The community surrounding modern fan fiction has generated a considerable amount of slang and jargon over the past several decades. This article serves as an introduction for the reader to the frequent and notable, but sometimes-confusing jargon of the fan fiction subculture. Because most or all of the truly notable terms (such as Mary Sue) have their own articles, this article will provide only a rough overview of the terminology with very brief definitions. For more information on fan fiction, see fan fiction. For more information on the terms listed here, please visit their main articles or the respective see alsos. Image File history File links Emblem-important. ... Fan fiction (also spelled fanfiction and commonly abbreviated to fanfic) is fiction written by people who enjoy a film, novel, television show or other media work, using the characters and situations developed in it and developing new plots in which to use these characters. ... Slang is the use of highly informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speakers dialect or language. ... For the glossary of hacker slang, see Jargon File. ... In sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, a subculture is a set of people with a set of behaviors and beliefs, culture, which could be distinct or hidden, that differentiate them from the larger culture to which they belong. ... Mary Sue (or simply Sue) is a pejorative expression for a fictional character who is an idealized stand-in for the author, or for a story with such a character. ... Fan fiction (also spelled fanfiction and commonly abbreviated to fanfic) is fiction written by people who enjoy a film, novel, television show or other media work, using the characters and situations developed in it and developing new plots in which to use these characters. ...

For ease of use, the terms are separated first by subject (the subjects themselves being alphabetized save for "General Terminology"), and then alphabetized under that subject. In the event that a term fits under more than one subject, it has been defined in its first occurrence on this page, and referred back to in any further occurrences.

General terminology

A handful of key terms are applied cross-fandom and in a great many different contexts. These are listed below.

Canon

Main article: Canon (fiction)

Canon (derived from the term's usage in the Christian religion and popularized in this context by the Baker Street Irregulars) refers to the "official" source material upon which fan fiction can be based. In recent years, some fandoms have engaged in lengthy debate over what is or is not "canon", usually due to multiple writers in various media creating contradictory source material, such as in metaseries like Doctor Who or Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Fans have varying levels of faith in the potentially "canonical" nature of novels based on films or television series, or novelizations of films and television episodes, which are generally not written by the person who wrote the script on which they're based, the creator, or even a member of the main writing staff. Canon, in the context of a fictional universe, comprises those novels, stories, films, etc. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      Canon law is the term used for... The Baker Street Irregulars are several different groups, all named after the original, from various Sherlock Holmes stories. ... A metaseries includes series of stories which include references to each other and some overall similar chronological or cast backdrop, but are not similar enough to be considered direct sequels. ... For other uses, see Doctor Who (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Buffy the Vampire Slayer (disambiguation). ... A novelization (or novelisation in British English) is a work of fiction that is written based on some other media story form rather than as an original work. ...

It is important to note that something that is regarded as "canon" is regarded as verifiable fact in the given fandom. Details as complex as the laws of physics in a given story universe or as minute as how a character's name is meant to be spelled can be referred to as "canon" details, so long as they are specifically shown or otherwise directly revealed in the source material; this includes character behavior as well, though debate over what can or cannot be considered "canon behavior" is often a bone of contention in any given fandom. On occasion, authors (such as Joss Whedon[1] or JK Rowling[2]) also expand on what is shown in the original story in other media, especially personal websites or blogs. Generally comments on the nature of a story or character directly from the creator are considered statements of "canon". Joss Hill Whedon (born Joseph Hill Whedon[3] on June 23, 1964 in New York) is an Academy Award-nominated American writer, director, executive producer, and creator of the well-known television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Firefly. ... Joanne Rowling OBE (born July 31, 1965 in Chipping Sodbury, South Gloucestershire), commonly known as J.K. Rowling (pronunciation: roll-ing; her former students used to joke with her name calling her the Rolling Stone), is a British fiction writer. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Canon may be static or changing, depending on the source material. A television show that is still on the air, for example, is a more fluid canon because the show itself is incomplete. Often, a piece of fan fiction is speculative about "future canon", more often than not negated by what actually happens in future episodes, books or chapters of the series. Many fans refer to this as "being jossed", referring to Joss Whedon's penchant for plot twists. A Plot twist is a change (twist) in the direction or expected outcome of the plot of a film or novel. ...

In short, something that is "canon" is an idea promoted by the original work (for example, the Will/Elizabeth relationship in Pirates of the Caribbean). Pirates of the Caribbean is a multi-billion dollar Walt Disney franchise encompassing a theme park ride, a series of films and spinoff novels as well as numerous video games and other publications. ...

Disclaimer

On most fan fiction boards and many archives, authors are required or expected to put a form of disclaimer at the beginning of their story, stating which of the characters and settings used belong to them and which of them to someone else. For example, Harry Potter fan fiction would typically have a disclaimer stating that all the characters used belong to JK Rowling, with the exception of any original characters. While possibly not legally necessary (and while they offer little if any legal protection if the original author disallows unauthorized derivative works), the inclusion of a disclaimer in fan fiction is generally seen as a requirement, and its absence to be a minor taboo. This article is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... This article is about the Harry Potter series of novels. ... Joanne Rowling OBE (born July 31, 1965 in Chipping Sodbury, South Gloucestershire), commonly known as J.K. Rowling (pronunciation: roll-ing; her former students used to joke with her name calling her the Rolling Stone), is a British fiction writer. ... This montage of different images is an example of a derivative work In copyright law, a derivative work is an artistic creation that includes major, basic copyrighted aspects of an original, previously created first work. ... This article is about cultural prohibitions in general, for other uses, see Taboo (disambiguation). ...

Hiatus

Similar to its usage in television programming, the term "on hiatus" is often used by authors who are unable to update due to other commitments, or have lost interest in a story, and won't be continuing it for a while or possibly at all.

Fandom

Main article: fandom

In fanfiction communities, especially online, generally fandom refers to people who enjoy a specific story or game and actively interact with others, or rather, a group of (however scattered) such individuals who share the same love for the media. The term is thus similar in linguistic construct and usage to words such as kingdom. The term in the fan fiction community is often used with possessive pronouns, similar to how one would refer to one's country or religion, reflecting some fans' passionate devotion and personal attachment to certain fandoms; however, many fans who claim to belong to a given fandom might be only slightly more than casually interested. Fandom (from the noun fan and the affix -dom, as in kingdom, dukedom, etc. ... Fandom (from the noun fan and the affix -dom, as in kingdom, dukedom, etc. ... In politics, a country (or in some cases, a group of countries) over which a king or queen reigns, is a kingdom, see: monarchy. ... A possessive pronoun is a part of speech that attributes ownership to someone or something. ...

