Fanfiction: “New” reading and writing tool for mother language teaching in basic education

Abstract

In this article we analyze processes of reading and writing among adolescents. The analysis material is fanfiction – a current discursive genre, preferably found in digital media such as blogs, social networking sites and WEB 2.0. Fanfictions are textual productions based on an established work of fiction, where fans, readers of these fictions, become co-authors of endless possibilities for continuation of the original work through collaborative writing. Here, we analyze the fanfiction “Blue Moon,” a continuation of the literary work “Twilight Saga”, a series of four books by British writer Stephanie Meyer. Maingueneau states that these teenagers can constitute true discourse communities through this reading and writing process. Similarly, the Curriculum Proposal of São Paulo asserts that, when sharing the same discourses, students encourage reading and writing skills. Theoretically, this paper is grounded on French Discourse Analysis and on Michel Foucault’s concept of Self-writing. The study illustrates how teenagers talk about themselves through fanfiction writing.

Keywords: fanfiction, reading and writing, discourse community, written self.