Running head: FANFICTION: AN ONLINE WORLD

Fanfiction: An Online World of Literacy Skills Kelly Bahoric READ 4534 Section 001 East Carolina University Spring 2014

Running head: FANFICTION: AN ONLINE WORLD

Teachers are responsible for teaching students many subjects and skills; literacy skills being among the most important skills that students learn. Literacy is omnipresent in the lives of individuals and it is that fact which makes the teaching literacy skills a crucial part of the classroom curriculum. In order to make literacy instruction more engaging and relevant to students, teachers and education researchers alike are looking at students out-of-school literacy practices in order to find more meaningful methods for teaching literacy in the classroom. Curwood (2013) encourages teachers to move away from practices that do not effectively motivate students and instead capitalize on students interests in order to more effectively teach literacy in th e classroom (p. 426). One such interest that has captivated many young-minds is the Internet phenomenon of fanfiction. The purpose of this paper is to synthesize the research on fanfiction as it relates to literacy instruction. Specifically, this paper will address how fanfiction practices align with academic literacy skills and why participatory culture is highly motivating for students. What is Fanfiction? Many people have found themselves reading the last pages of a good book or watching the final episodes of his or her favorite TV show and the realization hits that he or she does not want the experience to end. One can spend a great deal of time inside of a fictional world and once he or she has grown to love such a place, it can be difficult to part from it. However, these fictional universes do not have to end with a final period or rolling credits; they can continue to be explored through the medium of fanfiction. Fanfiction (commonly abbreviated to fanfic or simply fic) are original stories created by fans of a work that incorporate canon elements of at least one fictional universe. The

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authors of fanfiction do not simply follow the blueprint of the original work (Black , 2009, p. 77). Rather, fic authors incorporate elements of canon, such as plots, settings, and characters, and use these elements as way to create new stories that extend upon the existing universe (Thomas, 2006). Aside from the expectation to adhere to characterization and a basic level of plot canon (excluding crack fic where the work is intentionally illogical and ridiculous), there are no limits to fic writing. Fics can be any genre from adventure to romance and can be as long as novels. Often authors combine elements from multiple works to incorporate into his or her fanfiction. Thomas calls these types of fics crossovers, however a fic is only considered a crossover when the characters from one universe interact with the characters from another universe (for instance, the characters from MTVs Teen Wolf teaming up with Sam and Dean Winchester from Supernatural to defeat evil, paranormal entities) (2006). Fics with elements from multiple source materials can be more aptly called alternate universe fics or AU fics. Alternate universe fics takes the characters from a particular work and places them in a different time and/or setting. There are many popular AU tropes that are frequently found across multiple fandoms (a fandom being a group of fans that are actively engaged with a work of media, one example being the Doctor Who fandom) and their bodies of fanfiction. For instance, the coffee shop AU (or barista AU) is a highly popular AU among fanfiction communities. A coffee shop AU chronicles the interpersonal relationships among the characters as they work in a coffee house. Frequently, a coffee shop AU will feature two of the characters meeting at the featured coffee shop (typically one character works at the coffee shop and the other is a

Running head: FANFICTION: AN ONLINE WORLD customer) and will explore the events that lead to an eventual romantic relationship between the two. Some more examples of popular AUs are the high school AU, bakery

AU, 1920s AU, and many more. Another variation of an AU is where fic writers will take the plot of one work and will replace the characters of that work with characters from another work. For instance, a young fic writer, who goes by the handle of Sakura Gurl, wrote a fanfiction using the setting and characters of the popular anime Cardcaptor Sakura and the plot from the movie Youve Got Mail (Black, n.d.). In this example, the fic would be considered a Youve Got Mail AU. Authors of fanfiction explore conventions of multiple genres and rework established canon to create new stories. The works of popular culture that fans adore have become metaphorical sandboxes for fic writers to play in. Skills for Literacy and the Classroom Many researchers agree that fanfiction practices align with the literacy skills that are taught in the classroom (Alvermann, Marshall, McLean, Huddleston, Joaquin, & Bishop, 2012; Black, 2009; Black, n.d.; Chandler-Olcot & Mahar 2003; Lammers, Curwood & Magnifico, 2012). Students who read and write fanfiction are clearly developing his or her reading and writing skills through the practice, however, in addition to honing these skills, students learn to critically engage with media through fanfiction; a skill which Black (2009b) calls critical media literacy(p. 75). Students also learn important 21st century skills (Black, 2009a; Black, 2009b; Curwood, 2013). Despite the agreement that fanfiction is a valuable literacy practice, there is some disagreement among researches as to whether fanfiction should be a practice that is explored in the classroom.

