Post by Nikki on Mar 29, 2008 11:59:00 GMT -5
Here are some of the words & acronyms used in fanfiction...
TYPES OF FANFICS
Canon
"canon" in the context of fan fiction is both the accepted "official" material itself, and a concept or detail promoted by the original work and/or in accepted "official" material.
This is the main type of fanfiction used...
Fandom
fandom refers to people who enjoy a specific story, character, game, etc., and actively interact with others; that is, a group of (however scattered) such individuals who share interest in the same media. The term also sees occasional use as a synonym for the canon work.
Fanon
fanon is an interrelated concept, in that the term encompasses 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, becoming a form of meme within the fandom as often many writers and fans adopt the same fanon, often within a relatively short time frame.
Original fiction
The opposite of fan fiction; any fiction that is not considered fan fiction. For further understanding on the difference between fan fiction and original fiction - including the debate on what constitutes "original fiction" vs. "fan fiction"
ACRONYMS
AU/AR/AT
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. However, "AU" tends to be the most widely used term.
A/N
Author's note, when the author wants to create an aside to explain something.
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. Its usage in reference to fan fiction is thus somewhat distinct from, but similar, to its usage in acting
OC
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.
OC also is known to stand for Other Character. Used to describe a situation when a character who is not in the original story, is brought in for the purposes of the author to further manipulate his or her fanfiction as he or she sees fit.
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".
POV
Point of view
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.
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. C&C or critique and comment is also sometimes used, though not as often. Sometimes it is also used as Rate and Review.
SI
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 or SI 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.
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. The two terms have distinct meanings, however.
SUBGENRES
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.
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
Songfic
This is a genre, defined by its distinct format, 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.
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.
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.
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.
SUBGENRES: CHARACTER RELATIONSHIPS
Alternate pairing and "shipping"
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.
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." See shipping (fandom) for more information. For example, in the Pokemon fandom, there is twinleaf shipping, which refers to the pairing of the Diamond/Pearl heroine and the rival.
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 now to describe original amateur fiction that is published online.
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.
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 shônen-ai and lesbian pairings as yuri or shôjo-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.
"Het" is the opposite of "slash" (by most of the term's definitions) and femslash, yaoi, shounen-ai, yuri or shoujo-ai, classifying a romance and/or sexually explicit story which has as its main focus a heterosexual relationship.
TYPES OF FANFICS
Canon
"canon" in the context of fan fiction is both the accepted "official" material itself, and a concept or detail promoted by the original work and/or in accepted "official" material.
This is the main type of fanfiction used...
Fandom
fandom refers to people who enjoy a specific story, character, game, etc., and actively interact with others; that is, a group of (however scattered) such individuals who share interest in the same media. The term also sees occasional use as a synonym for the canon work.
Fanon
fanon is an interrelated concept, in that the term encompasses 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, becoming a form of meme within the fandom as often many writers and fans adopt the same fanon, often within a relatively short time frame.
Original fiction
The opposite of fan fiction; any fiction that is not considered fan fiction. For further understanding on the difference between fan fiction and original fiction - including the debate on what constitutes "original fiction" vs. "fan fiction"
ACRONYMS
AU/AR/AT
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. However, "AU" tends to be the most widely used term.
A/N
Author's note, when the author wants to create an aside to explain something.
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. Its usage in reference to fan fiction is thus somewhat distinct from, but similar, to its usage in acting
OC
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.
OC also is known to stand for Other Character. Used to describe a situation when a character who is not in the original story, is brought in for the purposes of the author to further manipulate his or her fanfiction as he or she sees fit.
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".
POV
Point of view
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.
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. C&C or critique and comment is also sometimes used, though not as often. Sometimes it is also used as Rate and Review.
SI
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 or SI 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.
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. The two terms have distinct meanings, however.
SUBGENRES
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.
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
Songfic
This is a genre, defined by its distinct format, 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.
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.
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.
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.
SUBGENRES: CHARACTER RELATIONSHIPS
Alternate pairing and "shipping"
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.
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." See shipping (fandom) for more information. For example, in the Pokemon fandom, there is twinleaf shipping, which refers to the pairing of the Diamond/Pearl heroine and the rival.
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 now to describe original amateur fiction that is published online.
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.
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 shônen-ai and lesbian pairings as yuri or shôjo-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.
"Het" is the opposite of "slash" (by most of the term's definitions) and femslash, yaoi, shounen-ai, yuri or shoujo-ai, classifying a romance and/or sexually explicit story which has as its main focus a heterosexual relationship.
