#would that be a massive fandom etiquette faux pas

[caterpillarinacave]

I could respond to my writing promts with short, one chapter, or couple paragraph story.

Or, I could begin an exspansive mutlichapter fic that I will obsess over, posting singular chapters over the course of months as one shots to test the waters, then begin to string everything together, steadily posting and updating this fic where, techincally, one chapter does, in fact, respond to the prompt.

[kittenjammer]

PSA: Fandom is a Party, Not a Market

It's been a couple decades since I first entered fan spaces (fandom). Overall the experiences I've had within a fandom have been extremely positive! However, there is a behavior I had to unlearn through trial and error, what the unwritten rules are of how to conduct myself.

Here are some tips if you're new to interacting with fanworks within fandom:

Fanfic/Fanart is a gift.

The writer/artist created something and it's being shared to the fandom. If you appreciate and enjoyed the gift, tell them! Joy is meant to be shared, and being in a fandom means we're all here to celebrate a shared story or experience!

Comments/reblogs/likes/etc are all ways to say "thank you" to the artist or writer that took the time and effort to create and share their joy.

Think of fandom like a massive, ongoing party. People are coming and going, having chats and discussions about the book, show, movie, etc. on and off. You can walk around saying hi and join in on these open conversations.

Occasionally, someone goes up on stage to announce they are going to post a new piece of fanart on the wall for everyone to look at if they want. Everyone interested can make their way over to where the art is displayed by the artist and check it out.

Someone else announced they just put a new fic on the fanfic shelf. Everyone is over there reading and chatting about what they enjoyed with the writer and each other.

Just like in a real life party, if someone came over to any one of these groups unasked to start telling everyone why they dislike whatever is being talked about, it isn't going to be received positively. Some people might agree with you and join in, but most will see a person committing a social faux pas.

How Do I Return the Gift?

The polite and expected etiquette when coming across a fandom fic or fanart that you're not feeling is to either keep scrolling, or hit the back button. Don't like, don't read has been an age old saying in fandom, for good reason.

If the fanart or fanfic isn't to your taste, move on! There's no need or reason to tell the writer/artist you didn't like what they created. Unless you are specifically asked for constructive criticism by the writer or artist, your input is not needed nor asked for. To reiterate the above, fan creations shared are a gift. Just like if you received a gift you didn't like or want, especially one made by the gifter, would you immediately tell them all the reasons you don't like it? List reasons why they should rework it to your taste? Write critical "reviews" posted to sites like Tumblr, Goodreads, TikTok, etc. where the writer or artist can see them?

Why? What is your goal to do this? If the artist/writer didn't ask to be criticized, then you're doing the equivalent of telling someone that just wrote you a story or drew picture for you all the reasons it's bad. Who are you to decide what is good and bad?

How Will They Know They're Wrong?

Fandom means we are all here to celebrate something we all enjoy. You kill the mood of the party when you do things like complain how another fan's art failed to meet your expectations.

Also, please remember the artists and writers are fellow fans. Real human beings that put their time, effort, and a part of themselves in their work. Art is subjective, but there's a time and place to criticize that person, and at the public fandom party in front of everyone is not it.

Instead, form friendship's with fellow fans that share your tastes and are like-minded, and complain to them directly. Step out of the party into the yard for privacy and form a group chat where you can post your honest reactions. Run through the emotional reaction you're processing after seeing something you strongly dislike.

Warning: Unchecked snark and negativity can quickly turn toxic. Venting is fine, we all have to do it, but if you find your group space is only complaining about other people's fan works, or complaining about the people themselves, then maybe it's time to take a break and go home for a bit. Maybe go check out some other parties, or share your own fic/fanart.

Tag Responsibly

Lastly, if you're going to ignore everything above and continue to intrude at the party with toxicity, don't be a jerk and tag the fandom. Or ship. Or the creator's name. If people wanted your criticism, it would be asked for. Don't hurt someone's feelings because you wanted your 5 minutes of Internet fame.

[writings-of-a-hufflepuff]

Made not Born: Part 1

Fandom: The Witcher (Netflix)

Pairing: Jaskier x Plus Size! Goddess! Reader

Warnings: 

Writer: @writings-of-a-hufflepuff​ aka @hufflepuffing-all-day-long​

Summary: You’re a goddess of little things, but you were made not born. You tire of immortality, of the glitter that does not fade, of watching those around you grow and age and falter and die. You help Jaskier in a moment of need and in return he tries to help you. Perhaps you find yourself falling in love along the way.

