Throughout this semester, the focus on genre and its many components has been the

hidden through line throughout each of our projects and compositions. Though not the basis of

our projects (excluding the first, which was a writing focused primarily upon genre), genre has

been a constant consideration in our heads. Writing a research paper, and doing different remixes

of said research paper, we had to consider the genre we worked in, the audience it was intended

for, and work that into the creation of the compositions themselves. The contents of the

ePortfolio are a variety of compositions, ranging from our first three projects, all three rhetorical

rationales, this very letter, a script I had wrote in my cinema studies class, and a paper on the

concept of freewill I wrote in ENC 2135. These documents, though from different times and

written on different topics, all have a cohesive connection regarding the involvement of genre.

As formal as that may all sound, the details of this introduction to the ePortfolio are rooted in a

personal element.

Prior to this class, I considered myself a competent writer, being in the film school and

seeking to achieve a career in screenwriting. However, I worked well with a format. Dialogue

here, action there. This worked well for me, I knew when to say what. Researching, while not a

foreign concept for me, was never something I wanted to invest my time in. But for this

semester, specifically project two, researching was incredibly exciting for me. So, this varied

structure between each of our projects, has helped introduce me to some different forms of

writing.

Along with this, one of my favorite parts of this semester was the multitude of group peer

review and discussion. I cant tell you how much I rely on my friends to criticize my script and

provide feedback for revision. This is incredibly important to me, and to have us do this for each

of the projects helped me to make each one of my project the best I could. This revision is
something I held up, even to the last moments before the ePortfolio was due. Continuing the

topic of group work, the exploratories were an interesting breed of assignment. While I did enjoy

the group work and peer review, the exploratories were an exception. Dont get me wrong, I

didnt hate them, but I didnt love them either. I honestly didnt feel like I had learned much

from them, they seemed overly tedious, and for the most part seemed to distract from the other

projects.

As someone with very few communication skills, the blogposts became an outlet of sorts

for me. Being able to share my thoughts and have others look at and view what I have worked on

without criticism or rejection, is truly amazing. The blog is something I may continue, even

outside of the class itself, to share my thoughts and communicate to my friends or others who

want to read my blog about my life.

Back to the concept of genre, and specifically our final project. Each composition we

created was in a different genre, and thus the way we created them are different. The elements

and audiences addressed are different. My physical composition was a brochure; the brochure

contains many visual elements, and several blurbs of text which are simplified and condensed

points of information contained within project two. Due to the informative nature of this

composition, I figured it would most likely appeal to adults looking for information or opinions

on how to help their children on the spectrum. I could see this piece being in a doctor office of

some kind, something that someone could quickly read and gain some small insights. Though the

purpose of this document is to not fully convince them of the positives in social skill

development through the action of playing videogames, but more so trying to have them ponder

that concept and research more on their own. As a person with Asperger Syndrome, and

someone who played videogames at a young age, I very much so want my story to be heard by
those who may have interest in this exact topic. I would hope that those who read my blog,

would comment if they have had similar experiences. Even if they themselves are not the subject

with Autism Spectrum Disorder. This was addressed by my social networking genre. To first

work on this, I had to consider that this would be seen by others and then shared amongst those

people. And as a personal story, the writing and structure I had to use was very specific to first

person narratives and autobiographies.

These are two separate examples of how genre plays into all compositions. The elements

needed to be considered prior to writing a specific genre, is so incredibly important. As those

elements, more often than not, define what that genre is. As seen in my two external

compositions, screenwriting follows a specific formula, as does an informative paper. This is a

defining theme throughout these projects, and I am so proud and have enjoyed working on these

fantastic compositions. I hope you, the reader, has just as much fun reading them, as I had

writing them.