A Parade of Indignities

Chapter 30: Acknowledgments and Additional Resources

So much has happened to me in the time has taken to finish A Parade of Indignities, and I have had the great privilege of meeting countless people along the way. Some are people I know in my personal life, and others are people I will only ever know behind a keyboard. Some have stuck around since the very beginning; others have quietly faded away as new interests have caught their attention. Regardless of where they have come from or where they may have gone, I am thankful to everyone who gave this story a chance and touched my heart with their support. I am honored my writing has been able to be a part of so many lives.

I would like to thank every person who has played a positive role in my life and my writing endeavors.

Firstly, I would like to thank both my parents for their endless love and support. My mother and father both built their livelihoods in the writing/editing profession and saw to it that I and my brother grew up with an appreciation for the English language. I devoured countless books as a child and used to daydream about stories of my own. Eventually, I started writing these stories down. It stuck with me, and my love for creative writing was always met with enthusiasm and gentle guidance as the years went by.

My father, to whom this story is dedicated, went above and beyond in his support. Despite his unfamiliarity with the source material, he expressed a great interest in reading Parade when it was still in its early stages. Whenever I would try to explain that is was a transformative work, and that the story would be incredibly hard to follow without proper context, he brushed it aside. He would simply tell me that he wanted to read it because it was written with my unique style and encompassed my enthusiasm for something creative. He wanted to admire my work as a wordsmith first and foremost. He wanted to read it because it was mine.

That meant the world to me.

In mid-2019, my father passed away. I miss him every day. He was a man who expressed love and compassion in the purest and most admirable ways, with no ulterior motives whatsoever. He was the sort of person who asked for nothing more than one's company and who enjoyed nothing more than seeing his loved ones immersed in their own interests. In so many ways, my father taught me who I want to be as a person and as a writer—which was another wonderful trait he possessed. My father used the English language like a skilled surgeon uses a scalpel. He could plant the most vivid of images in one's head with only few words, and behind every word was a passion that only a true artist could display. Though he never got to see me finish Parade, his example continues to leave a lasting impression on me.

Thank you, Dad. I love you.

Alongside my mother and father, I have many amazing friends to thank. These are friends who are not involved in the fanfiction community, but care enough about me to excitedly encourage and support my hobby. I even named and based a character off one friend. Skluf, in all his derpy glory, is a homage to you, Chandler. Thank you, dear friend.

Next, I would like to thank my beta readers, Fauxpromises and Jaspicosmer. One of my favorite authors, the revered "father of science fiction," H.G. Wells once said, "No passion in the world is equal to the passion to alter someone else's draft." My beta readers gave me the ultimate compliment by enjoying Parade as readers, and then subsequently offering to edit it for grammatical errors. Because of their second set of eyes, Parade is a far more polished story than it would have been otherwise. For that, I am endlessly appreciative.

Next, I want to thank the many wonderful individuals who drew art for this story. Some art was gifted to me by anonymous readers and friends of mine, and others were pieces that I commissioned by artists who were also fans of the story. I now have a beautiful collection of drawings from artists of all backgrounds, styles, and levels of experience. I love each and every piece of art I have received over the years.

Last but not least, I would be remiss if I didn't extend a special thank you to all of my amazing readers and reviewers.

Being part of a community like this is odd sometimes. We all connect to one another behind monikers and nicknames, sometimes completely obscuring our actual identities behind our online personas and remaining largely anonymous. And yet, at the same time, we share deep parts of ourselves through art, writing, and other input through social media. It has never been lost on me that I am communicating with real people behind my keyboard.

Every reader who has left reviews, both on Archive of Our Own and FFN, holds a special place in my heart. Every comment I have ever received has left me feeling all the more confident and filled with happiness. It's a powerful feeling that every reader wields, and even one-word responses or emojis have never failed in giving me a burst of joy that lasts the whole day through.

To every person who read Parade, but never commented, I thank you, too. With every fanfiction novel, there's a silent group of those who actively read and look forward to new chapters but keep themselves anonymous. I see you, and I appreciate you.

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Related content:

A Parade of Indignities Spotify playlist: should be first result when you search "A Parade of Indignities"

My Tumblr, where I'm most active: rissynicole

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Whether you have stumbled across this story 10 minutes after I post this or 10 years, likes and comments will forever be appreciated. Never hesitate to reach out to me, personally, either.

Thank you for reading.

Much love,

RissyNicole