and conflicting details into a dream as possible, rendering it confusing, uncomfortable, and just downright unpleasant for readers to try to decipher. If a dream doesn’t make sense, then it does not help your story at all. And if something isn’t necessary, it needs to be taken out. 

Writing the Transition from Awake to Dreaming

Falling asleep can be a difficult thing to write, but it’s probably best not to overthink it in most cases. Avoid the cliches, and don’t overcomplicate it. Unless you have a good reason to focus on the process of falling asleep, you could just have the character lay down and then skip right to being asleep. 

For the first few minutes of being asleep, the character will be in stage one of the sleep cycle, which means they will be mildly alert and easy to wake up. Sometimes dreams occur in this stage, but they more closely resemble passing thoughts or daydreams. If other sounds are happening around the character as they are in this stage, they may incorporate into the character’s dreams.

 As the character descends further into unconsciousness, that alertness begins to fade, and they enter the second stage of the sleep cycle. Brain waves begin to slow down in preparation for deep sleep. No dreams occur in this stage of sleep, and it is still relatively easy to wake someone up at this stage. 

For a deeper explanation of how to write about a character falling asleep, take a moment to look at my other article: How to Write a Character Falling Asleep in First-Person .

How People Dream

When someone falls asleep, they don’t just dream the entire time . A sleeper cycles between Non-REM, or deep sleep, and REM sleep, which is the dream sleep. Those are the third and fourth stages of the sleep cycle. The average person cycles in and out of REM sleep about six times per night, but that varies from person to person, as well as how long the individual is asleep. In addition to producing dreams, the brain uses REM sleep to organize the experiences of the day and store them in long-term memory.

This cycle of deep and dream sleep often results in dreams having a sort of fragmented quality, where the scene seems to shift suddenly or change altogether. A dream with a more linear narrative is common, but some elements still tend to change between REM cycles. Another consequence of the dream cycle is that the entire dream, or sections of it, could simply repeat itself. Some things may change in the repetitions, the character could become aware that they are dreaming, or they may forget that the repetitions even occurred.

Another thing to keep in mind with dreams is the passage of time. When a person is asleep, their perception of time is altered, and they may experience a dream that feels quite brief or drawn out. The length of the dream has very little to do with the amount of time actually spent asleep. 

Now, this of course only applies to natural sleep. There are many other ways dreams can be induced, like with drugs, psychosis, hypnosis, and a multitude of other options. The dreams experienced in these altered states are going to operate differently from regular REM sleep, and you may need to do some additional research on those topics to be able to craft a dream that fits the situation. 

The Dream’s Purpose in Your Story

Once you have decided to move forward with writing a dream, you need to consider what you want it to achieve. What do you want it to do for the story? What impact should it have on the character? How do you want the readers to feel about it? How is it going to complicate the narrative? 

There are several different kinds of dreams you can utilize for different purposes, but each one can be tailor-fit to the vibe you want to convey. Any of these categories can also apply to nightmares, or they can evolve from or into a nightmare. A dream can also serve more than one purpose at a time, so don’t feel as though any of these categories are limiting you and the things your writing can achieve. 

Foreshadowing

Dreams are often utilized to foreshadow an event taking place later on in the story. This can take the form of a premonition, a telekinetic message, or heavy symbolism, but no matter how you choose to convey it, you should be cautious about how explicit the message is. Being too obvious about the foreshadowing ruins the effect and makes the dream feel more magical—which can be problematic if you’re writing realistic fiction. 

If the dream is a result of some magical element, then the character could receive a more explicit warning about something, but that is usually for the effect of avoiding something and is not necessarily foreshadowing. 

This type of dream can easily apply to nightmares as well. In fact, it lends itself better to being a bad dream than otherwise. A character could have a dream that symbolizes their impending doom. Which, you know, probably isn’t a fun dream to have.

Realization

REM sleep is a time when the brain synthesizes all the information it gathered throughout the day. If a character has been mulling over a problem, things may fall into place after they begin to dream. For storytelling’s sake, you could illustrate them solving a problem in their dreams that is representative of the problem they have to deal with in their waking life. Then, they could jerk awake with the sudden realization, having finally discovered a solution to their problem.

This also applies to anything that could be confusing for the character. If they are a researcher trying to translate an ancient tome, they could have some revelation about cross-referencing the tome with a different artifact when the artifact comes to them in their dream. If the character is debating what birthday gift to get for a friend, the idea could come to them in their sleep because of a memory of the friend. If the character is trying to write a scene for their book, they could potentially dream a scene that perfectly fits into their story.

To turn this dream into a nightmare, the realization could be something more horrifying, instead of a convenient solution. The character may realize after they fall asleep that their new roommate fits the description of a wanted criminal. Or, they might dream of a house fire and wake up with the realization that they left the oven on. 

Internal Conflict

This kind of dream also results from the character experiencing a problem, like with the realization dream, except they aren’t quite lucky enough to get a convenient solution presented to them in a neatly packaged dream. Instead, the internal conflict dream usually occurs when there is a difficult decision that the character has to make, or if they have to do something that they are not looking forward to.

Usually, this dream is a nightmare. Characters will dream about the event or decision, and the dream will play out all the ways the situation could possibly (or impossibly) go wrong. If the character is dreading making a decision, the dreams are bound to reflect all the reasons why each choice is bad. This could be the case if a character is considering breaking up with their significant other. On the one hand, they could continue to be miserable in their relationship and life, but on the other hand, they could end up dying alone.

If, however, the character is dreading a particular event, like having to make a speech, then they will likely dream of all the worst things that could happen during that speech. The audience may laugh, they could trip on their way to the podium, or maybe they’ll even get shot! Regardless of how unlikely a situation is to actually happen, it could still be a source of anxiety for the character.

Recurring 

Recurring dreams are dreams that repeat at any interval. A character could experience a recurring dream every single night, every week, or even years apart. These dreams are also often used in conjunction with the foreshadowing type since a recurring dream can have serious narrative implications. 

There are a few reasonable explanations for recurring dreams. The first is an obsession of some kind. People develop fixations on items, events, people, or locations, and then those fixations can reinforce (and be reinforced by) a specific recurring dream. This is great if you want to show a character’s slow descent into madness since constantly being bombarded with the same dream could make an obsession even harder to manage. Consider a character that is obsessed with another person, and continues to have the same dream of them getting married every single night. That’s a great recipe for driving the character to kidnapping. 

