Ship It(99)
To Brooke Bowman and the folks at Freeform Books for reading the script and seeing the bones of a book in it. To Kieran Viola, who helped this trepidatious screenwriter find my writing legs in the wide open sea of fiction and who never got frustrated when I forgot to describe what the room looked like.
To all the real-life friends, writing group members, internet friends, and fans, who read drafts of this story along the way. In particular, to Zach Gonzalez-Landis, who, despite never having read a word of fanfic in his life (until this book), has shown endless support for this project and read literally countless drafts. (I tried to count them; I couldn’t.) Also thanks to my other readers: Heather, Catherine, Karen, Jillian, Beth, Augusta, Molly, Lyn, Flourish, Meredith, Corrie, Shannon, Kelsey, Brian, Laura D., Brandi, Amanda G., Hope, Riley, and many others. To everyone who read a version of it along the way and told me they saw themselves in it, this is actually for you.
To the many associations I’m a part of, which make my writing experience, my internet experience, and my life experience immeasurably better, starting with FTH, where I can confess my fannish side and be understood in a way I can’t nearly anywhere else. Also to the AA Fems, SHOUTIES, Broads, Electrics, and Binders, where I can seek answers, intel, a script, a book, a name, a hand, a swift kick in the ass, or a ruthless online battalion. The internet wouldn’t be tolerable without you.
To my Riverdale family, who taught me more about how to write than anyone else.
To my fandom families and internet friendships. When understanding my sexuality as a teenager seemed impossible, there were others on the internet who were going through the same thing, writing stories about it, and publishing them, for free, online. Without fanfiction and fan communities, my middle school experience would definitely have been atrocious. Also high school. Possibly also college. Definitely that period after college before I knew what I was doing. And again later, and again after that, and again last week. When the real world feels like one giant demon portal, fandom friends are there to help, ready to lend me their battle-axes. Because family don’t end with flesh and blood.
To my family, especially my parents, who never made me feel weird about wanting to get into creative fields. Thank you for teaching me to be a reader, and for all the trips to Powell’s, and for getting us the internet in sixth grade, which quite literally changed my life.
To every actor, creator, show, movie, book, or band I ever loved to an extent I’m told is unusual, thank you for the inspiration. This isn’t actually about you, even if it seems like it’s about you.
And to Aya again, because I promised you I’d thank you first and last, and you deserve it. Thank you for being unreasonably supportive. Now that this book is done, let’s go watch some TV together.