[I beg your pardon?]


I began watching The X-Files early in its inaugural season, and by the time the first season finale had been aired, I realized that 1013 Productions had, perhaps inadvertently, created the most compelling love story I had ever seen on television. I long hoped that Chris Carter and his minions would at last let that love story fulfil its promise, and indeed they finally did. While not satisfied with the way the mytharc was wrapped up, I was reasonably pleased with where they left M&S.

However, I have never been convinced that 1013 took the best possible path in exploring the MSR, and during my long wait for Carter to get off the fence, I turned to fan fiction as a way to exorcise my frustrations. The results of that process are archived here.

Naturally, all of my stories so far have been either MSR's or heavy on the UST. Nevertheless, I've never been accused of writing what is sometimes called "hearts and flowers" fanfic -- and by the way, in fairness I should say that there is some good H&F fic out there. But at any rate, in my view, the romance between Mulder and Scully, although beautiful and profound, is layered with darkness and tragedy. I hope my writing does it some justice.


Actually, I haven't been asked all that many questions, so this FAQ will be fairly short. However, there have been just enough repeat inquiries to make it worth including. I will gradually expand this page as more questions from readers start to drift in.

And by the way, the picture of Scully is on this page simply because I find it amusing -- she looks as though someone just asked her her bra size, or something. Anyway, it's not meant to imply anything, though you may infer from it whatever you like.

Here are the most common queries, then, in no particular order:

What does "Ravenscion" mean, and how do you pronounce it?

The word is just a compound of the words "raven" and "scion," and while it is meaningful to me in certain respects, on the whole, it doesn't signify a great deal. It sort of looked like a word, and I thought it sounded kind of neat, so I decided to use it. Anyway, to pronounce it, just run the two words together, placing the emphasis on the first syllable.

Why don't you sign your real name to your writing?

Initially, I was simply too shy to post any fan fiction under my true name, in part because I wasn't too sure of my abilities. Now, having received a fair amount of rather kind feedback for the stories I have posted to date, I feel much more confident in my work, and I suppose I could start signing my real name to it. However, to some extent at least, I have an identity on the Internet associated with my sobriquet, and I think it would be rather inconvenient to try to change it at this late date.

And to be honest, given the often contentious nature of the fanfic world on line, I am still a bit reluctant to be overly specific about my identity.

How long did it take you to write [fill in the blank]?

Well, that's not easy to answer concisely. I tend to write in the evenings, putting in anywhere from one to five hours of work, depending on my mood. However, I don't write every day, and I also spend a fair amount of time just day dreaming and kicking ideas around in my head. Given those caveats, then, the answers are:

"14th of February" -- twelve hours
"Afterimages" -- about a week
"The Haunting" -- nine hours
"The Rivers Under the Sahara" -- ten days
"Rongbuk" -- more than three months

Do you write creatively in "real life?"

I'm flattered by this question, naturally, but the answer is no. The only creative writing I have done since secondary school is posted to this website. (Actually, there is one exception to that. I tried to write a fanfic about two years before I posted to atxc for the first time, but it turned out to be, well, dreadful. It has since been consigned to a deep, dark place on my hard drive, never to see the light of day again. Now and then, I look it over to see if any aspects of it can be salvaged -- one scene I patched up and included in "Rongbuk" -- but for the most part, it just languishes in its dungeon.) I do write a fair amount in my job, but it's nearly all technical and analytical writing, which is something quite unlike creative writing, I have discovered.

Would you mind if I sent more detailed feedback? Criticism?

Not at all. I love any sort of feedback, positive or negative, and I am not particularly fragile, despite the impression that my use of a sobriquet might give. Please send any feedback that you wish, in as much detail as you like. I'd be delighted to receive it.

Do you mind if I ask...?

Again, not at all. Ask anything you like, and I'll answer if I can. I won't become offended if you touch on a sensitive topic. If I don't want to answer for some reason, I'll just say so.

Are you ever going to finish Wyrm or Aurora Borealis?

I doubt it.

Questions? Comments? Email me here:  ravenscion@yahoo.com

Homepage