Writing Fiction About Generation X

Generation X (1965 – 1980)

Sometimes the forgotten generation, Gen X is the ‘baby bust’, so the cohort is small. Writing fiction about Generation X should take into account that they tend to not dominate wider groups, because they just plain don’t have the numbers.

My character Dr. Mei-Lin Quan of Mettle is a member of Gen X.

And now, let’s look at some pivotal moments, to help inform us when writing fiction about Generation X. Of course, no one in Generation X has turned 65 by the time of the initial writing of this blog post.

Generation X Turns 18 (1983 – 1998)

This time frame starts off with the final episode of M*A*S*H, the invention of the 3D printer, and the first commercial mobile cellular telephone call.

The breakup of the Soviet Union and the reunification of Germany dominate the middle of this period.

By the time this period ends, Andrew Wakefield publishes his since-debunked study claiming a link between vaccines and autism.

Iranian President Mohammad Khatami retracts a fatwa against Satanic Verses author Salman Rushdie that was in force since 1989, and the US House of Representatives forwards articles of impeachment against President Bill Clinton.

Generation X Turns 25 (1990 – 2005)

This time frame starts off with Germany reunifying, ARPANET being decommissioned, and South Africa releasing Nelson Mandela from prison.

The events surrounding 9/11 dominate the middle of this period.

By the time this period ends, dwarf planet Eris is discovered, there’s the launch of YouTube, and Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans.

Generation X Turns 35 (2000 – 2015)

This time frame starts off with the final printing of an original Peanuts comic the day after the death of Charles Schulz, and two Al-Qaeda suicide bombers attacking the USS Cole. Plus, the hanging chads election debacle which leads to the Bush v. Gore case going before the US Supreme Court.

The development of smartphones and the launching of familiar social media juggernauts like Tumblr and X (Twitter) dominate the middle of this period.

By the time this period ends, gunmen from Al-Qaeda’s Yemen branch attack the Paris headquarters of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, Greece suffers a government debt crisis, and there’s the founding of OpenAI.

Naming Your Gen X Characters

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

Boy names are remarkably consistent. Michael is #1 every year! And there are only six other names that show up at all in the other four slots during this sixteen-year time frame.

John is #2 in 1965. David is in this spot from 1966 to 1969, inclusive. Then it’s James for 1970 and 1971. Jason shows up for 1974 to 1978, inclusive. Otherwise, it’s Christopher in the second spot.

For the third spot, it’s David in 1965, 1970, and 1971. Then James in 1966, 1967, 1969, and 1972. We only see John once, in 1968. Jason shows up in 1973, 1979, and 1980. Otherwise, it’s Christopher in this spot.

Then for the fourth slot, only three names show up for the sixteen-year time period. James is #4 in 1965, 1968, 1973, and 1975. John is in this spot in 1966, 1967, and 1969 – 1971, inclusive. All other years belong to David.

For the fifth spot, it’s Robert from 1965 – 1971, inclusive. Then John once, in 1972. David takes this spot in 1973 and 1975. For all other years, it’s James.

Names for Gen X Girls

More consistency… and some inconsistency, too. Lisa sits in the top spot from 1965 to 1969, inclusive. Then she’s overthrown by Jennifer, who holds the top spot for every other year.

In the second spot, Mary shows up in 1965 only. Then Kimberly in 1966 and 1967. Then Michelle in 1968, 1969, 1971, and 1972. Lisa shows up in 1970 only. Amy goes on a run from 1973 to 1976, inclusive. Then Melissa from 1977 – 1979 inclusive. Amanda’s just in 1980.

For the third spot, this sixteen-year period had an incredible eleven unique names. These seven show up once: Karen (1965), Mary (1966), Jennifer (1969), Heather (1975), Melissa (1976), Amy (1977), and Amanda (1979).

Kimberly (1968 and 1970), Lisa (1971 and 1972), and Jessica (1978 and 1980), were all in this spot twice. Michelle is the #3 name four times, in 1967, 1973, 1974, and 1976.

For the fourth slot, there are eight unique names. Mary (1967), Jennifer (1968), and Amy (1978) all show up once. Michelle (1966 and 1970), Heather (1974 and 1976), Melissa (1975 and 1980), and Jessica (1977 and 1979) all show up twice. Otherwise, it’s Kimberly.

The fifth spot also has eight unique names. Karen (1966), Lisa (1973), and Sarah (1980) all show up once. Susan (1965 and 1967), Melissa (1968 and 1969), and Heather (1977 and 1978) show up three times. Angela shows up three times, from 1974 to 1976, inclusive.

And Amy shows up four times, from 1970 to 1972 inclusive, and 1979.

When I’m Writing Fiction About Generation X

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

In Mettle, it’s characters Noah Braverman, Craig Firenze, Jeannie Scutter Firenze, and Elise Jeffries. Plus, Dr. Mei-Lin Quan and Olga Nicolaev.

And in The Duck in the Seat Cushion, it’s main character MJ Tanner’s younger half-brother Will. There are also her ill-fated twins, Levi and Chloe. Plus, there are Sid’s children Lenny and Wendy.

Takeaways for Writing Fiction About Generation X

When writing fiction about Generation X, keep in mind that it’s a small cohort. Many of its members were latchkey children when they were younger (mothers would work and not be home when they returned home from school).

These two experiences, combined, can make the members of the redheaded stepchild of the generations a rather sarcastic bunch. It was, and still is, a major survival mechanism for them.

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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