The end of where it started...

So last night I watched the final installment of the Twilight series, Breaking Dawn Part 2.

Apart from wanting to junk-punch Melissa Rosenberg ten minutes from the end (don't despair, she redeems herself beautifully) I realized something...

This is where the twi-road ends. 

I can hear half the world cheering, I know. But for me it is bittersweet.  Yep, I fell in love with Twilight.  Not gonna deny it. 

But as much as I loved it, and as much as it got me back into reading after I had kids, I found it lacking.

I wanted more.

(Disclaimer: I also wanted Edward to push Bella off the cliff and have his HEA with Jasper, but that's just me...) lol

Then I found a little something called fanfiction.

I'd actually written a missing scene from Twilight before I even knew of fanfiction, because I needed to know what the hell Stephanie Meyer left out.  Mind you, I'd not "written" any fiction of any kind since leaving high-school. 

I posted it online, with ZERO knowledge of what I was doing, and was floored when people read it. Loved it, even.

Then I wrote a continuation, post Breaking Dawn story that took me a year and 280K words.  Then my fanfiction journey delved into All-Human and a love for exploring non-canon characters was born.

Then I found slash.

Let me tell you. It was like I'd found home. 

So yeah, judge if you will about the Twilight thing but I'll be forever grateful.

I found a love of writing. I found what it is I am supposed to do with my life. I met people who became my best friends. 

So as I sat in the cinema at 2:30am when Breaking Dawn Part 2 was done, it occured to me it was the end of where it all started for me.

From vampires who sparkled in the original (WTF was Stephanie Meyer thinking?) to complex gay male characters in fanfiction who overcame adversity, who struggled, who won, who laughed, who loved (and in particular those who Merged & Acquired and to the one who called his love Doll Face) I eventually went full circle and finally arrived back at Original Fiction.

And this is where I am now.

And if the gods are willing, it's where I will be for a long time.  

To all those who I've known since day one, or who I met along the way, who are now still with me, reading about my boys who meet and fall in love, I thank you.

And I'm looking forward to the next lot of pretty boys we stumble into. 

* * * *

PS: A little reminder that three of my once-were-fanfictions have now been re-written and are available as PDF's on my Free Reads page.