Another reason for recurring dreams is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) .  A character that experienced or witnessed something traumatic or dangerous may have recurring nightmares about the traumatic event. This layers with the flashback type of dream, even if the dream deviates a bit from actual history.

Flashbacks should generally not be presented in the form of dreams, but if you want a way to present them more naturally than simply cutting to the past, you could give it try. Flashbacks are a way of giving the readers some backstory to support the main narrative, but they can also be a way of exploring the psyche of the dreaming character.

When a character experiences a flashback dream, it is commonly something traumatic, or involving memories that they would rather not acknowledge. If you wanted to put an interesting spin on the flashbacks, you could make the memories something the character had effectively repressed, either as a coping mechanism or with some sort of magical intervention. The character would therefore not think of the dream as representing a real memory, which could be an interesting plot point.

Sleep Paralysis

When a person falls asleep, the brain essentially paralyzes the sleeper so their body doesn’t move as a reaction to whatever they are dreaming. This is called “ atonia ,” and it is an evolutionary reaction that prevents the person from hurting themself while they are asleep. However, some people experience this paralysis in the minutes before or after being asleep as well, which is part of the reason they might experience a phenomenon known as “sleep paralysis.”

During an episode of sleep paralysis, the character would be unable to move or speak. This is accompanied by a terrifying hallucination, often described as a demon approaching the immobile person. The hallucination can also take the form of another person that the character fears or some other thing that they are afraid of, like a swarm of spiders. 

Although sleep paralysis is a hallucination and not a dream, it is still closely related to the topic of nightmares. 

A lucid dream is a dream in which the person experiencing it is aware that they are dreaming. Sometimes, as a result of that, the dreamer gains some sort of control over the way the dream plays out. Sometimes that means only controlling their own reactions in the dream, and other times it means exercising control over the main narrative and setting. 

A lucid dream can become a nightmare if the character has control over their own body, but not the setting around them. Even if the character is aware of the fact that it is a dream, they may see grotesque or haunting images, or situations that force them to face things they are afraid of. At times, a lucid nightmare can be worse than a regular nightmare, since the character would know that the nightmare would end if they could only wake up. 

Telepathic dreams are when magical influence allows one character to send dreams to another, or to experience the same dream at the same time. Since this type of dream purely exists within the realm of magic, there are no hard and fast rules. Traditional understandings of dreams do not apply, so… go nuts. 

How to Make Dreams Stand Out in Your Story

When writing a dream, it is important to format the text differently from how you ordinarily would write the rest of the story. This is especially important if dreams are going to play a large part in the story, or if you have more than one. 

Having a recognizable format for writing dreams can be helpful for a few reasons. For one thing, it allows you to include multiple dreams in a story without having to explain that it’s a dream every time, and makes it obvious that the dream is removed from the character’s reality. More importantly, however, it allows you to manipulate the way the dream feels.

There are several ways to manipulate the format of the text to make a dream stand out. If the dream is supposed to be fuzzy and sort of numb, try adding… ellipses… to give readers the sense that the dream… lags. This can emphasize that… dreamy feeling… and it… makes it obvious that the character isn’t… really… fully aware.

A simpler way of setting dreams apart is to put them in italics. This works better if the tone of the dream isn’t meant to be slow or dreamy, making it great for nightmares or premonitions. However, using italics is a popular method of showing thoughts or writings, so if you’ve already decided to use italics to format something else, don’t use it for dreams. 

You could also set dreams apart by using a noticeably different font. This can also be a helpful tool for setting the tone of the dreams, since some fonts can appear rigid, playful, or timid. However, you should be aware that deviating from traditional fonts might make your text more difficult for some people to read. 

You could also try bolded text, or bolded and italicized text, to try to set the dream apart. This could work well if nightmares are the focus, but it doesn’t work as well for most other dreams, since it’s a little too bold to properly represent the subconscious. Also, like with italicization, be aware that this is often used to format other things.

Another option is to change the point of view. If the POV is typically in first-person, try jumping into third person for the duration of the dream. If the POV is in closed third-person, try shifting to an omniscient perspective, or vice versa. This can dramatically change the way a scene is perceived. 

How to Write a Character Waking Up from a Dream

In real life, people begin to forget their dreams within minutes of waking up. However, most characters in fiction don’t forget their dreams, otherwise it wouldn’t serve much of a purpose. They can forget bits and pieces of the dream over time, though, which can be helpful for building tension. That can be a great way of having the character blunder through something they don’t remember when the readers know they were warned about the situation in their dream. 

If the character does remember the majority of their dream, spend some time to write about their reaction to it as they are waking up. Do they jolt awake, and is it because of a nightmare or revelation? Are they used to having strange or frightening dreams? How do they interpret it? Do they tell someone else about their dream after the fact? If the dream is going to be an important part of the story (which it should be, if you chose to include it), then give the character some space to try to interpret it outside of the dream itself. 

For a more comprehensive explanation of writing about waking up in various cases, check out my article When and How to Write a Character Waking Up .

Dreams as Recollections

If writing the dreams themselves are causing you too much trouble, don’t let that get in the way of you finishing your story. Skipping over the dream sequence and interpreting it only from what the character remembers is just as viable of an option, if not more so. You cut out the risk of boring or confusing your readers, and you can reveal things about the dream over time as it is convenient or relevant. 

Presenting only a character’s recollections of the dream can also be useful if the character has recurring dreams. There’s no need to show the dreams themselves over and over if they are the same every time. And often, showing what effect the dreams or nightmares have on the character can be a more interesting plot point than the actual content of the dream. 

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I was walking at crawling speed. My head felt huge and heavy, and each muscle in my body felt sore. My arms and legs were responding to the signals that my brain was sending to them at a slower speed than I thought was possible. It felt like a slow-motion horror movie, only it was happening live. I finally reached the front door and touched the handle with a loose grip. The path that took only a second for my eyes to see took about twenty minutes for my body to cover. But, I was finally at my goal.

I slowly squeezed the handle of the door in a downwards motion, only to realize it had barely moved. I gathered the last reserves of my strength that I had left in my body and pressed the handle again. No success. I pivoted around, leaned against the door, and slowly slid down to the ground. I felt faint. I was so thirsty that I could barely think about anything else. I had to get inside; had to pull myself together and open the door. Otherwise, I would faint there, near the front entrance to my own house.

I pushed myself up from the ground and faced the door again. I closed my eyes for a second, took a deep breath, opened my eyes, and pulled the door knob down as hard as I could. It gave way grudgingly. If it wasn’t for the helpless shadow of a man that I was at that moment, I would definitely have screamed in happiness for finally winning over this stubborn door knob. But I could only settle on a weak smile and a deep sigh.

