Austin Barger 1
September 22, 2017
Autoethnography
Autoethnographies are the careful process and examination of the writing process of a
discourse. Typically the authors of such writings will examine a community theyre intimately
aware of and connected with, where the analysis allows for a greater idea of what makes up the
discourse with. This is the course of action for this autoethnography where I will investigate the
consumption of fantasy media with a heavy focus of novels. Authors such as Steven Erikson,
Robert Jordan, and Robin Hobb are revered for their writing prowess by the discourse full of
loving fans and fanatics. I myself have been active within the discourse since middle school, and
feel a level of camaraderie within the community whose interests and preferences align with
mine to a shocking an extent. We all have similar, though obviously different, attitudes towards
books. We, as a community, all participate in the same literate activities, reading, and do it often.
How did a group so large all develop such stark similarities? That is, in fact, due to the literacy
sponsors of the group who pulled us all together. Authors such as those mentioned above
concrete or abstract, who enable, support, teach, as well as recruit, regulate, suppress, or
withhold literacy- and gain advantage by it in some way.1 Going by this definition we can
clearly see that authors are an influential literacy sponsor for the discourse with a tangible,
monetary advantage gained with every sale. Although having such a wide, varied array of
literacy sponsors means that there is not one single author whom we can name as our, meaning
community as a whole, motivator. Instead, age seems to be deciding factor in which authors
motivated the readers into the discourse. Said motivators are the primary literacy sponsors,
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meaning they were the first sponsor to engage and recruit an individual. J.R.R. Tolkien and T.H.
White are the most popular primary literacy sponsors for people who joined the discourse in the
50s. This doesnt mean that someone who joined in the 90s cant have J.R.R. Tolkien as a
literacy sponsor, but given the popularity trends and interests of the time theyre more likely to
have started with Robert Jordan, Robin Hobb or G.R.R. Martin. Thus, you can analyze primary
literacy sponsors to guess at how long someone has been within the discourse, or you can just
ask what motivated them to start. This knowledge was pried from several discussions based
around peoples first reading experience, and when it was, and through those discussions Ive
found the link between primary literacy sponsors detailed by Brandt, and author popularity that
Language and reading is essential when a discourse is all about reading. Its not
debatable; you cannot be a part of the community without the ability to consume books. Gee
phrases it as such: If you have no access to the social practice, you dont get in the discourse.2
No matter the method or language, thats the first, and the obvious, necessity to join the
discourse. What is more important, however, is an interest in the genre the discourse enjoy:
fantasy. You cant practice an interest. Without that youd never be able to properly join the
author of any popularity as a literacy sponsor who by reading their work allows you to finish the
apprenticeship and become a proper member. How much use you could get out of the discourse
depends on which novels, or how many, youve read. If you were sponsored through criminally
covert author Will Wight (who himself graduated from UCF) then you wouldnt have much to
discuss when compared to someone who read the more popular G.R.R. Martin. More commonly,
some people only read one author or one genre specification. Thus, the discourse created an
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increasingly popular literacy activity to compel them to diversify: fantasy reading bingo. The
bingo is a literacy activity designed to inspire reading within the discourse, and to prompt
members to read books outside of their comfort zone; bingo squares represent challenges: read
an authors debut novel, fantasy of manners, and nonfiction fantasy are all squares on the 2017
r/Fantasy Reading Bingo. Its a fun activity, though evocative of the elderly, that I feel really
represents what the community is about; gathering with like-minded people to discuss and
explore the genre. The more tangible link and relation to other members in how we write.
Unsurprisingly, the discourse that focuses on reading and writing writes more professionally than
most other discourses. Most entries are properly punctuated and contain good verbiage. Stepping
into the community reminds me of reading a novel more than anything because of how similarly
the language is used. In his article Gee mentions specific terms or references that are unique to a
discourse comprised by the attitudes and knowledge of the group. The community, being well
versed in literary terms, use them frequently. Perspective, Mary Sue, and references to authors
all have distinct meanings and examples that come to mind because of how often these topics are
brought up This like-mindedness pervades throughout the community, from how we feel into
a complex of persons, events, objects, and relations presenting an actual or potential exigence
which can be completely or partially removed if discourse, introduced into the situation, can so
constrain human decision or action as to bring about the significant modification of the
certainly the most popular rhetorical situation of the discourse. When reading, youre the
audience for the author, who is the rhetor. Constraints, for you, are your limiting or beneficial
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factors, such as time available, interest in the genre, or general literacy. Before people can read,
someone must write; without the author there would be no reading or discussion, and therefore
no discourse at all. Its no sacrifice, however, to join the ranks. Theyre the literacy sponsors for
the whole shebang, and a good author can get a lot of praise and a modicum of fame. When
writing, the authors of said fantastical novels are the rhetors, and the audience is comprised of
discourse members, though some rhetors may specialize in a specific genre, such as Joe
Abercrombie who targets fans of grimdark fantasy. The discourse knows what to expect from an
Abercrombie work- ghoulish and morally grey protagonists and settings that manage to
somehow win you over, and thus, his name works as both a positive and negative constraint. To
vary from his typical format while still under the Abercrombie name will turn off some of his fan
while having a hard time to pull in a new audience. Situations like this example here occur all
throughout discourses. Big companies use brands to get peoples attention, recognition, and cash.
