Introduction

Better strap in, because this is going to be a big unit! Get ready for lots of rambling and, of course, nonsense!

This is it! Close enough to a year since joining that I can talk about it! In this "introduction", I'll talk about what I've thought of this year here on Wattpad and what it has meant to me, and also my plans moving forward. If you only came for the nonsense... Then just skip it of course.

Almost a year ago I stepped onto Wattpad, high with hopes to find my place. I came with about a dozen chapters of Insomnia Wake hiding on my Google Drive, anxious to see what the world thought of the crazy story that I simply adored.

A month or so passed, and I wasn't really using the site. However, I was observing in the shadows, and I came to the conclusion that simply publishing something as crazy as Insomnia Wake wouldn't be enough. I determined that my path towards finding a community would be via some sort of fanfiction. I didn't really have to think it through to know that Pokemon was my answer.

And then I met LogicalCabbage. Out of all the people I checked the profiles of, she seemed to be the most like me, so I decided to shoot her a PM. She was surprisingly willing to talk to me, and even was willing to read my first published works. I had found a link. I remember talking to her, wondering about who else I could meet, and she pointed my to my bro Doppelgengar.

I hardly had to read anything of his before I decided that it was pretty much exactly what I liked, which is important because I am very picky about what to read. Several comments, PMs, and minor chats about Rubik's cubes and shenanigans on our profiles later, I had found my second link. This was an especially important one to me, because he was a guy like me in the sea of girls, and also because we had several common interests.

Now, I'm not 100% sure who followed me first out of the two, but it was definitely these two who made up my first supporters and got me to stick around and give the site a proper chance.

Slowly but surely, I met more and more of you guys, and those of which were kind enough to talk to me I eventually grew to like and joke around with. You know who you are: the ones reading these very words and leaving sassy comments. It was at this point that Wattpad became fun, even when I wasn't writing.

At some point there was the Super Mastermind Plan Alpha 8. The insane idea was to write entries to the remaining five categories in the Pokemon Watties in secret, then release them all at once on one random day as summer ended. I had a few co-conspirators on this plan, several of which had plans to do very similar things. I don't think any of us actually finished :P I came pretty dang close though: writing all of them but the Romance in time for the competition. To anyone who wants to copy this idea: don't, it's a stupid idea that doesn't expose your stories properly. It was still fun though.

Fast forward lots of shenanigans later, I find myself with a 5th place in Action/Adventure and a 1st place is Miscellaneous in the Pokemon Watties. To be honest, I expected almost these exact results, thinking that I would get 4th with WSGABATA and somehow pull through with winning with "Words Aren't Enough", as these were regrettably my only strong entries. I am content with these results, as they show me that there is at least a little potential with me, but that I also have lots of room to grow. I am also very happy with how many of my friends did very well in the competition: our group rekt it. Special congratulations to LogicalCabbage and Sheare for place in their categories! I had a feeling that LC would win actually, and I didn't know enough about the Romance competitors to really judge it, but it doesn't surprise me at all that Kat won as well. Nice job, proud of you nerds! :P

What does this all mean for the future?

I am rather done with Pokemon fanfiction at this point: it's just how it is. I still plan on (eventually) finishing WSGASLA as I would hate to leave my wonderful readers hanging, but after that I will be done I think. However, I still plan on writing. This book and IW should continue to see continued updates, though at this point my update schedule is so screwed up that I plan on scrapping it entirely. What can I say, college is time-consuming and makes for very inconsistent schedules.

Regarding IW, I really have no plans on stopping anytime soon. I meant it when I said that the main story won't be any less that 60 chapters, and I have plans for several storylines afterwards. Heck, I might be working on this all through college, who knows. Sure, it doesn't have much of a following (at all), but it's still fun to write, and the few readers who I do have really like it, and that's what matters to me. I have a feeling that if I continue on for long enough I'll eventually build up a decent reader base, so I am going to refuse to give up and shoot for exactly that! Let the adventure and insanity of IW live on!

Finally, as many people sometimes do, I would like to say a few words to some of my friends here, for without them I would not still be here:

LogicalCabbage - Thanks for all your continued support from the very beginning. It's hard to think of what my experience here would have been like without all your glorious spamming. I know it's been a bit of a rough road for you, but look at your results from the competition and realize all the potential that you hold! I might not be the best at reading what you put out, or really reading at all, but I will back you up best I can as you continue on, wherever that might be.

