Week 6 Reading

In The Convergence of Culture Chapter “Why Heather Can Write,” the subject moves back to fan communities coming together and communicating through the internet. Now not only is the communication for the enjoyment of fans (in the previous chapters it was Survivor and American Idol) but also for an advancement of one’s set skill and abilities.

In the case of this chapter it is Harry Potter and the writing of “fan fiction.” The creation of fan fiction, done either by a child or an adult, can still be a learning experience in the realm of writing. Harry Potter has been widely accredited with turning a generation onto reading (myself included). Now through the creation of fan sights people can share their love of the franchised and delve further into the universe that J.K. Rowling has created in her books. Participants on their sights not only write and post their “fan fiction” online, but also receives critical remarks as well as constructive criticism of their writings in order to improve it.

Keep in mind the majority of these users are still adolescents in school. The use of this sight not only allows for the children to have a safe and healthy outlet, but also is in itself a learning experience. Through the constructive criticism of older and more experienced members on the sight, young children are now becoming better writers at a much younger age. And while they are interacting and enjoying a subject of their own choice the user is learning the subject English Lit Composition.

Certain proofers though have more specific abilities when it comes to reading a first draft. Certain rules proofers should always abide by are suggested by the online sight Sugarquill.com. They include letting the submitting writher know if one is better at story cohesion or grammatical correctness. From this point on, potential writers have their stories critiqued not only for grammatical errors, but also to make sure points in the story make sense and making sure the characters have sensible motivations for what they do.This all encompassing experience encourages children and young adults to become better writer. Soon after these experiences online, one can hope to see some of the participants go on to write and publish their own original works of literature.

This type of learning experience has become more effective than a traditional classroom. This is due to the fact that children can identify better with Harry Potter more than other more traditional literary figures(of course Harry Potter in his own right will go down in history as a great literary figure for its massive popularity).

Children add their own real life aspects to their characters by incorporating it into the back-story of their online profile. This also gives them a way to express other emotional concerns that goes with growing up.

This all goes back to universal popularity of Harry Potter and how through the internet people are able to express their enthusiasm for the subject. Through a direct or indirect way the use of new media and popular culture are helping certain Harry Potter fans to learn valuable lessons.