PB3A

For my final writing project, I want to base my transformations off of the scholarly article Relationship Quality, Commitment, and Stability in Long-Distance Relationships by Gretchen Kelmer, Galena K. Rhoades, Scott Stanley, and Howard Markman. This article first establishes the factors of long distance relationships and geographically close relationships. After the comparison of the two, the article proposes the hypotheses that would be tested, followed by the methods and the discussion. While the article is a research paper, it can still be transformed into other genres geared towards both an older and a younger audience.

For a younger audience, I wanted to take into account the constant use of technology and social media in our current generation. The increasingly popular website, Buzzfeed, presents many articles and posts that are relatable to the readers. Therefore, for my genre transformation, I want to write a post that is titled “10 Signs You Know You’re in a Long Distance Relationship.” I would include a short sentence in a bold font that briefly summarizes the “sign” that shows you are in a long distance relationship. I would then use a regular font to elaborate on it, and I would also include a picture or .gif image that relates to the sign. The picture or visual will help make the post more memorable and can often add humor to the post as well. I would make sure the format of my wannabe-Buzzfeed post is similar to that of an actual post. Therefore, I would include hyperlinks that allow readers to be able to easily share the post, as publicity from the audience is an important factor in the success of popular Buzzfeed posts. This post serves to remind the audience that many people out there are in long distance relationships, and there are many factors, often pros, that exist in long distance relationships that do not exist in geographically close relationships.

I want to transform the article into a brochure for an older audience. I’d imagine these brochures to be sitting by the front desk at some office, waiting to be read. The brochure would be a type of self-help or reevaluation for individuals in long distance relationships. It would introduce by defining what a long-distance relationship is. I would provide the reasons that long distance relationships exist. Listing a few reasons can give people perspective that they are not alone in their situation, and that long distance relationships exist for a variety of reasons. I would then list out benefits—based on what the article says, because “challenges and deprivations that come with long distance relationships may influence individuals to filter out less satisfactory partners.” Benefits such as less difficulty sustaining positive connections together, being able to more easily make the most of their time, and having repeated honeymoon effects can remind the audience that they have pros that close-proximity relationships do not necessarily have. The brochure serves to lighten the mood of the struggling individual and to provide them with hope. The brochure would contain possible problems that the couple may be experiencing and how it can be tackled.

The two transformed genres are still based off of the same content but are now executed in different manners. The genres are tailored towards the age of the audience, taking into account how different generations retain information differently. Since the younger audience is arguably more technologically advanced and the older generation is slightly more used to concrete paper, I decided to transform my scholarly article into a Buzzfeed post and self-help brochure, respectively.