Associate Professor Jason Olsen has recently published his new book, Intersecting Genre: A Skills Based Approach to Creative Writing, through Bloomsbury Publishing. 

Intersecting Genre explores writing genre relationships with each chapter focusing on the intersection between two modes and what both readers and writers can learn by combining the wisdom gained from the study of, for example, fiction and poetry together. Covering fiction, poetry, nonfiction, writing plays and screenwriting, and also taking stock of the forms that do not fit neatly into any genre silo, Intersecting Genre uses models, critical questions, writing warm-ups and writing practice exercises to give a solid understanding of the points discussed and encouraging writers to put them to practice in their own work. 

Regarding how he hoped the book would help both readers and writers, Jason states: “I think the book is a valuable resource because it walks the reader through different parts of the writing process, including how to come up with ideas and revise their work to improve those ideas. There are sections about asking questions to find out what a piece of writing needs to be about and a section very specifically about revision. While I wrote it with a classroom in mind, this is a guide that a writer can easily use outside of a classroom to help with their writing.” 

Jason adds, “I hope the book inspires students by showing them how different genres of creative writing are connected. Writing in one creative writing is great, but figuring out how different genres can teach you a variety of things is even better.”