Fanfiction Authors' Self-presentation on Twitter

Bc. Martina Pekárová

Master's thesis

Abstract:

Tato práce se zabývá online sebeprezentací autorů fanouškovské fikce a jejich komunikací s publikem na Twitteru. Práce ověřovala hypotézu, že autoři fanouškovské fikce budou používat některé ze strategií používaných celebritami a mikro-celebritami, ale budou zde také rozdíly, protože autoři fanouškovské fikce jsou členy komunity která funguje na principu dárkové ekonomiky, a se svým publikem jsou si autoři fanouškovské fikce rovni tím, že jsou to všichni fanoušci stejného díla.

Abstract:

The aim of this thesis is to analyze fanfiction authors' self-presentation and communication with audience on Twitter. Fanfiction authors can be viewed as micro-celebrities in that they have a certain popularity status and following within a particular fan community – a community of fellow fans. The thesis aims to answer the following questions: 1) how do fanfiction authors perform and reaffirm their identity in posts they share on Twitter, 2) what similarities and differences are there in their Twitter communication with their audience when compared with celebrity practices, 3) how does their communication reflect characteristics of fandom and fan texts. The hypothesis is that fanfiction authors will use some of the strategies used by celebrities and micro-celebrities, however, there will also be differences since fanfiction authors are members of a fan community governed by gift-economy and their audience are fellow fans of the same established work.

Keywords

self-presentation, fans, micro-celebrity, fan studies, Twitter

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 16. 6. 2021

Thesis defence

• Date of defence: 30. 6. 2021
• Supervisor: doc. Mgr. Jan Chovanec, Ph.D.
• Reader: PhDr. Jitka Vlčková, Ph.D.

Masaryk University

Faculty of Arts

Master programme / field:
English Language and Literature / English Language and Literature