Author's Last Notes:
(Well, last notes for Can You Keep A Secret, not for forever soooo...)
HI READER! I hope you didn't click that next button up there expecting another chapter.
Because as much as I'd hate to admit it, that chapter is the last one.
(Well, the last one for Can You Keep A Secret, not for forever soooo...)
SO!
Let me take this opportunity to thank ALL OF YOU who read this story from the beginning to the end and I want to tell all of you guys that I LOVE YOU TO INFINITY AND BEYOND and thank you for this wonderful journey we've had for the past three years.
Development as a writer
Can You Keep A Secret has been my turning point as an author. During the time I was writing this, I developed how to portray emotions, events, etc. of different characters. One of my pride and glory is a CYKAS-related oneshot I published entitled Just a Little Bit longer.
Now you may or may not have read it yet, but it is my most favorite because it reminds me that for every point and every event in a person's life, there is always a second perspective. This one, being Natsume's.
Aozora no kishi said this in a review and I couldn't agree more with it:
"Sometimes it's the unspoken words that hurt the most. The ones that are kept away hidden and unknown to others. The ones that influence and are behind your actions. Yeah, that kind. Because you never know when what you think is right soon turns out to be wrong."
I've had many references for writing this fanfiction, including Sophie Kinsella's Can You Keep A Secret and The Hunger Games. Now, why the two of them? Well, S. Kinsella's book was my primary basis in writing the main plot line. (i.e. Mikan and Natsume meeting; Natsume being Mikan's boss) But, that is all. I have kept most of the events in the story original. The Hunger Games was my basis with the way I write. For those who have read it, it is also written in the first-person point of view and I learned a lot of things about the first-person by reading this book. Oh, and the Divergent trilogy too. Good books, the three of those.
I started CYKAS the way I've written Turn the Music Up – plain, slightly cliché – and I'm proud to say I've gotten over this and started writing with more detail and with more depth.
Reviews also made me develop as a writer. Your comments and suggestions are very much appreciated, as well as an occasional critique.
Have I received flames?
Yes.
I've been called a hypocrite, a bitch, and a writer with no talent.
But I brushed all those away because I believe that there are people out there who believe in me and who believe in my ability and I love all those people.
I've made it this far, so I think I handled those flames well. (winks)
Questions from readers
1. Sequel?
Sadly, no. I've decided on not writing a sequel for this story because (a) It took me three whole years to finish this and there were many times that I wanted to just drop it and get on with my life, but decided against and if I write the sequel, I'll be writing something I no longer have interest in. Not saying I'm not interested in writing CYKAS anymore, but I want to move into heavier genres – angst, drama; those kinds of stuff; and (b) the sequel is not even about Natsume and Mikan and about two non-canon pairings from Gakuen Alice that also appeared in this story, so I don't know if y'all be interested in reading about them anyway. Not that I think they're not interesting. I do. That's why I thought about writing about them for a while.
2. Why "Flame" why not "Hyuuga Corp." or something like that?
Because it's cliché. Hyuuga Corporation – who the hell hasn't heard that before?
3. Is Mikan a virgin? Because in the book, the girl isn't a virgin anymore.
Uhh, yes? I have no intention of writing about not characters being virgin. That would be... weird.
4. Have you ever heard the song "Can You Keep a Secret" by Utada Hikaru?
No. But I think I should.
5. I'm confused. Aint that Yakako chick already his secretary?
No. She's not. She's somewhere in the marketing department.
6. What's up with Koko? Is he doing something important here?
Well, he's a minor character. He pops in once in a while, but he doesn't really have anything to do with the plot.
7. Who was the tall guy with the blue and brown jacket that Mikan saw in Chapter 7?
Katsuya Takato. He's been following her around since after Chapter 3.
8. So is Nobara the first love of Natsume or something?
Yes. She was. If you read Through Nobara's Eyes, you will see. I didn't think it would be too realistic if Mikan was Natsume's first love and Natsume was Mikan's. Thus, Mikan's first love was Takato.
9. In Chapter 19, who said "Please take me back."?
It was Mikan. She was asking Natsume if he could take her back to the hospital because she didn't feel like being with him at the moment.
10. Are you going to write more Gakuen Alice fanfiction in the near future?
I seriously don't know. I'm afraid I've lost most of my interest in Gakuen Alice and I'm currently fawning over Naruto and Sasuke and the Naruto characters so...
Well, I did plan on writing another Gakuen Alice fanfiction after this one, but, as I've said earlier, I've lost most of my interest so if I start it, there is no promising if I'll be able to finish it.
I've got about four Naruto fanfictions planned for now, after that, we'll see if I'll write Gakuen Alice again. So really, I'm very sorry to those of you who subscribed to me because I write GA FF, but I won't be writing for purely GA anymore.
The Parting Words
THANK YOU to my most loyal reviewers and friends! You have inspired me in many ways possible and it has been a wonderful experience, as a writer, to read about your thoughts, your reviews and your criticisms.
SOOOOOOO... to those of you who have read my Naruto fanfiction, "Walking on Broken Glass", which is a working progress, thank you! For those who haven't and are interested in reading it, feel free to check it in my profile.
Again, my dears, thank you for your continuous support in my endeavor and I hope to see you all soon in the near future!
For my updates, you can follow my twitter account ( aminatsu032) or follow me on tumblr (aminatsu032. tumblr. Com).
Love you all!
Can You Keep a Secret?, a Gakuen Alice fanfiction by Aminatsu032
Completed on June 20, 2012
Copyright 2012