The term fandom also sees occasional use in reference to not just the fans of a story, but the story's canon as well, often in the playful context of inside jokes, in phrases such as "My fandom has ninja ballerinas". This usage is commonly seen in the context of avatar construction or online forum "signature" constructions, and often extends slightly beyond the fan fiction portion of a fandom to more general areas of fandom. The community surrounding modern fan fiction has generated a considerable amount of slang and jargon over the past several decades. ... River Tam is a fictional character played by Summer Glau. ... An avatar (abbreviations include AV, ava, avie, avy, avi, avvie, avis, and avvy) is an Internet users representation of himself or herself, whether in the form of a three-dimensional model used in computer games,[1] a two-dimensional icon (picture) used on Internet forums and other communities,[2... An Internet forum, also known as a message board or discussion board, is a web application that provides for online discussions, and is the modern descendant of the bulletin board systems and existing Usenet news systems that were widespread in the 1980s and 1990s. ...

Though now used in the aforementioned contexts amongst readers and writers of fan fiction, the term "fandom" itself actually pre-dates the modern usage of the term "fan fiction"; the Oxford English Dictionary traces the term's existence as far back as 1903. The Oxford English Dictionary print set The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is a dictionary published by the Oxford University Press (OUP), and is the most successful dictionary of the English language, (not to be confused with the one-volume Oxford Dictionary of English, formerly New Oxford Dictionary of English, of... 1900 (MCMIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Friday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ...

A more rarely-used synonym for fandom in modern times is fen, a playful faux-pluralization of fan that mimics the plural form of man (which is men). Look up faux in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Photograph of a nude man by Wilhelm von Gloeden, ca. ...

Fanon

Main article: Fanon (fiction)

Fanon refers to invented (non-canon or not verified as being canon) facts or situations, especially those which are used frequently in fan fiction so as to become seen by many as an extended part of the canon. An example of a common fanon concept would be Draco Malfoy from the Harry Potter series having a fondness for leather pants; something frequently seen in fan fiction about him even though in the books, films and games, he has neither worn nor stated a liking for leather pants. Fanon is a fact or ongoing situation related to a television program, book, movie, or video game that has been used so much by fan writers or among the fandom that it has been more or less established as having happened in the fictional world, but it has not actually... The community surrounding modern fan fiction has generated a considerable amount of slang and jargon over the past several decades. ... This article is about the Harry Potter series of novels. ...

It can also sometimes refer to a fact or term from canon which is often adopted by the fandom and subsequently repeated in fan fiction at a frequency not seen in canon; for example, Dr. Robert Chase from House was referred to as a "wombat" in only one episode for being Australian, but the fact is played on constantly in House fan fiction. Sometimes, too, something that may even seem relatively plausible in a given canon but never does appear in canon may be created and subsequently adopted by the larger fandom; for instance, Xander Harris, from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, often calls his friend Willow Rosenberg 'Wills' in fan fiction, but never once on the series; and so on. In this particular context, it can be also seen as a form of meme within the fandom, as often many writers and fans adopt the same fanon, often within a relatively short time frame. House, also known as House, M.D., is a critically-acclaimed American medical drama television series created by David Shore and executive produced by Shore and film director Bryan Singer. ... Alexander LaVelle Xander Harris (born 1981 in Sunnydale, California) is a fictional character in the cult television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. ... For other uses, see Buffy the Vampire Slayer (disambiguation). ... Willow Rosenberg (born either in 1980 or very early 1981 in Sunnydale, California) is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. ... For other uses, see Meme (disambiguation). ...

One of the usual purposes of fanon is to fill in perceived contradictions or gaps in the canon, answer (or ask) questions that the source material either will not or cannot address, or simply hasn't addressed before. Prime examples include the first names of Uhura and Sulu in the classic Star Trek, which were "fanon" long before official adoption. Other examples include the speculation that Frohike, a relatively minor character on The X-Files, being a Vietnam War veteran; fans of the character then use this fanon as a way to explore and explain the character's profound disillusionment with the United States government. In fandoms based off children's cartoons - particularly older ones - fanon often darkens the universe considerably, adding consequences to the often over-the-top cartoon violence and drawbacks of the heroes' ability to suit the now-adult readers of the fiction. The X-Files is a Peabody- and Emmy Award-winning science fiction television series created by Chris Carter, which first aired on September 10, 1993, and ended on May 19, 2002. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000...

So common is fanon, that a complete list of even the most common fanon concepts from so much as a single highly popular fandom would be difficult to compile and impossible to reference here with any sort of brevity, though discussions of fanon can be found on many fansites and forums across the Internet. A fansite or fan site, is a website created and maintained by the fans or devotees interested in a celebrity or a particular cultural phenomenon. ... A typical Internet forum discussion, with common elements such as quotes and spoiler brackets A page from a forum showcasing emoticons and Internet slang An Internet forum is a web application for holding discussions and posting user generated content. ...

Original fiction

The opposite of fan fiction. Refers to wholly original works of fiction, for example, not based on any preexisting stories that were written by another author (though some accept stories based loosely upon mythology or folklore to be original fiction as well, and such works are rarely referred to as fan fiction, even when highly derivative of the original mythology, such as Hercules: The Legendary Journeys), especially those which involve purely fictional characters, although some do make an exception for historical fiction featuring figures such as George Washington or Alexander the Great, calling it original fiction as well. Hercules: The Legendary Journeys was a television series produced from 1995 to 1999, very loosely based on the tales of the classical culture hero Hercules. ... George Washington (February 22, 1732 – December 14, 1799)[1] led Americas Continental Army to victory over Britain in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), and in 1789 was elected the first President of the United States of America. ... For the film of the same name, see Alexander the Great (1956 film). ...

