Research Journal #1

Looking towards the UGP... and not knowing where to begin.

Reading the Unfamiliar Genre Project assignment sheet, I feel a little overwhelmed. There is so much to do, so little time. Especially for a perfectionist like me.

I have a lot of genres that are unfamiliar to me. I could write an instruction booklet, an advertisement, an editorial, a movie review, a skit, an editorial, and pretty much every kind of poem out there. Deciding what genre to do is what is difficult. I want to choose a genre that is challenging, but I also want to choose one that would work with the content and one that I find interesting.

Do I write an editorial that delves into the purpose of the education system now, and my hopes for it for the future? Or is that too easy?

Do I write a eulogy? One that says goodbye to the parts of the education system that discourages a democratic classroom, and looks foward to the future. Or is that too morbid?

Do I write a slam poem, chock-full of all the positive impacts a great teacher can have on a student? But will I even enjoy writing that?

What I think that I need to come to terms with is that my UGP doesn't have to be perfect. I will be writing in a genre that is unfamiliar to me, and thus, one that I haven't written before. If I haven't written in this genre before, then chances of it being up to my perfectionist-standards are slim. One of my biggest barriers to overcome when writing in a genre that is new to me as a writer is to just write. I tend to overthink everything, and if I don't just do it, I will sit and continue to ponder what to write, how to write it, and if it's actually turning out somewhat okay.

While I am excited about all that this project can be, I am also nervous to be writing in a genre that I am uncomfortable with. But, that just means I won't be writing a rhetorical essay. Yay!