A Quick Hello...

Like others before me, I discovered fan fiction and my life has never been the same!

Since late July 2017 I have spent my non-mum moments consumed by thoughts of Anne, Gilbert (actually, when has that not been the case with the incomparable Dr Blythe?) and their various family members, companions, chums and children.

As someone who has been writing since I was eleven - about the time I first discovered Miss Shirley, alongside Laura Ingalls Wilder, Jo March, Tish Sterling and other not-quite-perfect, sometime-pretty, irrepressible bookish types - I have always longed to put pen to paper in specific love and admiration of them, and how they called to my own pale, freckled, bookish, dreamy young self as kindred spirits. You can imagine my delight when I discovered not only could I indulge my every literary fantasy that but that I could share in all your stories and thoughts and impressions of them too.

I am astonished by the passion, dedication, skill, talent and ingenuity shown by amazing writers across so many fandoms, in particular the Anne of Green Gables fandoms I call home. The research of fellow Anne-girls and their feeling for the time period always inspires. I love the sense of community here and the clear love you have for all of Lucy Maud's - and one another's - creations. I hope my own creations are equal to the task!

If I had a specialist subject, it would be the Kevin Sullivan Anne series and its sequel of the 1980's. I was at a very impressionable age when I first discovered them and you may well imagine what an impact they had! I am sorry for lovers of Anne with an E, but Megan Follows and Jonathan Crombie will forever be my Anne and Gil - and I am heartbroken, still, regarding Jonathan's passing, and see him in every Gilbert moment written. Although, I will own to the fact that AwaE was bold, brave, bonkers and beautiful in many ways, and if it has brought you to our fandom then that is wonderful. I love how we all travel our own path here.

In the interests of full disclosure, I really liked The Continuing Story! Who wouldn't want to have more Jonathan Crombie, even if its not based on canon? Most especially now. And as an Australian, only fellow Australians can truly appreciate watching our own Cameron Daddo as Jack Garrison scaling buildings in his dressing gown!

With love and a lack of writer's block to you all.

Happy reading!

MrsVonTrapp x

PS Remembering the passing, always, of Jonathan Crombie, on 15th April 2015. Forever my Gilbert x

It was in reading even more about him after he had gone that I came across a Fanfic link, and here I am.

RIP Jonathan x

COMPLETED STORIES

Friendship is a Sheltering Tree is a little one-shot taking place early on in Anne of Avonlea and set at Christmas. It was a response to the Community's December 2017 challenge for stories featuring spitched eels, and explores Anne and Gilbert's friendship six months after Matthew's death.

Of Picnics and Predicaments is another one-shot acting as a sister story to the above, taking place, likewise, during 'Anne of Avonlea', and was also a response to a Community challenge, this time for 'a disaster involving water'. Although self contained it can also be seen as a continuation of the dynamic explored in Sheltering Tree, approximately another six months on, and situated immediately after Chapter 16 of Anne of Avonlea.

Doth Walk in Fear and Dread is a Halloween-set one-shot which was also a response to the 2018 Community Halloween prompt. It is again canon-compatible and taking place in the October of Anne and Gilbert's second year of teaching during Anne of Avonlea. It is also a continuation of the dynamic explored in my previous one-shots and follows on from them sequentially. It is a winking and loving pastiche of gothic horror stories, specifically Frankenstein.

A Knight's Tale is a curious little short story, indeed, and a little of a departure in tone, though I do very much enjoy writing in this style. It concerns elizasky's versions of Shirley Blythe and Carl Meredith, who in her various wonderful works are gay, and in a long-standing relationship their whole lives. Her versions of these characters have long captured my imagination, and I tried to write them both here, imagining, instead of growing up in the Glen together, that they meet as roommates at Redmond after the war, and what might result from this.

Let Love clasp Grief lest both be drown'd is my attempt to fill in the missing weeks at the very end of Anne of the Island, from Anne's vigil in A Book of Revelation to Love Takes Up the Glass of Time, and beyond that to Anne and Gilbert's wedding and a little of their move to Four Winds. It is canon-compatible and is rated T, although it has three M chapters encompassing Anne and Gilbert's wedding night, and early honeymoon period. It was a joy to write and remains my first (and so far only!) long story to be completed.

O! Let me have thee whole! all - all- be mine! is the short M-rated sister collection to Let Love clasp Grief.

Turned Back Upon the Past is a Halloween one-shot for the 2022 Community Challenge, concerning a few gothic tropes and a helping of Edgar Allen Poe. It is set during Anne of the Island.

A Sonnet to Her Eyebrows: The Story of a Christmas Miracle was a response to the 2022 Christmas Community Challenge for a schmaltzy, Hallmark movie-inspired seasonal tale, and is a one-shot set during Christmas (naturally!) mid-way through the last year at Redmond during Anne of the Island. A fun frolic to write!

WORKS IN PROGRESS

The Land of Heart's Desire is a close-to-canon AU with a rather big tweak - my Anne never gets to Green Gables or even Avonlea, but remains an orphan, and the Cuthberts adopt the boy they had originally requested. The story follows the basic timeline and trajectory of Anne of the Island and begins with Anne meeting Gilbert for the first time at Redmond.

Betwixt the Stars is an unusual beast; both a modern AU set in present-day Glen St Mary and Toronto, with traditional elements and flashbacks to canon. The main protagonists are Anne Ford (descendant of Rilla and Ken) and David Blythe (descendant of Jem and Faith) but there are also storylines concerning their respective parents. Anne and David are fourth cousins (before your head starts to hurt trying to figure their relationship) with the added curiosity of also being the reincarnated souls of Anne and Gilbert.

I follow canon where possible but also follow elizasky's continuity outlined in Glen Notes, Dispatches and The Happiness We Must Win; chiefly concerning the sexual orientation of Shirley, Carl and Di; the names, relationships and war service of the children and grandchildren of the various Blythes, Fords and Merediths; and the inclusion of a fair amount of Whitman!

By a Beating Heart at Dance-Time is an M collection of short stories which is a sister collection to Betwixt the Stars. This will be added to gradually and will feature both original and, later, canon characters, and will grow out of the situations and storylines found in Betwixt.

Down the Rabbit-Hole is the end of Anne of the Island meets Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and is deliberately non-canon compliant, with a dose of silliness and a handful of heart.

FUTURE STORIES

I have innumerable stories waiting to get a start and will hopefully get to a few of them in 2023 - after I do justice to a few currently still ongoing!

I am very excited to be working on a canon-compatible sequel to 'Let Love clasp Grief', exploring the events of Anne's House of Dreams from Leslie Moore's and Owen Ford's point of view. And Leave But Ashes has been in the works for me since 2019 - hopefully I can begin by the end of THIS year!!

ANNE WITH AN E

The Shuddering Yearning Ache of Contact encompasses Gilbert's thoughts on his relationship with Anne, from their first meeting to a certain dance! It touches on many incidents in all three seasons up to and including Season 3 Episode 5, with a brief allusion to Episode 6.

I would like to write a sequel that encompasses the events in the back half of Season 3! Eventually!

OTHER FANDOMS

THE PROPOSAL (movie, 2009)

It Takes Two to Make a Thing Go Right explores the relationship between Margaret and Andrew before and during the course of the film and is also set 18 months after the film ends. It imagines that Andrew didn't reach Margaret in time before she was deported.

As always, I am so grateful to our wonderful fandoms and this tremendously supportive community. Thank you so much to all my readers.

Love

MrsVonTrapp x