Fan Fiction Handout

FAN FICTION HANDOUT
UGLY BETTY

Background Information: “Ugly Betty” is a television sitcom about Betty Suarez, a sweet, honest, hard-working young woman from Queens, New York, who lives at home with her father, her sister Hilda, and Hilda’s teenaged son, Justin. Betty works as a personal assistant to Daniel Meade, editor-in-chief of high-fashion “MODE” magazine. This plump, unstylish young woman isn’t afraid to keep it real among the paper-thin cutthroats in the superficial world of the fashion industry. Into its second season, “Ugly Betty” is a ripe mixture of sharp zany humour combined with elements of heartfelt drama.


Excerpts from a Few Good Sites:
(Romance/Humour) “Rain Will Make the Flowers Grow” by T’eyla Minh - June 4, 2007.
The ultimate goal of this fiction is to bring Daniel and Betty together.

“He used the darkness of the apartment, and the soft glow of the television, to his advantage whenever he thought he could steal a glance without her knowing. Short glimpses were all he would allow himself. Betty would only be self-conscious if she knew he was watching her, and it was nice to see her so relaxed.
Daniel realized more about Betty in those short glances than he ever would have done by staring, almost as though he were examining snapshots of a bigger picture, little details of the larger whole. Perhaps it was the subdued lighting, or just because she was there, but he found himself increasingly unable to stop looking at her. She was beautiful, he suddenly realized, but in her own unique way…” Link to this site:
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3575090/1/Rain_Will_Make_the_Flowers_Grow
“Monologue for Betty” by Frieda Fiction - Published September 3, 2007.
While Daniel is away, Betty’s co-workers seize the opportunity to tease and torment her.


Background: An enlarged photo of Betty in an overly tight bikini has been hung up over her desk on display for the whole of the Mode staff to see. Betty enters her office amidst sniggering and cruel laughter.


“Look, I get it. I’m not your typical Mode glamazon. I don’t have 6 feet long waxed limbs and I can’t tell a Prada bag from a K-mart bag. Maybe that shocks you, disgusts you, makes you laugh, cry, howl like the cruel hyenas you people are. Honestly, I don’t care. Laugh all you want, you won’t bring me down. All you care about is your image, trying to cover up all your insecurities with those layers of foundation, gloss, designer suits.
The thing is though, you’re see through. All of you, your flaws are showing beneath the surface. You can make fun of me, the burrito eating girl from Queens who knows nothing about fashion but at least I have the guts to stay true to who I am. I’ve come a long way and if you think you can get rid of me while Daniel is gone, think again. I’m here to stay…”
Link @ http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3766268/1/Monologue_for_Betty



“The Truth Hurts” by Lumosthecat - Published February 5, 2007. (Drama).
This snappy dialogue between Betty and Daniel takes a look at Daniel’s reaction to the news that his father is a murderer and his brother Alex is alive and has become a woman.


“I… can’t … breathe.” He managed to gasp out, as his throat tightened and his chest constricted. Betty immediately grabbed his arm. “We need to get you out of here. Just follow me.” He nodded mutely and allowed her to lead him out of the crowded room, away from the flashing bulbs and shouting reporters. He cast one last look over his shoulder to see the self-satisfied smirk on his brother’s face before he left the MODE tent.
“Daniel, you need to take a deep breath. Try to relax....” Betty continued to tug on his arm, dragging him further outside towards the street. Daniel vaguely saw the flashing lights of the police car as it drove away, his father handcuffed inside of it.
“It’s going to be alright. Don’t worry Daniel. We can figure something out.”
He tugged his arm free, the anger and despair building up inside of him. “You can’t sugar-coat this, Betty! What the hell am I supposed to do? My father is going to JAIL! My brother, who I thought was dead is ALIVE and is a WOMAN… an unbelievable hot woman that I HIT ON, I might add! This is not something that I can fix with bags of fake snow or a new design layout. I just… I can’t believe this is happening.”
Link @ http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3378242/1/The_Truth_Hurts
Good/Bad Fan Fiction Sites I Have Read:
LadyWithLight. “An Unexpected Confidant.” September 27, 2007. http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3806624/2/An_Unexpected_Confidant


This fan fiction is a mix of original and quoted dialogue from the sitcom that focuses on the Daniel/Betty, Henry/Betty relationship with some jilted Walter thrown in for good romance measure. Will Walter become a jealous stalker or will he quietly go his own way? R: Average


thebatwiggler. “Finders are Keepers.” October 20, 2007.
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3847390/1/Finders_are_Keepers


