Post by Tillian Panthesis on Jul 11, 2009 14:29:27 GMT 1
Due to some of us having missed some of the shorthand words that refered in the fan fiction work, I've took a handful of glossary meanings from another website. (Credits goes to them, I'm just borrowing, not stealing.)
Biography summery
Bad Fan fiction, No Biscuit! - www.englishchick.com/badfic/
Wikipedia - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_fan_fiction_terms#Slash_and_het
TV Tropes
Also I'm adding some of the terms here too in the list. Will be updating everytime someone learns a new creative craptastic word.
So here it goes.
Note: It's a bit messy atm, I'm still cleaning up and sorting out new info, so please be patient. I'm updating as much as possible in the meantime.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
General Terminology
Beta Reader
A beta reader (sometimes just "beta") is a person who reads a fanfic before it is officially released (i.e. posted on the Web or mailing lists). A beta reader is basically like an editor, checking the story over for mechanical problems (grammar, spelling, punctuation) as well as for things like plot holes, characterization, and etc.
(The term "beta reader" comes from the software world, where software that is ready to be tested by experienced users, but not yet ready to be released to actual customers, is referred to as "beta." Software in even earlier stages of development is called "alpha.")
Canon
That which is sanctioned as being part of the storyline by The Powers That Be (q.v.). Almost by definition, all episodes of a TV series (or all movies of a movie series) are canon. Sometimes, the creator of the series will also declare that certain novels or comic books are also canon.
Fan fiction/FanFic
Fiction written by fans about characters created by someone else. Generally, fanfic is written about movie or television characters. Fanfic is never written for profit, only for the enjoyment of fellow fans. Copyright on the characters (and anything else borrowed) is owned by the originator (usually the production company or studio that produces the show/movie).
Fandom
Generic term for fan activities related to a particular show/series/movie/etc. For example, you might hear someone say, "Final Fantasy is my main fandom, but I'm also into Mass Effect." This is not the same as saying "I played Mass Effect and Final Fantasy" The term "fandom" specifically refers to involvement in fan activities such as reading and writing fanfic, going to conventions, posting on show-related lists and websites and message boards, and so forth. The term "genre" is also sometimes used in this context.
Feedback
Feedback is when you contact the author of a fanfic to tell him/her what you thought of it. A common lament you will hear from fanfic authors is that they don't get enough feedback. Every fanfic author loves to get feedback. They love it if it's "I liked your story," and they particularly love it if it's "I liked your story" followed by ten paragraphs on why you liked it.
If you ever find yourself thinking, "This story was great," please take a moment to email the author and say so. Don't worry that a simple "I liked it" will sound silly. The author will be happy to hear it anyway. And don't ever say to yourself, "Aw, I'm sure that author gets lots of feedback, she doesn't need mine." Not true! Even if she gets fifty emails of praise per day, she will still be happy to see yours. She can never get enough feedback. Trust us. We know.
(However, if you really hate the story, don't flame the author into oblivion. You can offer constructive criticism, but it's usually a good idea to first find out whether the author is interested in hearing it. An author might not appreciate receiving unsolicited "how to improve your story" advice from a complete stranger.)
Jossed
A term where a fanfic that is incompatible to the official canon due to the later changes by the creator. Named after Joss Whedon, the creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Mary Sue
A term that is used for a literacy critism by the creative circles, where the character is poorly developed and unrealistic since the Mary Sue seem to be pefected in every aspect: Physical appearance, purity mind and persona. Her 'perfection' has caused her to steal the spotlight of the story due to her 'goodness' that causes the world around her to change and the story that force itself to center around her only. However the audience feel alienated from the Mary sue due to her lack of connection with the audience and she's only served as a wish fullfillment fantasy from the creator.
The term Mary Sue was originated from Fan Fiction called "A Trekkie's Tale" by Paula Smith. It was first published in her very own fanzine Menagerie #2. It was based in the Star Trek Universe, where the story centers around the female protagonist, Lieutenant Mary Sue. Smith written off a parody, as she was poking fun at the unrelistic wish fulfillment and adolescent's yearning that came from the Star Trek Fan Fiction Library.