Smushing

"Smushing" in a fan fiction context usually refers to the practice of combining the names of the two characters being paired romantically, creating a new term to indicate that specific pairing - reasons vary from the term being ostensibly easier and faster to type out than both names, to simply humorous or aesthetic reasons. The practice of "smushing" can occur in any fandom, though it is more common in some than in others and similarly is often more popular in some segments of the fandom than others; for example, like many other fan fiction shorthand methods it is in common usage on Fanfiction.net, in such fandoms as those for Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Pirates of the Caribbean. It is usually more noticeably popular in fandoms with a large young audience, such as those surrounding teen dramas (such as the aforementioned Buffy) or popular animated series. However there are naturally exceptions to this - series that might not be expected to have a younger audience, but whose fandoms nonetheless commonly utilize smushing. Examples include the various Stargate television series, aimed primarily at an adult audience. This article is about blends. ... A neologism (Greek νεολογισμός [neologismos], from νέος [neos] new + λόγος [logos] word, speech, discourse + suffix -ισμός [-ismos] -ism) is a word, term, or phrase which has been recently created (coined) — often to apply to new concepts, to synthesize pre-existing concepts, or to make older terminology sound more contemporary. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Buffy the Vampire Slayer (disambiguation). ... Pirates of the Caribbean is a multi-billion dollar Walt Disney franchise encompassing a theme park ride, a series of films and spinoff novels as well as numerous video games and other publications. ... A teen drama is a television drama series that centers on teenage characters. ... An activated Stargate, the central object of the fictional Stargate universe, here depicted in the SG-1 television series. ...

Of late this practice has also become common in tabloid articles and entertainment news show features about romantic pairings in the real world. Particularly well-known examples include "Bennifer" for Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, "Brangelina" for Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie and "TomKat" for Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. It is difficult if not impossible to discern whether this has any origins in fandom discussions of media, or if in fact it simply occurred coincidentally; it does however show similar patterns as smushing's fandom usage. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Benjamin Géza Affleck (born August 15, 1972) is a Golden Globe Award-nominated American film actor, director, and Academy Award-winning and Golden Globe Award-winning screenwriter. ... For the meteorologist of The Weather Channel, see The Weather Channel (United States). ... William Bradley Brad Pitt(born December 18, 1963) is an American actor and film producer. ... Angelina Jolie (born June 4, 1975) is an American film actress, a former fashion model and a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Refugee Agency. ... Tom Cruise (born Thomas Cruise Mapother IV on July 3, 1962) is an Academy Award-nominated, Golden Globe Award-winning American actor and film producer. ... Kate Noelle Katie Holmes[1] (born December 18, 1978) is an American actress who first achieved fame for her role as Joey Potter on The WB television teen drama Dawsons Creek from 1998 to 2003. ...

Acronyms

Due to the popularity of fan fiction online, many terms exist as acronyms, or have a popular acronymic variation. These are listed below.

AN or A/N

Stands for author's note or authors' note. Included more frequently in fan fiction than in original fiction. In fan fiction, "ANs" are usually in commentary before and/or after a part of a fan fiction, frequently in each chapter; when used at the beginning of a chapter, they usually include a disclaimer stating that the fan author does not own the original story (and giving the correct, appropriate copyright and/or trademark information) and does not intend to profit from writing the fan fiction story. Some authors also include "ANs" in parentheses somewhere in the body of the story, though this is generally frowned upon. Not to be confused with copywriting. ... “(TM)” redirects here. ...

AU/AR/AT

Main article: Alternative universe (fan fiction)

AU stands for "Alternate Universe" or "Alternative Universe". AR stands for Alternate Reality. AT stands for Alternate Timeline. There is almost no perceived difference between AU and AR in fan fiction, and the terms are used interchangeably. An alternative universe (also known as alternate universe) is a type or form of fan fiction in which known, canonical facts about the universe being explored or written about, are deliberately changed. ...

An AU/AR/AT story is one that makes major changes to the canonical storyline or premise, such as killing off a major character, changing characters' motives or alliances, annulling major events or changing the setting - for example taking the adolescent characters of Avatar: The Last Airbender and placing them in high school, even though there is no high school setting in the series canon. For other uses, see High school (disambiguation). ...

Another kind of "Alternate Universe" story is when the change is something that would be extremely unlikely to happen in canon, or is contradicted by new canon information that was not released when the story was first written. For example, a fan fiction story set before season seven of Buffy that featured the defeat of The First Evil (which was the "Big Bad" for that season) would have been made AU by default. This sort of alternate universe should not be confused with the concepts of parallel universes, alternate dimensions, and/or evil twins, though such concepts may also be used in "AU" works as well. For other uses, see Buffy the Vampire Slayer (disambiguation). ... Big bad is a term originally used by fans of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV show to describe a major recurring adversary, usually the chief villain in a particular broadcast season. ... Parallel universe or alternate reality in science fiction and fantasy is a self-contained separate reality coexisting with our own. ... In quantum mechanics, a parallel universe, also sometimes called an alternate universe, or an alternate dimension, is a hypothetical universe which exists separately from our own. ... For other uses, see Evil twin (disambiguation). ...

AT as a term is currently seldom used. It describes fan fiction that follows the canon exactly until a chosen point, where a change to one event alters the course of the story. For example, many Naruto stories follow the canonical events until episode 134, where Sasuke after the battle at the Valley of the End comes back to Konoha, instead of leaving of his own, like it is in canon. Though the term AT is not obsolete, many AT stories are referred to under the umbrella of AU fiction. Serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump Shonen Jump BANZAI! Shonen Jump Weekly Comic Original run November 1999 – Ongoing No. ...

AU/AR or AT stores are occasionally written as acts of protest, or make up a very large portion of a given fandom. For example, despite LucasArts's controversial decision to declare Revan a lightside male, fan fiction for Knights of the Old Republic has a nearly 3-to-1 ratio of female Revan to male, and a very common jumping-off point for an AU fanfiction is negating or ignoring the death of a popular character or the arrival of an unpopular one. Revan (pronounced //) is a fictional character in the Star Wars Expanded Universe. ... Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KotOR) is an RPG video game originally for the Microsoft Xbox and later for PCs running Microsoft Windows. ...

BDSM

An overlapping abbreviation of Bondage and Discipline (BD), Dominance and Submission (DS), Sadism and Masochism (SM). Look up bondage in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Submission can refer to: An object to hand in A proposal for a presentation at an academic conference Domination and submission, where it is opposite in meaning to dominance. ...

BP

Stands for Blood Play with non-Vampire characters.

D/s

Stands for Domination/submission.

H/C

Stands for Hurt to Comfort. One of the character is suffering (emotionally or physically) and another character comforts him or her. For instance, in the Harry Potter fanfiction universe, Hermione is often beaten or raped and Draco is there to make it all better. This article is about the Harry Potter series of novels. ... Hermione Jean Granger (first name pronounced ) is a fictional character in J.K. Rowlings Harry Potter series. ... Draco Malfoy is a fictional character in J.K. Rowlings Harry Potter series. ...