As the chapters in this story progress, Gio and Jose compete against each other for Betty’s heart while Daniel observes from a distance. The writer combines elements of romance, comedy and drama. Rated: Average-Good


awas. “Goodbye Girl.” September 15, 2007.
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3785370/1/Goodbye_Girl


This poem is intended to reflect the romance/angst between Betty and Henry considering that Charlie is pregnant with Henry’s child. Rated: Poor


KisaraCrystal. “A Whole New Me.” September 22, 2007.
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3797513/1/A_Whole_New_Me

Betty and Justin return to New York 6 years after their family have been murdered. No one recognizes the newly transformed Betty Suarez. Rated: Poor

Genre:
Almost all of the writings I read in this genre are focused toward the elements of romance and comedy. Most of the authors prefer to focus their writing efforts on getting Betty and Daniel (or some other male love-interest) together. For the most part, the writers’ interpretations of characters fall directly in line with the sitcom.
As one might expect, there is a wide range in the profile descriptors of authors with reference to age and background. The one thing that remains constant, however, is the sense of community and camaraderie among writers and reviewers. Some reviewers keep up-to-date with what’s going on in the lives of the writers and give lots of positive encouragement to keep the authors writing.

Responses:

Nearly all of the reviewer’ responses I read were focused on giving writers positive encouragement. While this is a good thing to do, the problem I have with this type of response is that the comments don’t do anything to help the writer better his or her writing. I think a little constructive criticism with some substance could go a long way in helping most of these writers. In fact, it was interesting that one of the authors (Barb Mack), in her profile, commented that “Honestly, I’d rather be told why my work sucks then know heaps of people have looked at it but have no idea what any of them have thought.” This same author is my first example of a reviewer. In reviewing a really bad piece of writing, she is more than kind as she tries to combine a little constructive criticism with encouraging words. She is the only reviewer among my examples to do so. My second review is about as bad as it gets in the comments’ department. Both the third and fourth reviews reflect a sense of camaraderie between reviewer and writer.

Review of: “A Whole New Me” by Barb Mack October 1, 2007 said:
“Hey I do like the idea of the story, but also think it’s probably best you go through the next part a couple more times before posting. Just some basic grammar etc. that could easily be corrected. But please don’t let that put you off, cos I really do want to find out where you’re going with the story and can’t wait to read more:)”

Review of: “No Clue” by OTHlover04 June 10, 2007 said: “Weird ending.”

Review of: “Ugly Duckling” Chapter 11 by abovetherim November 10, 2007 said:
“I am sorry about your laptop, I hope it starts to work for > Don’t worry about taking so long that chapter was definitely worth the wait I love it and can’t wait for more!!”

Review of: “Finders are Keepers” by chaosxShion October 21, 2007 said:
“… you have inspired me to write an Ugly Betty fic of my own! I should have it up within a few hours. … I am pleased you updated so quickly! Such zeal! I will be sure to stay a loyal reviewer!

Curricular Connection:

English Language Arts General Outcome 2 for grade 3: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to comprehend and respond personally and critically to oral, print and other media texts. Specific Outcome: Construct meaning from texts - Students will:
discuss, represent or write about ideas in oral, print and other media texts, and relate them to own ideas and experiences and to other texts
express preference for one character over another
Using animal fable books from the Leo Lionni collection, students could take a “fan-fiction” approach and re-write their own version of a particular story.
We could read and discuss the different aspects of several of Lionni’s books including, the role of art and the artist and how the author uses storytelling as a way to teach about qualities relating to areas such as sharing, getting along, trusting, and what it means to be an individual. After this, students could choose how they would like to extend Lionni’s ideas. Perhaps they might want to do some writing from a favourite animal’s point-of-view in one of the stories. Or, students might decide to branch out and, using Lionni’s ideas, write from their own personal or imagined experiences. Upon completion, students could do peer-sharing of their stories and give each other feedback.

Standardized Assessment Woes: A Must Read

I really enjoyed reading Rick Stiggin's commentary on the "Five Assessment Myths and Their Consequences." These myths parallel ideas and concerns we've all come across in various classes. Our "PAT's," for instance, can pose a huge concern for teachers. Since we're all going to be beginning teachers in the very near future, I thought the following topic might be of interest to you. Perhaps some of you have heard about Kathryn Sihota. She's the teacher in BC who refused to administer a standardized reading comprehension test to her grade 3 students. She insisted that the process was too stressful on her students and that the Sooke District School Board could collect such information in other ways. After going through a disciplinary hearing, Sihota's perfect 27 year teaching career was tarnished by a letter of reprimand being placed in her employment file. I found a website that summarizes her story and allows people to make comments about this issue. I was really surprised by the split in public opinion. Also, on the same site, there's a link that allows you to view the test in question and form your own opinion on the issue of standardized testing. It's quite an eye-opener. I hope you all enjoy this read as much as I did. The website is:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/yourview/bc/2007/09/should_primary_students_be-giv.html

Hints on Pronunciation for Foreigners

This can be found at http://johnbakersblog.co.uk/hints-on-pronunciation-for-foreigners/

I thought you all might enjoy reading this. It's quite a mouthful to read out loud.

