Author’s Notes – “On a Midsummer Eve”

Ye gods, indeed.

I know I have some explaining to do, starting with the question I suspect is on most readers’ minds – what the &%$# was I thinking???

I could make the argument that I actually wasn’t thinking, or at least not thinking clearly at the time I wrote the controversial scene that ultimately defines “Midsummer Eve.” The fact is I wrote it at three o’clock in the morning while suffering a rare bout of insomnia. So I could, if you wanted to get technical about it, claim temporary insanity.

But to do so doesn’t explain why I decided to leave it in and fly squarely in the face of accepted canon. The answer to that question is that I did it because as far as I know it had never been done before, and if someone was going to cross that line, it might as well be me. Let’s face it – the line had to be crossed at some point. It is my impression that a lot of readers (not all, but a lot) have been looking forward to this outcome for quite some time, given the right set of circumstances. If we deny even the possibility of this outcome, or that we were secretly hoping this might happen someday, I think we sap the strength out of much of the romantically-inclined fan fiction written before it, including Donald Bain’s own works. Without the tension of what could potentially happen, the George-and-Jessica relationship plot thread becomes static and ultimately less interesting.

There will also be critics that say that this story put Jessica way outside the traditional bounds of her character. I disagree. In my mind and in my writing, there are three rules regarding her character that I always observe: she is strongly independent, she is non-judgmental, and she makes up her own mind. Personally, I don’t think that there is anything in the scene that contradicts any of the three. Nor do I see any of these three traits being changed or sacrificed in the aftermath (if you don’t believe me, wait for the third story of the trilogy to come out, and then you’ll see what I mean).

Potential criticism aside, I have always considered myself squarely in the "Keep Jessica Single!" camp for a number of different reasons, and that probably shows up pretty clearly in most of my writing. When I deviate from my chosen path and write an "extra-canonical" story like "Loch Lomond" or “Midsummer Eve,” it's because 1) I want to explore a side of Jessica's character that I feel was woefully neglected in the series, 2) love, both requited and unrequited, makes for damn good drama, and 3) I'm a horrible tease. But other people feel differently. There's a large contingent of fans that think Jessica and Seth would make a fine couple.  Another group wants to ultimately see Jessica and George get married. And I'm sure there are purists who think all of this emotional stuff is hooey because it never was addressed in the series. That's what's so wonderful about fan fiction - since none of it is “official,” we can all dabble in our own alternate realities without worrying about wrecking the canon, and in the fan fiction universe, no particular philosophy reigns supreme.

So there you have it. Whatever you think about it, in the end, of course, it’s nothing more than one story written by one person.

Now, my acknowledgements:

Thanks to Stephanie W., who provided her professional insight and input to the scenes involving physiotherapy. She also is largely responsible, through her comments, feedback, and interest, for inspiring me to get this story written.

Thanks to Donald Bain for providing the book that inspired this story and its prequel, and for creating the character of George Sutherland in the first place. I am certain I would never have dreamed up such a character on my own.

Finally, thanks to all of you for taking the time to read my stuff.

Okay, I’ve said my peace. If you have an opinion about this story, please feel free to share it by submitting a review. You can do that by clicking “Review this story” on the fan fiction page under the title.

Yours,

--Anne