Galaxy-Wide Writing Strategies Used by Official Star Wars Bloggers

Galaxy-Wide Writing Strategies

Used by Official Star Wars

Bloggers

ARIELLE FELDMAN

Produced in Pamela Baker’s Spring 2017 ENC 1101

Introduction

A"long"time"ago"in"a"galaxy"far,"far"away,"a"movie"came"out"that"chan g ed "cinem a "foreve r."

While"it"actually"wasn’t"all"too"long"ago"(May"25,"1977,"to"be"exact)"and"the"galaxy"far,"far"away"was"

our"own"Milky"Way,"the"film"amazed"audiences"as"if" it"were"otherworldly."This"fan"base"that"has"

stood"the"test"of"time"is"a"discourse"comm un ity,"since"it"is"a"“group"of"people"who"link"up"in"order"to"

pursue"objectives”"(Swales"220)."What"began"as"a"cult-like"followin g "grew "to"become"a"worldwide"

network"of" loyal" fans." The" objective"of" this" community" is"to" show" appreciation" for" the"variety" of"

movies,"toys,"books,"TV"shows,"video"games,"and"more"that"have"been"released"under"the"Star%Wars"

brand."

As" a" discourse" community," this" ever-expanding" group" of" sci-fi" devotee s" achie ves" their"

objective"by"using"several"“mechanisms" of"intercommunication.”"These"mechanisms"are"necessary"

in"o rd e r"to"exchang e"inform a tio n "betw e en "members,"and "hence "keep"the"community"aliv e"(Swa le s"

221)." Many" communities" choose" “blogs”" as" one" of" their" primary" means" of" circulating" material."

Blogs," which" are" regularly" updated" websites" that" focus" on" one" or" several" topics," serve" as" useful"

discourse"tools."In "fact," the "act" o f"“blogging”"is"see n "as"so"v a lu ab l e"that"Lucasfilm,"the"comp a ny "who"

owns"the"movie"franchise,"run s"an" official"blog"where" w riters"produce " Star%Wars-related" conten t."

The"corresponding"discourse"these"writers"supply"is"the"focus"of"this"paper."

The" bloggers" of" StarWars.com" act" as" certified" creators" of" Star% W ars" online" m aterial" and"

inheren tly "have"to "appease "thousan ds "of"reade rs ."T h e y"are"usu a lly "the"first"to"distrib u te "importan t "

community"news,"such "as"actor"announcements"for"new"movies" or"dates"of"conventions."T herefore,"

the"a rticles"must"b e"presented" in"a"wa y"that"is"easily"digestible"to"fans." In "order"to"achieve"th is"goal,"

the"w riters"employ "tools"tha t"enhance"the"effec tiven ess"of"their"articles,"w hich "are"u sua lly"spread"

across" external" social" media." These" tools" are" intertextuality," organization," and" nostalgia." Artic le "

effectiveness"can"be"deduced"from "the"number"of"shares"accumulated"by"each,"w hich"is"presented"

beneath"every"post"in"a"Facebook"share"button."

Methods

To" observe" how" the" StarWars.com" blog" creates" content" for" their" discourse" comm unity," I"

took"into"consideration"the"last" thirty"articles"that" w ere"posted"as"of"March"23," 20 17."This"gave"me"

an"adequate"sam ple"size"to"observe"and"record"my"findings."Using"all"of"the"information"that"was"

provided"publicly"for"me,"I"documented"each"article’s"title,"number" of"Facebook" shares,"category,"

STYLUS 8.2 | FALL 2017!

date" published," tags," author(s)," and" number" of" comments." My" research" uncovered" strategies" the"

bloggers"utilize"to"achieve"maximum"post"success.!

Results

Writing Strategy #1: Intertextuality

Intertext"ca n"best"be"su m m a rize d"as"“the"b its"a nd "p ieces"of"Text"w hich"writers"or"sp eak ers "

borrow"and"sew"together"to"create"new"discourse”"(Porter"397)."At"the"be ginn ing"of"this"essay ,"an"

example"of"Star%Wars"inte rte x t"was"u se d :"“a"long"time"ago"in"a"galaxy"far,"far"aw ay.”"This"displays"

intertext u al ity " because" it" is" su ch " a" recogn iza b le " saying " to" Star% Wars" fans." So," by" including " the"

phrase,"I"set"the" tone" for" the"rest" of" my"paper" to" be" about"the"films."The"importance"of" bloggers"

borrowing"Star% W ars" phrases" for"their" articles" is" more" than" just" for" b rand " recognition" (although"

that," to o," is" a" benefit" of" their" applica tion)." The " use" of" techn ical" jargon " is" crucial" to" a" discou rse"

community’s" identity." By" possessing"a " lexis," or" a"“shared"and"specialized" term inology,”" the"group"

can"establish"itself"and"create"connectivity"amongst"its"members"(Swales"222).""