IC

IC is an acronym which stands for In-Character, and refers to the behavior of (usually canon) characters which seems logical given what is known about them and their previous behavior in canon (see: OOC later in this article). Most fan fiction authors attempt to keep the existing characters' behavior "IC" - unless a behavioral change is the whole point, such as in some humor pieces or Alternate universe stories. The community surrounding modern fan fiction has generated a considerable amount of slang and jargon over the past several decades. ... The community surrounding modern fan fiction has generated a considerable amount of slang and jargon over the past several decades. ...

M and F

M stands for Male. F stands for Female. The letters can be used repeatedly and in various combinations in summaries to inform the reader of Heterosexuality, Homosexuality, and group sex.

MST

Main article: MSTing

MSTs, also known as MSTings and sometimes called MiSTings, are commentaries on fan fiction stories, written in the style of the television show Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K). In MST3K, a man and some homemade robots trapped on a spaceship watch bad movies and make humorous comments about them. For written MSTings, bad fan fiction is used. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Mystery Science Theater 3000, often abbreviated MST3K, is an American cult television comedy series created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Best Brains, Inc. ...

Generally speaking, MSTers follow a code of conduct, though some places such as Fandomination.net and Project A.F.T.E.R. have MSTings which clearly violate these "rules." One of the least respected rules is that MSTing authors should always gain consent from the author(s) of the fanfics that they are MSTing.

Although MSTings originated as MST3K fanfics, some people have used the MSTing format with an original cast or the cast of the canon the original fan fiction is based on, instead of the MST3K characters.

It should be noted that FanFiction.net, among other archives, has banned the posting of MSTs, commonly citing that they include writing that is not the work of the author of the MST.

Another term synonymous with MSTing is called "sporking" (verb: to spork; adjective: sporked), which was popularised by the LiveJournal community, Deleterius and Mary Sues LiveJournal (often abbreviated LJ) is a virtual community where Internet users can keep a blog, journal, or diary. ...

N/C

Also spelled NC and alternatively referred to as "NonCon", or similar variants. N/C is short for "Non-consensual", and refers what is known elsewhere as a rape fantasy story. Stories which use rape as a device to create dramatic angst as opposed to an erotic usage usually are not labeled "N/C" or "NonCon". A rape fantasy is a sexual fantasy about participating in a rape, a fictional story about a rape, or an acted-out scene of pretend rape between consenting adults. ... For other uses, see Angst (disambiguation). ... Eroticism is an aesthetic focused on sexual desire, especially the feelings of anticipation of sexual activity. ...

OC

Main article: Original character

Stands for Original Character, e.g. a character created by the author of the fan fiction, as opposed to one already existing in canon. The term (especially in acronym form) is also frequently used by members of the fan fiction community to refer to their characters in original fiction (for instance: "I have an OC who learns sorcery in a short story I wrote yesterday."). OMC is an original male character, and OFC is an original female character, though the more general and gender-neutral OC label is more prevalent. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Fan character. ... Look up canon in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The community surrounding modern fan fiction has generated a considerable amount of slang and jargon over the past several decades. ... This article is in need of attention. ...

The variant term OFC has also gained some use in internet jargon among fans not as an Original Female Character, but an Original Feature Character, indicating that the character is one from an already established series, but somehow changed and placed in the same setting and events as the established character with events playing out differently owing to the difference in the character; i.e. an AU variant on the character. The Original Feature Character translation of the term has been utilized primarily in internet roleplaying games, or other RPG settings. However it can be applied to the world of fan fiction as well. The community surrounding modern fan fiction has generated a considerable amount of slang and jargon over the past several decades. ... A roleplaying game (RPG) is a type of game in which players assume the roles of characters and collaboratively create stories. ...

OneShot

Is a term for a story that only consist of one chapter. TwoShot is a similar term for a story that consists of two chapters.

OOC

Stands for Out of Character. The acronym form of the term should not be confused with the version from the online role-playing community, in which the same acronym is often used to denote comments made that are made to be read outside of the context of the game's story (such as notes about when a player will next be available). Its usage in fan fiction is different, and closer to the original literary meaning of the term Out of character, referring only to the behavior of (usually canon) characters in the story itself regarding whether or not they seem "in-character" (see: IC, above). Much of the fan fiction that includes characters being OOC does so unintentionally, but it is sometimes done intentionally as well, often as a form of humor or to post a "What if...?", such as in AU fiction. Such stories are tolerated or even enjoyed by many and considered annoying by many others. For this reason, many fan fiction authors who deliberately write the characters to be OOC mention the term in summaries of or introductions to such stories, as a form of warning. OOC is commonly used as an insult in reviews, as criticism for poor writing. In role-playing, participants adopt characters, or parts, that have personalities, motivations, and backgrounds different from their own. ...

OTP

Stands for One True Pairing and is used in relations to Shipping (fandom) Shipping, derived from the word relationship, is a general term for fans emotional and/or intellectual involvement with the ongoing development of romance in a work of fiction. ...

OT3

Stands for One True 3-some and is used in relations to Shipping (fandom). This is a variation of OTP. Shipping, derived from the word relationship, is a general term for fans emotional and/or intellectual involvement with the ongoing development of romance in a work of fiction. ...

OTVB

Stands for One True Village Bicycle and is used in relations to Shipping (fandom). This is also a variation of OTP Shipping, derived from the word relationship, is a general term for fans emotional and/or intellectual involvement with the ongoing development of romance in a work of fiction. ...

POV

Stands for Point of View and much like the acronym's usage elsewhere, refers to the perspective in which the story is written or meant to be viewed. It is sometimes also spelled with a lower case o (i.e. PoV), though the all-caps variation is extremely common. Look up point of view, POV, viewpoint in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Look up O, o in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

PWP

Stands for Porn Without Plot or more commonly now Plot? What Plot?, and is used to indicate or imply that a fan fiction story contains little or no plot proper, but instead acts merely as a vessel for pornographic scenes. It can also be an indication that the story is simply a story without a set plot line, and may contain little or no pornographic material at all, though this is not the more prevalent usage. Some authors refer to it ironically, as "Porn With Plot", insisting that the two ideas are not incompatible. Porn redirects here. ...

R&R

Stands for Read and Review can also be written as r&r or rr. Is meant as an encouragement for the reader to read the story and review it afterwards.