I went inside and had to wait for a minute before I could make out my environment. It was too dark, still boiling hot and, somehow, lonely inside. By the time my eyes adapted to the darkness inside, I could tell that no one was around. What time was it? And where was everyone? The house was completely and scarily quiet. The silence was unnatural. There was no sound coming from the working fridge, or ticking clock; nothing. I went to the kitchen to get some water, opened the tap and put an empty glass under it. But no water poured, not even a drop. The glass remained empty. This seemed like a complete nightmare. I thought that I must have been dreaming—my small world had become ravished by emptiness, and somehow, I was forgotten here all alone, left to pass away into the realms of thirst and heat.

I was having a panic attack. Yet with the panic, I was enabled by strength to run from one room to another, looking for anyone besides myself. Mom, Josh, dad, Charlie—no one was to be seen. The dogs were gone too. Again, for the third or fourth time, I caught myself thinking this was just a bad dream. But my body still vividly felt the pains of soreness. Having no clue of what else, except the pain, that could help me distinguish between dreaming and reality, I had to accept the fact that I was living in this nightmare for real.

Suddenly, I heard a sound from downstairs. It was a faint sound that repeated in a second, only louder. I jolted downstairs, feeling cautious and, at the same time, hoping that it was someone, or something, that could explain to me what was going on.

The living room was empty. The source of the sound seemed to be from the back porch outside, and it was increasing in volume with every new cycle. It reminded me of when dad and I went rowing, and every time dad turned over the oars, they made the same whistling sound, cleaving the air. I ran outside the back door and was almost brought down to the ground by the force of the wind. It was a helicopter, right above me, maneuvering so that it would land on me. I laid on the ground, screaming, but I couldn’t hear my voice through the noise of the implacable blades getting closer, and freezing me to the ground….

… “Jason, honey, wake up! It’s just a dream, babe. You look so pale. Are you okay?”

My mom was standing next to my bed like a guardian statue. She tried to appease me as I was still screaming and flapping my arms. When I calmed down to a relative level of normalcy, I stared at the fan above my head, spinning and whistling like a nightmare creator.

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Narrative Essays

Narrative: The spoken or written account of connected events; a story

Narrative Introductions

The introduction of a narrative essay sets the scene for the story that follows. Interesting introductions—for any kind of writing—engage and draw readers in because they want to know more.

Since narratives tell a story and involve events, the introduction of a narrative quite often starts in the middle of the action in order to bring the reader into the story immediately, as shown in examples 1, 3, and 5 below. Other effective introductions briefly provide background for the point of the story—often the lesson learned—as in 4 below and the first example on the reverse side.

Below are some strategies for writing effective openings. Remember your introduction should be interesting and draw your reader in. It should make your audience want to read more. If it's a person , begin with a description of the person and then say why that person mattered. If it's an event , begin with the action or begin by reflecting back on why the event mattered, then go into the narrative.

• "Potter...take off!" my coach yelled as I was cracking yet another joke during practice.
• Why do such a small percentage of high school athletes play Division One sports?
• It was a cold, rainy night, under the lights on the field. I lined up the ball on the penalty line under the wet grass. After glancing up at the tied score, I stared into the goalkeeper's eyes.
• My heart pounds in my chest. My stomach full of nervous butterflies. I hear the crowd talking and names being cheered.
• Slipping the red and white uniform over my head for the first time is a feeling I will never forget.
• "No football." Those words rang in my head for hours as I thought about what a stupid decision I had made three nights before.
• "SNAP!" I heard the startling sound of my left knee before I ever felt the pain.
• According to the NCAA, there are over 400,000 student-athletes in the United States.

Narrative Story

• Unified: Ensure all actions in your story develop a central idea or argument.
• Interesting: Draw your readers into your scene(s), making them feel as if they're experiencing them first-hand.
• Coherent: Indicate changes in time, location, and characters clearly (even if your story is not chronological).
• Climactic: Include a moment (the climax) when your ending is revealed or the importance of events is made clear.
• Remember the 5 W's : Who? What? When? Where? Why?
• Write vividly : Include significant sensory information in the scene (sight, sound, touch, smell, taste) to make readers feel they are there
• Develop " Thick Descriptions "

Clifford Geertz describes thick descriptions as accounts that include not only facts but also commentary and interpretation . The goal is to vividly describe an action or scene, often through the use of metaphors, analogies, and other forms of interpretation that can emote strong feelings and images in your readers' minds.

"The flatness of the Delta made the shack, the quarters, and the railroad tracks nearby seem like some tabletop model train set. Like many Mississippi shacks, this one looked as if no one had lived there since the birth of the blues. Four sunflowers leaned alongside a sagging porch. When the front door creaked open, cockroaches bigger than pecans scurried for cover [...] walls wept with mildew."

—from Bruce Watson's Freedom Summer

Narrative Checklist

• Does the story have a clear and unifying idea? If not, what could that idea be?
• If the story doesn't include a thesis sentence, is the unifying idea of the story clear without it?
• Is the story unified, with all the details contributing to the central idea?
• Is the story arranged chronologically? If not, is the organization of ideas and events still effective and clear?
• Do the transitions show the movement from idea to idea and scene to scene?
• Are there enough details?
• Is there dialogue at important moments?
• Is there a climax to the story—moment at which the action is resolved or a key idea is revealed?

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3.3: Narrative Essays

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• Kathryn Crowther et al.
• Georgia Perimeter College via GALILEO Open Learning Materials

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Writing a Narrative Essay

Once you have a general idea of what you will be writing about, you should sketch out the major events of the story that will constitute your plot. Typically, these events will be revealed chronologically and climax at a central conflict that must be resolved by the end of the story, although you might consider using a flash-forward or flash-back for dramatic effect. The use of vivid details is crucial as you describe the events and characters in your narrative. You want the reader to emotionally engage with the world that you create in writing. To create strong details, keep the human senses in mind. You want your reader to be immersed in the world that you create, so focus on details related to sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch as you describe people, places, and events in your narrative. As always, it is important to start with a strong introduction to hook your reader into wanting to read more. Try opening the essay with an event that is interesting to introduce the story and get it going. Finally, your conclusion should help resolve the central conflict of the story and impress upon your reader the ultimate theme of the piece. See the student and professional essays to read sample narratives.