Running head: FANFICTION: AN ONLINE WORLD Black (n.d.) is one researcher that does not advocate for implementing fanfiction into the classroom because she states that it would diminish the appeal of the practice for those who participate in fan culture. Chandler-Olcott and Mahar (2003) also would not recommend teaching fanfiction as a formal genre in school (p. 564). While these researchers do not suggest integrating fanfiction into literacy instruction they do, however, see how skills that are used in fic writing are applicable to the classroom and these researchers both suggest that teachers tap into these skills through other meaningful activities. Chandler-Olcott and Mahar (2003) further suggest that teachers

examine their students out-of-school writings, such as fanfiction, in order to get a sense of an individual students strengths, weaknesses, and what context for writing is most meaningful for him or her. Jacobs (2012), however, cautions teachers who assume that simply engaging in online literacy activities in inherently motivating because of the use of technology. Activities that are not intrinsically motivating for students will not be effective methods of teaching literacy (Jacobs, 2012, p. 273). Therefore other classroom activities may not be as motivating as fanfiction is for students. Other researchers, however, champion the use of fanfiction in the classroom. Curwood (2013) is one such advocate who encourages teachers to incorporate students out-of-school literacy practices into the classroom and to strive to promote student-driven literacy instruction. Fic writers are driven by their love of a tv show, movie, comic, etc. and a desire to extended these fictional universes, therefore fanfiction is naturally a self-directed activity. Teacher Tracey Kell (2009), implemented fanfiction into her classroom with great success. The students in her class responded to the fic writing assignment with enthusiasm and the students reported that they preferred

Running head: FANFICTION: AN ONLINE WORLD writing fanfiction to original, creative works. Kell was happy with her students positive response and stated the following about the experience:

[F]an fiction was a great way to integrate popular culture into the curriculum as we strove to create more skilled writers and critical readers in participatory culture. The students enthusiasm was refreshing as they engaged in creat ive writing and responding to literature. They are asking to write more and we are now more than willing to accommodate. (2009. n.p.) Kell proves that fanfiction can be an effective literary practice in the classroom. Mackey and McClay (2008) also encourage teachers to use fanfiction in the classroom, however, with a caveat. A large amount of fanfiction contains material, such as explicit sexual situations, which is not suitable for use in school. Therefore, it would not be in best practice to allow students to explore fanfiction sites freely. However, teachers should provide fan fiction models that are appropriate for use in classrooms (Mackey & McClay, 2008, p. 145). With proper guidance from teachers, fanfiction can be a highly effective literary practice in the classroom. Despite the fact that fanfictions implementation in the classroom is a debated issue, it is hard to deny that fanfiction is a valuable practice for developing literacy skills. Skills for Reading and Writing If one is a writer of fanfiction then he or she is certainly a reader of fanfiction. There are also many readers of fanfiction that do not write fic themselves. Most researchers discuss the practice of writing fanfiction, but spend little time discussing the practice of reading fanfiction. Fans can spend a great deal of time reading fic, however, this is not just leisure reading; it is a way for fans to continue to explore the universe of

Running head: FANFICTION: AN ONLINE WORLD his or her favorite tv show, video game, movie, etc. Curwood (2013) states that a personally meaningful and enjoyable experience with literature is ideal for bolstering

students reading skills (p. 418). Fanfiction offers a wide array of readings based off pop culture works that students are interested in, thus offering many opportunities for students to read a work of fiction that is meaningful to him or her. Young people read fanfiction for fun and relaxation (Chandler-Olcott & Mahar, 2003), however, this does not mean that fans are not looking critically at the text. When one approaches a text of a particular subject, he or she accesses prior knowledge of the subject in order to enhance comprehension of the text. If a reader does not have prior knowledge of the subject, he or she is likely to have more difficultly comprehending the text or simply give up reading entirely. This idea can also be applied to fanfiction. Readers approach fanfiction with a wealth of background knowledge about the work that the fic is based on. Fans use this background knowledge to critically analyze the characterization, plot elements, and logic (which can include a logical pacing of events or the established logic of a universe, for instance the rules of magic in Harry Potter) in order to determine if it is consistent with the canon. There is a certain degree of inconsistency that fans will allow, such as deviation from the canon plot with AU fics, but when the fic is too inconsistent with canon the reader will not likely continue reading the fic. One way to engage students in literacy practices is to provide access to texts that are relevant to students interests. Curwood (2013) notes that it is important for teachers to take students interests into account when planning literary activities. For teachers, trying to appeal to every student can be a difficult task considering how varied