RPF

Main article: Real person fiction

Stands for Real person fiction, RPF is fiction written about real people such as actors, politicians, athletes and musicians. For instance, fictional stories in which a person meets their favorite singer or actor, or in which a relationship occurs between two celebrities, are popular types of "RPF" stories. Due to the nature of the stories - being about real people as opposed to fictional characters - there are some people who disagree on whether or not RPF is genuine 'fan fiction'; most RPF does seem to be written by fans, but some believe true 'fan fiction' requires a fictional canon. Additionally, historical fiction featuring famous historical figures is not generally considered to be (or at least, referred to as) RPF fan fiction, despite featuring real people as characters. Most major fan fiction archives have a moratorium on RPF, usually citing legal concerns or a definition of 'fan fiction' that requires a fictional source for its canon. Real Person Fiction (RPF) is a type of fan fiction featuring celebrities or other real people. ... Real Person Fiction (RPF) is a type of fan fiction featuring celebrities or other real people. ... Canon, in the context of a fictional universe, comprises those novels, stories, films, etc. ... Look up historical fiction in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other uses, see Fiction (disambiguation). ...

Possibly the first modern RPF was written by Charlotte Brontë and her siblings, who beginning in 1826 created a lengthy series of novels, poems and short stories based on the imagined adventures of the Duke of Wellington and his two sons, Arthur and Charles. Charlotte Brontë (IPA: ) (April 21, 1816 – March 31, 1855) was an English novelist and the eldest of the three Brontë sisters whose novels have become timeless pieces of English literature. ... The oldest surviving photograph, Nicéphore Niépce, circa 1826 1826 (MDCCCXXVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS (c. ...

S/H

Stands for Sexual Harassment, a form of N/C that does not go 'all the way'. Sexual harassment is harassment or unwelcome attention of a sexual nature. ...

SI

Main article: Author character

Stands for Self-insert or Self-insertion. It refers to an author writing him- or herself into their story. The resulting "character" is usually referred to as a self-insert in the fan fiction community. The term is often closely associated with Mary Sue, but does not actually exclusively apply to the kinds of characters typically labeled a Mary Sue. An author character (commonly referred to as an AC) or self-insertion is a guest appearance of the author of a story or a character created by the author, usually in fan fiction, that interacts with the plot and characters as if they were created in the original work (whichever...

It is a common mistake to confuse the terms 'Mary Sue' and 'self-insert', especially since generally Mary Sues are seen as being the kind of person the author wishes they could be and often are a form of idealized self-insertion (especially in cases in which the character is revealed to have a secret relationship to one or more canon characters, such as being a long-lost relative), but the two terms do have two distinct meanings.

SoloF or SoloM

This means Masturbation with either Female or Male characters.

TWT

Stands for Time line? What Time line? and is used when the author of a fanfiction has no particular time line in which the story takes place. This is likely a pun on the term 'PWP' and as been adopted in multiple fandoms^{[citation needed]}. Fan fiction (also spelled fanfiction and commonly abbreviated to fanfic) is fiction written by people who enjoy a film, novel, television show or other media work, using the characters and situations developed in it and developing new plots in which to use these characters. ...

UST

Stands for Unresolved Sexual Tension and refers to a the lack of full or sometimes even partial resolution of sexual tension elements within a story. May refer to the content of the fan fiction story, or to a particular interpretation of the original canon story, or to both, if the fan fiction in question is intended to address sexual or romantic subtext in the original story. Sexual tension is a plot device employed in works of fiction wherein two or more of the characters sexually long for one another, but the consummation is postponed or never occurs. ... The community surrounding modern fan fiction has generated a considerable amount of slang and jargon over the past several decades. ...

WAFF

Stands for "Warm And Fuzzy Feeling", applied to stories which are intended to invoke those feelings in the reader.

WDNNSP

Stands for We don't need no stinking plot, a more 'intense' PWP.

Subgenres

Subgenres based on relationship to canon

Alt

Fan fiction stories that are alternative versions of a specific section of canon are called "Alt-[Section of Canon]" stories. For example, an "Alt-HBP" story in Harry Potter fan fiction would be a different version of the sixth book (Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, popularly shortened to "HBP"). While these can include a story for instance told from an alternative perspective than the canon version, they also do not actually necessarily relate to the original plot of that portion of canon and in cases where the original canon is a series or gains a sequel, many "alt" stories were simply written before the new installment came out. For instance, if an author wrote a fan fiction detailing the events of Harry Potter's sixth year at school before the release of Half Blood Prince, then the story would still be considered an "Alt-HBP" story - even if it is told from Harry's perspective. The community surrounding modern fan fiction has generated a considerable amount of slang and jargon over the past several decades. ... This article is about the Harry Potter series of novels. ... Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is the yet-to-be released sixth installment in the Harry Potter book series written by J. K. Rowling. ... In a general sense, a series is a related set of things that occur one after the other or are otherwise connected one after the other. ... For other uses, see Sequel (disambiguation). ...

There are two core variations of "alt" fiction: If the story was written before the canon story came out, then it is also considered a "Pre-[Section of Canon]" story, e.g. "Pre-HBP". If the fan fiction was written after the canon story came out, then it is considered to be a form of alternate universe story; stories such as these are sometimes (though not exclusively) written as a form of literary protest if the new canon installment does not meet the fan author's expectations or introduces events which the fan author dislikes, such as the death of a favorite character. The community surrounding modern fan fiction has generated a considerable amount of slang and jargon over the past several decades. ...

It is worth noting that some fan fiction archives may actually have a policies that in effect forbid certain forms of "alt" fiction; those stories which are heavily derivative of the original canon (as is often the case with stories told from a different character's perspective) may well find themselves considered in violation of the Terms of Service of websites which have a particularly strict anti-plagiarism policy, such as for example FanFiction.net. Terms of Service (often abbreviated as ToS) are rules by which one must agree to abide by in order to use a service. ... For other uses, see Plagiarism (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Crossover

Main article: Fictional crossover

Another fan fiction subgenre is the crossover story, in which either characters from one story exist in (or are transported to) another pre-existing story's world, or more commonly, characters from two or more stories interact. An example of a fan fiction crossover would be the human refugee fleet led by the Battlestar Galactica finding and entering the territory of Star Trek's United Federation of Planets, or the characters from the television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation solving crimes in the Harry Potter universe. It has been suggested that Gaming crossovers be merged into this article or section. ... Battlestar Galactica. ... The current Star Trek franchise logo Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment series and media franchise. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is a popular Alliance Atlantis/CBS police procedural television series, running since October 2000, about a team of forensic scientists. ... This article is about the Harry Potter series of novels. ...