Sample Narrative Essays

My College Education

The first class I went to in college was philosophy, and it changed my life forever. Our first assignment was to write a short response paper to the Albert Camus essay “The Myth of Sisyphus.” I was extremely nervous about the assignment as well as college. However, through all the confusion in philosophy class, many of my questions about life were answered.

I entered college intending to earn a degree in engineering. I always liked the way mathematics had right and wrong answers. I understood the logic and was very good at it. So when I received my first philosophy assignment that asked me to write my interpretation of the Camus essay, I was instantly confused. What is the right way to do this assignment, I wondered? I was nervous about writing an incorrect interpretation and did not want to get my first assignment wrong. Even more troubling was that the professor refused to give us any guidelines on what he was looking for; he gave us total freedom. He simply said, “I want to see what you come up with.”

Full of anxiety, I first set out to read Camus’s essay several times to make sure I really knew what was it was about. I did my best to take careful notes. Yet even after I took all these notes and knew the essay inside and out, I still did not know the right answer. What was my interpretation? I could think of a million different ways to interpret the essay, but which one was my professor looking for? In math class, I was used to examples and explanations of solutions. This assignment gave me nothing; I was completely on my own to come up with my individual interpretation.

Next, when I sat down to write, the words just did not come to me. My notes and ideas were all present, but the words were lost. I decided to try every prewriting strategy I could find. I brainstormed, made idea maps, and even wrote an outline. Eventually, after a lot of stress, my ideas became more organized and the words fell on the page. I had my interpretation of “The Myth of Sisyphus,” and I had my main reasons for interpreting the essay. I remember being unsure of myself, wondering if what I was saying made sense, or if I was even on the right track. Through all the uncertainty, I continued writing the best I could. I finished the conclusion paragraph, had my spouse proofread it for errors, and turned it in the next day simply hoping for the best.

Then, a week or two later, came judgment day. The professor gave our papers back to us with grades and comments. I remember feeling simultaneously afraid and eager to get the paper back in my hands. It turned out, however, that I had nothing to worry about. The professor gave me an A on the paper, and his notes suggested that I wrote an effective essay overall. He wrote that my reading of the essay was very original and that my thoughts were well organized. My relief and newfound confidence upon reading his comments could not be overstated.

What I learned through this process extended well beyond how to write a college paper. I learned to be open to new challenges. I never expected to enjoy a philosophy class and always expected to be a math and science person. This class and assignment, however, gave me the self-confidence, critical-thinking skills, and courage to try a new career path. I left engineering and went on to study law and eventually became a lawyer. More important, that class and paper helped me understand education differently. Instead of seeing college as a direct stepping stone to a career, I learned to see college as a place to first learn and then seek a career or enhance an existing career. By giving me the space to express my own interpretation and to argue for my own values, my philosophy class taught me the importance of education for education’s sake. That realization continues to pay dividends every day.

Sample Student Essay

One type of narrative essay you may have reason to write is a Personal Statement. Many colleges and universities ask for a Personal Statement Essay for students who are applying for admission, to transfer, or for scholarships. Generally, a Personal Statement asks you to respond to a specific prompt, most often asking you to describe a significant life event, a personality trait, or a goal or principle that motivates or inspires you. Personal Statements are essentially narrative essays with a particular focus on the writer’s personal life. The following essay was responding to the prompt: “Write about an experience that made you aware of a skill or strength you possess.” As you read, pay attention to the way the writer gets your attention with a strong opening, uses vivid details and a chronological narrative to tell his story, and links back to the prompt in the conclusion.

Alen Abramyan

Professor Jones

English 1101

In the Middle of Nowhere Fighting Adversity.

A three-punch combination had me seeing stars. Blood started to rush down my nose. The Russian trainers quietly whispered to one another. I knew right away that my nose was broken. Was this the end of my journey; or was I about to face adversity?

Ever since I was seven years old, I trained myself in, “The Art of Boxing.” While most of the kids were out playing fun games and hanging out with their friends, I was in a damp, sweat-filled gym. My path was set to be a difficult one. Blood, sweat, and, tears were going to be an everyday occurrence.

At a very young age I learned the meaning of hard work and dedication. Most kids jumped from one activity to the next. Some quit because it was too hard; others quit because they were too bored. My father pointed this out to me on many occasions. Adults would ask my father,” why do you let your son box? It’s such a dangerous sport, he could get hurt.” My father always replied, “Everyone is going to get hurt in their lives, physically, mentally and emotionally. I'm making sure he's ready for the challenges he's going to face as a man.” I always felt strong after hearing my father speak that way about me. I was a boy being shaped into a man, what a great feeling it was.

Year after year, I participated in boxing tournaments across the U.S. As the years went by, the work ethic and strength of character my father and coaches instilled in me, were starting to take shape. I began applying the hard work and dedication I learned in boxing, to my everyday life. I realized that when times were tough and challenges presented themselves, I wouldn't back down, I would become stronger. This confidence I had in myself, gave me the strength to pursue my boxing career in Russia.

I traveled to Russia to compete in Amateur Boxing. Tournament after tournament I came closer to my goal of making the Russian Olympic Boxing team. After successfully winning the Kaliningrad regional tournament, I began training for the Northwest Championships. This would include boxers from St. Petersburg, Pskov, Kursk and many other powerful boxing cities.

We had to prepare for a tough tournament, and that’s what we did. While sparring one week before the tournament, I was caught by a strong punch combination to the nose. I knew right away it was serious. Blood began rushing down my face, as I noticed the coaches whispering to each other. They walked into my corner and examined my nose,” yeah, it’s broken,” Yuri Ivonovich yelled out. I was asked to clean up and to meet them in their office. I walked in to the Boxing Federation office after a quick shower. I knew right away, they wanted to replace me for the upcoming tournament. “We’re investing a lot of money on you boxers and we expect good results. Why should we risk taking you with a broken nose?” Yuri Ivonovich asked me. I replied, “I traveled half-way around the world to be here, this injury isn’t a problem for me.” And by the look on my face they were convinced, they handed me my train ticket and wished me luck.

The train came to a screeching halt, shaking all the passengers awake. I glanced out my window, “Welcome to Cherepovets,” the sign read. In the background I saw a horrific skyline of smokestacks, coughing out thick black smoke. Arriving in the city, we went straight to the weigh ins. Hundreds of boxers, all from many cities were there. The brackets were set up shortly after the weigh ins. In the Super Heavyweight division, I found out I had 4 fights to compete in, each increasing in difficulty. My first match, I made sure not a punch would land; this was true for the next two fights. Winning all three 6-0, 8-0 and 7-0 respectively. It looked like I was close to winning the whole tournament. For the finals I was to fight the National Olympic Hope Champion.

