warning: this is a long author's note. it's me explaining myself and the book a bit, so don't feel pressured to read. this is just there for those who are interested. author q&a at end.

So, you've just finished reading the longest fricking fan fiction ever. Not to mention, a fan fiction in which the main antagonist of a third of the novel (the step-father) and the overall antagonist who becomes an overall protagonist (the mom)...

...b o t h   d o n 't   h a v e   n a m e s.

At first, it was because all the suggestions for their names included swear words and I wasn't going to put them in the book and add to the obscenities...

...but then it became my own game to see how long I could go without giving a major character (or t w o) a name. Apparently, I can go about 150 chapters - experiment successful! So while all the accessory characters from a flower to a stray kitten have proper names...two of the most important people in the book don't.

Why? Because I'm that kind of author. You've had 150 chapters to figure that out for yourself a bit.

But in all seriousness, I wanted to take this chapter to address all my final thoughts on writing and finishing this book.

When I started writing this, it was supposed to be the fluffy book you all remember from the early chapters. I knew that the mom was going to leave, but nothing past that had crossed my mind. It was supposed to be funny. It was supposed to be fairly sporadic and without a running plot line. It was supposed to be fairly short.

Well, it didn't really end up being a comedy, it ended up having a complex plot line, and it ended up being 150 chapters.

Part of the reason for that is because of the huge amount of support from readers I began receiving fairly early on. People liked the book, so I began to spend more time on it.

But then when the characters started developing their personal conflicts and many readers began to relate, I realized that I could use this book to say a lot more. It could still be funny sometimes or sad sometimes, but it could be a book with a message, a real life message that everyone can use.

So, if you didn't catch it in the previous 150 chapters, here it is:

The relationship you have with your family is one of the most important relationships in your life.

I personally believe in cultivating a strong relationship with God as well, but family is a very special thing. You're born into one. You don't pick it. You don't get to choose the family you like, or the family that's pretty, or the family that's talented, or the family that understands you perfectly. The family you're born into is the family you get.

I know that it doesn't always work out for reasons outside of our control. Not everyone makes a good parent. There are abusive parents, negligent parents, domineering parents...the list goes on and on. If you are in danger being in the custody of your parents, that's a problem that you need help for.

But if your parents don't endanger you - if maybe you guys just "don't get along" or "don't see eye-to-eye" or "don't connect much" - those are things you can try to fix. I'm not saying that you won't make great friends or become close with other relatives who are willing to provide for you and take care of you, but many parents would sacrifice the world for their children whether they "get along" or not. Where there is love, there is a way. It takes time and patience, but there is a way.

One of the key factors in this book that helped improve the characters' relationships was this: communication. Yeah, maybe your parents don't understand you completely because it's been a while since they were kids and you're going through something they didn't have to go through - but if you don't communicate with them about it, you can't get through to them. If parents could read our minds - wouldn't that be amazing? But while our parents are great, they can't read your thoughts, and most of the time, they won't know exactly how you feel or what you want to say unless you actually come out and say it. And you may be tempted to yell or scream at them if you feel frustrated or overwhelmed, but try to find a respectful way to voice your opinion. Your parents deserve respect.

Please read that again: your parents deserve respect. One thing I can't stand is when I hear kids talking about how much their parents suck or how annoying they are. If that's how you feel, please stop and take a second to think about everything your parents have done for you. Yeah, maybe they said you couldn't hang out Thursday night because you have school Friday even though all your other friend's parents said they could hang out, but your parents brought you into this world and raised you. And maybe while it seems unfair to you and like they're being "un-cool" - maybe they just care about your health and education and don't want you making decisions that will negatively affect either.

Maybe go home tomorrow and, out of the blue, tell your mom and/or dad and/or guardian that you love them. It's important every now and then to let them know that you treasure them as people and that you care about them, even if you have your differences. And don't forget to thank them for what they do for you, for every car ride, for every homemade meal or lunch, for every time they come to your soccer game, for every time they do your laundry for you and fold it without asking. As kids, we sometimes get wrapped up a bit too much in our own lives, and we miss all of the wonderful things our parents do for us. Please remember to demonstrate your gratitude.