Running head: FANFICTION: AN ONLINE WORLD students interests can be. Fanfiction can be relevant to every student in the classroom as there is fic for nearly every media that is popular among young people. Using fanfiction in the classroom can give every student the opportunity to critically engage in a text that is meaningful to him or her. Writing fic allows fans valuable practice with the mechanics of writing. However, writing fanfiction is also an exercise in experimentation and exploration with creative writing. The examination of genre and different styles of writing is an integral part of

literacy studies. Members of fanfiction communities are exploring different writing styles and genres through writing fic. Genre exploration is a common practice among fic writers (Black, 2009a). A fic writer might work within many genres of fiction in order to discover which genre he or she feels most comfortable writing with. A fic writer might also write an array fics from many different genres. For instance, one author might have a high school comedy fic, a fantasy epic, and a thrilling mystery story as part of their body of work. The genre of a source series is not sacred to a fic author. With the popularity of alternate universe fics within fanfiction communities, it is commonplace for fans to reimagine his or her favorite series with the conventions of another genre. Through genre exploration, fans learn to recognize common literary tropes (some examples being the love triangle or the comic-relief character) that they can use a basis for plot. An author may even choose subvert these tropes to create familiar stories with a new twist. Teachers instruct students how to write in many different styles, such as letters and journal entries, in order to expose students to the different purposes for writing. Fic writers dabble with many different styles of writing as he or she develops his or her

Running head: FANFICTION: AN ONLINE WORLD unique writing style. Though explore different writing styles, fic writers are discovering

different ways to tell a single story. A fic writer might a fic in a series of letters or a diary format or even experiment with different points of view (this can be using first, second and third person or switching between multiple characters points of view throughout the fic). Fic writers have even pioneered new styles of writing that are widely used throughout fanfiction communities. One such style is the 5 times fic or the 5 + 1 fic, which is a common variation. 5 times fics are written as five short scenes that each depict a recurring situation for the featured character or characters. One example could be five times Cecil and Carlos (characters from the popular podcast, Welcome to Night Vale) went on a date. Not only are fic authors exploring with different styles of writing, but they are creating new writing styles as well. Young people are learning valuable literacy skills through reading and writing fanfiction. These skills are aligned with skills that are taught in in the classroom, thus making fanfiction a viable tool for teachers to implement for literacy instruction. 21st Century Skills 21st century skills are a highly discussed concept within schools. Teachers are being asked create lessons for their students that will not only teach content, but also prepare students for adult life in the 21st century. The framework for 21st century skills includes mastery of core subjects, learning and innovations skills, such as creativity, and collaboration, information and media technology skills, and life and career skills, such as self-directed learning and working with others as well as independently (Partnership for 21st Century Skills, n.d.). Researchers agree that fanfiction practices align with skills outlined in the framework developed by the Partnership for 21st Century

Running head: FANFICTION: AN ONLINE WORLD Skills (Black, 2009a; Black, 2009b; Curwood, 2013; Lammers, Curwood & Magnifico, 2012). Black (2009b) states that traditional literacy skills, such as reading, writing, speaking, and listening, are just starting points for literacy instruction (p. 75).

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Technology is advancing at a rapid rate and the significance of technology in daily life is increasing as well. Technology seems to be as significant to peoples lives as literacy is. With this great impact that technology has on daily life, literacy practices have shifted from print based literacy practices to digital ones (Black, 2009a). Furthermore, teachers are beginning to move away from literacy instruction that is strictly print based in order to order to incorporate digital literacy practices into classroom instruction. Fanfiction is one such digital literacy practice that teachers can incorporate into literacy instruction. Fanfiction practices occur almost exclusively in online spaces and are highly social in nature, which aligns with ICT literacy and communication and collaboration skills respectively. Fans are navigating online spaces and using technology in order to read, write, and respond to fanfiction. Fans are communicating with one another in order to critique each others fics, engage in meaningful discussions about the series they enjoy, and even collaborate on writing projects together (Thomas, 2006). Fanfiction, by nature, aligns with media literacy skills. The practice of fic writing itself is an analysis of the media that the fic is based off of. Black (2009b) states that critical interrogation, redesigning texts, and pushing the boundaries of media are common in the ethos of many fan communities (p. 76). Fanfiction allows for young people to explore themes that are often unaddressed in popular media (including the media that fans love) and to rework media in a way that is more relevant to his or her own experiences (Black, 2009b). Through writing, fans are challenging what the media

Running head: FANFICTION: AN ONLINE WORLD deems to be a worthy story. Black (2009a) suggests that this practice falls under what she calls critical media literacy (p. 75).