While"fan"devotion"may"vary"in"the"community,"some"being"die-hards"while"others"casual"

viewers,"knowledge"of" familiar"terms" from" Star% W ars"is"usual ly"consistent"across"the"board."It"is" the"

responsibility" of" the" b logger" to" use" the" comm u nity" lexis" to" their" advantage" whe n" attem pting" to"

attract" m embers" to" their" posts." Generating" blog" traffic" greatly" benefits" Lucasfilm" because" the"

bloggers" typically" use" their" posts" to" subliminally" advertise" Star% Wars" products." Intertextuality" is"

thus"on e" o f" the " m an y"driving"forces" that"yields"views" an d" makes"the"b log"posts"profitable." H ow ev er,"

the"value"of"intertextu ality"go es"be yo nd"jus t"being "a"m ark eting "ploy ."

For"example,"in"the"blog"column"“From "a"Certain"Point"of"View,”"two"StarWars.com"writers"

debate"on"a"topic,"which"can"range"from"who"the"best"droid

is"to" which"Star%Wars"video"gam e"is"the"

most"underrated."The"title"serves"as"intertext"itself,"since"it"is"an"exact"line "taken"from "Star%Wars:%

Episode%VI%-% Return%of%the%Jedi."The r e " is" a" sce ne"in" the" movie" whe r e " the" story’s" prot a g o n is t ," Luke "

Skywalker,"demand s"an"explanation"from"the"ghost"of"his"deceased"Jedi

mentor," Obi-Wan"Kenobi."

The"dialogue"between"the"two"is"included"below:"

Luke:" Ben!" Why" didn’t" you" tell" me?" You" told" me" that" Darth" Vader" betrayed" and"

murdered"my"father."

Obi-Wan:"Your"father"was"seduced"by"the"Dark"Side"of"the"Force."He"ceased"to"be"

the"Jedi"Anak in"Skyw alker"and"became"Darth"Vader."When"that"happened,"the"good"

man"who"was"your"father"was"destroyed."So,"what"I"told"you"was"true,"from%a%certa in%

point%of%view."

The"bloggers’"reference"to"Obi-Wan"looking"at"the"fate"of"Luke’s"father"“from "a"c e rta in"point"

of"view”"not"only"connects"back"to"Star%Wars,"but"also"de s cribe s"what"the"format"of"the"column"is:"

two" bloggers " giving" the ir" “point" of" view”" on" a" concept." The" ability" of" writers" “to" borrow " tra ces"

effectively" and" to" find" ap propriate" contexts" for" them”" is" what" keeps" the" posts" relevant" to" the"

community"and "qualifies"the"writers"as"fans"them selves"(Porter"3 99)."This"segue s"into"the"secon d"

benefit"of"intertextuality,"which"is"how " it" can" create"an" em otional"connection"between"bloggers"and"

their"audience."Rea ders"en joy"the"playful"Star%Wars"referenc es"becau se"it"shows"how "the"blog gers"

are"true"fans."This"creates"a"shared"experience"between" readers"and"writers;"the" com monality"of"

knowing" Star%Wars"intertext"forms"a"bond"betwee n "the"two"parties"and"enco u ra ge s "appreciation"of"

the"bloggers’"discou rse."

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"A"droid"is"a"robot"that"possesses"artificial"intelligence."

"A"Jedi"is"a"member"of"a"group"of"wizard-like"warriors"w ho "gu ar d"p ea ce "in"th e"g ala xy "an d"ca n "ha rn ess "the "

power"of"“the"Force.”"

STYLUS 8.2 | FALL 2017!

incorpo ra te d " nos ta lgia " by" ha vin g " the" orig in al" Star% Wars" cast" reprise" their" iconic" roles" while" also"

making"several"references"to"older"movies"in"the"script."The"bloggers"make"sure"they’re"doing"the"

same"by"focusing"on"subjects"that"are"mo re"likely"to"resonate"with"long-term"Star%Wars"fans."