Comic Book Creator

For those of you who wanted to know, the computer lab in Ed N 3-108 had the Comic Book Creator program installed for student use. To access the program, go to the lab and authenticate using your CCID and password. Then it's just a matter of going to the start menu: programs: and Comic Book Creator. However, I was informed that the university changes their upload of programs on a weekly basis so this program may or may not be available depending on when you go looking.

Digital Literacy Environments

As a beginning teacher, I often think about all that I'm going to be up against in the realm of the classroom. Since taking this course, I've been thinking more and more about how I'm actually going to teach writing. Sometimes, it seems like a daunting task. I'm no Regie Routman. She's been doing this for many years, is experienced, and has lots of little tricks in her writing bag. I wonder, does it ever happen that after a teacher has applied the optimal learning model, provided a print-rich environment, and given lots of opportunities for writing that a student still might not be enthused about the idea of writing? If that did happen, what would you do?
A few weeks ago, in another class, I was introduced to a nifty little program called "Comic Book Creator." You probably all know about this program and what it does. But, up to this point in time, I had never heard of this useful little tool. As I worked with this program, which is fun and really easy to use, I thought about how a program such as this could be used as a good supplemental tool for students who really don't care much about reading or writing. As an extra little perk, this program would also be a great benefit for students who are visual learners.
More and more, I'm warming up to the idea of digital learning environments. Since technology is here to stay, I'd say that that's a good thing. Using this blog format and working on fanfiction is an interesting way for a person like me, who is not as digitally savvy as many of my peers, to enter the world of digital literacy. I'm really looking forward to a class field trip next month where I'll be using the "Comic Book Creator" program in writing activities with grade one students. This should prove to be a valuable learning experience toward any future digital literacy projects I might consider implementing in my own classroom.

Time is ...

Time is...
Too slow for those who wait,
Too swift for those who fear,
Too long for those who grieve,
Too short for those who rejoice,
But for those who love...
Time is eternity.

I have no idea who "penned" this little quote. It was one of my mother's favourites and she used to add, " Time flys; it waits for no-one." After reading Katia's latest blog this morning, which is a timely piece on the constraints of time in our lives, I immediately remembered this quote and decided to share it with all of you. Good-luck to everyone who is immersed in studying for next week's mid-terms; and, remember to "make" a little time just for you!!

Peer Writing Conferences

Peer writing conferences can be a positive, valuable, confidence-building experience for students. When I attended Grant Mac, I participated in several such writing conferences under the watchful eye of Dr. Farvolden. At first, I didn't like the idea of peer conferencing. This was a brand new concept for me. I felt anxious about the process. I wasn't comfortable letting strangers see inside my head. I was even less enthusiastic about opening myself up to potential praise and constructive criticism of my work. Part of my concern stemmed from the fact that I didn't know or trust the other two people in my assigned group.
Though we had been warned not to write about anything we weren't totally comfortable sharing, it turned out that, in my group, all three of us had a tendency to write from our hearts, so to speak. In a way, I guess that was a good thing because we each had some of the same anxieties about sharing our writing. We discussed our feelings from the get-go and decided collectively that if we wanted to experience good sharing and honest responding we would have to build a climate of safety and trust. And, that's just what we did.
"Try to figure out what the writer is trying to convey before you respond with suggestions" (p. 224). After reading this quote in Routman's text, a point I remembered and thought was interesting was that during our writing conferences we were always encouraged by our prof to read our piece of writing two times. On the first read-through, peers were only to listen and not give any response. The logic here is that since peers don't have a paper copy of your writing in front of them it's hard for them to give helpful feedback with only one reading to go by. During and after the second read-through, peers were expected to be constructing responses. The big focus of these conferences was to enable each writer to walk away having gained some concrete feedback from peers to help the writer make the writing better.
I loved those conferences! They were so beneficial to bettering my writing. I always walked away feeling like I had given and had gained. I believe that all of our experiences - from feeling vulnerable to feeling empowered and confident - will help us to better understand and be able to relate to our future students and their feelings. I hope this will be encouraging to anyone who might be feeling a little anxious or uncomfortable about participating in peer writing conferences.