The night before the finals was coincidentally the 200th anniversary of the city. All night by my hotel, I heard screams of laughter and partying. I couldn’t sleep a wink. The morning of the fight I was exhausted but anxious. I stepped into the ring knowing that I was tired. I fell behind in points quickly in the first round. I felt as if I were dreaming, with no control of the situation. I was going along for the ride and it wasn't pleasant. At the end of the second round, the coach informed me that I was far behind. “You’re asleep in there,” he yelled out to me, confirming how I felt. I knew this was my last chance; I had to give it my all. I mustered up enough strength to have an amazing round. It was as if I stepped out and a fresh boxer stepped in. I glanced at my coaches and see a look of approval. No matter the outcome, I felt that I had defeated adversity. My opponent’s hand was raised; he won a close decision, 6-5. After I got back to my hotel, I remembered Yuri Ivonovich telling me they expected good results. “How were my results,” I asked myself. In my mind, the results were great, with a broken nose and with no sleep, I came one point shy of defeating the National Olympic Hope Champion.

Even from a very young age, I knew that when my back was against the wall and adversity was knocking on my door, I would never back down. I became a stronger person, a trait my family made sure I would carry into my adult years. No matter what I’m striving for; getting into a University; receiving a scholarship; or applying for a job, I can proudly say to myself, I am Alen Abramyan and adversity is no match for me.

External Links

“ Sixty-nine Cents ” ( https://tinyurl.com/ybjasq9c ) by Gary Shteyngart: In “Sixty-nine Cents,” author Gary Shteyngart describes a coming-of-age experience as a first-generation Russian-Jewish immigrant in modern America.

Sherman Alexie grew up on the Spokane Reservation in Washington State. He chronicles his challenges in school, starting in first grade, in Indian Education ( https://tinyurl.com/hlshngr ).

Sandra Cisneros offers an example of a narrative essay in “ Only Daughter ” ( https://tinyurl.com/y7hzxhz6 ) that captures her sense of her Chicana-Mexican heritage as the only daughter in a family of seven children. 

Annie Dilliard offers an example of a narrative essay in an excerpt, often entitled “ The Chase ” ( https://tinyurl.com/y7udsl88 ) from her autobiography An American Childhood , outlining a specific memorable event from her childhood.

Contributors and Attributions  

Adapted from  Successful College Composition (Crowther et al.) . Sourced from  LibreTexts , licensed under  CC BY-NC-SA  .

Adapted from  Let's Get Writing (Browning, DeVries, Boylan, Kurtz and Burton) . Sourced from  LibreTexts , licensed under  CC BY-NC-SA  .

The Study Dude—How to Write a Haunting Narrative Essay

October 23, 2020

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Have you ever wanted to tell a story, perhaps about your life?  Well then, you’ve likely wanted to write what is called a narrative essay.  It’s the kind of essay that starts with vivid visuals of the scene—from the scents to the sounds to a smorgasbord for the senses—and ends with a deep reflection.

According to EssayShark (2017), “the main purpose of each narrative essay is to tell a story.  You may inform the reader about a remarkable event from your past, a meeting with a memorable personality, or the ongoing experience that is likely to change your life.  Actually, it does not really matter what you are going to tell, as how you will tell it is significantly more important”.

I wanted to write a narrative essay this week for The Voice Magazine.  I wanted to title the essay Freed from the Places of the Past.  Instead of writing it in full, I’ll take pieces from it and use it as an example throughout this article.

Start with a hook.

What is a hook?  EssayShark (2017) writes about “the ‘hook’.  This element is also called an extraordinary beginning and using it in a narrative essay is especially important.  “You may begin your story with a paradoxical fact, relevant quotation, definition, question, or a colorful detail” (75%).

My narrative essay would’ve begun by saying, “While in grad school, I heard that some students studied ‘place,’ or maybe it was ‘space.’ I don’t recall which it was.  But I ridiculed it, saying place had little significance to anyone’s life.  But last night, I visited an old neighborhood in the pitch black of night, and the place felt like a haunting memory.”   That was my hook.

Set the scene . 

After you lay out the hook, you should set the scene.

EssayShark (2017) outlines “setting the scene.  Your attention-grabber should be followed by a wide range of visual, acoustic, and tactile details.  In a narrative essay, it is critically important to set the scene properly: explain where the events take place, who are the main characters, whether they are fictional or real, etc.” (75%).

To set the scene in my narrative essay, I wanted to say, “within the blackness, I saw the lit signage of the Walmart strip mall where I had once bought a blue and white coat.  (I still wear that coat, 20 years later.) To my dismay, the strip mall looked oddly unfamiliar, with a c-train I had never seen before coupled with a giant public library.  As my friend and I silently drove past, I saw buildings I failed to recognize, with the occasional shop I recognized still in place.

“But the haunting feeling heightened as we wheeled by my old building, a dim shadow masking the few lights that still shone within its windows.  I recalled the person I had once loved, the friends, the enemies, and all the mistakes.  And it saddened me.”

Drill the moral home with your thesis statement, if you can.

After you set the scene, bridge it with your thesis statement.

EssayShark (2017) highlights the thesis statement, saying that “in a narrative essay, the thesis statement is significantly different from that in an expository or argument essay.  You don’t need to introduce your arguments, defend the position, or prove something.  Instead, your thesis statement may serve as a beginning of the story: ‘It was cloudy and hazy when I started my way to green forests.’ Additionally, your thesis statement may connect a personal experience with a universal, proving the significance of the topic you write about ….  Also, you may use the thesis statement for offering a moral lesson to your audience” (75%).

My thesis statement I wanted was, “Perhaps that black night sky brought the sadness and longing.  Perhaps the changes in the district brought a sense of missing out.  But one thing stood clear: no matter how troubled or triumphant each moment is, it must be savored, for once it’s gone, it fades into memory, like an aching to make things right.”

Make the body meaty.

After the introduction, focus on the body paragraphs.

According to EssayShark (2017), “Body paragraphs depict but not tell.  It is commonly known that good storytelling is expressive—it is overwhelmed by precise descriptions and sensory details that help the audience to visualize the events illustrated by the author.  To make your audience live the experiences together with you, use the details related to all five senses: express what you heard, smelled, touched, felt, and saw during the event” (75%).