The" top" three" most" shared" StarWars.com" posts" from" my" sample" met" the" “nostalgia"

requirement. ”" With"over" 5,700"shares,"the" third" most"popular" post"is"a"“From" a" Certain" Point" of"

View”"article"discussing"which"of"the"Star%W ars"video"games"is"the"most"un derrated."One"blogger’s"

pick"is"a" game" that" came" out" in" the"late" 90s,"while" the "other’s"cho ice"was" releas ed"in"200 5."Cassidee"

Moser,"the" first" author"who" praises" an" old" school"90s" Nintendo"game," even"says" so" herself" that"she"

enjoys" how" the" gam e" is" “a" buffet" of" Star% Wars" moments" sewn" together" with" threads" of" familiar"

elements" pulled" from"the"original"trilogy”" (M o ser)." Fans" a re" notorious" for"preferring" the" origina l"

trilogy,"the"thr ee"initial"movies"that"came "o ut"between"

1977"and"1983,"over"the"more"recent"installments"from"

the"late"2000s"and"today."StarWars.com"recently"ran"a"

poll" that" proves" the" aforementioned." When" readers"

were" prompted" to" pick" their" favorite" Star% W ars" film,"

69%" of" responders" chose" an" original" trilogy" film" (A%

New% Hope," The% Empire% Strikes% Back," o r " Return% of% the%

Jedi)"over"a"prequ el

"film"(The%Phantom%Menace,"Attack%

of%the%Clone s,"o r "Revenge%of%the%Sith)."

The"second"most"shared"article,"“5" Things"You"

Might" Not" Know" About" Lightsabers,”" is" also" in" list"

format." While" the" article" focuses" more" on" recent" Star%

Wars" installm e nt s," its" to p ic" is" still " rele va n t" to " the "

demographic"whose"first"experience"with"lightsabers

" was"from"the"original"Star% Wars" movies."It"

holds" the" interest" of" Star% Wars" fans" new% and" old," presenting" new" canon" information" about" the"

famous "m o vie "weapon."

Lastly,"there"is"the"most"popular"article"with"16,000"shares,"which"is"a"huge"jump"from"the"

previous" article" that" topped" out" at" 9,000" shares." The" article" is" an" interview" with" a" comic" book"

writer"who" is" working" on" a" series"about"Darth" Vader," the" Star%Wars"antagonist"who"is" arguably"the"

most"renowned"character"in"the"franchise."The"whole"premise"of"the"comic"series"is"teeming"with"

nostalgia." Dan" Brooks," senior" editor" of" StarW ars.com," st a te s " in" th e " intro d u c t io n" that" the " story "

“promises" to" shed" light" on" some" of" [Da rth]" Vader’s" early" a cts" and" forays" in to" the" da rk" side,"

includin g" how " he" built" his" red-bladed" lightsaber," hunting" down" surviving" Jedi," and" more.”" The"

series" would" therefore" an sw er" qu estions" ha rdcore" Star% W ars" fan s" may" h a ve " a b ou t" the" infamous"

villain" the" movies" revolve" around." As" a" longstanding" fan" of" the" films," this" article" grabbed" my"

attention"the"most."Darth" Vader" is" the"face" of" Star% Wars,"so"what"be t te r "way"to"attr a ct "memb ers"and "

promote" discourse" amongst" fans" than" to" create" an" entire" series" about" his" untold" history?" The"

bloggers"then"wrote"an"article"about"this"work"in"progress"and"turned"it"into"entertaining"publicity.""

Conclusion

Contributing" to" a" discourse" community" is" all" about" achieving" common" goals" through"

member" connectivity" (Swales" 220)." By" using" the" Star% Wars" le xis," followin g" organ iza tion a l"

techniques" th at" fa re" w e ll" on " the " In tern et," an d" p romoting" the" feeling" of" no stalg ia," blog ge rs" h ave "

developed"a"system"for"creating"valuable"discourse"that"Star%Wars% fan s"share" an d "respond"to."These "

writing"strategies"build"o ff"of" on e"a no ther ."No stalg ia"is" cha nn eled "th rou gh" the "u se" of"in tertex t,"w hile"

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"The"prequel"films"take"place"in"a"time"period"before"that"of"the"original"films"story-wise,"despite"being"

released"several"years"after"the"original"70s"and"80s"movies. "

"Lightsabers"are"laser-swords"used"by"Jedi"that"were"introdu ced"in"the"very"first"film.!