Brandt says as it such: Like Little Leaguers who wear the logo of a local insurance agency on
their uniforms, not out of concern for enhancing the agencys image but as a means for getting to
play ball.4 All manner of discourses, from sports to reading to research, are affected by the
writers who make what we read. Now the final rhetorical situation is the discussion constituent,
for which the r/Fantasy subreddit is an outlet. Each discussion has its own rhetor with their own
exigence to find answers to, with the target audience being anyone in the discourse available,
rhetors will rave on and on about their exigence about potentially controversial topics until the
answer can be found. All three of the rhetorical situations create a chain of reaction: The writers
invoke responses from the readers, who crave conversation and discussion that helps them gather
ideas to enable them to write their own story with sets the chain back up. Its an exponential
growth model that helps promote the discourse by widening variety and getting people involved.
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Another rhetorical situation that happens in the discourse that helps this looping process is
advertising, be it through recommendations, fan content, or actual adverts, the discourse is full of
advertising at every step that helps the discourse spread to even more people.
From having constant exposure to the discourse for nearly a decade, is no wonder I
gained an interest in the writing aspect. Brandt herself notes the effects literacy sponsors have
with literacy takes its shape from the interests of its sponsors.5 This is shown within my life by
ever increasing interest I have in the writing process of my favourite authors. In one such
investigation, while watching the r/Fantasy literacy sponsor Brandon Sandersons writing
lectures I found a pattern throughout the dozens of papers Ive written theres a process that they
all share in development; I start with a few arguments or points that Im passionate about
writing, format the paper so that they are all as even as can be while maintaining overall clarity,
and then fill in the gaps. While it may seem ragtag, it works for me and is similar to the method
of many bestselling authors. Although Sandersons works are heavily planned out and full of
twists, other authors employ a strategy akin to strolling through a park, as he says, where
theyre not sure themselves what will occur in between their own favorite scenes, but theyre
excited to discover it themselves. Both methods have pros and cons, but a mix of both can work
incredibly well. From said lecture I learned why and when to use either strategy to maximum
effect. The effect that the discourse has had on my writing goes beyond the drafting stage,
entering into my syntax and vocabulary as well. Understanding syntax, for me, was a process of
endless repetition and practice, primarily done through reading books of the discourse. Some
authors, such as Joe Abercrombie or Mark Lawrence, have an intimate understanding of the
English language, allowing them to churn out perfectly written and refined to a shocking degree.
Others, such as Patrick Rothfuss and Neil Gaiman, seem to transcend the English language with
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the beauty on their pages. By reading these literacy sponsors Ive learned many words and many
different ways to use and combine them to make them most alluring. As Gee said, the best way
to learn and join a discourse is by enculturation into practices through scaffolded and supported
interaction with people who have already mastered the discourse.6 Throughout the years this
exposure has helped my writing develop and become my own, thus making the authors my most
valuable literacy sponsors. The best way to use the different elements of understanding, gained
via the community, and improve my writing as a whole is to practices the ideas, themes, and
methods of the communities writing, and make the use of them nearly subconscious.
Throughout this autoethnography Ive discovered many things. One, first and foremost,
the r/Fantasy discourse is one full reading, writing, and discussion that has seemingly developed
its own culture when is comes to syntax, vocabulary, and quirks. Secondly, the members of the
discourse all share writing habits and interests that defines the community as a whole, and gives
comfort with its familiarity to those heavily engrossed into the literacy activities that the
community enjoys. Had it not been for the discourse its unlikely I would have immersed myself
Bibliography
1. Wardle, Elizabeth, and Doug Downs. Writing about Writing: a College Reader.
2. Wardle, Elizabeth, and Doug Downs. Writing about Writing: a College Reader.
3. Wardle, Elizabeth, and Doug Downs. Writing about Writing: a College Reader.
4. Wardle, Elizabeth, and Doug Downs. Writing about Writing: a College Reader.
5. Wardle, Elizabeth, and Doug Downs. Writing about Writing: a College Reader.
6. Wardle, Elizabeth, and Doug Downs. Writing about Writing: a College Reader.