1. Writing 101
Effective Essays -
Establishing Purpose and
Understanding Organisation

2. Learning Objectives

To understand the importance of forming a
systematic structure as the backbone in writing.

3. Introduction

Organisation talks about the 'how' – the
structure which a text has.

As you will see, your story's organisation
follows a systematic structure that captures all
the key ideas that must be present for a
complete story.

4. Organisation

The organisation of a story follows the shape of a
Bell, to reflect its rising tempo or excitement, and
the end of the tension when the story resolves.

Hence, the overall structure of how your story
follows a Bell Curve.

5. Structure needed for essays

This Bell Curve gives your essay a structure.

Just like our skeleton gives our bodies
structures too.
1) Orientation – Who are the characters, When it
happened, Where it happened
2) Problem & Climax – What happened overall
3) Resolution – How it ended
4) Coda – Why it happened this way

Bell Curve matches your 5W1H plan perfectly.

7. Bell Curve – as a planning guide
• Orientation – who: a girl, old man and a marathon
runner / where: a park / when: during the school
holidays
• Problem and Climax – what happened: a collision,
the girl fell and the old man witnessed the entire
accident. The fries were scattered all over as the
girl injured her knees.
• Resolution – how it ended: the runner stopped and
helped, girl scraped her knee only, no bleeding
• Coda – why it happened:not thinking about other
users in the park

8. Learning Activity
• With the picture composition below, practice
quick writing with the bell curve.

9. Learning Activity Suggested Answers
O – Who: busker, David, his sister and mother
When: rush hour and returning home
Where: Subway
P + C – What happened: bet with sister that he can
steal a few coins, about to take coins
R – How it ended: saw the police, changed his
mind and stopped
C – Why it happened: silly bet just to prove he's
smart, will not do so in future

10. Discussion
• What does organisation in our writing
describe?
• What is the benefit for knowing the
organisation required in our stories?

11. In summary
• Organisation describes the ‘how’ and shows
you the important stages you must have for a
story to be considered complete.
• They guide our writing and ensure that we
never go out of point.