I'm not new to fanfic. I've been doing it for some time under the penname Ithilien. Now I call myself Anarithilien, though my Ithilien stories still exist on this site here: http://www.fanfiction.net/u/174385/Ithilien. Anarithilien was created to protect Ithilien stories as this site doesn't view maturely themed stories favorably (I've had my stories removed without warning before). I'm hoping that when I'm done with "Dark Forest" I might have a story or two I can write as Ithilien yet. The plot bunnies still prod me from time to time.

My stories are long-winded affairs and I will make no apologies for that. In real life I love the works of John Irving, Amy Tan, Pat Conroy, Toni Morrison, even Leonid Tolstoy. In other words, I have a great fondness for authors who imbue their work with detail and metaphor. I see no particular need to rush a story because I believe it is the details that make it come alive. You'll find the same thing true in my stories and therefore you need to be patient if you choose to read them. I always try to have a payoff, but it won't be quick, I can promise that. Tales without clear motivation seem silly to me, and that means behind the scenes I am always punching holes in my plots so I can eliminate them before you find them. My favorite authors on this site do the same, which leads me to believe that even if this is a fanfic site, writers should try to do good work if they are capable of it. I find there is a lot of mindless dreck out there, but every once in a while a gem of a writer can be found. Those gems usually warrant reviews from me and I will foster and nurture them as best I can.