Common Fan Fiction Terminology A Crash Course. ;) Alternate Universe (AU) - A story which deviates from canon (see canon) and explores possible events had things happened differently. (Ex: What would have happened if Darth Vader had never gone to the Dark Side?) A/N: - Author's notes, commenting on his or her fic, or an element of it. Bashing - Poking fun of a character, pairing, or topic, portraying them as unintelligent or ridiculous. Beta - Someone who helps to edit a fic, or give suggestions about the plot. Canon - The way the story unfolded originally outside of fan fiction; the way the original creator or author portrayed it. Challenge - Similar to a writing prompt or plot bunny. (See plot bunny.) A challenge, though, sets specific guidelines/rules for the writer, or outlines objects or events the fic has to include. Can be any genre, or multiple genres. (See genre.) (Ex: Padme must knit a sweater for Anakin. Obi-Wan must learn to play the bagpipes. Mace Windu must wear purple. Must be rated PG.) Companion Piece - A piece of writing that is connected to something else the author has written. Differs from a series in that events do not need to be in chronological order, or even mentioned in both stories. Similar emotions or events can connect them instead. Cover Art - Art created for a fic, either by the author themselves, or someone else. A lot like the cover for a novel. Crackfic - Fics that have unique or strange plots, or maybe no plot at all. Can usually be classified as humor. (Ex: A story about Darth Vader and the pet bunny he named Fred.) Crossover - A fic which combines two or more fandoms, connecting canon events or creating situations where characters from different fandoms meet. (See fandom.) Disclaimer - A note by the author of a fic acknowledging that the characters and events they are portraying are not their original or intellectual property. They may also state that the author does not intend to make any profit from their writing or infringe upon the original creator's rights. Drabble - A very short piece of writing meant to convey or portray a specific emotion, point, or instance. 100 words only in its most strict form, not including author's notes. (See author's note.) Fandom - A term for the show, movie, book, or cartoon which a fan supports, enjoys, or is writing fan fiction for. (Ex: Star Wars, Dark Angel, or Supernatural, ect.) Fanon - The fan version of canon. (See canon. :) ) The story might not have been written that way, but there are certain events, story lines, or characteristics that are accepted as fact by the fans. Fic/Fanfic/Fan Fiction - Stories written by fans for television shows, books, movies, or cartoons, about the characters or events included within a specific fandom or fandoms. (See Fandom.) Flaming/Flame - A cruel, overly harsh review of someone’s work without any constructive criticism. Any flames given here will not be forwarded to the author, and the reviewer will be given a warning. Fluff - Fics that are lighthearted, usually very cute, or very romantic. Gen/Genfic - A story that is free of any slash or overly graphic content. (See slash.) Can also be used to mean that the story is free of any type of romantic relationship. Genre - The category a story belongs to. (Ex: Humor, angst, romance, ect.) Het - A romantic relationship in a story between a male and a female. Mary Sue - A character, usually female, that is very stereotypical, and often has all the answers to all the problems in a storyline. A Mary Sue is also usually interested in, or paired romantically with, one of the other characters. The male version of a Mary Sue is often called a Gary Stu. OC - An original character of your own creation. One-Shot - A piece of writing, similar to a vignette, (see vignette) that is not connected to or intended to follow another story. The characters' thoughts are often less internally focused than a vignette however, and the tone less formal. Can be any genre. (See genre.) OTP - One true pairing. A romantic pairing that a fan personally believes is the only true or acceptable romantic pairing in a fandom. Usually, but not necessarily, a pairing that is part of canon. (See canon.) (Ex: Leia/Han, Tobias/Rachel.) Plot Bunny - An idea for a story, or an element of a story. POV - Point of view. The perspective a story is written from. Ship - A particular romantic pairing. (Ex: Anakin/Padmé, Sam/Jessica.) Shipper - Someone who likes, supports, or promotes a certain romantic pairing. Shmoop - The fluffiest fluff. (See fluff, lol. :) ) Slash - Male/male or female/female romantic parings. Female/female parings are often referred to as Femslash. (Slash of any kind is not allowed on this site.) Spoiler/Spoilers - Information, references, or events from certain episodes, books, or movies within a fandom that others may not know of, or wish to know of. Especially important for an ongoing series like a television show, since not every fan may have seen the most recent episode. (Ex: Ned dies in "Nice Knowin' Ya.") Tag - A story with events that are connected to, meant to follow, or meant to occur just before events in a certain episode, book, or movie in a fandom. Often explores a character's thoughts or feelings about those events. 'Verse - Short for universe. The events, characters, and storyline surrounding a fandom or an AU series of fics. Often used in phrases like "movie 'verse," "comic 'verse," ect. Vignette - A short piece of writing, usually a story which is only a few pages long, that focuses on making a particular point or exploring a particular emotion or event. The characters' thoughts are usually internally focused, and the tone more formal. Can be any genre. (See genre.) WIP - Work in progress. A story that is not posted completely, and is still being written. Wump/Wumping - Causing a character to suffer severe mental or physical pain in a fic.