I know every family isn't perfect and that creating strong relationships can be difficult. But I believe that it's important to do our best to fix those relationships - whether it's through sitting down and talking out problems, expressing your love every now and then, or throwing in an extra thank you. Parents appreciate it when you appreciate them. Remember: parenthood isn't a job that you sign up for. It's a job you're signed up for - a job that never ends. Good parents just want the best for you, even when you yell at them or slam your door.

So please, if you take one thing away from this book - love your parents, love your siblings, love your family. And if your relationships aren't very good? Barring an abusive household, you don't have any excuse to not put forth your own effort to fix them.

Thank you all for taking the time to read this, and for taking the time to read "Single Father." It's been a joy to write it, and I'm glad it could have a positive impact on many people's lives.

And now, on a less serious note, the author Q&A answers!

SilenceMet: I want to know how this work has impacted your life. I know it has definitely made me more perceptive to the people around me, and I wanted to know what it has done for you. Also, I wanted to tell you that you have done and are doing a great job at fleshing out these characters. They have quirks and flaws and faults and the way they develop makes it feel like they're real, just as human as us and just as susceptible to make mistakes. They're well written because they're not simply good or bad, they're everything in between and it takes some serious skill to accomplish that kind of complexity. So props to you and thanks for making it such an interesting and captivating journey

Author: I wish I could say that writing this has really changed my own family dynamic but, contrary to some readers' beliefs, I actually come from a really close family, for the most part. We get along very well, and I'm blessed to have them. But writing this made me reflect a bit on myself. I relate to Jimin a bit - I'm overly sensitive, and I have a hard time not getting defensive or emotional about certain things. I want to change myself for the better, but it's been pretty difficult. Every time I think I'm making progress on trying to stop myself from being condescending or contrary or saying hurtful things, someone makes a comment on what I've said, and I feel mad at myself for relapsing, so to speak. And I believe that flaws make us human. Thank you very much for reading and supporting both me and the work.

MariahDaCookie: Can we see a girlfriend for one of the boys in the future?

Author: The REAL question is, can we see a boyfriend for the author in the future? ...Personally, I have poor eyesight. But concerning the boys' relationships...my lips are sealed!

doughnutunicornzzz: Um Hi I am in love with this book and I want to say this reminds me of my mother so thank you very much

Author: I'm glad that people can see past the flat good character/bad character, because the characters in this story can be mirrored in real life to a degree, and we aren't only good or bad people. A lot of the readers probably come from broken or split families, and while every family is different, not every parent who leaves is a bad person. Sometimes, they just need a second chance.

icarbajal5: Author-nim, do you like making us suffer?

Author: Yes.

HiOrLikeHey:  I've never read fanfics outside of the romance universe, but reading your story is so good it opened my mind to stories outside of my comfort zone. I appreciate the different directions you take this book, making it more comparable to how a tv series works rather than a movie with only one main plot and a definite end. I've never felt so attached to characters before, and especially with a fanfic that keeps a focus on each character. It doesn't even have to involve BTS for me to love this ff. I'm rambling at this point but I do have a few questions! Did you plan for this book to go this direction when you started writing? the story started so soft and fluffy at first so I was just wondering if it was suppose to be that way until the end. If not, are you happy with the direction it has taken?