Doppelgengar - Bro, we need to update the collab more. Also thanks for being there all along. I still remember the feeling a glee when IW became your favorite story on the site, and the laughs I had while reading NTP. Gengar has grown a little on me, and I suspect that you are the one I can blame that on. I am excited to see what you are going to be pulling out of that ol' head of yours soon ;P

Stormlocke/arroyal - You're a quiet girl, but a very nice a supportive one. There's a reason you got your own character in IW, and that's because you're a way better person than you give yourself credit for. You've also supported me since I was slightly less of a fledgling on this site, which is something that I very much appreciate. Give yourself a little more credit, you've got the potential, and if you learn to apply yourself I'm sure people will be lining up behind you to support you.

izayoix - I am not a grandpa, and my name isn't Kyke! Lol, it seems like our relationship is mainly one of teasing each other, which I think is quite funny. You have a lot here who look up to you, and you're a very talented writer, as evidenced in your excellent performance in the competition. I'm not sure if you have interest in trying that competition again next year, but I'm sure if you do you will eventually get that 1st place that you deserve!

silentdroplets - You and Nyx... are a very potent combination XD It's been fun talking about Bleach and other crazy things. Long live long shounen!!! You joined after me, and it was fun to see you grow here, and I'm sure you had a good time talking with me, who was just as clueless to how to win the game of Wattpad as you. Also give the tsundere Nyx another poke for me please.

Risa-White Thanks so much for all the covers! They have been really brilliant and I am very thankful that you have put in the work to make them. From what I can tell, you're also a good writer and an amazing tennis player, and that's very impressive! I still think you should consider being a graphic designer ;)

Sheare - Thanks so much for that review you did of WSGABATA! I will try to use what you talked about to the better my writing skills: you really are an excellent reviewer. I may just end up being stubborn about my pacing for the most part though, as I don't like slow stories ;P Once again congrats for winning!

blue___22 - Gah, I never did finish the second game of Ace Attorney, which was my criteria for reading PA. I will eventually have to finish it though, as I did buy the next two games in the series as well, so hopefully eventually I will check out the story that handily bested mine this year. I know you no longer intend to write, and that's okay. Find something else that you like doing and rise to the top of it, just like you did here!

And to lazuriteoftheskies, Demoniscy, VanillaWind, Meme_Knightwalker, DestinedFate, luminescencexx and others, including those who have stopped coming here entirely and my great readers who I sadly do not know by name, you've all been very fun to be around here, and I regrettably don't think I know you all as much as I would like. We've all had fun chats and our fair share of silly happenings, and I wouldn't have had it any other way. Thank you all for being yourselves and never give up! A little bit of optimism and confidence will you get you a long way :) (I say even though most of your are a lot more successful than me, lol)

Piece of Life Wall

For the past probably half year I have been secretly been keeping track of all of the various names LC uses on Kik, and what a better time to reveal them than right now?! Here is the complete list I've collected (as far as I know) with a tad bit of censoring for the purpose of messing with our friend in Texas. Bet you didn't see that coming LC~ ;)

Sorry, I Can't Be Perfect
Scream Until Nothing Is Left
I'd Pay To See You Frown
Queen For A Day
And Then They Died
I Should've Let You Go
Turnabout Objections
Unlucky Nerd
Trapinch Fangirl
Vulgarity and Incensirity
Blightmares and Nightmares (My personal favorite because shameless advertising)
Livin' On A Roll
Turnabout, the Haughty Word
The Steel Samurai
Born to Sleep
Brave New Hysteria
Don't Let The Bastards Grind You Down
Crooked and Bent
Use Your Instincts
Engelwurz, Danke
Mayday Rebellion
Back From The Dead
Folly Protestors
Emotionless Swines
All My Friends Are Dropheads
Debates and Objections!
Paronomasia Quotes
Ich Bin Eine Katze
Man's Yesterday May Ne'er Be Like His...
They Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good...
It's My Life
So Long And Goodnight
All My Bestfriends Are Jigglypuffs
That You For The Venom
You Give Love A Bad Name
Too Complicated For Me
Never Bow Down
I Hate Everything About You
Every Step I Take I Break
Ich Bin Nein Schön
Aqui No
Ich Mögen Leicht nicht
*ss To Assume
Die Antwort ist nein
Du bist alles für mich
Alles hat seinen Preis
Politics Make Me Ill
#WattpadLivesMatter
Give In When You're Bleeding
Du gehörst mich nicht
Ich habe nichts
Geschäft ist Geschäft
Abenteuer und Abenteuer
Ich bin Abenteuer
The World Is Ugly
The Light Behind Your Eyes
Unenchanted, Oh Well
You're Just A Sad Song
This Never Meant Anything To You
Tomorrow's Money
Conversions and Diversions
Miene Freund, ger Gegner
Du bist schön fur mich
Hello *ssholes
Did You Get What You Deserve?
We're All Dead
Pun and Loon
Highway To Hell
Why Am I Disposable?