The Mary Sue doesn't only applies to protagonist women. Male protagonist are also being plagued by the Mary Sue syndrome except they called "Marty Stu" or "Gary Stu"
Although the current definition in this glossary is based on the classic Mary Sue, there are other sub-types of a Mary Sue such as Anti-Sue, Black Hole Sue, etc, etc; that may or not fitted into the classic mold. Hence I'll be discussing in the future in detail.
Comming up soon "Dissecting Mary Sue in the Normandy's Lab" for more detailed analysis on what is a Mary Sue.
Non-Canon
That which is not sanctioned as being part of the storyline by The Powers That Be. Almost by definition, all fanfic is non-canon.
Original Fiction
The polar opposite of Fan Fiction. Where the actual IP was hand made by the creator him/herself. Also where the fiction is not based in any sort of the fandom universe.Not to be confused with "Original Flavour"
Original Flavour
Where the writer attempts to recreate atmosphere of the fandom when wrtting his/her own fanfiction works. Polar opposite to AU.
Self-Insert
Where the author creates an avatar for the purpose of using as vessel to intergrate into his/her story. Similar like the Mary Sue but unlike Mary Sue, the author doesn't hide the fact it's an self-insert.
Eg: Mock Effect in the 'romantic scene'.
Pairing
A combination of characters that are romantically/sexually involved in a fanfic. Although technically the word "pair" means exactly two, a fanfic "pairing" can often be a threesome or more (e.g. Shepard/Kaidan/Liara).
Round Robin
A story that is written by several authors in turn. One author writes a chapter (or a few paragraphs), then the next person picks up where that one left off, and so on. Like all fanfic, round-robin stories are of varying quality, but there's a lot of room for trouble especially if the participants don't write in similar styles.
Eg: The One Sentance Story aka Shepard vs The World
Slasher
A term where a person who reads and/or writes slash fiction See "Genres by characters' relationship".
Subtext
This term comes from literary analysis circles, where it refers to any element of plot, especially related to character psychology, that is not explicitly stated but rather implied. In fandom terms, it generally refers to anything you see in the show that seems to imply sexual attraction between two characters -- almost, but not always, used for two characters of the same sex. This term first arrived on the fandom scene in relation to Xena and Gabrielle on "Xena, Warrior Princess" when fans of the show began to see what they considered subtle hints that Xena and Gabrielle were "more than friends." (For example, many consider the hot-tub scene in the episode "A Day in the Life" to be one of the classic subtext moments between Xena and Gabrielle.) A scene, line of dialogue, or episode may be said to be "subtexty."
The opposite of subtext is maintext. By definition, any romantic/sexual relationship between characters that takes place onscreen is maintext.
The Powers That Be (TPTB)
A somewhat facetious term used to refer to the people in charge of putting out a given show. For example, the show's creator and executive producer(s); the executives at the studio that finances the show; the executives at the network who decide when the show will air, etc. Sometimes the writers of the show are also included in this; however, the actors usually are not. If you're feeling particularly annoyed with an executive decision, the alternative term TIIC (The Idiots In Charge) can also be used.
Word of God
Another term for TPTB.
---
Sub-Genres
Alternative Universe
Where the writer departs his/her story from the official canon sharply, when writing a fanfic. For instance, a story where Captain Anderson was promoted as a Spectre at the of Mass Effect: Revelations, or a Final fantasy VII story where Aeris/Aerith didn't die and she had the white materia, etc.
Crack Fic
What it says on the tin. The type of Fan Fiction that made you want to say after you finish reading it.
That's the short explanation.
A more slightly detailed explanation. It's one of those fan fiction where someone is batshit crazy enough to write an idea for fan fiction that is never going to work in the first place. When I mean batshit, I mean like really stupid and beyond the impossible sort, that most sane people would not dare to write in the first place.
The term comes from the notion where the author must be using illegal substance to come up with this idea, let alone write it.
