Welcome to our course Writing for Publication! Let's start today with a few short videos for inspiration and thoughts about writing.
The Power of Words
Why So Many People Want to Be Writers
How to Build Confidence
Being a Professional Writer
Write some goals in your journal. What do you want to learn/get out of this course? What sort of projects do you want to accomplish? What writing goals do you want to give yourself this semester? Consider the video advice and think about how you might be able to use some of this advice to gain confidence in your writing and grow in your writing skills.
LAB TASK: Genre Slideshow
Writing is a business. Books are published, not only because they're good for you, are beautifully written, or introduce you to human characters, events, and culture, but also because they sell. Publishers count on readers to consume books. It's all about the $, and less about the art. But it is also an art.
The first thing we should consider as writers is our reader. If we don't please our reader, we won't be able to sell a book. If we can't sell a book, we aren't going to be very successful writers, etc. It's a vicious circle. But before we continue, it's a really good idea to remember this golden rule of writing.
If you don't please your audience, you don't succeed!
So let's chat a bit about our potential audiences:
There are 3 general types of readers that a writer should be aware of:
Readers also become loyal to writers. Publishers count on this to occur. The more you like a specific author's style and writing, the more likely you will continue to buy books by this author.
In today's writing market there are a variety of genres that writers tend to write. Knowing what readers expect from these genres will help you as a writer give your audience what it wants. So let's learn about these audiences and what they expect! Let's read that handout/chapter first.
Classroom Project: Genre Slideshow
Finally, before you leave today, please make sure you completed the short survey regarding genre units for this course. Every vote matters!
HOMEWORK: None.
The Power of Words
Why So Many People Want to Be Writers
How to Build Confidence
Being a Professional Writer
Write some goals in your journal. What do you want to learn/get out of this course? What sort of projects do you want to accomplish? What writing goals do you want to give yourself this semester? Consider the video advice and think about how you might be able to use some of this advice to gain confidence in your writing and grow in your writing skills.
LAB TASK: Genre Slideshow
Writing is a business. Books are published, not only because they're good for you, are beautifully written, or introduce you to human characters, events, and culture, but also because they sell. Publishers count on readers to consume books. It's all about the $, and less about the art. But it is also an art.
The first thing we should consider as writers is our reader. If we don't please our reader, we won't be able to sell a book. If we can't sell a book, we aren't going to be very successful writers, etc. It's a vicious circle. But before we continue, it's a really good idea to remember this golden rule of writing.
If you don't please your audience, you don't succeed!
So let's chat a bit about our potential audiences:
AUDIENCE
There are 3 general types of readers that a writer should be aware of:
- Fantasists: readers who read to escape the tediousness of ordinary life, seeking new frontiers and imaginative fiction
- Realists: readers who read about contemporary life to learn about or reinforce personal experiences
- Pragmatists: readers who read for a specific purpose--from cooking to learning history or science
Readers also become loyal to writers. Publishers count on this to occur. The more you like a specific author's style and writing, the more likely you will continue to buy books by this author.
In today's writing market there are a variety of genres that writers tend to write. Knowing what readers expect from these genres will help you as a writer give your audience what it wants. So let's learn about these audiences and what they expect! Let's read that handout/chapter first.
- General fiction: chick-lit, domestic drama, sports, vampire lit, LGBT, humor, war, urban/black or minority literature, literary (melange)
- Historical fiction: romance, detective thriller, adventure, family saga, drama, multi-volume, African-American/urban
- Romance: paranormal, historical, regency, horror/gothic, LGBT, inspirational, contemporary, African-American/urban
- Mysteries and Thrillers: detectives, cozy, Christian, noir, forensic, police procedural, courtroom/legal, LGBT, historical, thriller, ghost story/paranormal, horror, spy, action
- Science Fiction: soft, hard, apocalypse, cyberpunk, feminist, comic/humor, first contact, colonization, military, time travel, steampunk, space opera, dystopian, speculative
- Fantasy: heroic, Arthurian, dark, urban, alternate history, RPG, high, science fantasy, speculative, magical-realism, fable
- Horror: gothic, paranormal, paranormal romance, occult, Lovecraftian (cosmic horror), vampire fiction, dark fantasy, survival, science fiction, zombie fiction, thrillers
- Autobiography & Memoir: bootstrap, political, family, celebrity, travel, survival, extraordinary lives, confession/conversion, spiritual memoir, writer's memoir, new journalism
- Children's/Young Adult: any of the above, usually with more fantasy or realist elements; often involving a young protagonist coming of age, bildungsroman, picture books, etc.
- New Journalism: memoirs, science, travel, history, writing about writing, creative non-fiction, etc.
- Comedy: romantic comedy, parody, burlesque, farce, dark comedy, satire, non-fiction/memoir (observational), absurdist comedy, [comedy is often combined with other literary genres]
- Literary Fiction: any of the above, but with better writing quality, skill, and attention to craft
After reading today, take a couple minutes to complete the Genre Wars survey. See Google Classroom for details! Then...
- Find a partner or choose to work alone. Together, agree upon and sign up for one of the writing markets.
- Choose one of the genres in bold above--check the subcategories so that you know what you're getting into--more details can be found in the article you should have read...
- Together, you will be expected to create a slideshow for your chosen genre to promote the genre to a fantasist, realist, or pragmatist reader.
- Take a look at the questions bulleted below. You will want to be able to answer these questions in your presentation.
- Use Google SLIDES to set up your slideshow. Share your file with your partner (if you have one)
- Create a slideshow detailing your chosen genre by following the steps below. Be creative. Play around with the design and how you present the information in a clear and creative way. You may use graphics and lists to provide answers to these questions:
1. Create a title slide.
2. Describe this genre. What is it?
3. Who is the target reader (a fantasist, a realist, a pragmatist, or what combination?)
3. What are some expectations a reader of this genre might expect?
4. What are some categories of this genre? AND what are the expectations a reader might expect from this genre?
5. Examples of some popular or famous books or films that fit this genre; and some examples of authors who write in this type of genre.NOTE: Slideshows should not have too much text--they should use graphics and pictures to get information across. Big concepts (like subgenres) can be listed, as opposed to painstakingly explained. Write your notes in your journal (double-dipping!) and organize your notes to select only the most important information about your chosen genre in the brochure! Use your handout chapter to help you! More tips on the way. The project is not due yet.
Finally, before you leave today, please make sure you completed the short survey regarding genre units for this course. Every vote matters!
HOMEWORK: None.
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