Quote of the Week Wall

"That's an interesting shade of truck" - Kyle, 12/3/2016

Character Interview Wall

Kyle: This week we have a very special guest: Brian, otherwise known as Bran, of the award winning "Words Aren't Enough!"

Bran: Yay!

Seth: Wait a second, hold up. I'm the one who has all of the character development in this book! Why don't you interview me?!

Kyle: Because Bran is cute and all the girls love him.

Bran: *wild squealing*

Seth: Well fine! Good luck getting anything good out of him. *pouts angrily*

Kyle: We'll see about that. Now Bran, what has been your favorite part about being a part of this story?

Bran: *puts on monocle* Thank you so much for having me here today, sir. I shall do the best I can to answer that excellent question to the fullest. I think that the best part of the experience is that of challenging the definition of "fanfiction." Normally when we think of the word, we think of it taking place in the world, and focusing on elements drawn from the given franchise. Instead of doing this, however, our story focuses on the forming relationship between two otherwise distant individuals with the franchise as the bonding agent, which I consider to be very special.

Seth: *jaw drops* Since when are you capable of talking like that?!

Bran: *stands up* Well you see-- *falls over, shattering monocle* *stands back up and looks at Seth* Daddy?

Seth: And it's gone...

Kyle: The power of fanciness is astounding. Anyways, see you some other time on the Character Interview Wall!

Venom: Didn't we scrap this wall several months ago along with the previous punctuation style?

Kyle: ...Maybe.

Haiku of the Week Wall

Venom: Ah! Finally my time to shine! What would a modern unit be without its weekly haiku?! This one is called "Winter":

Winter's here I guess

The outdoors are not fun now

Where did autumn go?

Venom: *breaks out into tears* Spring! Save us quickly!

Storytime Wall

Naomi: Finally! Time for my wall to get some time!

Kyle: Actually this unit is way too long already so you only get a few lines.

Naomi: ...Well then. I can do this!

Once upon a time, there was an end.

Kyle: Impressive. You actually had at least a dozen lines you could use but that works too.

Idle Chat Wall

Kyle: So, on the important topic of memes.

Siri: Can I make some?!

Kyle: No, although maybe that would make a good new wall for you.
No, I am talking about their use as advertising.

Venom: What?

Kyle: You know, advertising. I bet if we made memes of this stuff then we would get a lot more popular. I mean, you saw how the US memed a president into existence: think of all that untapped power! Forget logic, facts, and statistics, we can rule through world through the limitless power of memes!

Naomi: You might be onto something. Where do we start?

Venom: I don't like where this is headed...

Kyle: I think we should start with figuring out which memes have the highest untapped potential.

Naomi: Like the Anthony joke? I bet if we turned it into a meme we could get a lot out of it.

Kyle: No, as in pre-existing memes. I'MA FIRIN MAH LAZAAAA!

Venom: No!!! That meme's too old! You'll break this wall!

Siri: 2 l8 m8.

Venom: Be responsible with your memes, kids.

Conclusion

I'll probably be hitting myself after publishing this because I'm sure that despite this unit's huge length I forgot to talk about some stuff, but oh well.

I think a lot of my free time is going to start going to the construction of videogames somewhat soon. I'd like to experiment with designing for mobile platforms, in addition to the computer stuff I already do. Would any of you be interested in me writing about the game develop experience and/or seeing the stuff I will be making? I think next semester I'd like to perhaps start the construction of a Pokemon-esque game with my girlfriend (also a programmer), so it might be right up your guys' alleys. Well, tell me what you think!

Until next time, the nerd Kyle is signing off. Long live shenanigans!!!