Navigating Genres

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Navigating Genres

Introduction

In the essay, “Navigating Genres” by the renowned writer Kerry Dirk, a genre is more of a category used in writing. The creation of a writing piece pertains to vast characteristics and carry the notion that a certain type of formula should be followed. As an authentic writer, an individual should firstly understand and choose a genre that to pursue throughout the writing. In reading and comprehending Dirk’s work, a few questions were answered using the text. These questions include; what is Dirk saying about the nature of rhetorical genres? Which genres do you follow most closely? What are the hallmarks of these communication types? What, in your view, are the important components of the advertising genre? What about the contemporary speech or verbal address? The answers given were developed from “Navigating Genres” to retain the essay’s subjectivity.

Body

Genres have evolved over the years obtaining new meaning and perception from both readers and writers. Rhetorical genres are based on the nature of things or the convention of the writer. According to Dirk, the comparable day-to-day situations guide the creativity of a writer interested to utilize the rhetoric genre. Not only are rhetoric forms generated form these situations, but the writer is also able to obtain; grammar, style, and vocabulary. Currently, genres are perceived as repeating rhetorical forms that occur in part of our day to day endeavors. ”The definition of genre has changed even more since Bitzer’s article was written; genres are now viewed as even more than repeating rhetorical situations. Carolyn Miller, a leading professor in the field of technical communication, argues that “a rhetorically sound definition of genre must be centered . . . on the action, it is used to accomplish” (Dirk, 249)

Knowing what a genre is considered a prerequisite for any writer. The rhetorical genres have power over vast activities that can be innate or abstract. For instance, the utilization of a specific genre in writing can assist individuals to attain goals that may be unattainable through verbal means. The awareness of different genres helps one to be versatile and more functional when it comes to expressing oneself. “Learning about genres and how they function is more important than mastering one particular genre”. (Dirk, 259) Readers can treat texts as rhetorical objects since they already know that context can elicit some type of response in them. It is, therefore, a necessity for writers to familiarize themselves with the right type of rhetoric genre which helps in creating texts that stimulate their target response.

Before genres were viewed as rhetoric, there was a negative notion about them. However, research and other efforts have helped them to receive a positive notion in the writing industry whereby they are viewed as an aid for writers in making relevant decisions before developing a creative text. “But on a brighter note, genres also help us to make more efficient decisions when writing, as we can see how people have approached similar situations. Creating a new genre each time that writing was required would make the writing process much longer, as we would not have past responses to help us with present ones.” (Dirk 252)

The genres that I follow closely have to do with adventure and creative imagination. My most profound genres are; Drama, Science Fiction abbreviated as (Sci-fi) and crime fiction. The particular aspect that makes me obliged to read texts that apply these particular genres is the level of creativity and language used in these texts.

Drama is a genre through which an author creates fictional representations that are performed in the texts. A writer can choose to dramatize a fiction or non-fiction narrative, which makes the text more interesting. A dramatic text could be in the form of a; play, mime, ballet or an opera. The most common form used in texts is the ‘play’ form. Science fiction (Sci-fi) is a modern rhetorical genre that mainly deals with futuristic concepts or imaginative themes related to advanced science and technology. Sub-genres found in this fiction are mostly superhero fiction, fantasy, and horror. Lastly, the crime fiction genre is a common rhetorical genre that has been applied over the years by authors. The narration in this genre deal with; murder, mystery, detective stories, and investigation theatrics.

In my view, there are important components found in the following genres; advertising, contemporary speech and verbal address. The advertising genre is driven towards attaining a specific objective that is sales. Primary components include; persuasive language, promotional themes, and eye-catching headlines. A contemporary speech is common in most functions and is mostly read from written text. The text should have; a grabber, subject, perfect structure and themes that convey the target message. Verbal addresses ought to have the following components included perfectly depending on one’s audience; standard grammar, voice tone, voice speed, and diction.

Conclusion

In choosing a rhetorical genre, a writer should choose that which creates a desired result from the target audience. One should be aware of the various writing genres to improve writing skills. In my opinion, Dirk did a remarkable job in teaching writers about genres and there are a few lessons that I obtained which I can apply in creating texts.

Sources

Dirk, Kerry. "Navigating genres." writingspaces (2010): 249.