Nar-Dos began writing in the 1880s starting with poems, some of which were published in Araks in St Petersburg, and the "Sokhak Hayastani" (The Nightingale of Armenia) poetry collections.

Under the influence of Gabriel Sundukian, Nar-Dos composed the plays "Mayin's Complaint" ("Մայինի գանգատը"), “Honey and flies” («Մեղր և ճանճեր») (1886),[1] and “Brother” («Եղբայր»)[2] (1887).

Under the pen name of Mikho-Ohan he published “Tchshmarit barekamy” («Ճշմարիտ բարեկամը»),[3] “Nune” («Նունե»)(1886),[4] («Բարերար և որդեգիր») (1888),[5] “Knkush larer” («Քնքուշ լարեր») (1887), [6] and “Zazunyan” («Զազունյան») (1890)[7] in the newspaper Nor dar.

In the stories and novels of his first period he mainly describes urban life, focusing on certain social groups (“Our District” («Մեր թաղը»),[8] "Hopop" (1890), "Hogun vra hasav" ("Հոգուն վրա հասավ") (1889), "Anna Saroyan" ("Աննա Սարոյան") (1888)).

Well-known works of this time include “The Killed Dove” («Սպանված աղավնին») (1898),[10] in which the author depicts the tragedy of an Armenian woman, “Struggle” («Պայքար») (1911), [11] and “The Death” («Մահը») (reedited in 1912).