However, it's possible to write a really good crack fic but it's very difficult due to overwhelming challenges, but as I've said before, it's possible!
Crossover
FanFic involving characters from more than one fandom. Example: The King of Cosmos blew a black hole in the Milky Way, so his son, the Prince, teams up with Shepard and co; to save the galaxy from destruction.
Dark Fic or Dark
The fan fiction has elements of darker themes such as death, betrayal, violence and/or loss into a fandom that doesn't have these elements in the canon such as Pokemon, Mario, etc, etc.
Dead Fic
When the story hasn't been updated for a while. Not to be confused with hiatus status. If the said fan fiction goes beyond the hiatus status, then it's a dead fic While a fan fiction was produced in better quality if it's taking quite a while to update, it also has a good chance where the author might give the fan fiction the final death sentence due to personal or real life situations.
Elsewhere Fic
Where the fan fiction in the question is written around lore and settings of the fandom's canon except the story itself is based somewhere else, instead of writing about Shepard's or Garrus' story, the story is focus on the characters that are not connected closely within the canon, in other words the main focus is on original characters. There are two varieties to this:
1. While the story is still set within the fandom, it's completely disconnected to the main story's events of the canon. For example, while Shepard and Co. are dealing with the Suicide Mission in the Collector's Base, the story might take place within an Alliance Cruiser at the same time. Thus unrelated to the main canon and probably safe enough not to be "jossed" (see the term 'jossed') by the creator since it's outside of the canon technically.
2. Another type is where the story is still connected to the main events, but the main characters from the canon won't be focus on, instead the story will focus on the original characters that have small roles from the canon. Eg: some Cerberus Agent that constantly keep having bad days due to Shepard and Co. wrecking havoc with their missions back in ME1.
Fix Fic
When certain fans aren't to satisfied with the canon story and/or lore, they decided to write up a fiction that benefited to their taste. Reasons for writing a fix fic are varied, from trying to correct something in the canon to trying to cover up the plot holes.
They come in two varities. There's the alternative universe where they droped all the unwanted elements in the canon to add something better eg: Instead of Nihlus getting killed at the beginning of Mass Effect 1, he survived and becomes Shepard's mentor while they are on the mission to stop Saren, thus althernative universe.
The 2nd type is that they keep the canon story but they added a new twist where they elaborate the desired elements. Eg: how Kaidan or Ashley survived from Virmire.
Usually Fix Fic ended up having a bad quality but there are certain exceptions once in a while. However, that doesn't mean it's easy to write a good Fix fic.
General
A Fanfic that leaves romantic elements into the backseat while the the main plot focus on non-romantic themes. Sometimes there are no romantic elements involved in the story as well.
Also used to label a fiction that didn't have a specific genre category. (eg:mystery, horror, etc, etc.)
Hate Fic
Similar to Revenge Fic, except it's on a wider scale as the author writes of a story on their irking with a fandom they passionately hate. If done right, it's a analytical piece that examine the flaws of the fandom and the plots holes within the series. Imagine a parody deconstruction like Mock Effect in rage quiting mode and you get a perfect idea of a hate fic. Done poorly however, not only it's a poor man's version of Mock Effect but also it's more a whining rants based on the author's side that lacks the clear cut exploration of the real flaws in the series.
Revenge Fic
When the said author has a chip on it's shoulder with a certain character from the their favourite fandom. Usually the writer writes of the said character into a series of a misery events in a way it deserves it fate according to the author. To be classified a revenge fic, the character victim must be inflicted upon in a bias kind of a way that falls into the author's side.
---
Genre by character's relationship
Lemon
The story that is based on explicit sex scenes mostly. The term Lemon is orginated from a Japanese slang for "sexy", which is derives from an early Japanese Pornographic cartoon; Cream Lemon.
Lime
Similar to Lemon except it's doesn't have explicit scenes but the sexual themes remain.
Ship/Shipper
Short for "relationship." This term first arose in X-Files fandom to refer to the idea of Mulder and Scully getting romantically involved. "X-Files Shippers" were fans who thought Mulder and Scully should get together on the show (as opposed to the fans who enjoyed reading fanfic about them, but didn't actually want them together in canon).