In my body paragraphs, I wanted to compare this haunting place with places that recurred in my dreams: “I recalled dreams I had of my futuristic homes.  In one dream, my childhood dwelling had been replaced with condos, but the block remained.  At the end of the block were bustling new businesses, one of which was a bar.  I’d enter that bar in my dream like a lost soul, only to be reunited with my family.  The bar looked like a living room with stale musky carpets and a ‘70s TV, an open space bathed in dull yellow light, not unlike a legion.  I had recurring dreams about that same bar five or more times.  It, too, felt whimsical and pleading.  I felt like an outsider, though, a sign perhaps that I had made mistakes with my family.  Mistakes only love would ever mend.”

Shift back and forth from story to reflection.

Within the body paragraphs, shift from story to reflection.

EssayShark (2017) says, “In narrative essays, new paragraphs usually mark the shift from action to reflection or indicate the change in the events” (76%).

One reflection I intended to write was, “Perhaps my whimsical and sad reflections on places ties into regrets bygone.  One of my friends has the opposite view.  She sees past places like pages in a book.  She says, it’s never as good when rereading a page, but the next page holds so many possibilities.  Her view struck me as optimistic, as someone not attached to regrets, as someone still not struggling to make sense of past events.  Perhaps she had lived her life right, although I know she had her share of heartaches.”

Conclude with a moral lesson.

After your body paragraphs, it’s time to conclude your narrative essay.

EssayShark (2017) proposes that “in a narrative essay, the conclusion serves as the moral center of the story, as it summarizes everything you have told and provides your story with a significant sense.  Due to this, at the end of the story, you should necessarily include a personal reflection or evaluation of the event being described and explain why it is significant for you as the author” (76%).

I wanted to conclude my narrative essay with this: “When places bygone stir up a deep aching, it’s a sign we haven’t yet fully learned our lesson.  Only once we infuse the present with nothing but love, can we begin to set free the places of our pasts.”

Now that you’ve got the basic order of a narrative essay, why not write one and submit it to The Voice Magazine.  Your narrative story—and all its wisdom—might just hold a key someone needs for hope.

EssayShark.  (2017).  Essay Becomes Easy Part I Analysis * Persuasive * Classification * Evaluation Reflective * Narrative * Compare and Contrast Essays.  [Kindle Unlimited].  Retrieved from amazon.ca.

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How to Write Nightmare Scenes (21 Tips + Examples)

Nightmare scenes are haunting journeys into a character’s subconscious that can add layers of depth to your narrative and evoke intense reactions from readers.

Here is how to write nightmare scenes:

Write nightmare scenes by understanding your character’s deepest fears, using vivid descriptions, ensuring emotional depth, and creating disorienting transitions. Avoid clichés and ensure that the nightmare resonates with the story’s overarching themes.

In this guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about how to write nightmare scenes.

What Are Nightmare Scenes?

Table of Contents

A nightmare scene is a narrative tool used by writers to delve into the subconscious mind of a character.

It often reveals their fears, insecurities, traumas, and sometimes even their desires.

The scene is typically a dream sequence but is marked by its unsettling, eerie, or even horrifying content.

Nightmare scenes give readers an intimate glimpse into the character’s mind, allowing readers to empathize more deeply with their struggles.

Anna’s eyes snapped shut, and she found herself in the middle of a dense forest. Trees with twisted branches loomed over her, casting long, sinister shadows. A chilling wind whispered her name, and as she turned around, she saw figures of her past, accusingly pointing at her, their eyes hollow and voices dripping with blame.

Types of Nightmare Scenes

Nightmare scenes can be diverse and serve different purposes in the narrative.

Here are ten distinct types you might consider:

• Flashback Nightmares – Revisiting traumatic past events.
• Symbolic Nightmares – Using symbols to represent fears or anxieties.
• Chase Nightmares – The character is chased by an unknown entity or fear.
• Loss Nightmares – Dreaming of losing someone or something dear.
• Monstrous Nightmares – Encountering monsters, either real or metaphorical.
• Apocalyptic Nightmares – Envisioning the end of the world or society.
• Trapped Nightmares – Being trapped or confined without escape.
• Falling Nightmares – The sensation of endlessly falling or failing.
• Failure Nightmares – Dreaming of failing at something critical.
• Mystery Nightmares – Ambiguous scenes that are unsettling but not clear in meaning.

For instance, if you want to hint at a character’s fear of abandonment, opt for a Loss Nightmare.

The vivid depiction of the character being left behind by their loved ones can have a profound emotional impact.

Mark stood at the train station, his family waving goodbye from the departing train. He ran alongside, shouting their names, but they couldn’t hear him. As the train faded into the distance, Mark was left alone, an overwhelming sense of desolation engulfing him.

21 Best Tips for Writing Nightmare Scenes

Here are 21 tips for how to write nightmare scenes in your story.

Tip #1: Dive Deep into the Character’s Psyche

When crafting a nightmare, it’s crucial to understand the character deeply.

What are their fears, traumas, desires, and past experiences?

Drawing from these will make the nightmare more personal and impactful.

For instance, if I know my protagonist has a fear of being alone, their nightmare might focus on isolation or abandonment. Such a scene would resonate deeply, as it touches on their core fear.

Sarah wandered the empty city streets, calling out for anyone. Every corner she turned, every building she entered, was eerily empty. The deafening silence weighed on her, a reminder of her greatest fear.

Tip #2: Use Vivid and Descriptive Language

Nightmares are visceral and intense.

To capture this, employ vivid descriptions that appeal to the senses. The aim is to make readers feel the character’s fear and dread.

In my writing, I often paint a vivid picture using rich details to immerse readers fully.

The more real the nightmare feels, the more unsettling it becomes.

The air was thick with the stench of rotting flesh. Every step James took was met with the squelch of decay beneath his feet. The moans of unseen creatures echoed around him, sending chills down his spine.

Tip #3: Manipulate Time and Space

In dreams, and especially nightmares, the constraints of reality can be bent.

Time can flow backward, speed up, or stand still.

Locations can morph and change in the blink of an eye. Leveraging these distortions can make the nightmare feel more dreamlike and surreal.

Personally, I’ve always found manipulating time to be especially disorienting in a narrative.

It leaves readers and characters feeling out of control, enhancing the overall unease.

Rebecca found herself standing at her childhood home one moment, and in the next, she was abruptly thrust into her school classroom from ten years ago. Clocks spun wildly, and days turned to night in seconds, creating a dizzying, disorienting effect.

Tip #4: Introduce Familiar Yet Distorted Elements

Twist the familiar to make it strange and unsettling.