While the crossover genre is extremely popular amongst fan fiction writers, it does sometimes occur in canon works – examples of this include the video game series Kingdom Hearts which crosses numerous Disney works with those of SquareSoft, and an episode of The X-Files which featured Richard Belzer as his Homicide: Life on the Street character John Munch... who also later began to appear as a main character in Law and Order: SVU. It is from the term's usage in reference to canon works that it came to be used in reference to fan fiction crossovers as well. Crossovers are especially popular in fantasy and science fiction fandoms (where it often provides more unusual "What if?" scenarios), and gaming fandoms, where the canon is typically looser and often prone to canon crossovers itself. This article contains information on the first Kingdom Hearts video game. ... Disney may refer to: The Walt Disney Company and its divisions, including Walt Disney Pictures. ... Square Co. ... The X-Files is a Peabody- and Emmy Award-winning science fiction television series created by Chris Carter, which first aired on September 10, 1993, and ended on May 19, 2002. ... Richard Jay Belzer (born August 4, 1944) is an American stand up comedian, writer and actor, perhaps best known for his work as Det. ... Homicide: Life on the Street is an American television drama series chronicling the life of a fictional Baltimore police homicide unit. ... Sgt. ... For other meanings see Fantasy (disambiguation) Fantasy is a genre of art that uses magic and other supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... “Computer and video games” redirects here. ...

Movieverse

"Movieverse" as a term refers to the film adaptations of books, games, etc.; the term is used both in the context of comparison/contrast between different versions of canon, and to mark stories which are based explicitly and exclusively on the film adaptation. This article is about motion pictures. ...

Pastiche

Fan fiction also exists in the form of independent, fan-produced pastiches and parodies of established works, including fan-produced film and video. The first such parody was 1978's Hardware Wars. One of the best known is Troops, a parody of the reality television show Cops, depicting Star Wars Imperial stormtroopers on patrol. The word pastiche describes a literary or other artistic genre. ... In contemporary usage, a parody (or lampoon) is a work that imitates another work in order to ridicule, ironically comment on, or poke some affectionate fun at the work itself, the subject of the work, the author or fictional voice of the parody, or another subject. ... This article is about motion pictures. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Fluke Starbucker, Chewchilla the Wookiee Monster, Ham Salad, and Augie Ben Doggie. ... TROOPS is a mockumentary film by Kevin Rubio that made its debut on the internet in 1997. ... Reality television is a genre of television programming which presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and features ordinary people instead of professional actors. ... Not to be confused with C.O.P.S. (TV series). ... Star Wars is an epic space opera saga and a fictional universe initially developed by George Lucas during the 1970s and expanded since that time. ... Stormtroopers have distinctive white armor and a helmet with a grimacing, skull-like visage. ...

Sherlock Holmes, the Cthulhu Mythos and several of Edgar Rice Burroughs' fantasy series have fan fiction pastiche communities. This tradition comes from the establishment of literary societies, dating back to the 1930s and 1940s. These societies attracted both professional and fan writers. They practice a semi-professional level of publication of fan fiction of a specifically sophisticated literary nature, both in print quality and community expectations. Star Trek fans quickly developed a pastiche community around the Kraith series, which began appearing in fanzines in 1967 and had about thirty contributors. Probably the best-known example of such a community as of 2006 would be the followers of Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover series. A portrait of Sherlock Holmes by Sidney Paget from the Strand Magazine, 1891 Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, who first appeared in publication in 1887. ... Cthulhu and Rlyeh The Cthulhu Mythos encompasses the shared elements, characters, settings, and themes in the works of H. P. Lovecraft and associated horror fiction writers. ... Edgar Rice Burroughs Edgar Rice Burroughs (September 1, 1875 – March 19, 1950) was an American author, best known for his creation of the jungle hero Tarzan, although he also produced works in many genres. ... The Kraith stories are a set of inter-connected works of Star Trek fan fiction. ... Marion Eleanor Zimmer Bradley (June 3, 1930 – September 25, 1999) was an American author of fantasy novels such as The Mists of Avalon and the Darkover series, often with a feminist outlook. ... The above illustration shows Darkover as the planet on the left with its four moons: Liriel, Kyrrdis, Irdriel and Mormallor. ...

Uberfic

Main article: Uberfic

Uberfic is a kind of alternative universe fan fiction in which characters or events are portrayed closely to original canon but in a different time period, often featuring the ancestors, descendants or reincarnations of canon characters. The term originated in Xena: Warrior Princess fandom. Uberfic (short for Uber fanfic, UberXena, or simply Uber or Ãœber) is a kind of alternative universe fanfic in which characters or events are portrayed somewhat closely to original canon but usually in a different time period, many times featuring the ancestors, descendants or reincarnations of canon characters. ... Xena. ...

Virtual seasons

The virtual season is usually a collaborative effort to produce a compilation of fan stories or scripts portraying episodes of an entire season for a television program – usually one that has been cancelled or is no longer producing new episodes. Often, these writers will elect members of their group to be the imaginary producers, head writers, editors, and other traditional roles to aid in the coordination of the virtual season's material, direction, and continuity. Every effort is made to reproduce and carry on the details of the program as professionally as possible. The first virtual season was for the TV series Millennium, which was cancelled in 1999 six months short of its millennial climax, so a Virtual Season 4 completed the storyline for fans and started a trend in the process. Voyager Virtual Season Project ran for 2 years, starting in 2001 and ending in 2003, extending Star Trek Voyager's story an extra two years and into yet another "Lost in Space" adventure. The most dedicated of these virtual season teams sometimes produce fan films like Star Trek, New Voyages. A Television producer oversees the making of television penis programs. ... Editing may also refer to audio editing or film editing. ... The starship Voyager (NCC-74656), an Intrepid-class starship. ... A fan film is a film or video inspired by a film, television program, comic book or a similar source, created by fans rather than by the sources copyright holders or creators. ...

Subgenres based on character relationships

Acid pairing and crack pairing

Generally done in humor and parody fan fiction, "acid" pairings take two (possibly more) characters that, under normal logic, would never be romantically involved. These pairings range from just plain odd to paraphilia (i.e. Harry Potter and Dobby the House Elf). Also commonly called a "crack" pairing, the name comes from the assumption that anyone who believes that these characters love each other must be taking psychoactive drugs - and in some cases, possibly to the sheer surrealism that results from say, pairing Sailor Moon with Pen Pen. These pairings can be present in anything from AU fiction to crossovers, and are generally not meant to be taken seriously. Look up paraphilia in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Harry James Potter is a fictional character and the main protagonist of J. K. Rowlings Harry Potter series of fantasy books. ... Dobby is also a trade term used to refer to the strip of closely-woven material often seen on towels (and much less commonly on washcloths). ... An assortment of psychoactive drugs A psychoactive drug or psychotropic substance is a chemical substance that acts primarily upon the central nervous system where it alters brain function, resulting in temporary changes in perception, mood, consciousness and behavior. ... A cow standing on a pole. ... Sailor Moon ) is the protagonist of the Sailor Moon metaseries as well as its title character. ... This is a list of characters in the Japanese anime Neon Genesis Evangelion and the movies Evangelion: Death and Rebirth and The End of Evangelion. ... The community surrounding modern fan fiction has generated a considerable amount of slang and jargon over the past several decades. ... The community surrounding modern fan fiction has generated a considerable amount of slang and jargon over the past several decades. ...