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Black (2009b) suggests that critical media literacy is an important skill that should be included in the 21st century framework. Black (2009b) posits that because young people are already addressing important social issues in fanfiction this points to a clear need for youth to have opportunities for engaging in critical discussion of the various texts they encounter (p. 78). By looking critically at the problematic elements of and within todays media, students learn not to be passive consumers of information. Students learn that media can be questioned and challenged. Black further suggests that teachers impart their expert knowledge with the media in order to guide these critical discussions. Media literacy is an important 21st century skill, however fanfiction takes media literacy a step further by allowing students to use writing to challenge current media. Black seems to suggest that an important part of understanding media is being able to critically analyze it and it is clear that many fic writers would agree with Blacks ideas. Motivation Motivating students to read is one of the greatest challenges that teachers face. In the classroom, students may be reluctant to read, but outside of the classroom students are engaging in many valuable online literacy practices (Lammers, Curwood, & Magnifico, 2012); one of which being fanfiction. Fanfiction is a highly motivating practice for students. Many researchers agree that the social aspect is one of the reasons why fanfiction practices are so highly motivating (Lammers, Curwood, & Magnifico, 2012; Mackey & McClay, 2008; Black, 2009b; Black, 2009a; Alvermann, 2008; Chandler-

Running head: FANFICTION: AN ONLINE WORLD Olcott & Mahar, 2003; Curwood, 2013; Thomas, 2006; Kell, 2009). Students enjoy reading one anothers fics, giving feedback, and learning from each other in order to grow as fanfiction authors. Fanfiction spaces serve and important role for exploring issues of identity and

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empowerment (Thomas, 2006, p. 236). Black (2009b) discusses how fanfiction writers incorporated his or her own experiences into their writing. Young people also use fanfiction as a way explore relevant issues such a peer pressure and interpersonal relationships (Black, n.d.). These practices allow young people to explore his or her emerging identity in a way that non-threating. Fic writing is within a realm of makebelieve where young people can sort through personal emotions vicariously though his or her favorite fictional characters. Fic writing can be considered a cathartic practice in this sense. As young people navigate through the often confusing and difficult world of adolescence, it is easy to see why young people choose fanfiction as a creative and emotional outlet for discovering oneself. It is also simply motivating for students to write stories based off of media that he or she already knows and loves. Students are excited about their favorite TV shows, movies, books, etc. and this enthusiasm makes an excellent learning environment (Kell, 2009, n.p.). Conclusion As teachers incorporate digital literacies into the classroom it is important to consider the kinds of digital literacies that students are already using outside of the classrooms. These literacy practices can be valuable to literacy instruction as they are highly motivating for students. Fanfiction is one such literacy practice that is already

Running head: FANFICTION: AN ONLINE WORLD widely popular among young people today and fanfiction practices align with many literacy and 21st century skills that students need to learn in order to be successful in

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academic endeavors and in life. Today in schools, there is a heavy focus on skills such a self-directed learning and critical thinking. Teachers should strive to utilize literacy practices that promote these skills. For both teachers and students, fanfiction is a viable option. Reflection One of my favorite pastimes is reading fanfiction. I have been reading (and sometimes writing) fanfiction since I was in fifth or sixth grade. I cannot recall why I started reading fanfiction, but regardless it has become a common part of my life. The fanfiction I chose to read changes with series and fandoms I move through. If Im no longer highly invested in a series or fandom then I stop reading the fanfic. I used to read Naruto, Harry Potter, Hikaru no Go, Kingdom Hearts fanfic when I was younger. More recently I read a lot of Inception, Merlin, and Supernatural fic. Now I mostly read Teen Wolf and The Social Network fic. I typically read slash fanfiction (fic featuring the romantic relationship between two male characters), but I have recently started reading more femslash (fic featuring the romantic relationship between two female characters). It was not until I started taking classes for my reading concentration that I realized that reading and writing fanfiction was a valid literacy practice. Reading fanfic was always something that I did for fun. Until recently, I even considered fanfiction to be separate from my leisure reading where I would read novels. Taking READ 3205 with Mrs. Cannon was when I realized that my fanfiction practices were literacy practices with skill applicable to academics. In that class we read many articles about the different