Notes: 

You find him by the roadside. You’ve followed his journeys, one of the many mortals you enjoy watching the life of, and now you find him in need of help. His clothes are dirtied, he is sat in a muddy ditch, hair misplaced and blood bleeding from the broken skin of his lip. He is beaten and he is bloody, but not dangerously so. But you are a minor goddess, good for healing little wounds and mending small broken things. 

You don’t answer his questioning calls until you’ve placed a hand on his cheek and the bruises have faded, the cuts stitching themselves back together, the rips in his doublet mending. You doubt he knows what god you are, few do, but his eyes glimmer with recognition as he takes in your form. You are the homeliest looking of the gods, although by mortal standards anything but. Your hips are wide, your stomach soft, your skin is covered in marks and scars from your previous mortal life. Your hair does not shine and your eyes do not glow. You looked as you did in your mortal life, only with something extra, something which mortals could never place a finger on and could never quite describe. It was an essence that let them know you were more than them, something else, something other. For some this bred fear, other’s awe, some comfort, and many curiosity.

“You’re Desara” He lifts himself from his place sitting, only to kneel instead. Blue eyes twinkling up at you, taking in the strands of your hair, the colour of your eyes, the way your dress falls around your body as if purposefully effortless. He tries not to stare, he really does, but he’s never met a god before and you’re...godly, no...otherworldly, effortlessly beautiful, shining like a beacon and, most of all, you look kind. There is a softness in your face that he never expected a god to have, he always imagined there would be glares and glowering, thunderbolts and lightning. He always thought gods were supposed to be frightening.  You were the opposite of what he had imagined, you gave off a feeling of comfort and safety that had his shoulders relaxing without a thought.

“That’s what you mortals call me...I go by Y/N...” You rest your hands on his shoulders and urge him to rise, he towers above you. Another thing he thought impossible. He always imagined the gods doing the towering, but he has to angle his head downwards to look you in the eye. He isn’t sure if he’s supposed to look a god in the eye...he’s not sure what godly etiquette is. He’s fully prepared to make a massive faux pas and be struck down with some sort of plague or be crushed under the might of your godly powers. 

“Well, that’s very...”

“It’s a very mundane name, I know. I wasn’t always a goddess, you know?” You say with a small little smile, coy, playful. He shakes his head and swallows hard. He will admit he knows your name, knows that you are a minor goddess, known for little things, but he does not know what little things and he does not know your story or history. He always imagined that Gods were born. That they simply burst into existence or rather they existed and birthed everything else. He’d be lying if he said he was an overly devout man, he’d seen enough to be open minded, but had never been one for leaving offerings at shrines or speaking out prayers and thanks.  

“I was once a farmer’s daughter. I sowed the seeds, I threshed the wheat, I brought in the harvest...and then one day a god came to me and decided to make me a god too. She believed they needed more, believed she could create something more of me. I think she believed I’d become a great one, a powerful one.” You laugh and he thinks it is supposed to sound bitter and humourless, but instead it sounds soft on the breeze like the light strumming of his lute or the sound of birdsong on a spring morning. “So I became Desara, Goddess of the little things, the warmth of a hearth, the feeling of home after a long journey. Goddess of small creatures and little deeds, of jaunty tunes and a noiseless breeze. Goddess of the seed that roots and the weed that dies, Goddess of the daisy chains and flower crowns. Of worms and of rhymes. Of broken noses and split lips. My powers are minor and few pray to me. Mostly, little children who find my rhymes and songs amusing or who wind chains of flowers for their friends. They soon forget, however.”

“A rather impressive list, oh beautiful creature, oh mighty goddess” He is not sure how anyone could forget you. If you consider yourself minor and unimpressive he cannot imagine what the other gods are like, but he finds that he has no interest in finding out.

“Please. Y/N. I do not enjoy being....grovelled too or worshipped. I am so tired, Julian Alfred Pankratz. I have lived so long and so lonely.” 

“If I am to call you Y/N, then please call me Jaskier.” There is a pause before he continues, “Surely you have admirers at your beck and call?” He cannot imagine you without them. Cannot imagine why men and women would not flock to worship at your feet, why they would not revel in the swell of your hips or the softness of your body, the kindness of your face, or the gentle nature of your words. It seemed to him that anyone would be a fool not to admire and worship you. 

“Admirers are not loves. They grovel, they seek, they desire, they want, but they do not wish to truly know or listen or care. What I would give to be mortal again, to live in the moment, to know there is an end. To be loved for myself, a farmer’s daughter and not a goddess.”

