If you are familiar with the name Miss Roylott off of this site, you may wish to read the following, but it's optional to the non-curious. Please forgive any babbling that inevitably pours out of me whenever I confess anything.
There may be some confusion, which ought to be cleared up, about who authored some of the stories. Being paranoid, a bit obsessive, and persona-crazed, I hereby declare my identity.
Back in 1998 when I began drafting this site in private seclusion, informing and consulting no one else, I was still anxiously terrified lest I be found out by the Sherlockian world at large.
You see, I am known there by the title of "Miss Roylott" (a reference to Holmes's mis-addressing his client Helen Stoner in SPEC). While I guessed that some Sherlockians might bemusedly accept me in a new role as Holmes/Watson slash addict, I've also seen enough ridicule of theories about Holmes having any romance, let alone one with Watson, to be wary. I actually do understand why certain people would be offended by the very idea of Holmes/Watson; they have every right to be. (I've experienced some pretty sickening gushing on the Russ-l list over Holmes and Mary Russell as a couple, that could not be compensated by the otherwise charming, intelligent discussion there.) Holmes is a character, and each person will see different things as being possible or impossible for him. This site merely came about from what I see, and I won't force anyone else to also see it this way, if they don't wish to. There are a number of Sherlockians who will remain dear to me, even should they despise what I'm doing here.
So when I began drafting this site (I draft everything), I tried to make up a new persona for myself, under which to list my stories. Thus was born the cumbersome "An Author, or a reasonable facsimile thereof"--a satirical joke on the adage that editors criticise but can't write. Many slash writers use pen names, but they are more shameless and playful about it; it's a caution, but not an overboard tactic. There's something repressive about my hiding under a pseudonym of a pseudonym, and trying unsuccessfully to remove traces of my identity from the stories (marring them in the process). I'm getting quite sick of feeling that I'm in the closet or ashamed of these stories, and it's a damned hassle to keep up this pretense, so I'm going to "simplify, simplify, simplify!"
Henceforth, I shall identify all my stories by "Miss Roylott". I know there is a conflict of interest in me being Editor and an author on the site, so I will keep all editorial comments to a minimum on my own stories. Going by the axiom that the author is never the best judge of her own work, I will simply post up my writings willy-nilly, and let you decide what's quality, what's silly, and what's crap suitable for the SlashFic Hall of Shame, for yourselves. You may comment in the guestbook as harshly as I deserve for these stories, many of which were written in the year when I had no one to critique me.
Now that I've confessed about this, let me also reiterate that all other authors' secret identities are safe with me. ('Cause I definitely know what a hassle they are to set up in the first place, and wouldn't ruin years of your maintenance if you didn't want me to.)
"Miss Roylott", Cress, and "An Author, or a reasonable facsimile thereof" are all one and the same. Cress has decided to kill the "Author" persona. Cress, however, will maintain the "Miss Roylott" name on her stories, to distinguish them from all other stories. Also, she wishes to keep complete neutrality on her own stories so that everyone will feel free to flame or praise the stories in any way they wish to in the DreamBook, without fear of ticking her off or hurting her feelings. Okay, maybe you might hurt her feelings, but she'll know that this is the risk she takes, and that she is merely one out of many authors, with no special privileges whatsoever. Thus Cress will distinguish her functions as Editor, and as mere author. Cress is indeed, on occasion, in the habit of referring to herself in third person.
If you must know more, go to the webguide to find links to other parts of my fractured personality.
Further inquiries, comments, and flames can go to the guestbook.
--Cress, the Editor