1. Reading and Writing with Fanfiction Michael Sapp Media Lesson #1 L567

2. Reading and Writing with Fanfiction This application is designed in two parts: Student Notes Teacher Notes

3. Teacher Notes Intro The Class Rationale Objectives Schedule Tips Procedures Evaluation Materials

4. Intro- What is fan fiction (also known as fanfiction, fanfic, FF, or fic)? “Fan fictions are texts written about media and popular culture by fans. In these texts, fan fiction authors take up the characters and plotlines of the original media and creatively rework them by developing new relationships between characters, extending plot and timelines, creating new settings, and exploring novel themes” (Black, 2006)

5. Intro- What is a Beta Reader? A beta reader (or betareader, or beta) is a person who reads a work of fiction with a critical eye, with the aim of improving grammar, spelling, characterization, and general style of a story prior to its release to the general public. -www.fanfiction.net

6. The Class This application was designed for an ESL Writing class in an Intensive English Language Program type setting with intermediate-low to intermediate-high skill levels.

7. Rationale “As they read, students come to understand the different organizational structures writers use to communicate ideas” (Freeman & Freeman pg. 30). Reading helps students acquire writing skills, especially when students are interested in the subject matter and have background knowledge of the material. Writing is a multi-phase, non-linear process that can benefit from peer review and revision. Students writing fanfiction can focus more on the process of writing without having to create new characters or other predefined details. “Effective approaches to teaching writing, such as Writer’s Workshop, emphasize the importance of peer-to-peer discussion and review in helping students to develop meta-knowledge of their own writing processes” (Black 2005, Piazza, 2003)

8. Rationale (continued) The combination of predefined subject matter, social interaction, and interesting content make fanfiction based activities a beneficial activity for learning reading and writing skills. Using and interacting with fanfiction and fanfiction forums helps improve new literacy skills. “Members of fanfiction.net engage in activities that are congruent with what we already know about best practice in writing instruction: that it is important to integrate multiple modes of meaning-making into literacy activities, that collaborative activity and discussion between peers enhances writing ability, and that language use is social and intimately tied to identity” (Black, 2005).

9. Objectives Students learn about fanfiction and become acquainted with the fanfiction writing and review process. Students learn to search for fanfiction that they are interested in or have some background knowledge of. Students learn about the process of writing including: Multi-phase planning Individual writing strategies Recursive and generative editing involving rereading, assessing, reacting, and moving on. Revision Linguistic/Surface editing “My hope is that we can teach students not only to read critically but also creatively and free them to make the books they read for school into resources for their own imaginative speculations” (Jenkins, 2008)

10. Objectives (cont.) Students improve reading, composition, and new literacy skills by reading fanfiction, writing fanfiction, and through discussion and review of peers’ written works. Students apply these skills to a class assigned book by reading, writing a fanfiction response, and reviewing peer work. Referring to her study of ELLs using fanfiction Rebecca Black (2009) found that “[i]n terms of basic print literacy, it is worth noting that through their fan-related activities, all three focal participants were able to practice and improve their English-language and composition skills.”

11. Schedule Day 1- Read and discuss examples of fanfiction In-class/homework: Write first draft of fanfiction using fanfiction template worksheet Day 2 – Beta Reading and next draft In-class/homework: Upload story to the forum Post comments and reviews to other students’ fanfiction

12. Schedule (continued) Day 3 – Discuss novel and begin novel-based fanfiction In-class/homework: Write first draft of novel-based fanfiction using fanfiction template worksheets Day 4 – Beta Reading and next draft In-class/homework: Write second draft of fanfiction and upload to forum Post comments to other students’ fanfiction

13. Tips Using school’s private server space, setup open-source forum such as phpBBor Simple Machines Forums for students to publish fanfiction and post comments. If server space is not available try nabble. The days do not necessarily represent the next calendar day, but represent the next day planned for this assignment. Encourage students to focus less on the final product and more on the process of creation. When it comes to beta readers and peer comments, encourage and model the use of constructive criticism

14. Tips (continued) This is a large assignment that requires the student to write at least 2 drafts for two assignments. Because of this, it will be helpful to encourage the production of short, but well-formed compositions as opposed to longer stories. I recommend the story be about one page in length. This assignment is an introduction to the concepts and possibilities of the use of fanfiction in a classroom and is therefore fairly general in scope. As students become more comfortable with the concepts the lesson should be adapted to suite more specific aspects or learning objectives such as a specific writing skill or critical analysis technique.

15. Procedures:Day 1 - Reading Review examples of fanfiction from sites such as fanfiction.net Have students search for fanfiction in their native language Students read 3 or 4 works of fanfiction (at least 2 in English). Students should also read the comments and reviews for each story Students individually fill out a beta review worksheet in response to one story Discuss the readings How were the fanfics similar to the original work? How were the fanficsdifferent from the original work? What changes were made? What new information was given? Were the reviews helpful? Did you agree or disagree with any of the comments?

16. Day 2 Beta Readers and Revising Each student reads assigned fanfiction and fills out a Beta Reader Worksheet Students give a completed Beta Reader Worksheet to the author Students then revise their stories and begin work on the second draft in response to the beta reader’s worksheet

17. Day 3 Novel and Fanfiction Discuss the novel Characters Themes Settings Conflict/Resolution Have students write a fanfiction story based on some aspect of the novel using the fanfictiontemplate worksheet. Some possible ideas include: Develop new relationships between characters Extend plot and timelines Create new settings Explore new themes

18. Day 4 Beta Reading and Revising Have students read and review assigned student’s fanfiction using Beta Reader Worksheets Have students return their Beta Reader Worksheets to the author Students then begin to edit and revise their story based on received Beta Reader Worksheets.

