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“You enter the extraordinary by way of the ordinary.” ~Frederick Buechner

Saturday, June 22, 2019

Words With Impact: Discern Typology Genre


Workshop: Discover Words That Sing

“The poet—when he is writing—is a priest; the poem is a temple; epiphanies and communion take place within it.” Denise Levertov

Genre Typology Threads

One definition of an epiphany is that it is a moment of revelation or insight. As we saw earlier symbol webs can strengthen genres through a variety of image styles. Readers often lean towards one or two genre styles because of the insight they want to explore for themselves. We also have our favorite style or depth within those choices as well. Both a cozy mystery and a psychological thriller give insight into a murderous revelation, but the details and the descriptions of each will be very different.

As readers we lean towards the subjects and styles where we want to discover or understand the revelation the story unfolds. Symbols, images, concepts, and themes can be expanded both in a genre style and or as a thread borrowed from one genre to another to give a fresh view. And a very ordinary situation can be developed into a very different perspective like the shifting mirrors we saw earlier.

For example: sometimes we don’t need to search for mystery. It can happen during an ordinary day. The unexpected happens, either positively or negatively, shifting our perspective into a whole new direction. Suddenly the ground shifts out and the familiar, the foundation, is cracked opening into a world we do not know and cannot understand.

Choices follow. Do we get out a flashlight and investigate the new terrain, however hesitantly, or hide away and hope the world tilts back to normal in the morning? Perhaps a little of both enables ourselves, and our characters, to cope with sudden change.

In the movie Larry Crowne, when he is called into the office for a special meeting, Larry confidently expects to receive yet another employee reward. Instead he is fired for a supposed lack of education. Which is a total mystery to him. He grew up in an era when high-school education was the only requirement and work experience became the criteria for advancement and evaluation. Now none of it is considered valid? When and how did the life rules change? Or did they really?

Although still in shock, Larry begins to build a new life trying to adapt to a new culture for him—college. Like a young child entering the world of kindergarten everything is a mystery. Some days are extremely difficult and bewildering. However he also embraces the unknown with curiosity, changing not only his life but also those around him—especially his worn out, jaded instructor. He finds a way to blend his past and present into a rich discovery.


Action Steps:

1. Even if you do not have a mystery in your novel choose a situation to become a mini-mystery parable with long reaching significance.

2. Pick a scene where your character is pressed for time. Make a list of possible obstacles, such as a flat tire. Have a good ‘helper’ come alongside to assist, but keeps making the situation worse.

3. Then, when your character finally reaches his goal, he realizes that the interference saved him in some way—maybe from a huge embarrassment. How does that change his perspective on his frustration?

Share: What common question became a typology thread? Was there one word or concept that could be developed into several angles?


Read deep, marcy


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