What is a literary recount?

Answer 1

A literary recount is similar to a factual recount. Both types of recounts give details about what happened, including who was involved, when and where the event took place, and what may have resulted. A literary recount can be about real or fictional events and characters.

A literary recount is different from a factual recount because it includes more than just facts. A literary recount:

• retells a series of events with characters
• gives facts and feelings about the events
• often uses dialogue between characters
• creates an emotional connection with the reader
• uses descriptive language.

Examples of a literary recountLiterary recounts include more emotional connections between the reader and the story than factual recounts. Some examples of literary recounts are:

• short stories and novels
• biographies and letters
• fables, myths and legends
• plays, films and television programmes
• poems and songs
• picture books.

Structure of a literary recountA literary recount must begin with a title or a heading. The title should relate to the text, but can be creative.

The introductory paragraph is called the orientation. In this paragraph the setting and characters are introduced. This may also give the reader a general idea of what the text will be about, or may contain background information that helps to explain the first scene of the text.

The body of the text contains the sequence of events. The sequence of events is usually written in chronological order (the order they occurred). The purpose of these events is to tell the story. This includes what happened, how characters (or people) within the text felt about the events, and how any problems were dealt with.

The concluding paragraph is called the reorientation. This paragraph sums up the recount. This is where the sequence of events ends and any issues or problems are completely resolved by the characters. The emotional responses of the characters involved may also be included in this section.