3. Defining Genre

Image result for genreGenre according to Writer Designer Genre is, “grouping certain text.” This is a very simple definition when thinking of genre, and as Jordyn and Vivian talk about in their posts, this definition would probably be interpreted as coming from genres associated with literature. In the past I would have thought of literature at the mention of genre, particularly genres such as: Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Romance. However, genre and its conventions encompass much more than literature. Genre surpasses poetry, fiction, and nonfiction including both print and digital texts.

In itself, genre is related to a purpose. As Kerry Kirk discusses in “Navigating Genres” genre is created in direct response to a first response. Her example is how George Washington created The State of Union Address as a genre by setting up the genre conventions for it, which now is a tradition President follows. This example shows us how genre simply works to recognize a rhetorical situation and then being able to respond appropriately to the situation.

The digital age has created many genres. As Vicky talks about in her post, digital genres still fit the definition for genre because they are created for the specific purpose, and that is to respond to a rhetorical situation. Digital genres serve very different purposes and attract different audiences. Digital genres include but are not limited to: blogs, web comics, social media, vlogs, and journals. Like roshannon, I didn’t think blogs were a genre either, or even a large part of the digital age. I was surprised that blogs have had a huge impact since early 2000’s when they became popular, and are known for their informal and sometimes personal tone. Blogs allow for conversation and collaboration from the writers and their audience. Its genre conventions include a comment section where the audience can contribute by writing their thoughts on the post (Miller and Shepherd).

After doing some research I think I’m interested in digital poetry, which include multimedia components such as animation.

Word Count: 329

Works Cited

Kirk, Kerry. Navigating Genres. Parlor Press2010.

Miller, Caroline R, Shepherd, Dawn. Blogging as Social Action: A Genre Analysis of the Weblog. North Carolina State University.

Ball, Cheryl E, Sheppard, Jennifer, Arola, Kristin L. Writer/designer: A Guide to Making Multimodal Project. Bedford/St. Martin, 2018