Writing Fiction About Generation Jones

A Look at Writing Fiction About Generation Jones (1954 – 1964)

For me, writing fiction about Generation Jones is personal, seeing as I am a member of this cohort. The term is fairly new.

Generation Jones bridges the gap between Early Boomers and Generation X. It’s got a little bit of both in it.

And now, let’s look at some pivotal moments, to help inform us when writing fiction about Generation Jones.

Generation Jones Turns 18 (1972 – 1982)

This time frame starts off with HP introducing the HP-35, the world’s first scientific hand-held calculator, and Nixon going to China.

Associated Press photographer Nick Ut takes his Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph of a naked nine-year-old Phan Thi Kim Phuc running down a road after being burned by napalm.

The Vietnam War winding down and Watergate winding up, as gas prices start to rise dramatically all dominate the middle of this period.

By the time this period ends, Britain and Argentina fight the Falklands War. Vic Morrow and two child actors die while making the Twilight Zone movie, and Princess Grace of Monaco dies from injuries suffered in an automobile accident.

Generation Jones Turns 25 (1979 – 1989)

This time frame starts off with the Shah of Iran fleeing to Egypt as Ayatollah Khomeini takes over. Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin sign an Egypt-Israel peace treaty, and the worst nuclear accident in American history happens at Three Mile Island.

The lead up to the fall of the Soviet Union dominates the middle of this period.

By the time this period ends, the first global positioning satellite goes into orbit, and the US government seizes Irvine, California’s Lincoln Savings and Loan Association, thereby kicking off the S&L crisis.

And the Tiananmen Square protests occur in China. The Berlin Wall, in place since 1961, is finally toppled.

Generation Jones Turns 35 (1989 – 1999)

This time frame starts off with Iran placing a bounty of $3 million on Salman Rushdie’s head for writing The Satanic Verses, and Tim Berners-Lee producing the proposal document that will lead to the Worldwide Web. The Exxon Valdez spills 240,000 gallons of oil into Alaska’s Prince William Sound.

The Oklahoma City bombing and the sarin gas attack in Japan, and their aftermaths dominate the middle of this period.

By the time this period ends, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold conduct the Columbine Massacre, and JFK jr. dies in a plane crash. Boris Yeltsin resigns as President of Russia, with Vladimir Putin as the ‘acting’ president..

Generation Jones Turns 65 (2019– 2029)

This time frame starts off with the first case of Covid-19, and reports of the second instance of sustained remission from HIV. Volodymyr Zelenskyy is elected President of Ukraine.

The Covid-19 pandemic dominates the middle of this period.

As of the initial writing of this blog post, this time period has not yet ended. However, the period from 2022 to 2024 sees Russia invading Ukraine, and Queen Elizabeth II dying.  Hamas attacks Israel, thereby precipitating the Israel-Hamas War.

And, as the 47th president of the United States continues to push boundaries, there will undoubtedly be even more big headlines.

Naming Your Generation Jones Characters

In America, the Social Security Administration keeps track of births and what parents name their kids.

For the time period of 1954 to 1964, there’s surprising consistency with girls’ names. The top five for 1954 are identical to 1953 (Mary, Linda, Deborah, Patricia, and Susan). In fact, Mary is #1 every year from 1954 to 1961, inclusive. Otherwise, the #1 girls’ name is Lisa.

In the first three years, the #2 name is Linda, Deborah, and Debra, in that order. Then, from 1957 to 1960, Susan takes the #2 spot. In 1961, it’s Lisa, and then Mary is the #2 name for the last three years of the time period.

For the #3 slot, after Deborah in 1954, it’s Linda from 1955 to 1960, inclusive. Susan takes this spot for the remaining years.

When we get to the #4 spot, Patricia takes it in 1954, Deborah in 1956, Debra in 1955 and 1957, and Linda in 1961. For all the other years? It’s Karen.

The fifth slot is occupied by five names: Susan from 1954 – 1956 (inclusive), Karen in 1957 and 1961, Patricia in 1958 and 1964, Donna in 1959 and 1960, and Linda in 1962 and 1963.

Even More Consistency for Boys

Boy names amp up the consistency factor even more. The #1 name is Michael every year but 1960, when it’s David. For #2, it’s Robert in 1954, James in 1956 and 1957, Michael in 1960, John in 1963 and 1964. Otherwise, it’s always David.

The #3 slot is James in 1954, 1955, and 1958 – 1960, inclusive. Robert holds this spot in 1956 only. John is #3 in 1961 and 1962. Otherwise, it’s always David again.

For the #4 spot, John holds it in 1954, 1959, and 1960. Robert has it in 1955, 1957, and 1958. David just shows up in 1956. Otherwise, it’s James.

And for the #5 slot, it’s David in 1954 only. Then it’s John from 1955 – 1958, inclusive. For the last six years, it’s Robert.

When I’m Writing Fiction About Generation Jones

So, here are my characters from the Generation Jones cohort.

In Mettle, it’s Nell‘s beloved Gran, Sally Murphy, born in 1962.

Takeaways for Writing Fiction About Generation Jones

This is the younger, and perhaps more technologically savvy half of the Baby Boomer Generation. But they didn’t really get to enjoy all of the Early Boomers’ good economies and prosperity.

Their touchstones are Afghanistan and Somalia, not Vietnam, and Watergate rather than Woodstock. As the living segue to Generation X, writing fiction about Generation Jones during their childhoods might just involve showing latchkey children.

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Want more about writing fiction about current generations? Then be sure to check out the other blog posts in this series:

Want more about writing fiction about current generations? Then please be sure to check out my thoughts on multigenerational fiction writing and the other blog posts in this series:

• The Greatest Generation
† The Silent Generation
• Early Boomers
† Generation Jones
• Generation X
† Millennials AKA Generation Y
• Generation Z AKA Zoomers
† Generation Alpha