Author: Thank you! And it wasn't designed to turn out like it did. I actually originally started it just for fun since we weren't getting a ton of reads on our account, but then people started reading it more, and it became a more serious venture of mine. It was supposed to be mostly fluff with a little bit of sadness, and it was supposed to actually stay with the kids as toddlers for the whole story, but I wanted to go deeper and try to get a message across about life in general as the boys grew up because growing up has been a bittersweet and nostalgic experience for me. I'm happy in general with how it turned out. Looking back, there are some things I would have done differently, but I'm content with how it finished. Like people, stories are flawed. There won't always be a perfect ending or the right pairing for a relationship. Not everyone gets the same attention as everyone else. So...yes, I'm happy with the completion of the work.

jenny978: Author, you've opened up so many things in this book... How to you manage to organize the plots? It all makes to much sense. Do you like to see me cry? Your Bible references are everything! I've been looking into them and reading the stories. I'm truly proud of you! Blessing from a fellow sister and Army!

Author: Most of the plot work I have done is all on-the-spot. The only part where I really planned ahead was the final 10 chapters because I had many issues I wanted to resolve and loose ends to tie up, and I knew vaguely what I was going to do for chapters 50 and 100 with the time skips. I do take satisfaction out of making readers cry, mostly because I'm an evil author but also because it lets me know whether or not my writing is effective. And I know that not all readers share my faith, but while this fan fiction may have started out sweet and unassuming, I wanted to incorporate deeper meanings and metaphors, and I wanted to tie a little bit of religion in as well (although I know people have pointed out that Namjoon is an atheist, but guess what? I'm actually not Kim Namjoon). Thank you very much!

vvcaspian: How do you know what pulls on the reader's heartstrings? I am genuinely curious, as I broke down emotionally two or three times reading this story.

Author: So, to break down writing that affects readers emotionally: at least for me, I like to incorporate some sort of dramatic impact. There are a few ways you can accomplish this in your writing: an unexpected event (something not predicted), an expected event that is never directly acknowledged (the writer will incorporate subtext but must not directly spell out the conflict), or dramatic shift in sentence structure. Concerning sentence structure - if a character is rambling with run-on sentences, the reader may be lead to believe that they are thinking quickly or falling into chaotic thought processes and spiraling a bit out of control. Throwing in a short, simple sentence breaks up the spiral and sort of halts the narrative. The technique in which you don't directly acknowledge the issue is used (in a somewhat cliche manner) for a lot of fan fictions on here where a main character has cancer or a terminal illness, and while the author hints at side effects, they never actually name the illness. This forces the reader to come to terms with it on their own. Sometimes, the things unnamed have more of an impact that directly naming them through the short sentence approach. And for the first idea (working backwards here), you really need to be careful as a writer. I like to throw in small hints so that someone reading back can think, It was here all along! I should have seen it coming! But you don't actually want to reader to definitively know what's coming. Unpredictability is hard to accomplish, and you must ABSOLUTELY MUST avoid cliches, unless you're going to depict them candidly with raw honesty and realism. These are just a few ideas of mine on the topic; I'm sure there are official terms and strategies you can find in any Angst 101 instruction manual.

seavast: I hope you had a good day you really deserve it! But my question is, Do you ever feel pressured while writing?

Author: Thank you, and yep, all the time. Especially with "Single Father." With a book like this, I have to focus to make sure I'm including any plot resolutions that I previously mentioned (I can't just forget to wrap something up), and since there are a lot of characters, a lot was going on. But more than that, I feel pressured to present something that will satisfy the readers and my own standards. On any given chapter, I want to make you laugh, and probably cry, and then laugh again. An emotional purge. I can usually tell by the quantity of comments as to how good the chapter was or how much of a reaction it provoked. I write in order to elicit that reaction, whether it's sadness (lots of that), joy (a little bit of that), anger (especially on the fake Jimin chapter...apparently, a fair number of you want me to stop breathing, whoops). When I fail to elicit enough of a response, I get a bit frustrated with myself for not doing a better job. I think, I should have taken longer to write it...I should have proofread it...I should have - etc. But in the end, while this has been almost a year in the works, it's still just an online fan fiction for the entertainment of others, so I don't take it too much to heart, just try to give myself constructive criticism for next time.

jjangjjangbaby: Would you consider writing a book on how to write amazing stories like yours?

