The Multifaceted Writer: Genre Reflections

By Jessica Quillin

In what ways does your choice of genre shape and support your identity and reputation as a writer? In what ways does this public identity then affect and reinforce what you write and how you write it?

All of the controversy in the past few weeks over Jonathan Franzen and the question as to whether or not book critics and indeed the core of the literary establishment favors white male writers over other writers has got me thinking more broadly about genres and the expectations that readers have for certain types of writing in comparison with other types of writing.

I just wonder if we’d see this level and depth of public and academic discussion about gender and criticism if Franzen was prolific in poetry or a combination of genres, rather than fiction. Any time discussion tends towards the subject of the elusive Great Novel (American or otherwise), the ears of literary critics everywhere perk up and take notice.

To be fair, writers and critics might fall into a similar debate about literary gender equity if Franzen were touted as the next Shakespeare. Yet, it is my opinion that poetry as a genre is already more democratic and diverse because it has been forced into a rather marginalized position.
Without getting into value statements about the decline of poetry and the rise of fiction in the popular imagination since the 19th century, it is sufficient to observe that fiction is generally king among literary genres insofar as the public is concerned.

Fiction is generally considered to be real, accessible. From a certain point of view, it is seen as even more revelatory and truth-telling about the human condition than other genres because it allows readers to lift themselves into a different world in order to observe the faults of their own world. Poetry and nonfiction do this as well, of course, but they are not as center stage in the public mind as fiction.

As a writer, the genre you choose indeed affects what your readers think of you, what you write, and what you plan to write in the future. Whether you write fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or informational web articles, genres have their own respective guidelines, stereotypes, and characteristics that define them. Some of these defining qualities were handed down via a shared literary inheritance; but, some of them exist in the minds of readers based on their own unique experiences in reading or encountering these genres.

Each piece that you write in a particular genre establishes expectations in the mind of your readers, however deliberate or unplanned, that influence their sense of your narrative voice, your motivations, your values, and your interests—in short, your writerly identity.

But, what happens if you work across genres? Or what if you only ever write in one genre? Are you dooming yourself to a permanent identity crisis (either unfixed or too fixed) insofar as establishing your persona as a writer and gaining readership? In this context, the often quoted statement by E.L. Doctorow that writing is “a socially-acceptable form of schizophrenia” arguably becomes a matter of branding, marketing, and public relations more than of the craft of writing itself.

What does it say about me as a writer that I am in the midst of authoring an educational policy paper at the same time that I’m doing freelance communications and marketing content work? Am I confusing and therefore turning away readers and hence business with this wide-ranging approach, particularly if you add in my newly re-launched blog, which is now a purposefully eclectic, though tailored mix of posts on fashion, the arts, literature, and culture?
Since I thrive on dynamism and a multi-faceted portfolio, I obviously am biased towards a diverse approach when it comes to genres. But, like all writers, this works for me because it is how I work best. Everyone excels in his or her own way and thus must approach the topic of genre from a unique perspective.
That’s the beauty of writing: it’s individual.

Jessica Quillin owns Quillin Consulting, LLC, a consultancy in Washington, DC, focused on content development, research, and strategy for the public and private sectors. She holds a Ph.D. in English literature from the University of Cambridge.