A Complete Story

An Important Message

Story Title: I need to say this, a place to post
By: Fluffybanana3176
Story Tags: rant, random, needs to be said
Date Published: September 24

Sorry if anyone thought this was a continuation of Eyelashes, Cups, and Caution Cones. . . Oh My! I have something I want to get off my chest, and after Solvefgfanfic's last chapter I realized now is as good of a time as ever.

Before I start, if anyone here hasn't read Solvefgfanfic's final post, please read it. If you haven't had a chance yet, here's a small overview of what she said.

Basically she called us out on how awful our little community has become since Tranker's death. As an ameliorant I specifically felt awful when she called out the ameliorants for not trying to lift others up, and actually ameliorate something. The way she finished her author's note made me think that perhaps along with Helen Tranker's death we've also been mourning a book. That's what I want to talk about today.

A while back an article floated around debating the merits of having a ghost-writer finish the series. At the time I had no opinion on whether or not I wanted a ghostwriter, but it seemed the overall consensus among other users was no. It was better to end the series on a cliffhanger. No final Finn Gunn book meant the series has already ended for a lot of users here.

Cue the past few months—at least for me—have been somewhat unbearable, the death of Auntie Helen became something I could not reconcile. We were never going to learn who Arch Nemesis was, and Vanesa's death would remain unavenged. Maybe it's a part of my personality— feeling such pain at the death of a semi- stranger, and death of story. Maybe I'm melodramatic.

Maybe it's something that I struggle with. That we in our tiny community struggle with. I've noticed a reoccurring pattern in fanfiction— we tend to sugar coat things. Majorly sugar coat things we sometimes shouldn't.

Arch Nemesis and Vanesa in a relationship? Duh, it's a great idea because love heals all wounds— even the fatal kind. Who cares if it's problematic and none of us would indorse such a relationship in real life?

Why can't Dominic Ostlund and Laurel be alive? They make great side characters! Who cares if they're dead one-off characters half the fandom struggles to remember?

I see examples like these all the time with fanfiction. Sometimes it seems like the goal of the author is to get everyone to dance around a bond fire and sing kumbiya.

Don't get me wrong, sometimes such fantasy is necessary for our own sanity. At least it feels that way. Far too many times I've ended up on a really stupid fanfic that I've read to the end— just because I needed that cliche ending. I wanted a sugar coated world that ended as sweetly as it began. It's also really dumb and stupid but whatever.

I think escapism is one of two reasons why people tell stories. The other reason is to teach. To learn and transform, to try and change viewpoints. Think about it, any story can fit in these two categories or both.

I was thinking about how— as fanfiction writers —we tend to take this first form of storytelling and run with it. Sometimes without a second glance at the other form of story telling.

Maybe it's because more skill is needed for the second form of story telling. The lack of subtlety and refinement (that any novice deals with) often leads the reader to a trite feeling. The wrong message gets imparted, and all the reader learns is how terrible the author is at writing. How unsubtle they are.

When Aunt Helen died, I think it thrust a lot of people out of Sugar Land and into a harsh reality they could not ignore.

What reality?

Death is what makes life meaningful. This hit me really hard today. Probably because my cat will probably die within the next twenty four hours. (Yeah, I've had a sucky year) He was my buddy for over sixteen years. An honorary family member I literally grew up with. And yesterday morning he came outside while I was cleaning up after the dog. It was unseasonably warm, and I noted even at the time— what a perfect dream like memory it would be. Him desperate for me to love him. It was perfect—even with the dog poop. Perfect because I knew even then that his days were numbered. The moment was precious because I knew it was one of my last moments with him.

Life is finite, and that's scary. Reality is scary, but it's also what makes life worth it. Things come to an end.

Going back to my original point about mourning a book (and this is the great part) even that is going to end. I don't know if I'm quite there yet, but one day it's going to be okay. Whether we end up with nineteen beautifully written books by Aunt Helen or we get twenty with the help of a ghostwriter, it's going to be okay. I will always remember the Finn Gunn series fondly. No matter what we get.

Solvefgfanfic's final author's note has made me think, I don't want any user here to think tomorrow will not be okay because of something I said.

We all mourn differently, and some of the users on here are not mourning at all. I think going forward we need to strive to be kinder and a little more understanding to all of the users on Finnepedia.net. Even the ones we don't get along with. Because it would be a shame to lose any more great users and Fanfic writers like Solvefgfanfic.

Comments and Reviews for I need to say this, a place to post:

TotesFABwardrobe said:
[+Fluffybanana3176]
Thank you for writing this! It was beautiful and I know I'm going to try to be nicer to people on here.

Fluffybanana said:
[+totesFABwardrobe]
I glad you read this, and agree. Could you tell me how dontcrushmysoul is doing? I know you two are good friends, is she okay?

dontcrushmysoul said:
[+Fluffybanana3176]
You could ask me yourself. I'm alright, there's still a lot I'm going through, was recently diagnosed with depression. But like your post—I'm gunna be okay one day.

Fluffybanana3176 said:
[+dontcrushmysoul]
Yay! I'm so glad you're getting help. Will we ever be friends again?

dontcrushmysoul said:
[+Fluffybanana3176]
Honestly I don't know. I need space right now, but maybe one day.

Fluffybanana3176 said:
[+dontcrushmysoul]
I understand.

Mrs Gunn2847 said:
[+Fluffybanana3176]
I feel terrible that because you stuck up for me, you lost a good friend. Reading your post and retrospection, I want to apologize for turning on you. You were trying to keep the peace, and I appreciate all the times you stuck up for me.

Fluffybanana3176 said:
[+Mrs Gunn2847]
For what it's worth, I do consider you a friend of mine. I have for a long time. Sorry I said you sucked.

Mrs Gunn2847 said:
[+Fluffybanana3176]
;)

[end of thread].

Finesa4eva said:
[+Fluffybanana3176]
This is a great solution to the problem Solvefgfanfic pointed out to us. Thank you for writing it. I hope now that users like +crimesolvsrox notice, and make a change in their behavior.

crimesolvsrox said:
[+Finesa4eva]
Why just me? I stand by the fact we were all in the wrong.

Finesa4eva said:
[+crimesolvsrox]
I'm not going to argue with you. To quote Fluffy, I definitely got pushed out of Sugar Land when Tranker died, and I did not want to leave. There have been situations since her death that I could have handled better.

Crimesolvsrox said:
[+Finesa4eva]
Me too. Maybe we need a truce? Start fresh and not drag up old wounds? These months have been odd for every one.

Finesa4eva said:
[+Crimesolvsrox]
This truce includes everyone on here?

Crimesolvsrox said:
[+Finesa4eva]
Yeah. Truce?

Finesa4eva said:
[+Crimesolvsrox]
Truce.