However, the term has evolved and now refers generally to any combination of characters. A 'ship is a pairing of characters, and a 'shipper is someone who enjoys that pairing. (For example, you might see someone say, "Shepard/Liara is my favorite 'ship.") Usually, but not always, "shippers" want to see a romantic relationship between the characters, as opposed to mere hot sex -- that is, if you like reading about Shepard and Liara settling down together and raising kittens, you're a shipper; if you just want them to screw, the term "pairing" is used instead of "ship." In this context, a fanfic that involves romance is referred to as "shippy."
Some self-styled shippers that we have encountered claim that the term should only be used for heterosexual pairings. These people strike us as rather homophobic; they don't want their shippiness associated with those nasty, dirty gay people. In this context, "slasher" is sort of the opposite of "shipper." However, we don't like that definition. We think of a shipper as someone who wants to see her chosen pair of characters in a loving, long-term relationship. So why shouldn't those characters be same-sex? Hey, some of us think Mulder could be a lot happier in the long run if he were with Skinner than with Scully.
Slash
Depending on whom you ask, slash usually has one of the following two definitions:
*Fiction involving sexual/intimate relationships between same-sex (i.e. homosexual) couples
or
*Fiction involving sexual/intimate relationships between two characters who don't have such a relationship on the show.
According to Wikipedia, the origin of the term predates the World Wide Web, going back to 1960s fanfic writers, specifically those interested in Star Trek, who wrote "Kirk/Spock" fiction, pronounced "Kirk Slash Spock". In some communities, the ordering of the names is used to indicate a power relationship.
Yuri
A Japanese term that was first used to label a sub-genre for the Japanese comics that revolves around lesbian relationship. It may or may not be having a sex scene within the story.
Yaoi
The word Yaoi comes from a sub-genre for the Japanese manga that centers around a homosexual relationship with males. Like Yuri, it might have sex scenes but it's not nessasry to have it in order to be labeled as a yaoi.
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Acronyms/Abbreviations
1/5, 6/24, etc.
The first number tells you which chapter or "part" this is. The second number tells you how many parts there are in total. The slash symbol should be read as the word "of." For example, 1/2 ("one of two") means this is the first of two chapters. 3/7 means this is the third of seven chapters. 4/? means this is the fourth chapter and the author doesn't know how many total chapters there will be.
("7/9" means this is a story about the Borg Babe. Ha! Ha! I crack me up!)
A/N
Author's Note. The author wants to communicate with the readers outside of the story context
AU (or A/U)
Alternate Universe. Often used in fanfic to describe a story that departs from canon.
B&D, B/D, bd
Bondage and Domination. Mind and control games, sometimes with humiliation involved. Fully consensual.
Gen
Shorthand for General Fiction
H/C
Hurt/Comfort. A story where the author injures one character purely for the purpose of having another character tend to him/her, often leading to sex.
IP
Stands for Intellegentrial Property. A formal term to say that the artist/creator made their Original Fiction Universe by their very own hands.
MST
Mystery Space Theatre. Where someone riffs on fan fictions. For those that are hiding underneath a huge rock in the past couple of years, the term originated from the popular rifting show Mystery Space Theatre 3000.
NC
Non-consensual (i.e. rape).
OC
Stands for Original Characters. Where the story contain characters that didn't exist in the canon. Might be use to add the original characters into the exsisting canon cast or having none of the characters from canon to be part of the story.
OOC
Out of Character. usually refers to the character's persona within the fan fiction to be written off differnt to the canon.
PWP
"Plot, What Plot?". (Some people also call it "Porn Without Plot.") A piece that is purely sex with very little redeeming value.
S&M, S/M, sm
Sadism and Masochism. Involves actual pain and humiliation. Always consensual. If non-consensual, it's just sadism.
UST
Unresolved Sexual Tension. Specifically refers to any hint of sexual tension that you see on the show, film, game, etc, etc. This term first appeared in relation to Mulder and Scully of "The X-Files," between whom many fans saw a certain degree of erotic/romantic tension from the very earliest days of the series. (See also "subtext.")
