Thlog 1

         This week we have been navigating genre and the conventions that make a genre. Through this activity(as well as the reading "Writing Spaces"), I became familiar with genres I did not realize were considered genres, such as text messages, diaries, and letters of recommendation. Genres are made up of conventions, which are like characteristics commonly found in a genre of the same type. In class, we looked at three different video clips from horror films and picked similar characteristics that we noticed in every film. I found this concept to be very interesting and helpful for my writing because it has helped me be more specific and concise. Country songs were another genre that we explored in class. We listed out the conventions of a country song, or things that were commonly seen or heard in the song such as lots of complaining, adultery, and story-telling lyrics. As we heard different country songs, I realized that many of these songs fit the descriptions listed. This activity really helped me with writing my PB1A. I also found that mastering genres can be very tricky because knowing the conventions of one genre does not necessarily mean you will be successful in mastering a different one. This goes in hand with the idea that learning the genres and how they function "helps us recognize and determine appropriate responses to different situations-that is, knowing what particular genre is called for in a particular situation"(Dirk 27). Another reading that we looked at, Teaching two Kinds of Teaching by Teaching Writing talked about the two types of thinking used when writing. I learned that first order writing is creative in generating ideas and often leads to more satisfying writing whereas second order thinking is often structured and controlled.  The idea of genres and rhetorical analysis is still a bit confusing to me. After reading Backpacks vs. Briefcases I became more familiar with observations made in genre and the function that those observations play. I hope to fully understand these ideas by the time I write my first writing project.