Author: I have actually considered it several times...I was thinking on publishing a book on writing advice. But unlike "Single Father," I can't write that as I go. I would want to plan out ahead of time so I could deliver a more ordered structure and, in the end, it would only be my own thoughts and experiences. But if there is significant interest, I might pursue that...I know a lot of people here would appreciate some writing guidance.

so_ozi:  Author-nim how much angst are you into? Because I am deep into it wow.

Author: I like angst a lot actually...I try to read it almost exclusively. I don't really read normal romantic fan fictions without angst because I just find them a bit mundane. But throw in a tragic car accident? The ghost of a long-dead brother? Hearing voices that don't belong to anyone? Count me in. Just...please...not the car crash and subsequent amnesia two chapters from the end scenario...

Multifandom_meh: How do you come up with such in depth storylines?

Author: Every night, while I'm waiting to fall asleep (I have trouble sleeping often), I find myself thinking about whatever I'm currently writing, and I just brainstorm there, lying in bed, my eyes closed. Eventually, I either come up with something, or I fall asleep, I guess. Win-win.

DelilaFandoms: ANY SMUT?

Author: Nope, never. Not my style.

Jhopstan: Why do you torture us like this?

Author: Because I can do it and still get reads. Why not?

minseasalt:Your book is amazing and you're a pro in writing and expressing emotion because I actually start sobbing my heart out for god know how long and I love you and your book so much thank you for writing this

Author: Thank you very much for reading! And I have a long way to go. I'm not satisfied with my professional writing and because I was working on "Single Father," I sort of neglected that side of my writing, so I probably need to get back to it, haha

ochiree:hi! I think your story is beautiful but anyway, my question is, which one is your favorite Kim son?

Author: This probably won't come as a shock but Jimin...I haven't been verbally abused like he was, but I've been degraded or constantly ridiculed during a certain part of my life, and I sympathize with that. It wasn't serious or anything, but it really did affect me. It's hard to fight back against that kind of treatment because if you make a big deal out of it, they'll say It's just a joke, take it easy or Why are you getting so defensive? Lighten up. And no matter what you say, they always find a way to twist your words or use them against you to make you feel like less than you are. So I don't have a stutter and I haven't been abused, but as someone who's experienced something somewhat similar, I really empathize.

KookingWithTae:Ilysm authornim, how do you update so quickly, do you have pre-written drafts that you publish? And how do you overcome laziness or the urge to procrastinate? Also, any tips for maintaining a story plot and not procrastinating (like I'm doing on my vkook ff, halp)?

Author: If you love a story enough, it'll write itself. If it doesn't, then maybe it's just not worth writing, or maybe you haven't figured it out for yourself yet.

dolphinscreech:How have you been doing? Do you still enjoy writing this, or is it getting tedious? Do you write for yourself or your followers, because the way I look at it is that I write for myself; do you think there is a better mindset for writing?

Author: Good question. I started out writing this for my followers, and I still am, in a way, but for a different purpose. I honestly started out writing it to get feedback, reads, all of that, but I ended up wanting to write it for people so they could relate and reflect on their own lives. I think that writing for yourself is important, and I have certainly written parts of this expressing myself through characters, but some of the writing I do for myself doesn't need to be seen by others, or at least, maybe not published on the Internet. I think it all depends on what you want to get out of your work. If you don't care about how your work is received, I think writing for yourself is a very honest form of writing and can often be more in-depth.

Janne2k14:The part where you wrote Yoongi's diary, how did you write it that well? Because I actually thought it could be something he would've written.

Author: It was mainly influenced by tone. I have a certain tone in my head and in my own journal that I use when I'm particularly frustrated with myself or just overwhelmed by my life, and I sort of applied it to Yoongi.

Also, someone did ask about my earlier promise, that I'd do a face reveal if we hit 1 million views, and we did (a while back) so I guess I'll honor that.

I'll probably take it down in a bit though just because I don't like having my picture out there.

So here's a picture of me when I was actually trying to look nice.

And here's me how I normally am.