This could be a beloved family member with a sinister grin, a childhood toy that comes to life, or a well-known place that’s eerily abandoned.

I’ve often introduced these distorted elements to give an uncanny feel.

The familiarity breeds comfort, but the distortion immediately shatters that, leaving the reader feeling uneasy.

As Lucy walked into her childhood bedroom, she saw her old teddy bear sitting on the bed. But its eyes were large, black voids, and its stitched smile had turned into a menacing snarl.

Tip #5: Play with Emotions and Sensations

A nightmare isn’t just visual.

It’s deeply emotional. Amplify feelings of fear, dread, panic, sadness, or guilt.

Think about physical sensations too – the cold grip of dread, the heat of panic, or the suffocating weight of despair.

In one of my stories, rather than detailing the nightmare’s visuals, I focused entirely on the protagonist’s rising panic and despair, making it palpably distressing for readers.

Every breath felt like a struggle, as if a heavy weight pressed on Alex’s chest. The air grew colder, his heart raced, and a sense of impending doom consumed him, even though there was no discernible threat in sight.

Tip #6: Use Repetition for Emphasis

Repetition can be a powerful tool in emphasizing certain elements or themes in the nightmare.

This can be a repeated phrase, scenario, or even a specific haunting image.

I’ve used repetition to represent inescapable fears or to emphasize a character’s obsession with a particular trauma or regret.

Everywhere Ellen turned, the same scene played out. Her brother, reaching out for help, and her unable to reach him in time. Over and over, the scene replayed, each time amplifying her sense of guilt.

Tip #7: Make It Personal

The most haunting nightmares are those that touch on personal traumas, regrets, or fears.

They should feel tailored to the character, reflecting their experiences, personality, and emotional state.

I once wrote a scene where a character constantly relived the moment she lied to a loved one, emphasizing her deep-rooted guilt.

The room was filled with mirrors. In each reflection, Clara saw herself, the lie spilling from her lips, the hurt in her friend’s eyes. No matter where she looked, the painful scene was inescapable.

Tip #8: Leave Some Elements Ambiguous

Sometimes, what’s left unsaid or unseen is more terrifying than a detailed description.

Leaving certain elements ambiguous can let the reader’s imagination fill in the gaps, often with something more terrifying than you could describe.

Ambiguity can be an ally.

It creates an unsettling atmosphere and allows each reader to imagine their version of horror.

David heard a whisper behind him, too faint to discern the words. He felt an icy presence, but when he turned around, there was nothing—just the echoing remnants of that chilling whisper.

Tip #9: Incorporate Real-Life Fears

Drawing from real-world fears can make the nightmare more relatable and terrifying for the reader.

Whether it’s the fear of loss, failure, isolation, or even societal issues, grounding the nightmare in reality can enhance its impact.

In my works, I’ve occasionally tapped into universal fears, making the narrative resonate with a broader audience.

Amidst a bustling crowd, Marie stood alone. Everyone around her wore masks, their eyes emotionless, voices silent. She screamed, but no sound came out. The fear of being isolated in a connected world became suffocating.

Tip #10: End with a Lasting Impact

The ending of the nightmare should leave a lasting impact, either on the character or the reader.

It could be a shocking revelation, a twist, or an emotional climax.

This ensures the scene remains memorable long after it’s over.

I’ve always believed that the ending of a nightmare should echo throughout the story, influencing the character’s actions or decisions.

As the shadows closed in on Jacob, a figure emerged—his younger self. The younger Jacob whispered, “It’s all your fault,” before the entire scene plunged into darkness, leaving Jacob waking up in a cold sweat.

Tip #11: Use Symbolism to Convey Deeper Meanings

Symbols can represent abstract fears, desires, or themes.

A crumbling house might symbolize deteriorating mental health, or a sinking ship might represent feelings of hopelessness.

From my personal experiences, readers often enjoy piecing together the meaning behind symbols, making the story more engaging and thought-provoking.

Lisa found herself in a vast orchard, but all the trees were barren. Each fruit she picked up turned to ash in her hands, symbolizing her deep-seated fears of infertility and loss.

Tip #12: Create Disorienting Transitions

Switch between scenes or settings abruptly to evoke a sense of disorientation.

In dreams, it’s common to jump from one place or time to another without a logical transition.

In my writing, these jarring shifts often mirror the character’s fragmented state of mind, emphasizing their emotional turmoil.

Henry was laughing with his family at a picnic when suddenly, the scene shifted. He was now standing on a cliff’s edge, the sea raging below, the laughter replaced with the howl of the wind.

Tip #13: Amplify the Unsettling with Sound

The soundscape of a nightmare can be as critical as the visuals.

The distant echo of a child’s laughter, the relentless ticking of a clock, or the muffled cries from an unknown source can elevate the scene’s eeriness.

I’ve found that a well-described auditory experience can deeply immerse the reader into the character’s nightmare.

Clara walked through the abandoned carnival, the only sound being the creaking of old rides and the haunting tune of a broken carousel, playing in a loop.

Tip #14: Utilize Unpredictability

The unpredictable nature of dreams can be a writer’s boon.

Characters can face sudden betrayals, unexpected dangers, or bizarre twists.

The lack of predictability keeps the reader on edge, unsure of what’s coming next.

I’ve often used unpredictability to mirror a character’s feeling of losing control in their life.

Jack was about to embrace his long-lost friend when the friend’s face morphed into that of Jack’s greatest enemy, sneering with malevolence.

Tip #15: Emphasize the Surreal

Enhance the dreamlike quality of the scene by incorporating surreal elements.

Floating islands, talking animals, or inanimate objects coming to life can make the nightmare feel otherworldly.

Incorporating surrealism has always expanded the complexity of my nightmare scenes, making them more memorable.

Maria stood in a field where the flowers had eyes, and the sky was a swirling mix of vibrant, unnatural colors. Birds with two heads flew overhead, singing in distorted melodies.

Tip #16: Allow for Emotional Resonance

The emotions experienced in the nightmare shouldn’t just vanish upon waking.

They should resonate, affecting the character’s mood, decisions, or relationships. This bridges the gap between the dream and reality, emphasizing the nightmare’s significance.

In my stories, the aftermath of a nightmare often provides a rich avenue for character development.

After witnessing his own death in the nightmare, Thomas became more cautious, his once fearless demeanor replaced with hesitation and introspection.

Tip #17: Keep the Stakes High

Even though it’s a dream, the stakes should feel real and high.

