TO MY READERS

Well, we've finally made it to the end, but before I wrap up this story for good, I want to say some things to you, my beloved readers. This is to those who have read since the beginning, to those who started somewhere in the middle, and to those who just started today. This last message is for you.

5 Years. 10 Months. 25 Days. That's how long this fanfiction took me to write, and I can hardly believe how far I've come in the time since writing that first chapter in my college dorm room. I can still remember typing that opening sentence on my small bed.

When I started, The Amazing World of Gumball was just beginning and it hadn't gone too far beyond its first season. I had little to work with except for what I observed from the show and a small idea of being trapped in a neverending cycle. We all have bad days — I know I do — but then I asked myself, "What if that bad day became our whole world? What if it was our fault and we didn't even realize it?" From there, I started to write with only a vague idea of where to go, but as I wrote and had fun, the story began to flesh out. Little by little, it grew into what you just completed.

And yes, I will humbly admit it, Groundhog Day(1993) was a contributing factor, at least at first. I off-handedly mentioned the movie a few times in the story, in fact.

The reason I wrote this fanfic is because my life's ambition is to be an author. Creating stories that you can't stop reading, getting involved with characters you care about, and to watch them grow and change — to me, there is little else that can match this level of magic. I wanted to build my writing style, but what I needed most was feedback from readers: people who could tell me, themselves, what they liked and didn't like. Fanfiction (the genre AND the website) offered my a way to achieve this.

In committing myself to this project, I was enlightened to many things. Among them is that writing is both a pleasure and a pain. I never before understood how much work went into writing a story. The plot was only one element to consider, but character development, description, fluency, dialogue, humor, drama, symbolism, and, of course, editing the whole thing kept me busy to the point of exhaustion.

There were many days and weeks where I didn't feel like writing . . . so I didn't. It's difficult to write a story based off of one single day. I struggled so much with the second-half (well, actually, I struggled with the whole thing, but the story's second-half was the real challenge). I know the delays between updates must've been hard and frustrating for all of you; I can't apologize enough for that. I only wished to create the best possible result. As much as that was a frustration, however, it taught me something important about being an author.

By starting a story, you have a responsibility, not just to yourself and the art of fiction, but to the people who read your work. We writers strive to create something so others may view it, enjoy it, and subject it to their judgement. Without readers, there's no reason to write stories. We do it for you — all of it for you.

And so, I have this simple message: to you, my readers — to all the people who've read, commented, favorited, followed, and inspired me to see this story through to the end.

Thank you. Thank you ALL so much! Thank you for the kind comments, for giving my story a chance, and for what you all taught me about being a writer. Without you, this fanfic wouldn't have seen Chapter 3 (since the first two were both written at the same time).

The Loop is finished, but I will keep writing for as long as there's breath in me. I hope to one day have my own stories published, and whether I succeed or not, I won't despair or quit. Every bad day can only last for so long, and a good day is always possible to those who hold the strength to try and make it one.

Again, I can never thank you all enough for this first experience. May you all find your own happiness in the world and keep your spirits strong and going. Cherish who you are and remember: don't forget to live and love life for what it is.

It's been amazing.

~Mr. Page