PB1B

    Genre generators provide a large range of various writings, from long scientific papers to short comical phrases. 

    The computer science research paper generator offers a much more academically focused genre of writing. Researchers and students are most likely the intended audience. With no color or fancy framing, the paper starts off immediately with the title and author(s), while an abstract helps give background and goals for the following research. The table of contents organizes the sections and an introduction familiarizes the reader with history of the topic. Throughout the rest of the paper, the authors add in charts and graphs, labeled and dotted to provide visual data they have collected. They point out the experiment procedures and carefully explain any results and problems along the way. References to other studies end the research paper, after the conclusion to the experiment. The authors make sure they give credit where it is due, following proper scientific and writing etiquette.

     At first glance, the research paper is unappealing to the eye. With no colors or pictures, this genre is obviously meant to distribute and record information; the casual reader looking for entertainment would not be interested. The objective writing filters out any statements based on opinion, leaving only pure facts and data from observation. All of these conventions factor together to give a sense of credibility for the paper. 

     The meme and comic generators are vastly different in comparison to the research paper genre. Memes have no individual title and are identified by the picture label. The pictures can be of anything, but captions will usually frame it from the top and bottom. The phrases depict a humorous situation or tell an intriguing statement related to the corresponding picture. Anyone can make a meme, as long as they have internet access and a way to publish it. Since they are only one panel and don't continue the story on another slide, they are more geared towards those looking for simple or mindless entertainment. The bored web surfer may enjoy looking through pages of memes.

     The comic generator presented in this assignment offers an unusual aspect. This time, people do not create the content themselves. Simply by clicking 'generate', three panels of comics appear in no specific order. The comic writer created numerous individual panels and used a program that would pick them out with no particular order. Due to the nature of random mixing-and-matching, most results make no sense and are completely absurd. Each panel features the same two characters, interacting either verbally or physically. No context or history of the characters is provided, but the reader can infer the tone or style simply by knowing the artist's other works. Despite the cartoon style of drawing, the artist portrays violent or dark humor, sometimes involving blood and vulgar content. The audience probably consists of older, mature, and bored people, as these comics are inappropriate for children. This comic generator serves no practical purpose and probably acts as a little project for the artist himself. Comic readers that stumble upon the generator may entertain themselves with it for a few minutes. 

     Even though the given genres are only three in a countless list, learning to analyze and identify conventions can be applied to all writings. These generator websites may seen to give out random articles, but they are using a very specific formula. By studying and comparing the different genres, a person finds that specific genres have certain conventions to set them apart from one another. A proper research paper would not consist of just a few phrases and a meme would be better off without an abstract. No one looking for entertainment wants to stare at a wall of text. Intended audience, purpose, and tone can all determine the effectiveness of a piece of writing. 

http://writingexercises.co.uk/index.php

http://www.plot-generator.org.uk/

The links above generate prompts and story plots, either randomly or using keywords. The plot generator offers filters so the writer can tailor the given prompt to specific story genres such as fantasy, crime, or even freestyle. 

PB1A

Few genres of writing have features as visually appealing and attention-grabbing as the comic book. For the past few decades, a rise in the production of comics has captivated both young and old generations. Many people can recall the marvel of entering a book store to see piles upon piles of comics, offering an adventure in each with a smell of fresh paper print. 

      What makes a comic book any different from other kinds of writing? The drawings on each page immediately come to mind. In fact, the pictures take up more space than the wording. Vivid colors and visual detail replace the need for a description, which can turn an otherwise dull read fast-paced and to-the-point. Comics may not be the best source of writing for those who want to be fully immersed and engaged with the plot. Visuals serve as a supplement to the script. Of course, a narration may be occasionally used to clarify the plot, but for the most part, words make up the dialogue or actual plot development. Comics are also  home to the iconic sound effects, such as 'POW' when punch lands or 'BOOM' when an explosion happens. These short little onomatopoeias fill up a large portion of a panel, popping out of the page for extra visual effect.

     

     Besides being in books, comics may also be shown as strips, lined up in rows of panels in a newspaper section. Many can relate to the feeling of excitedly flipping through a newspaper, ignoring all the news and politics to stop at a page fully dedicated to cartoons and laughs. These individual strips provide a short story through just a few boxes, enough to pass off a joke or absurd situation. For the casual reader, comics provide an amusing, sometimes whimsical story and perhaps a quick little escape from reality. In contrast, comics can come in long series, requiring many books to tell a story. Comics have gained such a huge fanbase that there are whole stores that focus on selling and displaying.These are often directed towards a more committed audience where reading comics may even be their hobby. For the committed enthusiast, comics mean more than just pretty pages with a little action packed fiction. They take pride in owning a rare edition. They collect; the stash would be boldly and openly displayed or perhaps kept in a locked room for the owner's eyes only. But these are the extreme cases. 

     Even in comic books themselves, there are varied topics and genres. People typically associate comics with superheroes and villains, cutting out many other well-known titles such as the Peanuts or Calvin and Hobbes. These types of comics generally incorporate a realistic setting with everyday situations that may be more emotionally relatable. They set a lighter mood by adding jokes and taking out intense violence seen in action comics. Children can enjoy these books simply by looking at the bubbly artwork, while an older audience can appreciate the subtle satire or mature joke that the author slipped in. 

About Me

Hey there, reader! My name’s Herman Cai. You can look me up on Google, but all you’ll find will be pictures of a black man with a creepy smile and accusations of naughty behavior. So here’s a little introduction of me. 

Born in China, I moved to San Francisco at the ripe age of 4, resulting in a very whitewashed kid stuck in heavily traditional Chinese culture. Now what’s a Chinese kid doing with a name like Herman? I asked myself that very question. Was I named after the writer Hermann Melville, or perhaps some powerful Nazi general? Nope. I got the name because it sounded like my Chinese name. Thanks, mom. 

Reading and Pokemon were my life during my elementary years. I loved staying at home reading about dragons and how I gotta catch them all^TM. High school timed nicely along with my blunder years, resulting in magnificently failing to talk to girls and taking hilariously whacked out ID photos. These times are over, I hope, but my current access card photo likes to say otherwise.   

In order to feel like I wasn’t just gathering dust sitting at home, I joined cross country, track, and a couple volunteering clubs. I had my good memories with all of this, but I eventually quit each one. Looking back, I never was one to be committed to a cause. Lessons on piano and violin went straight out the brain drain in just a years time, but I'm holding on trying to self-teach guitar. 

As for now, I’m a scrawny undeclared freshman walking among adults who sound like they have their whole life completely planned out ahead of them. Just the other day, I heard some guy in the dining commons say he wanted a mansion with a winery basement and a field of the ‘herbs.’ With no particular job in mind, I hope I’ll end up with something I enjoy doing everyday while still making it rain the cash-money.