The A to Z Challenge asks bloggers to post 26 articles on a themed topic. It’s supposed to be every day except Sundays during the month of April but I did this last year, found it way to busy for the likes of me, and decided to post mine ‘about’ once a month. Yes, it’ll take me a couple of years. Sigh.
My topic, like the last three times I did the conventional approach, will be writing genres.
This genre:
Prose
Definition
Prose is ordinary language that follows regular grammatical conventions and does not contain a formal metrical structure. This definition is an example of prose writing, as is most human conversation, textbooks, lectures, novels, short stories, fairy tales, newspaper articles, and essays.
OK, not really a genre but an important style of writing. Authors may select to write prose as opposed to poetry.
Tips
- Choose between four common types of prose: Nonfiction, fiction, heroic, and prose poetry.
- Voice is critical to successful prose.
- Convey an idea, deliver information, or tell a story. This is the promise of prose.
- Prose are often conversational in tone, a vehicle for connecting with the reader.
- While you should think about flow and pacing, don’t worry about rhyme or metrical structure.
- Avoid cliches.
- Write clearly without repetition.
Popular Books
- fiction
- non-fiction
- journalism
- textbooks
- encyclopedias
- history
- philosophy
- law
- essays
- conversation
Click for complete list of these 26 genres
Click for a complete list of all genres I’ve written about
@AtoZChallenge #atozchallenge
More P Genres:
Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy, the Rowe-Delamagente thrillers, and the Man vs. Nature saga. She is also the author/editor of over a hundred books on integrating tech into education, adjunct professor of technology in education, blog webmaster, an Amazon Vine Voice, a columnist for NEA Today, and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics. Look for her next prehistoric fiction, Against All Odds, Summer 2020.
Thank you Jacqui for all this information on prose writing. Your article is a keeper. Have an inspiring May. Take care, stay safe.
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Thanks so much, Susan. I try to keep these pithy and brief. You too–take care of yourself.
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If poetry it ain’t, then prose it is. Not a complaint, just a trait of the biz.
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And you would be right. I think it’s a binary choice.
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Great post! An important genre indeed, a needed part of the writing world. We’d be lost without prose.
I hope you and yours are staying safe and healthy during this difficult time.
J Lenni Dorner~ Co-host of the #AtoZchallenge, Debut Author Interviewer, Reference& Speculative Fiction Author
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Thanks, Lenni–definitely staying safe and healthy. My lifestyle is fairly alone so not a lot of difference!
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Clear and succinct. Great post! 🙂
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Thanks, Deb. It’s one of those categories a lot of people mix up. Thought it was worth writing about!
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It was! 🙂
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I’m with you. Too challenging for me. I haven’t even launched my site yet. Wishing good luck to anyone that takes on this challenge.
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Thanks, Anne. Let us know when your site is open. I’ll drop by!
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Definitely! Thanks. When I stop going in circles with WordPress, I’ll launch my site!
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Prose is a good choice for writing, Jacqui!
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It sure is, especially for those of us who don’t write decent poetry!
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I think narrative poetry is a blend of prose and poetry, Jacqui!
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Breakin’ all the rules! I love it. As a constant student of prose, I found this very helpful.
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Oh yeah. That’s me, a maverick.
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Well, not really a genre, but you’re so right that its mastery is critical to most of our writing! And that mastery is a life-long venture for most of us. 🙂 Be well, my friend.
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Since I’m already breaking a bunch of rules in this blog hop, I figured what’s one more? Not-really-a-genre–that works! Sigh.
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🙂
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Well said.
I love your response to Arif Shop. So true.
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I bet there are a lot of people who have trouble interacting online. Who knows from a one-word message, right?
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Prose is a genre! I learn something ever time I read your articles. This is very good.
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Yeah, I know–I took a lot of liberties with that! I need a new theme–domain-specific vocabulary for writing!
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I have never thought of prose as a genre, Jacqui, although I also write in rhyming verse for children so I probably should have.
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And you’d be right! I got a little stuck on this one and wasn’t terribly motivated with all the other stuff going on. OK, I confess, I got lazy!
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It wasn’t a criticism and I found the article interesting and informative.
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Prose is more than I thought it was, Jacqui!
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It’s a really big group within ‘writing’. Any among us who don’t write poetry probably write prose (I’d say absolutely, but I don’t really believe in absolutes).
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I often start out writing a prose essay that eventually breaks down into a poem.
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I like that. I wonder what genre that is.
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hybrid poetry?
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Hi Jacqui – there’s lots more reminders of essays that are published in this lock-down time … an interesting line of reading … that I’m sure many of don’t read … I’ve got a couple here – that I must settle to read sometime: being the operative word. Take care – Hilary
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This more of a category of writing but I think some don’ty understand it so figure–why not include it!
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I hadn’t really thought of prose as a genre either, maybe more of a style. As you say, it’s really just text that isn’t poetry, isn’t it?
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Yes–exactly. I think writing is either prose or poetry. Interesting, innit?
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Very. Thanks for the discussion.
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Great stuff, Jacqui! I agree, voice is critical.
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Hello
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I find myself much more tolerant of mistakes and patient about plot if I like who I’m traveling with.
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What a great idea! I agree, doing that every day probably wouldn’t work for me either. I plan to do this once a week starting 4th! I’ve never thought of prose as a genre, but only because I sadly, didn’t know what it was until this post! Thank you for the useful information!
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I’ve known writing is prose or poetry (fiction or non-fiction–like that) for a long time but the idea didn’t snap into place until I considered genres. I’m glad you like this.
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