1. 頭緒分明，脈絡清楚
寫好記敍文，首先要頭緒分明，脈絡清楚，明確文章要求寫什麼。要對所寫的事件或人物進行分析，弄清事件發生、發展一直到結束的整個過程，然後再收集選取素材。這些素材都應該跟上述五個“ W ”和一個“ H ”有關。儘管不是每篇記敍文裏都必須包括這些“ W ”和“ H ”，但動筆之前，圍繞五個“ W ”和“ H ”進行構思是必不可少的。
2. 突出中心，詳略得當
在文章的框架確定後，對支持故事的素材的選取是很關鍵的。選材要注意取捨，應該從表現文章主題的需要出發，分清主次，定好詳略。要突出重點，詳寫細述那些能表現文章主題的重要情節，略寫粗述那麼非關鍵的次要情節。面面俱到反而使情節羅列化，使人不得要領。這一點是寫好記敍文要解決的一個基本問題，也需要一定的技巧。如：
One night a man came to our house and told me, "There is a family with eight children. They have not eaten for days." I took some food with me and went.
When I finally came to that family, I saw the faces of those little children disfigured （破壞外貌） by hunger. There was no sorrow or sadness in their faces, just the deep pain of hunger.
I gave the rice to the mother. She divided the rice in two, and went out, carrying half the rice. When she came back, I asked her, "Where did you go?" she gave me this simple answer, "To my neighbors — they are hungry also!"
3. 用活語言，準確生動
記敍文要用具體的事件和生動的語言對人、事、物加以敍述。一篇好的記敍文的語言既要準確、生動，又要表現力強，這樣才能把人、事描寫得具體生動，其可讀性才強。試比較下面一篇例文修改的前後效果。
原文：
One day Xiaoqiang was wandering away. He was soon lost among people and traffic. He could not find the way back home and started crying. Just then, two young students who were passing by found him standing alone in front of a shop and crying. They went up to Xiaoqiang and asked him what had happened. Xiaoqiang told them how he got lost and where he lived. The two students decided to take him home. Mother was pleased to see Xiaoqiang come back safe and sound. She invited the two students into the house and gave them some money, but they didn't take it. She served them with tea but they left.
修改後：
The other day, five-year-old Xiaoqiang left home alone and wandered happily in the street. After some time, he felt hungry so he wanted to go back home. But he found he was lost among the crowded people and heavy traffic. When he could not find the way home, he started and crying. Just then, two young students who were passing by from school found him sanding crying in front of a shop. They immediately went up to him.
"Little boy, why are you standing here crying?" they asked.
"I want Mom, I go home." said the boy, still crying.
"Don't worry, we'll send you home."
And they spent the next two hours looking for the boy's house. With the help of a policeman, they finally found it.
When the worried mother saw her son come back safe and sound, she was so thankful and she invited the students into her house. Gratefully, she offered them some money, saying it was a way to express her thanks, but the young students firmly refused it and left without even a cup of tea.