Hey guys, 

Annie here! Just wanted to give you guys a little update. 

First of all, I reached (and have since then way surpassed) 20,000 subscribers here on AFF a few weeks ago. I'm not usually one to count subscribers and remember how many I have at a given time but I just saw that number and was wowed that so many of you read my writing. I was meaning to do a blog post on it a while ago but just never got around to it. Now is the time. I wish I could send out a PM to each and every one of you to thank you for reading my stories and supporting me but that is just not possible. Instead, I'll just do it here. 

THANK YOU, ALL OF YOU. 

I started here on this site on July 12, 2011. Back then, EXO was not really a thing and I was a huge Super Junior and SHINee fan. Now, I'm coming up on my third anniversary in a few days, and EXO is my life. I've authored 47 stories on here of various lengths, started a fic contest and a recommendations thread, and gotten the chance to work with some great writers and graphic artists. 

Shout out to Moon_Minhee for making some of my earlier posters (I named the main character in Paparazzi after her),  Seonriyong for being my current go-to poster girl (she's always so fast and efficient), and other poster makers (ADEE_K, deadpoet, balloon_artwork, etc) who have offered me your services after reading my stories. Shoutouts to the writers that I've gotten to work with - MusicChibi, eexiee (who I actually got to meet), kamisama. Also, much love to all the friends I have made from this site, even though we don't keep in touch nearly as much as we did when I was in high school - Kris, Steph, Kt and SO MANY MORE (Anna, Rachel, Val....etc etc etc). You guys have all made my time on here so great and have helped me grow, both as a writer and as an individual.  

I have changed quite a lot from when I frist started on this site. This was not the first platform that I had published my stories on, but it was the first platform on which I COMPLETED not just A story, but MULTIPLE stories. Before, I'd always be that writer who would loose steam a few chapters in or would only be able to write down a few scenes in a plot and move on. I contribute a lot of the reaosn for success to EXO; I fell head over heels in love with 12 beautiful, talented, and amazing boys would fueled me and my feels to write and write and write. 

In high school, when I first started here, AFF was an escape from the stress of classes, homework, tests, AP exams, college applications, and just life in general. It kept me sane a lot of the time and allowed me to disappear into a world where I could shape what happened, where I made all the decisions. 

As some of you might (or might not) know, I finished my first year of college at the University of ia this May. College was a big change from high school but for me, it was a great one. I was a lot more outgoing than I was before for some reason and made some great friends and great memories. However, UVA is a extremely competitive school and I worked my off during the week, went out to parties on Friday and Saturday nights, studied and did homework in the library on Sundays, and found myself with very little time to 1. stalk exo online for inspiration and 2. write fanfics. So came the drought, in which I went from updating twice a week in high school to twice a month in college, if even that. 

Someone asked me a few days ago if it was because I had left the EXO fandom since I wasn't really updating much anymore. To that, I say a definite NO. I can probably never leave this goddamn fandom because EXO stole my heart and I can't live without it. However, after the two recent scandals/issues, I've had to take a step back and face reality - it does me no good to get too emotionally attached to these boys. As great as it is for me to daydream about my OTPs falling in love with each other or me magically ending up with one of them, that really isn't how life works. What I write is fanfiction and it's just that - Fiction. I have no control to what happens in their real lives, no matter how much I wish I did. Don't get me wrong - I'm still a fan. I just want to be able to enjoy their music and their dancing and their beautiful faces without being too attached to their personal lives. 

Part of the solution is to broaden my interests so I'm not so focused entirely on EXO. I've been looking to BTS and GOT7 lately and dayuummm, okay? Dayum. Mark is hot. So is Bambam. And Jongkook. And V. That is all. I don't think I will every fall for another group the way I did with EXO, though. Those dumbdumbd will always have heart.  

As my summer break ends in a month and a half and I go back to school for my second year, I know that I will fall back into the endless of cycle of classes, homework, parties, studying, and tests. I just wanted you guys to know that I'll still be here - I'm not abandoning this passion. Even when I don't update, I still log on to read stories and messages all the time. I've also turned my EXO drabbles collection into a request shop recently so you guys can give me inspiration. If you'd like to request a scenario, you can do so now right HERE, the link is in the description (someone feel free to make a poster for this /sigh/).

I have a lot to say to you guys but this has already been too long. If you're still reading, thank you so much. 

Love,
Annie

TL;DR

• 20k+ subbies, you guys rock
• I've almost been on AFF for 3 years - so much have changed
• I still luff exo
• you can now request drabbles from me