Genre & Technical Communication

As someone who personally loves to read in her leisure time, I highly believe in and advocate for the benefits of reading (such as improving memory, developing critical thinking skills, exploring one’s creativity, and learning/practicing displays of empathy for others). I really admire the idea of incorporating technical writing/communication with a genre-focused storytelling approach. I don’t enjoy reading all genres of literature, but there are a few that I do read adamantly. (I plan on making a separate blog post next week about the genres/types of stories I read and why they are significant/meaningful to me, as mentioned in the suggested blog posts). That being said, I believe I can take the framework of genres that I am more familiar with and try to apply them to technical writing/communication.

            Fantasy has been one genre that I’ve loved since I was a child. I grew up reading the Harry Potter series (by J.K. Rowling) and still occasionally reread those beloved books. I also have read the first five books in A Song of Ice and Fire (by George R.R. Martin) after becoming a big fan of the Game of Thrones television show. I don’t think I will ever stop being amazed at the complexity and imagination encapsulated in Rowling and Martin’s worlds. These intricate and highly-detailed universes also contain amazing characters, events, creatures, and places. When I think of fantasy in relation to technical communication, one aspect that comes to mind involves enhancing one’s ability to think about future consequences (good or bad) that may result from present decisions. It’s hard to put into a simple sentence and writing, but I’ll do my best to elaborate.

            When reading A Song of Ice and Fire and watching Game of Thrones, I was both fascinated and a little confused at the complexity of how the characters created and discussed battle plans. These characters examined their enemies’ strengths and weaknesses, the types of attacks the enemies might use, army formations in the field, etc. Putting it into generic terms might sound easy enough, but these characters were planning for battles that hadn’t happened yet. Many of their strategies came from implications, guessing, previous experiences, and probability. I don’t have a deep passion for learning about war or weaponry, so initially many of these discussions went right over my head. However, the more I read about and watched these strategies unfold, the more sense they began to make. In relation to technical communication, the ability of thinking about how certain practices/decisions will affect the company in the long-term can be very useful. As with reflecting on previous battles, workers should be aware of previous methods and the results that arose from them. Also, if a questionable/radical/unpredictable practice is offered, technical communicators should think about any possible consequences that may occur. Also, technical communicators can benefit if they have multiple plans in case their main, or desired one, goes astray. Unfortunately, we humans do not have magic, the ability to see into the future, scholarly wizards, or even amazing, powerful, magnificent dragons. However, like our fantasy characters, we are resilient, intelligent, and resourceful. We can learn from our mistakes, make logical plans for future events, and rely on each other to be successful.

            Another element that relates to the fantasy genre and technical communication is CREATIVITY! Fantasy worlds are perfect examples of just how creative people can be. Creativity promotes self-expression, happiness, aesthetics, imagination, and so many more valuable assets. In technical communication, adding creativity to one’s work could positively influence that person’s responsibilities, communication skills, writing, presentations, and company improvement. Technical communicators can always find innovative ways to present their research, distribute information, confer with others, and make their services more available to the public. Creativity also might help set employers, employees, and companies apart from others. One example of merging creativity and technical communication is using a storytelling method when creating technical documents, as we discussed in class. By using the method of storytelling when writing these normally serious, imperative documents, the technical writer can gain a stronger understand of what information he/she needs to present and how to provide that information in the most logical, constructive, cohesive, and direct way.

            Historical fiction is also a genre that I read fairly often. Historical fiction narratives are often set in relation to a well-known event (such as World War II),  in relation to a specific timeframe (The Middle Ages), or surrounding an important phenomenon (The Black Plague). Regardless, many authors who write historical fiction want to provide their readers with a new perspective or comment/critique on the historical event. Critical thinking, empathy, and interpretation are all skills one can gain from reading historical fiction, which in turn can carry over into technical communication. As a history buff, I am a strong believer in the ideal “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” (George Santayana). I personally feel that a major part of studying history involves examining issues in the past to ensure that current society a) does not make those same mistakes again and b) tries to understand the logistics behind those mistakes/actions/beliefs from that time. I think the same practice can relate to technical communication. Developing a critical interpretation of a situation or goal allows individuals to better understand how to successfully implement their aims. People should also aim to understand why their strategies failed and how to modify them in order to gain success. Alongside this, workers within the field of technical communication should observe and learn from the successful methods and attitudes of others (making sure to adhere to any ethical codes, of course).

Empathy also has relevance in historical fiction. When I read historical fiction, I like to read books that really focus on the characters: their families/friends, their passions, their experiences, and their hardships. Sometimes when I read these narratives, I genuinely do feel sadness because I realize the events I read about in novels really happened in the past (such as the treatment of Jewish people during WWII). Although that type of empathy differs from ordinary empathy we experience in everyday life, I still believe that more people need to try and see the world from other people’s perspectives and consider the feelings, beliefs, living situations, religion, sexual orientation, trauma, etc. of others. In any field, having the ability to see situations/beliefs from another person’s perspective is a valuable asset. It allows one to look at one topic in different ways, enhancing understanding and relation to said topic. In technical communication, having a strong awareness of empathy may allow one to both interact more efficiently with co-workers as well as enhancing his/her understanding of any problems that arise. Alongside understanding perspectives and feelings, having empathy can lead to individuals simply taking different groups of people into consideration. Companies should want their products or services available to everybody. Language, disability, age, gender, culture, educational level, prior knowledge, religion, and personal goals are a few of the many important factors that make the human race so unique and amazing. Despite our differences, we all should be able to enjoy and use technical documents, services, or resources equally.