This assignment requires making decisions about which potential genres you will work with and create for this project. Writing the proposal will help you think about and confirm your focus on genres that make sense for the rhetorical situation in your community. In class you can work with peers and your instructor to get feedback on your proposed direction.
Provide as much writing and detail as you can in this assignment — it will help you narrow down your options. You can also change your intent as the project progresses (and you will not have to resubmit this assignment) – sometimes a proposal is just as valuable for illustrating what you don’t want to do, but you don’t know that until you actually try to propose it.
- What community will you be working with? Describe it here, especially what they use to communicate. You already know this community but describing it again in this context will help you focus. This should be the same community from Project 2, or perhaps a subset of that community. If you want to work with a different community than the one you focused on previously, don’t do so without discussing with your instructor before moving ahead.
- What genres are you thinking about writing for this community? You should choose at least 5 that are potentially appropriate, but more is fine too. If you start with more than you need, it will be easier to narrow down if you decide a genre is not feasible. You can choose almost any genre, with instructor approval. Some examples might be:
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- a mock-up of a set of forum posts asking a question and the possible responses (you don’t have to create an actual forum or publish this)
- a substantial set of memes that make at least partial use of text, and include a written description to explain them
- a resource with useful information (an online guide, a brochure, or a set of instructions)
- a mock-up of specific web site content (you don’t have to create an actual web site but consider the purpose of this content because a “web site” is a digital space, not a genre — decide on the genre within)
- an article for a newsletter or e-newsletter or other publication for this community
- a letter or email (mock-up) discussing an issue of relevance to the community and a possible solution
- a written speech
- a script for a podcast
- From the list above, which genres do you think would be useful to write in? Does your community fit for any of these, and what other genres do you think of from reviewing the list?
- Provide an example of a genre in your community. If you want to create a brochure, for example, or a podcast discussion, provide links to at least one example and discuss how it represents the genre you want to create for your community — what are the similarities and differences between the sample and what you want to create?
- Do you have questions about the genres you’ll create? What specific questions about a particular genre do you have? Your instructor may be able to help guide you to resources, but include any questions here for input.
- Why these genres? Why are you suggesting the genres you have chosen, and which three are you leaning toward? Why are those three most appropriate — analyze each choice and explain how it is appropriate to your community.