Biography summery
Bad Fan fiction, No Biscuit! - www.englishchick.com/badfic/
Wikipedia - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_fan_fiction_terms#Slash_and_het
TV Tropes
Also I'm adding some of the terms here too in the list. Will be updating everytime someone learns a new creative craptastic word.
So here it goes.
Note: It's a bit messy atm, I'm still cleaning up and sorting out new info, so please be patient. I'm updating as much as possible in the meantime.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
General Terminology
Beta Reader
A beta reader (sometimes just "beta") is a person who reads a fanfic before it is officially released (i.e. posted on the Web or mailing lists). A beta reader is basically like an editor, checking the story over for mechanical problems (grammar, spelling, punctuation) as well as for things like plot holes, characterization, and etc.
(The term "beta reader" comes from the software world, where software that is ready to be tested by experienced users, but not yet ready to be released to actual customers, is referred to as "beta." Software in even earlier stages of development is called "alpha.")
Canon
That which is sanctioned as being part of the storyline by The Powers That Be (q.v.). Almost by definition, all episodes of a TV series (or all movies of a movie series) are canon. Sometimes, the creator of the series will also declare that certain novels or comic books are also canon.
Fan fiction/FanFic
Fiction written by fans about characters created by someone else. Generally, fanfic is written about movie or television characters. Fanfic is never written for profit, only for the enjoyment of fellow fans. Copyright on the characters (and anything else borrowed) is owned by the originator (usually the production company or studio that produces the show/movie).
Fandom
Generic term for fan activities related to a particular show/series/movie/etc. For example, you might hear someone say, "Final Fantasy is my main fandom, but I'm also into Mass Effect." This is not the same as saying "I played Mass Effect and Final Fantasy" The term "fandom" specifically refers to involvement in fan activities such as reading and writing fanfic, going to conventions, posting on show-related lists and websites and message boards, and so forth. The term "genre" is also sometimes used in this context.
Feedback
Feedback is when you contact the author of a fanfic to tell him/her what you thought of it. A common lament you will hear from fanfic authors is that they don't get enough feedback. Every fanfic author loves to get feedback. They love it if it's "I liked your story," and they particularly love it if it's "I liked your story" followed by ten paragraphs on why you liked it.
If you ever find yourself thinking, "This story was great," please take a moment to email the author and say so. Don't worry that a simple "I liked it" will sound silly. The author will be happy to hear it anyway. And don't ever say to yourself, "Aw, I'm sure that author gets lots of feedback, she doesn't need mine." Not true! Even if she gets fifty emails of praise per day, she will still be happy to see yours. She can never get enough feedback. Trust us. We know.
(However, if you really hate the story, don't flame the author into oblivion. You can offer constructive criticism, but it's usually a good idea to first find out whether the author is interested in hearing it. An author might not appreciate receiving unsolicited "how to improve your story" advice from a complete stranger.)
Jossed
A term where a fanfic that is incompatible to the official canon due to the later changes by the creator. Named after Joss Whedon, the creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Mary Sue
A term that is used for a literacy critism by the creative circles, where the character is poorly developed and unrealistic since the Mary Sue seem to be pefected in every aspect: Physical appearance, purity mind and persona. Her 'perfection' has caused her to steal the spotlight of the story due to her 'goodness' that causes the world around her to change and the story that force itself to center around her only. However the audience feel alienated from the Mary sue due to her lack of connection with the audience and she's only served as a wish fullfillment fantasy from the creator.
The term Mary Sue was originated from Fan Fiction called "A Trekkie's Tale" by Paula Smith. It was first published in her very own fanzine Menagerie #2. It was based in the Star Trek Universe, where the story centers around the female protagonist, Lieutenant Mary Sue. Smith written off a parody, as she was poking fun at the unrelistic wish fulfillment and adolescent's yearning that came from the Star Trek Fan Fiction Library.