Alternate pairing and "shipping"

Main article: Shipping (fandom)

In fan fiction communities, pairing refers exclusively to romantic or erotic involvement; never to mere friendship or team involvement. An alternate pairing story centers on a relationship between characters who are not involved nor seen as involved in canon. Many fandoms have set "canon" pairings based on strong hints in the original story, though fandoms tend refer to pairings as "canon pairings" more often when characters have actually had a stated attraction or involvement (kissing, confessions of feelings, sexual relations, etc.) in canon. A canon containing many changing relationships (such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Desperate Housewives, or any number of soap operas) is more apt to generate fan fiction with alternate pairings. Fans often refer to a pairing as a "ship" (short for "relationship") and people who are in favor of two particular characters pairing up are referred to as "shippers." Shipping, derived from the word relationship, is a general term for fans emotional and/or intellectual involvement with the ongoing development of romance in a work of fiction. ... The Kiss by Francesco Hayez A kiss is the touching of the lips to some other thing; usually another person. ... Human sexuality is the expression of sexual feelings. ... For other uses, see Buffy the Vampire Slayer (disambiguation). ... Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series, created by Marc Cherry, who also serves as show runner, and produced by ABC Studios — The Walt Disney Companys main television studio — and Cherry Productions. ... The first TIME cover devoted to soap operas: Dated January 12, 1976, Bill Hayes and Susan Seaforth Hayes of Days of our Lives are featured with the headline Soap Operas: Sex and suffering in the afternoon. A soap opera is an ongoing, episodic work of fiction, usually broadcast on television... Shipping, derived from the word relationship, is a general term for fans emotional and/or intellectual involvement with the ongoing development of romance in a work of fiction. ...

Lemon and Lime

Explicit sex stories in general, especially in anime fan fiction, are known as lemon, a term which comes from a Japanese slang term meaning "sexy" that itself derives from an early pornographic cartoon series called Cream Lemon. The term lime denotes a story that has sexual themes but is not necessarily explicit. "Lemon" stories without much plot other than sex are also referred to as smutfics or as PWPs ("Porn Without Plot" or "Plot? What Plot?"). These terms are also sometimes used to describe original amateur fiction that is published online. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... “Animé” redirects here. ... Lemon is a term used in reference to anime and manga, especially fanfiction, to describe material with explicit sexual content, such as hentai, yaoi, and yuri. ... Cream Lemon ) is an H anime series with some in-depth storylines and classic (late 1970s to early 1980s style) artwork. ... A lime is a fan fiction story that stops short of full, explicit descriptions of sexual activity. ... PWP (an acronym which represents, Porn Without Plot, later reinterpreted Plot? What Plot?) is a classification of fanfiction pieces whose main purpose is to convey an explicitly sexual situation between at least two characters from a particular fandom, and in which plot, characterization or any other artistic mean take secondary...

Slash and het

Slash fiction is, depending on one's preferred definition: a subgenre of romance fan fiction which exclusively deals in homosexual or male homosexual relationships; a subgenre of Alternate Pairing that addresses a relationship between characters of the same gender, especially males; or the same thing as an Alternate Pairing. The expression comes from the late 1970s, when the "/" symbol began to be used to designate a romantic relationship between Star Trek characters, especially between James T. Kirk and Spock. In the Star Trek fandom, 'slash' still currently tends to refer to any non-canon "ship" (including heterosexual ones), although in most other fandoms, the meaning has morphed into referring specifically to same-sex pairings or even, frequently, to exclusively male same-sex pairings. The symbolic slash, used to separate the two names in a romantic pairing, from which slash fiction takes its name. ... Homosexuality refers to sexual interaction and / or romantic attraction between individuals of the same sex. ... The community surrounding modern fan fiction has generated a considerable amount of slang and jargon over the past several decades. ... James Tiberius Kirk, played by William Shatner, is the main character in the original Star Trek television series and the films based on it. ... For other uses, see Spock (disambiguation). ... The community surrounding modern fan fiction has generated a considerable amount of slang and jargon over the past several decades. ... Shipping, derived from the word relationship, is a general term for fans emotional and/or intellectual involvement with the ongoing development of romance in a work of fiction. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ...

Stories with male homosexual pairings are the most common. Lesbian relationships are often referred to as "femslash" or "femmeslash" to distinguish them from the male/male pairing stories, though some fans prefer to use the term "Saffic" (a portmanteau of "Sapphic" and "fiction"). Fans of Japanese manga or anime tend to use the Japanese terms relating to the subgenres, referring to male homosexual pairings as yaoi or shōnen-ai and lesbian pairings as yuri or shōjo-ai. The former term for each typically represents the more sexually explicit stories, while the latter generally represents more romance-centered stories, though they are occasionally used interchangeably. A lesbian is a woman who is romantically and sexually attracted only to other women. ... It is proposed that this article be deleted, because of the following concern: original research, no citations whatsoever, NPOV problems, fancruft, debatable encyclopedic notability, MANY neologisms If you can address this concern by improving, copyediting, sourcing, renaming or merging the page, please edit this page and do so. ... This article is about blends. ... Sapphic may mean: Related to Sappho, the 7th century BC poetess (notably, the Sapphic stanza) Related to female homosexuality, see Lesbian (Sapphic Erotica) This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ... For other uses, see Fiction (disambiguation). ... This article is about the comics published in East Asian countries. ... “Animé” redirects here. ... Cover of Selfish Love by Naduki Koujima. ... “Boys Love” redirects here. ... Utena Tenjou and Anthy Himemiya from Revolutionary Girl Utena, a popular yuri couple. ... Utena Tenjou and Anthy Himemiya from Revolutionary Girl Utena, a popular yuri couple. ...

"Het" is the opposite of "slash" (by most of the term's definitions), classifying a romance and/or sexually explicit story which has as its main focus a heterosexual relationship. This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ...