19. Evaluation Evaluation is based on 2 Rubrics: Fanfiction Rubric Novel-based Fanfiction Rubric

20. Materials Fanfiction Template Worksheet to help students start brainstorming and developing a story Beta Reader Worksheet used to help in the review process Computer projection and computer access PowerPoint slides with Student Notes Evaluation Rubrics

21. Student Notes Intro Assignment Objectives Read and Review Fanfiction Write Fanfiction Become a Beta Reader Write Novel-Based Fanfiction Novel-based Fanfiction Beta Reader Materials

22. Intro- What is Fan fiction (also known as fanfiction, fanfic, FF, or fic)? “Fan fictions are texts written about media and popular culture by fans. In these texts, fan fiction authors take up the characters and plotlines of the original media and creatively rework them by developing new relationships between characters, extending plot and timelines, creating new settings, and exploring novel themes” (Black, 2006)

23. Intro- What is a Beta Reader? A beta reader (or betareader, or beta) is a person who reads a work of fiction with a critical eye, with the aim of improving grammar, spelling, characterization, and general style of a story prior to its release to the general public. -www.fanfiction.net

24. Fanfiction Assignment Read fanfiction(3 or 4 stories—at least 2 in English) Write fanfiction (1 page story) Review peer fanfiction as a Beta Reader Write a second draft in response to Beta Reader Worksheet Upload draft to Forums Read classmates fanfiction Comment on at least 2 classmates’ fanfiction

25. Novel-Based Fanfiction Assignment -After reading novel Write fanfiction (1 page of written Fanfiction) Review peer fanfiction as a Beta Reader Write final draft and Upload draft to forums Read classmates fanfiction on forums Comment on at least 2 classmates’ fanfiction

26. Objectives Learn about fanfiction and become acquainted with the fanfiction writing and review process. Learn to search for fanfiction that studentsare interested in or have some background knowledge of. Learn about the process of writing including: Multi-phase planning Individual writing strategies Recursive and generative editing involving rereading, assessing, reacting, and moving on. Revision Linguistic/Surface editing “My hope is that we can teach students not only to read critically but also creatively and free them to make the books they read for school into resources for their own imaginative speculations” (Jenkins, 2008)

27. Objectives (cont.) Improve reading, composition, and new literacy skills by reading fanfiction, writing fanfiction, and through discussion and review of peers’ written works. Apply these skills to a class assigned book by reading, writing a fanfiction response, and reviewing peer work. Referring to her study of ELLs using fanfiction Rebecca Black (2009) found that “[i]n terms of basic print literacy, it is worth noting that through their fan-related activities, all three focal participants were able to practice and improve their English-language and composition skills.”

28. Read and Review Fanfiction Begin reading selected Novel Find and read examples of fanfiction Fanfiction.net Find examples of fanfiction in your native language Read 3 or 4 examples of fanfiction(at least 2 in English). Read the comments and reviews Select one of the stories you read and using the beta reader template fill out as much information as possible.

30. Extend plot timelines

31. Create new settings

33. Write Novel-based Fanfiction Based on the novel, use the fanfiction template worksheet and fill out as much information as possible. Using the information in the fanfiction template worksheet, begin writing the first draft of a novel-based fanfiction story. Think of possible Characters Settings Conflict/Resolution Using the class message board send first draft to assigned beta reader.

34. Beta Reading for novel-based fanfiction Using the beta reader template worksheet fill in as much information as possible about the firstdraft of peers’ fanfiction Return beta reader template worksheet to the author. Based on beta reader template worksheet make corrections and begin writing another draft. Upload final draft to message board

35. Materials Fanfiction Template Worksheet to help students start brainstorming and developing a story Beta Reader Worksheet to help in the review process Student Notes power point slides

36. Resources & References Black, R. W. (2009). English language learners, fan communities, and twenty first century skills. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 52(8). Black, R. W. (2005). Access and affiliation: The literacy and composition practices of English Language learners in an online fanfiction community. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 49 (2), 118-128. Black, R. W. (2006). Language, culture, and identity in online fanfiction. E-learning, 3 (2), 170-184. Freeman, D & Freeman, Y. (2004). Essential linguistics: what you need to know to teach reading, esl, spelling, phonics, and grammar. Heinemann Educational Books Hirvela, A. (2004). Connecting reading and writing in second language writing instruction. University of Michigan PressESL. Jenkins, Henry. “How Fanfiction Can Teach us a New Way to Read Moby-Dick.” Henry Jenkins Blog. 11 Aug. 2008. Retrieved 8 Mar. 2009 from Oncourse L567.

37. Resources & References (continued) Black, Rebecca. “Access and Affiliation: the Language Practices of English-Language Learners in an Online Fanfiction Community.” Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy 49 (2): Oct. 2005. Retrieved 8 Mar. 2010 from Oncourse L567. Jenkins, Henry. “How Fanfiction Can Teach us a New Way to Read Moby-Dick.” Henry Jenkins Blog. 11 Aug. 2008. Retrieved 8 Mar. 2009 from Oncourse L567.