Written Communication Jan 2018

“A Writer More Than . . . a Child”: A Longitudinal Study Examining Adolescent Writer Identity

Jayne C. Lammers University of Rochester ; Valerie L. Marsh University of Rochester

Abstract

This article reconsiders theoretical claims of identity fluidity, stability, and agency through a longitudinal case study investigating one adolescent’s writing over time and across spaces. Qualitative data spanning her four years of high school were collected and analyzed using a grounded theory approach with literacy-and-identity theory providing sensitizing concepts. Findings uncovered how she laminated identity positions of perfectionism, expertise, risk taking, and learning as she enacted her passionate writer identity in personal creative writing, English classrooms, an online fanfiction community, and theater contexts. Using “identity cube” as a theoretical construct, the authors examine enduring elements of a writer’s identity and the contextual positioning that occurs when youth write for different audiences and purposes. Findings suggest that adolescents approach writing with a durable core identity while flexibly laminating multiple sides of their identity cube, a reframing of identity that has implications for literacy-and-identity research.

Journal
Written Communication
Published
2018-01-01
DOI
10.1177/0741088317735835
Open Access
Closed
Topics
empirical research qualitative research creative writing

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (6)

  1. Magnifico et al. (2025)
    Theorizing fanfiction: The importance of remixed social genres composed on the …
    Computers and Composition
  2. Wang et al. (2025)
    Getting to “the Upper End of the Novice Zone”: An Exploration of Doctoral Stude…
    Written Communication
  3. Jacobson (2024)
    Social Positioning and Learning Opportunities in One Student’s Textual Transiti…
    Written Communication
  4. Stornaiuolo et al. (2023)
    Pocket Writing: How Adolescents’ Self-Sponsored Writing Circulates in School
    Written Communication
  5. Stewart (2023)
    Using digital media in the classroom as writing platforms for multimodal author…
    Computers and Composition
Show all 6 →
  1. Falconer (2019)
    “I Think When I Speak, I Don’t Sound Like That”: The Influence of Social Positi…
    Written Communication

Cites in this index (2)

  1. Compton-Lilly (2014)
    The Development of Writing Habitus
    Written Communication
  2. Buck (2012)
    Examining Digital Literacy Practices on Social Network Sites
    Research in the Teaching of English
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CrossRef global citation count: 19 View in citation network →

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