The character’s dread, the looming danger, or the potential loss should be palpable to maintain tension throughout the scene.

When I want to emphasize a character’s vulnerability, I ensure that the nightmare puts them in high-stake scenarios.

Emily found herself balancing on a thin plank above a vast chasm. With every step, the plank wobbled, and the abyss below beckoned with an eerie allure.

Tip #18: Play with Perception

Distorted perceptions can make the nightmare feel more disconcerting.

Giant objects, elongated corridors, or warped faces can create an environment of unease.

I’ve utilized distorted perceptions to represent a character’s feelings of being overwhelmed or disoriented in their waking life.

Walking through the town, Oliver noticed the buildings towering over him, reaching impossible heights. The people around seemed like giants, looking down at him with pitiful gazes.

Tip #19: Incorporate Real Memories with a Twist

Blend genuine memories with fictional elements.

This not only blurs the line between reality and fantasy but also makes the nightmare deeply personal for the character.

For instance, take a cherished memory and introduce a sinister twist, emphasizing the character’s guilt over past actions.

Sophie remembered the day at the beach with her sister. But in the nightmare, as they built sandcastles, dark waves approached, and her sister’s laughter turned to screams. Sophie couldn’t save her, no matter how hard she tried.

Tip #20: Use Opposites for Shock Value

Introduce elements that are the opposite of what one would expect.

A safe place becoming dangerous or a loved one turning hostile can be deeply unsettling.

I’ve played with opposites to catch the reader off guard, delivering unexpected shocks.

In the middle of the joyous wedding celebration, the music shifted to a mournful dirge. Guests, once smiling, now wept blood. The beautiful setting turned dark, foreboding, and hostile.

Tip #21: Convey a Sense of Inevitability

Sometimes, the terror in nightmares comes from the sense of inevitability.

No matter what the character does, they can’t change the outcome, creating a feeling of helplessness.

Drawing from my own fears, I’ve written scenes where the character feels trapped in a loop of dread, unable to alter their fate.

Jane kept running, but the monster behind her was always just a step away. No matter how fast or where she ran, it was always there, its breath on her neck, the sense of impending doom never fading.

How to Format a Nightmare Scene in a Novel

Nightmare scenes, while pivotal to a story, should also be distinguishable from the regular flow of the narrative.

This distinction not only signals to readers that they’re about to enter a different realm but also aids in immersion.

1. Use Italics or Different Font Styles

A common technique is to italicize the entire nightmare scene.

This visually separates the scene from the rest of the narrative. Some authors opt for a different font style or even a slight change in font size to denote the dreamlike quality.

2. Provide a Clear Entry and Exit

Always have a clear transition into and out of the nightmare.

This could be the character falling asleep, a sudden feeling of dizziness, or even an abstract transition like the world fading away.

Similarly, exiting the dream could be signaled by the character jolting awake, or the scene slowly fading out.

3. Consider Chapter Breaks or Segments

If the nightmare is significant and detailed, it might warrant its own chapter or segment.

Beginning a new chapter with the nightmare can give it the emphasis it deserves, and ending the chapter with the character waking up can provide a neat closure.

Biggest Mistakes When Writing a Nightmare Scene

Nightmare scenes, while captivating, can easily go awry if not executed correctly.

Here are some pitfalls to avoid:

• Being too vague
• Relying too much on cliches
• Disconnection
• Ignoring emotional depth
• Making the scene too long

1. Being Too Vague or Abstract

While ambiguity can be a tool, overdoing it can leave readers confused.

If the nightmare’s events or symbols are too abstract without clear relevance to the character or plot, it might come off as filler content.

2. Over-relying on Clichés

Haunted houses, shadowy figures, or monstrous creatures are commonplace in nightmares.

While they can be effective, relying solely on these clichés can render the scene predictable and dull.

3. Disconnecting from the Main Narrative

The nightmare should serve a purpose in the broader story.

Whether it’s character development, foreshadowing, or providing backstory, it should tie back to the main narrative.

A random nightmare with no relevance can disrupt the story’s flow.

4. Ignoring Emotional Depth

Nightmares aren’t just about scary or unsettling imagery.

They’re deeply emotional experiences.

Failing to convey the emotional and psychological impact of the nightmare on the character makes the scene feel shallow.

A well-written nightmare should resonate with the character’s deepest fears, regrets, or desires, leaving a lasting emotional impact.

5. Prolonging the Scene Unnecessarily

While it’s tempting to dive deep into the intricacies of a nightmare, dragging it out can lead to reader disengagement.

A concise, impactful scene is often more effective than an extended, meandering one.

Remember, the essence of a nightmare is its intensity, not necessarily its duration.

Over-extending the scene can dilute its potency and make it tedious for the reader.

3 Full Examples of Writing a Nightmare Scene

Let’s look at three full examples of how to write nightmare scenes in different genres.

As Clara walked down the aisle, the congregation’s excited murmurs turned to mocking whispers. The man at the altar wasn’t her beloved but a faceless entity. Her wedding dress became tattered and stained. The beautiful roses in her hand wilted, their petals falling one by one. As she reached out to the faceless groom, he vanished, leaving her alone amidst the jeering crowd.

Commander Ray floated in the vast emptiness of space, his spaceship a mere speck in the distance. His oxygen was depleting, each breath more laborious than the last. As he reached out for the tether to pull himself back, it snapped. Alien constellations watched impassively as the void consumed him, the cold, infinite darkness pressing in from all sides.

3. Historical Fiction

Amidst the bustling streets of Victorian London, Eleanor walked, but something was amiss. The cobblestone streets turned to quicksand, slowing her down. Horse-drawn carriages raced past, their drivers faceless, their horses skeletal. The once-familiar buildings loomed, their shadows twisted and menacing. The people she knew turned their backs, fading into the mist, leaving Eleanor isolated in a distorted version of her world.

Here is a good video about how to write a dream sequence (including nightmares) in your story:

Final Thoughts: How to Write Nightmare Scenes

Crafting a haunting nightmare scene can deeply enrich your narrative, unveiling layers of a character’s psyche in an evocative manner.

Before you go, check out a few of our other blog posts on writing scenes.

Read This Next:

• How to Write Montage Scenes (21 Tips + Examples)
• How to Write a Mental Hospital Scene (21 Tips + Examples)
• How to Write Fast-Paced Scenes: 21 Tips to Keep Readers Glued
• How to Describe Fear in Writing (21 Best Tips + Examples)

Harvard Medical School (Research on Nightmares)

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