6.4 Genre Conventions
Suzan Last
Learning Objectives
- List the key characteristics of professional writing.
Every genre of writing has unique characteristics and rules, called conventions, that help readers classify a document as belonging to a particular genre. This also applies to film and music. Think about the last movie you saw. What type of movie was it? What about that movie gave you that impression? Did the characters wear Stetson hats, ride horses, and carry guns? Did they fly in spaceships, encounter alien beings, and use futuristic technology? Those elements are typical conventions of Western and Science Fiction genres.
Non-fiction is a category that can be broken into various genres and sub-genres. The main types of non-fiction relevant to us are journalism (newspaper writing), academic writing (written by scholars and published in peer-reviewed academic journals or books), and technical writing. Before we get into the specific conventions that characterize technical writing, take a moment to think back to your academic writing course and list some conventions typical of journalism (popular press) and academic writing in Table 6.4.1.
| Criteria | Journalistic | Academic |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | ||
| Audience | ||
| Writing Style | ||
| Tone | ||
| Structure | ||
| Format/Formatting | ||
| Other Features |
Like journalism and scholarly writing, professional writing also has distinct features that readers expect to see in documents that fall within this genre.
Here are the key characteristics of professional writing:
- Clarity: The message should be clear and straightforward, avoiding ambiguity. Clear writing ensures that the reader understands the message the first time.
- Conciseness: Avoiding unnecessary words and getting straight to the point. Brevity ensures that the reader’s time is respected and that the main ideas stand out.
- Correctness: Proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling are crucial. Errors can undermine the message’s credibility and the writer’s professionalism.
- Formality: The tone is usually more formal than casual communication, but it should still be approachable. Overly stiff or jargon-filled writing can alienate readers.
- Coherence and Organization: Ideas should flow logically. Structured writing with a clear beginning, middle, and end ensures that the reader can follow along with ease.
- Consistency: Especially in documents like reports or manuals, consistency in terms, abbreviations, formatting, and other elements is crucial.
- Audience Awareness: Recognizing and addressing the intended readers’ specific needs, expectations, and backgrounds.
- Purpose-driven: Every piece of professional writing has a specific purpose, whether it’s to inform, persuade, instruct, or something else. The content should be tailored to meet that purpose.
- Evidence-based: Where claims are made, they should be backed up by credible sources or data.
- Ethical: Professional writing should avoid misleading or false information. It should respect confidentiality agreements and avoid plagiarizing others’ work.
If we filled in Table 6.4.1 with typical characteristics of professional writing, it might look something like Table 6.4.2:
| Criteria | Professional Writing |
|---|---|
| Purpose | To communicate technical and specialized information in a clear, accessible, and usable manner to people who need it to make decisions, perform processes, or support company goals. |
| Audience | Varied, but can include fellow employees such as subordinates, colleagues, managers, executives, clients and other stakeholders, the general public, and even readers within the legal system. |
| Writing Style | Concise, clear, plain, and direct language; may include specialized terminology; typically uses short sentences and paragraphs; uses active voice; makes purpose immediately clear. |
| Tone | Business/professional in tone falls between formal and informal; may use first person or second person if appropriate; courteous and constructive. |
| Structure | Highly structured; short paragraphs; clear transitions and structural cues (headings and sub-headings) to move the reader directly and logically through the document. |
| Format/Formatting | Can be in electronic, visual, or printed formats; may be long (reports) or short (emails, letters, memos); often uses style guides to describe required formatting features; uses headings, lists, figures and tables. |
| Other Features | Typically objective and neutral; ideas are evidence-based and data-driven; descriptors are precise and quantitative whenever possible. |
Key Takeaways
Professional writing follows particular conventions that are recognizable to its audience. It is clear, concise and correct. It is often more formal than other forms of writing. Professional writing follows particularly patterns and conventions in order to make communication as efficient as possible.