The Mary Sue doesn't only applies to protagonist women. Male protagonist are also being plagued by the Mary Sue syndrome except they called "Marty Stu" or "Gary Stu"
Although the current definition in this glossary is based on the classic Mary Sue, there are other sub-types of a Mary Sue such as Anti-Sue, Black Hole Sue, etc, etc; that may or not fitted into the classic mold. Hence I'll be discussing in the future in detail.
Comming up soon "Dissecting Mary Sue in the Normandy's Lab" for more detailed analysis on what is a Mary Sue.
Non-Canon
That which is not sanctioned as being part of the storyline by The Powers That Be. Almost by definition, all fanfic is non-canon.
Original Fiction
The polar opposite of Fan Fiction. Where the actual IP was hand made by the creator him/herself. Also where the fiction is not based in any sort of the fandom universe.Not to be confused with "Original Flavour"
Original Flavour
Where the writer attempts to recreate atmosphere of the fandom when wrtting his/her own fanfiction works. Polar opposite to AU.
Self-Insert
Where the author creates an avatar for the purpose of using as vessel to intergrate into his/her story. Similar like the Mary Sue but unlike Mary Sue, the author doesn't hide the fact it's an self-insert.
Eg: Mock Effect in the 'romantic scene'.
Pairing
A combination of characters that are romantically/sexually involved in a fanfic. Although technically the word "pair" means exactly two, a fanfic "pairing" can often be a threesome or more (e.g. Shepard/Kaidan/Liara).
Round Robin
A story that is written by several authors in turn. One author writes a chapter (or a few paragraphs), then the next person picks up where that one left off, and so on. Like all fanfic, round-robin stories are of varying quality, but there's a lot of room for trouble especially if the participants don't write in similar styles.
Eg: The One Sentance Story aka Shepard vs The World
Slasher
A term where a person who reads and/or writes slash fiction See "Genres by characters' relationship".
Subtext
This term comes from literary analysis circles, where it refers to any element of plot, especially related to character psychology, that is not explicitly stated but rather implied. In fandom terms, it generally refers to anything you see in the show that seems to imply sexual attraction between two characters -- almost, but not always, used for two characters of the same sex. This term first arrived on the fandom scene in relation to Xena and Gabrielle on "Xena, Warrior Princess" when fans of the show began to see what they considered subtle hints that Xena and Gabrielle were "more than friends." (For example, many consider the hot-tub scene in the episode "A Day in the Life" to be one of the classic subtext moments between Xena and Gabrielle.) A scene, line of dialogue, or episode may be said to be "subtexty."
The opposite of subtext is maintext. By definition, any romantic/sexual relationship between characters that takes place onscreen is maintext.
The Powers That Be (TPTB)
A somewhat facetious term used to refer to the people in charge of putting out a given show. For example, the show's creator and executive producer(s); the executives at the studio that finances the show; the executives at the network who decide when the show will air, etc. Sometimes the writers of the show are also included in this; however, the actors usually are not. If you're feeling particularly annoyed with an executive decision, the alternative term TIIC (The Idiots In Charge) can also be used.
Word of God
Another term for TPTB.
---
Sub-Genres
Alternative Universe
Where the writer departs his/her story from the official canon sharply, when writing a fanfic. For instance, a story where Captain Anderson was promoted as a Spectre at the of Mass Effect: Revelations, or a Final fantasy VII story where Aeris/Aerith didn't die and she had the white materia, etc.
Crack Fic
What it says on the tin. The type of Fan Fiction that made you want to say after you finish reading it.
That's the short explanation.
A more slightly detailed explanation. It's one of those fan fiction where someone is batshit crazy enough to write an idea for fan fiction that is never going to work in the first place. When I mean batshit, I mean like really stupid and beyond the impossible sort, that most sane people would not dare to write in the first place.
The term comes from the notion where the author must be using illegal substance to come up with this idea, let alone write it.
However, it's possible to write a really good crack fic but it's very difficult due to overwhelming challenges, but as I've said before, it's possible!