Running head: FANFICTION: AN ONLINE WORLD forms of literacy; many of which were not print based. These articles discussed how

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video games, making playlists (in fandom we call them fanmixes), affinity spaces, comic books, and even fanfiction were all literacy practices with skills relevant to classroom learning. I was excited to find out that many of the things I enjoyed doing in my free time were considered valuable tools for learning by experts in the field of education. Fanfiction was the practice I knew the most about, however all my knowledge of fanfiction from the perspective of a fan. I was curious to explore the topic from the perspective of a teacher. I wanted to find out what literacy skills young people can learn from fanfiction and how fanfiction can be used in the classroom. Those ideas guided my research so I could look at a familiar topic from a new perspective. I was surprised at the amount of research I found about fanfiction and literacy instruction. Only recently has fanfiction become a relatively well-known phenomenon despite being around since Star Trek (possibly even before that). I remember when I was younger that it was taboo to discuss fanfiction outside of your group of friends that you shared fics with. I would have gawked at the idea of writing a formal paper about fanfiction for an academic assignment. However, there has be a gradually shift in attitude towards fanfiction and it has become a more socially accepted practice. There was not a large amount of research on fanfic, as opposed to what you might find with other topics, but there was more than enough to use to write a paper. From my research, I learned a great deal about the literacy skills that can be gained from fanfiction and why fanfiction is a motivating practice for students. Many of the ideas discussed in my paper were concepts that I could already see in action simply from my personal experience with fanfiction. For instance, the idea that fanfiction allows

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the writer to critique media in terms of how media portrays society is an idea that I had already formulated about fanfiction. Through my research I was able to see these ideas (some of which I already had) from the perspective of an educator, rather than a fan of popular media. I was not specifically looking to confirm my beliefs; that was not my intent when I set out to write this paper. It just so happened that the articles I found discussed many ideas that I already had about fanfiction, thus I was able to expand my knowledge of fanfiction by gaining insight from experts in the field. Now when I read fanfiction, I cannot help but think about all that I have learned from this project. Digital project: http://fanfictionandliteracy.weebly.com/

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References Alvermann, D. E. (2008). Why bother theorizing adolescents' online literacies for classroom practice and research?. Journal Of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 52(1), 8-19. Alvermann, D. E., Marshall, J. D., McLean, C. A., Huddleston, A. P., Joaquin, J., & Bishop, J. (2012). Adolescents web-based literacies, identity construction, and skill development. Literacy Research & Instruction, 51(3), 179-195. doi:10.1080/19388071.2010.523135 Black, R. W. (2009a). English-language learners, fan communities, and 21st-century skills. Journal Of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 52(8), 688-697. Black, R. W. (2009b). Online fan fiction and critical media literacy. Journal Of Computing In Teacher Education,26(2), 75-80. Black, R. W. (n.d.) Online fanfiction: What technology and popular culture can teach us about writing and literacy instruction. Retrieved from http://education.jhu.edu/PD/newhorizons/strategies/topics/literacy/articles/onlinefanfiction/ Chandler-Olcott, K., & Mahar, D. (2003). Adolescents' anime-inspired 'fanfictions': An exploration of multiliteracies. Journal Of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 46(7), 556. Curwood, J. (2013). The Hunger Games: Literature, Literacy, and online affinity Spaces. Language Arts, 90(6), 417-427. Jacobs, G. E. (2012). Rethinking common assumptions about adolescents' motivation to use technology in and out of school. Journal Of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 56(4), 271-274. doi:10.1002/JAAL.00139

Running head: FANFICTION: AN ONLINE WORLD Kell, T. (2009). Using fan fiction to teach critical reading and writing skills. Teacher Librarian, 37(1), 32-35. Lammers, J. C., Curwood, J., & Magnifico, A. (2012). Toward an affinity space

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methodology: Considerations for literacy research. English Teaching: Practice & Critique, 11(2), 44-58. Mackey, M., & McClay, J. (2008). Pirates and poachers: Fan fiction and the conventions of reading and writing. English In Education, 42(2), 131-147. doi:10.1111/j.17548845.2008.00011.x Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (n.d.) Framework for 21st century learning. Retrieved from http://www.p21.org/our-work/p21-framework Thomas, A. (2006). Fan fiction online: Engagement, critical response and affective play through writing. Australian Journal Of Language & Literacy, 29(3), 226-239.