Writing Through Genres
What is genre? It comes straight from French, literally meaning “a kind.” Genre is a particular style or category of literature, art, or music. What are some book genres? The two main categories separating the different genres of books are fiction and nonfiction. When we focus on writing itself, the basic ones, which are often used in the classroom, are narrative, descriptive, argumentative, and expository. There could be more genres because different people define the genres of writing differently. For instance, email writing, text messaging, newsletters, travel writing, and cover letters could be recognized as different genres. All of these genres are associated with specific features and functions that distinguish them from one another.
We use email for communication with family, relatives, friends, and colleagues. It is a very simple and easy communication tool used throughout our daily lives. But, only a few people think that email is a genre of writing, because most people regard email as talking rather than writing. However, email writing is a discrete genre and should be identified as such. We use email for all kinds of purposes such as job applications and business marketing. There are also email etiquette rules that we should abide by. Text messaging is meant to be focused and succinct, because single text messages are limited to 160 characters including spaces. Long messages are not recommended at all. People use social networking services such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and mobile messengers like KakaoTalk to build social networks and share their interests with others. When you write a social media post, you should keep in mind that it can be public whether you want it to be or not.
Since a newsletter is considered a way to sell or advertise products and periodically deliver information, people tend to neglect it. It can be a valuable marketing tool, but it is different from an advertisement in nature. A newsletter’s content is highly reliable, unique, and interesting, which needs to be related to marketing to some degree. Travel writing, also known as travelogue and itinerary, is a popular literary genre where descriptive accounts abound. A travel description can be a very useful tool to reach out to potential travelers. It needs to attract them to the places you describe, as well as offer precise information for them not to waste time and money. Cover letters are a genre that has evolved from job application letters. Cover letters are very professional, formal letters, and simultaneously they should be appealing and eye catching for employment. For you to make a great impression on the person who may hire you, you should also understand the essential elements of a strong cover letter. Do not forget that the stronger your cover letter is, the more job interview opportunities you will have!