Personal recount.

Step 1: Introduction = Orientation of the narrative story

The orientation should include:

1. Background context and description of the setting or location (What is the story about and
where is it taking place)
2. The timing and day (When is it occurring)
3. The characters in the story - or at least, the main characters (who is in the story)

Example or orientation:

It was father’s day, and a beautifully cool Sunday morning. I had had big plans, and bought a
selection of gourmet sausages and meats to make a meat platter for the occasion. Unfortunately I
had, as usual, been a little over optimistic about my ability to multitask. Before lunch was served,
I had to dispose of a few tragic kitchen failures. My dad, of course, was seated right outside the
kitchen in the living room, in the perfect spot to witness my big mistake.

Step 2: Plan the events that happen in the story in chronological order to form the body of the
composition, making sure you are telling it from your point of view. Narrate the events as they
happened to you in first person. Plan out 5-6 events to cover in the story.

Example of planning:

Event 1: I forgot to defrost the meat

event 2: I thought I could just cook it at high heat
Event 3: I went to continue working in my room…. And then smelled smoke
Event 4: I salvaged what I could, throwing the sausages away. Fortunately, the lamb and roast
beef were ok.
Event 5: I managed to make a plate for my dad and wish him happy father’s day before rushing
back to my room to start the next class

Step 3: Split up your events into 3 distinct paragraphs.

Para 1 - contains events 1-2 leading up to the problem or the mistake

Para 2 - contains the actual mistake itself, event 3- the most exciting part of the story
para 3- contain events 4-5 where you fix the problem/conflict resolution

Step 4: Write the conclusion - How does the story end?

The conclusion must have:

1. What happened in the end

2. How the writer (you) felt about it

And additionally can also include:

3. Why did it end that way

4. Other people’s reactions or comments
Any lessons learnt