On a blank document on your computer, sketch out your plan. Write the name of each genre at the top of the page. Underneath each genre, map out the concepts you are considering when planning your genres. If you’ve already done this thinking, this mapping exercise will help you check your thinking and ensure you are on track. Identify and list the following for each genre:
- One-sentence explanation of the genre, indicating how specific it is (not just web page, but web page intended to…).
- List the needs of the community or specific part of the community that this genre has been chosen for — what needs will this meet?
- What is the purpose of this genre – write a statement of purpose in one sentence.
NOTE – Throughout this exercise things may feel somewhat repetitive, but that’s okay, as it helps you confirm your genre choices are on track. For example, your needs of the community might sound a lot like your purpose – that’s good.
- List all potential audiences, then rank the audiences you have listed by number in order of importance for this genre.
- What is the surrounding context for each genre? What is/might be going on with this community that creates the need for the genre?
- Describe in 2-3 sentences the rhetorical situation for each genre you are creating (even if it repeats what you have said above — organize your thinking for each genre around the concepts you need to consider for that genre to be successful in meeting the need for communication you have identified for your community.
- Under each genre, map the connections by drawing arrows from each context to where you have identified it in the description of the rhetorical situation.
- Now draw connections (literally, on the page) between concepts across genres. They don’t have to connect, as you may have chosen genres that are very different or targeted to different audiences within your community. But identify any that do connect.Then, explain in approximately 250-500 words what you revised or edited in this exercise by answering the following questions:
- How did the mapping and planning in Step One help you think about how the writing concepts will inform the genre samples you choose to create?
- If you weren’t able to map out your genre samples entirely, which parts or which concepts were the most challenging? Was the peer exercise helpful in resolving that challenge – why or why not? How do you plan to get those challenging aspects of the genre mapping addressed, if you are still stuck?
- How did the experience of verbalizing your thinking help you think about your genre samples? How did articulating your intent around audience, genre, purpose, etc. help you get closer to your plan for developing your genres?
- How did hearing about what your peer is doing help you think about your genre sample development?
- How will you incorporate the feedback from this exercise into your plans? Which feedback will you ignore, if any? Which piece of feedback or which part of the experience did you find most helpful?