Other subgenres

Real person fiction

See "RPF", above.

Challenge(s)

"Challenges" are a common practice within many fan fiction communities (such as FanFiction.net), wherein one creates a story prompt for authors with focus on a central idea or challenge, with an implicit encouragement to publicly post the resulting stories within that community. Generally there are a set of rules to focus on or simply an idea, such as "write a story using only dialogue". These are typically, though not exclusively, non-competitive challenges. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Dialogue (disambiguation). ... Competition is the act of striving against others for the purpose of achieving gain, such as income, pride, amusement, or dominance. ...

Drabbles are often involved in fan fiction challenges, due to their brevity generally allowing a quicker response. The community surrounding modern fan fiction has generated a considerable amount of slang and jargon over the past several decades. ...

Crack!fic

A form of fan fiction in which characters are put in very random, nonsensical situations, and most often are all OOC. Its name, derived from the drug's, uses the irrationality from the drug high as an example of what to expect in the piece. Generally these are humor pieces. Also occasionally known as a sugarfic, probably from the common assertion in author's notes that the story was written on a "sugar high", or the stereotype of such. Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. ... Look up Humour in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Sugar rush may refer to: A temporary burst of energy caused by the ingestion of sugar or other saccharide eg glucose Sugar Rush, a novel by Julie Burchill Sugar Rush (TV series), the television series based on the novel. ...

"Crack!fic" should not be confused with "crack" being used as prefix (e.g. "crack pairing"). When used in this sense, the story may not be nonsensical or written with "OOC" characters at all, rather, it indicates that what is described with "crack" is not a commonly accepted or perhaps even thought-of element by fan fiction authors, or that the story may well be a work of parody. In contemporary usage, a parody (or lampoon) is a work that imitates another work in order to ridicule, ironically comment on, or poke some affectionate fun at the work itself, the subject of the work, the author or fictional voice of the parody, or another subject. ...

Fluff

A genre in which the story is devoid of angst and takes on a mood of light-hearted romance.

Flusty

An American slang term used most commonly in the 'fanfiction' communities to describe a story or 'fanfic' which centers around a combination plot of 'Fluff' and 'Lust' between the two main characters. It was first coined by the author 'Triospleasure' while describing a short story 'fanfic' by the author 'Elaborationlove' on LiveJournal.com. Since its brief mention, it has grown in increasing popularity. Alternate forms of this word are; 'Flustyness' 'Flustyish' 'Angsty-Flust' and 'Flustmantic'.

This example sentence was used by 'thebonnybunny' on livejournal.com;

That was so friggen flusty, I love it!

Religious fic

Also commonly called "conversion fic", these are stories in which the primary character or characters experience an emotional crisis and adopt religious beliefs not mentioned in canon -- almost invariably those of the writer. These stories have a rather unfortunate reputation for being OOC, and having little to do with the canon, as when Harry Potter suddenly abandons the wizarding world on being told that all magic is Satanic in origin, or when the central character in Sailor Moon becomes an evangelical Christian after a two-minute conversation with a perfect stranger. There is no inherent rule that says such stories must be unrealistic, however, and the term is used by many as a descriptor with non-derogatory connotations, especially on archives such as FanFiction.net which have a considerable Christian presence. This article is about the Harry Potter series of novels. ... Satanism is a religious or philosophical movement centered around Satan or another entity identified with Satan, or centered around the forces of nature, particularly human nature, represented by Satan as an archetype. ... For the title character, see Sailor Moon (character) and for the first story arc, see Sailor Moon (arc). ... Look up Evangelical in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other uses, see Christian (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Despite its alternative name of "religious fic", "conversion fic" should not be confused with a story in which the actual, preexisting beliefs of a character are examined, as the point of such stories is to show the religious conversion itself, or the results thereof. Such stories have some precedence in original fiction, and to a lesser extent nonfiction works wherein similar conversions take place. Non-fiction is a truthful account or representation of a subject which is composed of facts. ...

Smut

Light, tongue-in-cheek term used to describe pornographic-centered content. Mostly interchangeable with PWP. PWP (an acronym which represents, Porn Without Plot, later reinterpreted Plot? What Plot?) is a classification of fanfiction pieces whose main purpose is to convey an explicitly sexual situation between at least two characters from a particular fandom, and in which plot, characterization or any other artistic mean take secondary...

Songfic

This is a genre - though "format" is almost more appropriate a term - in which an author takes an existing song and uses the lyrics to generate the theme of his or her story, or to add emphasis to certain aspects of it. "Songfics" are usually one-shots though there are exceptions, including lengthy series that either include various songs, or utilize the songfic format for only select portions of the work. The title of a songfic is usually the name of the song featured in the story -- but the title may use specific lyrics from a song or it may not have anything to do with the song at all. For other uses, see Song (disambiguation). ... Lyrics are the words in songs. ...

The format of these stories is usually an alternation between song lyrics and narrative with the placement of the lyrics corresponding with the pace of the story and the elements intended to be emphasized. Sometimes however the writer will simply copy and paste the song's lyrics at either the beginning or the end of the story. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Though more common in fan fiction, it is not unheard of to see "songfic" appear in original fiction on occasion, and while most songfic authors use lyrics to others' songs, some do write original material instead. Some archives - most notably FanFiction.net - currently forbid the posting of songfic to their archives in their Terms of Service or explanations thereof, generally on the basis that it includes copyrighted material not owned or legally usable by the author of the work (though this technically does not hold true for original song lyrics or public domain lyrics such as those of Amazing Grace). Though unheard of to date, it is in fact technically possible for a fan fiction author - and possibly even a given archive which allows it - to be legally sued for the unauthorized posted use of song lyrics which are still under copyright, as demonstrated when the Recording Industry Association of America attempted to sue a number websites for listing complete lyrics to their artists' songs. This is sometimes credited as the origin for the songfic ban on some archives. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Terms of Service (often abbreviated as ToS) are rules by which one must agree to abide by in order to use a service. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ... A piper plays Amazing Grace on Memorial Day. ... Not to be confused with copywriting. ... The RIAA Logo. ...

See also

• Fan fiction
• Anime and manga terminology

Fan fiction (also spelled fanfiction and commonly abbreviated to fanfic) is fiction written by people who enjoy a film, novel, television show or other media work, using the characters and situations developed in it and developing new plots in which to use these characters. ... Anime and manga fandom in the West (especially the U.S.) has adopted many Japanese words and phrases. ...

External links

• The Fanfiction Glossary
• The BBC h2g2 entry: Fan Fiction - a User's Guide