Crossover
FanFic involving characters from more than one fandom. Example: The King of Cosmos blew a black hole in the Milky Way, so his son, the Prince, teams up with Shepard and co; to save the galaxy from destruction.
Dark Fic or Dark
The fan fiction has elements of darker themes such as death, betrayal, violence and/or loss into a fandom that doesn't have these elements in the canon such as Pokemon, Mario, etc, etc.
Dead Fic
When the story hasn't been updated for a while. Not to be confused with hiatus status. If the said fan fiction goes beyond the hiatus status, then it's a dead fic While a fan fiction was produced in better quality if it's taking quite a while to update, it also has a good chance where the author might give the fan fiction the final death sentence due to personal or real life situations.
Elsewhere Fic
Where the fan fiction in the question is written around lore and settings of the fandom's canon except the story itself is based somewhere else, instead of writing about Shepard's or Garrus' story, the story is focus on the characters that are not connected closely within the canon, in other words the main focus is on original characters. There are two varieties to this:
1. While the story is still set within the fandom, it's completely disconnected to the main story's events of the canon. For example, while Shepard and Co. are dealing with the Suicide Mission in the Collector's Base, the story might take place within an Alliance Cruiser at the same time. Thus unrelated to the main canon and probably safe enough not to be "jossed" (see the term 'jossed') by the creator since it's outside of the canon technically.
2. Another type is where the story is still connected to the main events, but the main characters from the canon won't be focus on, instead the story will focus on the original characters that have small roles from the canon. Eg: some Cerberus Agent that constantly keep having bad days due to Shepard and Co. wrecking havoc with their missions back in ME1.
Fix Fic
When certain fans aren't to satisfied with the canon story and/or lore, they decided to write up a fiction that benefited to their taste. Reasons for writing a fix fic are varied, from trying to correct something in the canon to trying to cover up the plot holes.
They come in two varities. There's the alternative universe where they droped all the unwanted elements in the canon to add something better eg: Instead of Nihlus getting killed at the beginning of Mass Effect 1, he survived and becomes Shepard's mentor while they are on the mission to stop Saren, thus althernative universe.
The 2nd type is that they keep the canon story but they added a new twist where they elaborate the desired elements. Eg: how Kaidan or Ashley survived from Virmire.
Usually Fix Fic ended up having a bad quality but there are certain exceptions once in a while. However, that doesn't mean it's easy to write a good Fix fic.
General
A Fanfic that leaves romantic elements into the backseat while the the main plot focus on non-romantic themes. Sometimes there are no romantic elements involved in the story as well.
Also used to label a fiction that didn't have a specific genre category. (eg:mystery, horror, etc, etc.)
Hate Fic
Similar to Revenge Fic, except it's on a wider scale as the author writes of a story on their irking with a fandom they passionately hate. If done right, it's a analytical piece that examine the flaws of the fandom and the plots holes within the series. Imagine a parody deconstruction like Mock Effect in rage quiting mode and you get a perfect idea of a hate fic. Done poorly however, not only it's a poor man's version of Mock Effect but also it's more a whining rants based on the author's side that lacks the clear cut exploration of the real flaws in the series.
Revenge Fic
When the said author has a chip on it's shoulder with a certain character from the their favourite fandom. Usually the writer writes of the said character into a series of a misery events in a way it deserves it fate according to the author. To be classified a revenge fic, the character victim must be inflicted upon in a bias kind of a way that falls into the author's side.
---
Genre by character's relationship
Lemon
The story that is based on explicit sex scenes mostly. The term Lemon is orginated from a Japanese slang for "sexy", which is derives from an early Japanese Pornographic cartoon; Cream Lemon.
Lime
Similar to Lemon except it's doesn't have explicit scenes but the sexual themes remain.
Ship/Shipper
Short for "relationship." This term first arose in X-Files fandom to refer to the idea of Mulder and Scully getting romantically involved. "X-Files Shippers" were fans who thought Mulder and Scully should get together on the show (as opposed to the fans who enjoyed reading fanfic about them, but didn't actually want them together in canon).