Nostalgia is channeled

through the use of

intertext, while

organizational structures

provide ways to properly

present the information

online.

FELDMAN | GALAXY-WIDE WRITING STRATEGIES USED BY OFFICIAL

STAR WARS

BLOGGERS

organizational" structures" provide" ways" to" properly" present" the" information" online." Using" these"

strategies" fosters" connections" between" b loggers" and" readers" and" expands" the" comm unity" by"

attracting"more"Star%Wars"fans"to"the" b lo g ."If" Obi-Wan"Kenobi"was"a" writer,"he"might"have"said"that"

discourse"“ su rroun ds" us,"p enetrates" us,"a nd" binds"the"galaxy" together,”" since" it"is" a " great"“Force”"

that"unites"Star%Wars"fans"a ll"ov er "the "w o rld "(L u ca s) ."

Works

!Cited!

Facebook%Newsroom."Facebook,"2016,"https://newsroom.fb.com/."

Lehr,"Andrea."“New"Data:"What"Types"of"Content"Perform"Best"on"Social"Media?”"HubSpot,"2" Feb."

2015,"www.blog.hubspot.com/marketing/content-social-media-popularity.""

Moser," Cassidee," and" Anthony" Gallegos." “From" A" Certain" Point" of" View:" What" is" the" Most"

Underrated" Star% Wars" Video" Games?”" StarWars.com," Luc a s film," 3" M a r ." 2017 ,"

www.starwars.com/news/from-a-certain -point-of-view-what-is-the-most-underrated-star-

wars-video-game"

O’Neil,"Shana."“Ranking"Rebels:"10"High lig h ts " fro m"‘Tw in " Su n s .’”" StarWars.com," Lu c a s fil m,"19 " Mar."

2017,"www.starwars.com/news/ranking-rebels-10-highlights-from-twin -su ns."

“Poll:" W hich" Star% W ars" Movie" Is" Your" Favorite?”" StarW ars.com," Lucasfilm," 20" May" 2015,"

www.starwars.com/news/poll-which-star-wars-movie-is-your-fav or ite."

Porter,"James"E."“Intertextu ality " and " the" D iscou rse " Com munity.”"Wardle"and"Downs,"pp."395-409."

Originally"published"in"Rhetoric%Review"vol."5,"no."1,"19 8 6 ,"pp."34-47."

Soule," Charles." “In" Marve l's" New" Darth" V ad er" Series," We" W ill" See" the" Sith" Lord's" Rise," the"

Construction" of" His" Lightsaber," and" M ore.”" In terv iew " by" Dan" Brooks." StarWars.com,"

Lucasfilm,"10"Mar."2017," www.starwars.com/news/in-marvels-new-darth-vader-series-we-

will-see-the- sith-lords-rise-the-construction-of-his-lightsab e r-and-more."

Star%Wars:%Episode%IV%-%A%New%Hope."Screenplay"by"George"Lucas,"Lucasfilm,"1977."

Star%Wars:%Episode%VI%-%Return%of%the%Jedi."Screenplay"by"George"Lucas"and"Lawrence"Kasdan,"

Lucasfilm,"1983."

Swales," John." “The" Concept" of" D iscourse" Community.”" Wardle"and" Downs," pp." 215-29." Originally"

published"in"Genre%Analysis:%English%in%Academic%and%Research%Settings,"Cam b r id ge"UP," 1 9 9 0 ,"

pp."21-32.""

Wardle," Elizabeth," and" Doug" Downs," editors." Writing% about% Writing:% A% College% Reader." 2nd" ed.,"

Bedford/St."Martin’s,"2014."

Arielle Feldman

Arielle" Feldman" is" a" sophomore" at" the" University" of" Central" Florida." She" is" a" prospective"

Advertising/Public" Relations" m ajor" who" has" experience" in" video" production," social" m edia"

management,"and"creative"writing."When"she’s"not"studying"hard"for"her"classes,"Arielle"is"visit in g "

local"t ea " sh ops" a nd" revising" th e" roug h" draft" of" her" sc reenplay ."H er" drea m " job" w ould" b e"to"work"on"a"

Star%W ars"movie" set,"even"if"she’s"just"scrubbing"the"floors"of"the"Millennium"Falcon."She"hopes"to"

learn"the"ways"of"the"Force"b y"th e "tim e"s he "gr ad u ate s."