Reflective Endnotes
Genre #1: Poem
The reason I decided to start off this project with a poem is because I wanted to share the story of John’s early life without it being to drawn out. I wanted to keep the information short, sweet, and to the point. Personally, I have been writing poetry for years so this genre type was the one that I really enjoyed creating. I normally don’t write poems that rhyme, so rhyming was a challenge that was very interesting.
Genre #2: Personal Letter
I used a personal letter to tell about John’s high school life because I felt like this information needed to be told from John himself. This letter came in the form of fan mail because John has a large database of fans that he calls Nerdfighters and I felt like that would be the best way to get information to sound like it came directly from him. I chose to write about his life in high school because it ultimately shaped who he is as a person. I related to his experiences on a personal level, and that is why his high school life was a part of this project.
Genre #3: Book Poster
I used a book poster to talk about John’s college life because his first novel, Looking For Alaska, was published a few years after he got out of college. As a new author, I assumed many people wouldn’t know anything about John when his first novel was published. I decided that I would create a small biography about college as part of this genre because he was too young at the time to have many experiences outside of college. I personally related to this genre because I’ve read Looking For Alaska and I believe that it teaches a very important life lesson that everyone should learn.
Genre #4: News Article
I used a news article to talk about John’s novels and awards because he is now a world-famous author that could very well be in the news. He has won numerous awards for all of his novels and I thought that these awards should have an entire genre dedicated to them. News articles are a very effective way to communicate this information because they are generally published nationally, if not worldwide. I connected to this genre personally because I aspire to be an author someday and I hope some day that my novels will get as many awards as John’s do.
Genre #5: Character Analysis
I used a character analysis to talk about Hazel Grace Lancaster from The Fault in Our Stars because I knew she had a connection with a former Nerdfighter, Esther Earl. The book is dedicated to her and I had prior knowledge about her connection with Hazel, so I decided to research it. I found new information about Esther and learned more about what she meant to John. I related to this genre personally because I had wondered about who Esther was before doing this project, and now I know why she was so important to John.
Genre #6: Journal Entry
I used a journal entry to talk about Looking For Alaska being banned. In some places, Looking For Alaska was banned due to its content. Naturally, I wanted to study this further. I used a journal entry to convey this information because I wanted to be able to form my own opinion after researching the information. I wanted my entry to be factual yet opinionated. I personally related to this topic because I don’t understand why some books are banned due to content and why the actual lesson in the book is overlooked.
Genre #7: Interview
I used an interview to talk about John’s family life because I thought this information should be more personal and coming from John himself. I wanted to tell more about how John’s life is today and what his family is like. I wanted to tell more about where he’s lived and if he’s married. I also wanted to tell more about Hank, who is a large part of his life because of Vlogbrothers. I related to this genre personally because ever since I started watching John’s YouTube channel, I have learned more about his family and I feel like I am a part of his Nerdfighter family.
The reason I decided to start off this project with a poem is because I wanted to share the story of John’s early life without it being to drawn out. I wanted to keep the information short, sweet, and to the point. Personally, I have been writing poetry for years so this genre type was the one that I really enjoyed creating. I normally don’t write poems that rhyme, so rhyming was a challenge that was very interesting.
Genre #2: Personal Letter
I used a personal letter to tell about John’s high school life because I felt like this information needed to be told from John himself. This letter came in the form of fan mail because John has a large database of fans that he calls Nerdfighters and I felt like that would be the best way to get information to sound like it came directly from him. I chose to write about his life in high school because it ultimately shaped who he is as a person. I related to his experiences on a personal level, and that is why his high school life was a part of this project.
Genre #3: Book Poster
I used a book poster to talk about John’s college life because his first novel, Looking For Alaska, was published a few years after he got out of college. As a new author, I assumed many people wouldn’t know anything about John when his first novel was published. I decided that I would create a small biography about college as part of this genre because he was too young at the time to have many experiences outside of college. I personally related to this genre because I’ve read Looking For Alaska and I believe that it teaches a very important life lesson that everyone should learn.
Genre #4: News Article
I used a news article to talk about John’s novels and awards because he is now a world-famous author that could very well be in the news. He has won numerous awards for all of his novels and I thought that these awards should have an entire genre dedicated to them. News articles are a very effective way to communicate this information because they are generally published nationally, if not worldwide. I connected to this genre personally because I aspire to be an author someday and I hope some day that my novels will get as many awards as John’s do.
Genre #5: Character Analysis
I used a character analysis to talk about Hazel Grace Lancaster from The Fault in Our Stars because I knew she had a connection with a former Nerdfighter, Esther Earl. The book is dedicated to her and I had prior knowledge about her connection with Hazel, so I decided to research it. I found new information about Esther and learned more about what she meant to John. I related to this genre personally because I had wondered about who Esther was before doing this project, and now I know why she was so important to John.
Genre #6: Journal Entry
I used a journal entry to talk about Looking For Alaska being banned. In some places, Looking For Alaska was banned due to its content. Naturally, I wanted to study this further. I used a journal entry to convey this information because I wanted to be able to form my own opinion after researching the information. I wanted my entry to be factual yet opinionated. I personally related to this topic because I don’t understand why some books are banned due to content and why the actual lesson in the book is overlooked.
Genre #7: Interview
I used an interview to talk about John’s family life because I thought this information should be more personal and coming from John himself. I wanted to tell more about how John’s life is today and what his family is like. I wanted to tell more about where he’s lived and if he’s married. I also wanted to tell more about Hank, who is a large part of his life because of Vlogbrothers. I related to this genre personally because ever since I started watching John’s YouTube channel, I have learned more about his family and I feel like I am a part of his Nerdfighter family.