I’m a little late with this post, but TWENTY years ago, way back on 8/17/98, I wrote and posted my very first X-Files fanfic! It was actually a poem called I Want Him, which led to I Want Her, which then led to hundreds of other poems, as well as vignettes, stories, and novels. At one time I actually kept track of everything I wrote, but eventually I wrote so much that I lost count. Looking back on my earlier stuff, some of it I still really like, but there were also A LOT of clunkers. Of course, at the time I wrote them, I thought they were good enough to post, but now I look back at some of them and go, “What was I thinking?”;)
There are also some of my longer stories that I am so very proud of like my very first novel and WIP 30 Seconds, a story about Mulder being blinded in an explosion and how he and Scully dealt with the aftermath of that event. All these years later, I’m still amazed by the fact that over the course of writing that story I received hundreds of letters from literally around the world! I also received over a hundred letters about my novel Liquescent, an alternative story about Mulder getting cancer in season four instead of Scully. The fact that what I wrote about two fictional characters inspired people enough to want to share their own cancer experiences was incredibly powerful and very humbling to me.
And there were other stories and series along the way that surprised me with the reception they got from my readers. Sometimes I’d write something and think that a lot of people would enjoy it as much as I did, then get very little response. Then there were other times when things I wrote got a ton of feedback response when I wasn’t expecting it. When Mulder was abducted in Requiem, I wrote a series called Letters to You in which Scully wrote letters to her unborn child while Mulder was gone, and the amount of feedback I got from that just blew me away. After Three Words aired, I wrote several vignettes about Mulder’s return from the dead and about how difficult it was for him. Many of you wrote to me about those and vented the same frustrations that I had with the fact that his miraculous return to the living was barely addressed on the show, and I thought it was so cool to be able to “chat” with you about that.
One of the best parts about writing fanfic for the past twenty years has been the friendships I’ve made. It was because of feedback letters that I received years ago that I have new friends I still stay in contact with today. Of course, there were some good friends along the way that I eventually lost touch with and sadly some that have passed on, but I still have that core handful of X-Files friends that I know I could email at any time to ask for help or advice, and they wouldn’t hesitate to help me or give me words of encouragement. Now THAT is cool.:)
With that being said, I just want to say THANK YOU again for all the letters that you have written to me over the years. The fact that something I wrote touched you, inspired you, angered you, or made you laugh enough to want to take the time to write to me means more than I can ever say, and I appreciate each and every one of those letters. Your comments and suggestions have made me a better writer, and for that I will always be grateful.
I was hoping I’d have something new to post to honor this occasion, but sadly I don’t. However, I did come across this little story that never fails to make me smile whenever I read it, and I thought it would be perfect for this important anniversary. Enjoy!:)
Susan