However, the term has evolved and now refers generally to any combination of characters. A 'ship is a pairing of characters, and a 'shipper is someone who enjoys that pairing. (For example, you might see someone say, "Shepard/Liara is my favorite 'ship.") Usually, but not always, "shippers" want to see a romantic relationship between the characters, as opposed to mere hot sex -- that is, if you like reading about Shepard and Liara settling down together and raising kittens, you're a shipper; if you just want them to screw, the term "pairing" is used instead of "ship." In this context, a fanfic that involves romance is referred to as "shippy."
Some self-styled shippers that we have encountered claim that the term should only be used for heterosexual pairings. These people strike us as rather homophobic; they don't want their shippiness associated with those nasty, dirty gay people. In this context, "slasher" is sort of the opposite of "shipper." However, we don't like that definition. We think of a shipper as someone who wants to see her chosen pair of characters in a loving, long-term relationship. So why shouldn't those characters be same-sex? Hey, some of us think Mulder could be a lot happier in the long run if he were with Skinner than with Scully.
Slash
Depending on whom you ask, slash usually has one of the following two definitions:
*Fiction involving sexual/intimate relationships between same-sex (i.e. homosexual) couples
or
*Fiction involving sexual/intimate relationships between two characters who don't have such a relationship on the show.
According to Wikipedia, the origin of the term predates the World Wide Web, going back to 1960s fanfic writers, specifically those interested in Star Trek, who wrote "Kirk/Spock" fiction, pronounced "Kirk Slash Spock". In some communities, the ordering of the names is used to indicate a power relationship.
Yuri
A Japanese term that was first used to label a sub-genre for the Japanese comics that revolves around lesbian relationship. It may or may not be having a sex scene within the story.
Yaoi
The word Yaoi comes from a sub-genre for the Japanese manga that centers around a homosexual relationship with males. Like Yuri, it might have sex scenes but it's not nessasry to have it in order to be labeled as a yaoi.
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Acronyms/Abbreviations
1/5, 6/24, etc.
The first number tells you which chapter or "part" this is. The second number tells you how many parts there are in total. The slash symbol should be read as the word "of." For example, 1/2 ("one of two") means this is the first of two chapters. 3/7 means this is the third of seven chapters. 4/? means this is the fourth chapter and the author doesn't know how many total chapters there will be.
("7/9" means this is a story about the Borg Babe. Ha! Ha! I crack me up!)
A/N
Author's Note. The author wants to communicate with the readers outside of the story context
AU (or A/U)
Alternate Universe. Often used in fanfic to describe a story that departs from canon.
B&D, B/D, bd
Bondage and Domination. Mind and control games, sometimes with humiliation involved. Fully consensual.
Gen
Shorthand for General Fiction
H/C
Hurt/Comfort. A story where the author injures one character purely for the purpose of having another character tend to him/her, often leading to sex.
IP
Stands for Intellegentrial Property. A formal term to say that the artist/creator made their Original Fiction Universe by their very own hands.
MST
Mystery Space Theatre. Where someone riffs on fan fictions. For those that are hiding underneath a huge rock in the past couple of years, the term originated from the popular rifting show Mystery Space Theatre 3000.
NC
Non-consensual (i.e. rape).
OC
Stands for Original Characters. Where the story contain characters that didn't exist in the canon. Might be use to add the original characters into the exsisting canon cast or having none of the characters from canon to be part of the story.
OOC
Out of Character. usually refers to the character's persona within the fan fiction to be written off differnt to the canon.
PWP
"Plot, What Plot?". (Some people also call it "Porn Without Plot.") A piece that is purely sex with very little redeeming value.
S&M, S/M, sm
Sadism and Masochism. Involves actual pain and humiliation. Always consensual. If non-consensual, it's just sadism.
UST
Unresolved Sexual Tension. Specifically refers to any hint of sexual tension that you see on the show, film, game, etc, etc. This term first appeared in relation to Mulder and Scully of "The X-Files," between whom many fans saw a certain degree of erotic/romantic tension from the very earliest days of the series. (See also "subtext.")