“Is there not some way to do so? To become mortal, I mean?” He doesn’t pretend to know much about these sorts of things, that was always Geralt’s area of expertise, but it makes sense to him that anything that is made can be unmade, anything that is fixed can be broken. 

“For all my years, my knowledge of gods and kings, monsters and men is rather limited. If there is, I doubt the other God’s would tell me for fear that in some hateful fury I might make them mortal. Although I tend to avoid them where possible and would much rather leave them to their quibbling and return to a simpler life”

“Your predicament moves me, Y/N...I am humbled in your presence, “ You go to cut him off and chastise but he stops you, “Not because you are a god or some immortal being but because it is clear to me you have a mortal soul longing for what mortals do.  Love.” Perhaps he is flowery with his words, like most bards are, but you decide that he truly means what he says, no matter how poetic it might appear. 

“If you will permit me, I would try to help? I have little knowledge on the subject of Gods, but I know a friend who might know where to look.”

“The Witcher.” He looks surprised, “Us Gods watch, you know. From our skies and our seas and our grasses and our trees. I find you enjoyable in your journeys, Toss a Coin to Your Witcher really was a masterpiece,” 

“-Why thank yo-” You cut off the thanks, not needing thanks for speaking what you feel is the truth. 

“I watch and I know things. He is your friend and you are right, he knows a great deal about my kind and all the tricks to make or break us...do stress that I was not born a god, I was made...and surely what was made can be unmade?” You take a deep breath and humble yourself, kneeling in front of him in a way none of the other gods would,  “I...thank you, Jaskier...I wish to be me again and I no longer wish to be so old and weary and never age. Thank you for trying even if an answer cannot be found.”

“I’ll find an answer. For good or ill. I’ve never had a quest of my own before, a true adventure, and I refuse to fail you, Y/N. I hope I can return your mortality.” You feel a little of your composure slip at the genuine kindness and determination in his voice, at the hopefully gleam in his blue eyes. You blink away what tears have filled your eyes and stand up to lean forward, pressing a thankful kiss to his forehead, gentleness you bestow upon any you can, but rarely with such genuine feeling. 

“Thank you, Jaskier. I will aid in what little ways I can, but I am no greater god, I cannot do much but mend small breaks, and soothe little hurts.” It’s a warning, kindly, but one to remind him that if he needs help greater than you can give then there is little you can do. It would pain you to see one of your favourite mortals perish in an effort to help you, you wanted your mortality, but not at the cost of a life. Perhaps your mortality wasn’t even possible to regain.

You leave him there, kneeling in the dirt with soft eyes and a softer heart. To him it seems as if you become one with the leaves and the trees, drifting off to somewhere unknown and his eyes follow for as long as they can before you disappear entirely. He steels himself, rising from the ground, tugging on his now mended doublet and grabbing his lute. He has a witcher to find and despite their current differences, Geralt had made it quite clear that he didn’t want the bard hanging around, Jaskier needed his help and he would put up with the grump for you. A kind goddess in need of help regaining her mortality, beautiful as the sunrise and quiet as the moon, well, that was just a song that needed to be written and a story that needed to be told.

[fanfictionlive]

Fanfiction Terminology Thread

I feel like this could/would be useful. Especially for those new to writing fanfiction.

A/A = Action/Adventure: A genre of stories featuring a plot with a fair amount of physical (as in the "shoot 'em up, blow 'em up, beat 'em up" type and not the "don't come a-knockin' if the bed be a-rockin'" type!) action. Adventure stories tend to be mainly plot-driven in nature, but may also contain mystery or suspense or romance.

AH (all-human): This is used for fanfiction where canonical non-human characters are depicted as human. For instance, if the animals in Narnia were all humans. Usually in such cases the characters retain their names and personality, despite the change in species.

Angst: A genre indicating heavy and sometimes depressing themes, and characters suffering emotionally in some way. Relationship break-up, character death, and hurt/comfort are all forms of angst stories.

Archive: Refers to a collection of stories by multiple different authors in one easy-to-browse location. Major fandom archives often host thousands of stories of every imaginable variety. Many archives are also multifandom or even themed, such as Crossover archives. Fanfiction.Net is the largest archive ever in existence, and thus the first archive most new readers discover. While admittedly a great starting place for delving into a new fandom, it is by no means the only (or often best!) archive for many varieties of fandoms or genres. More specialised archives can generally be found by a quick Google search of the name of your fandom/pairing/preference with either the word "archive" or "fanfiction" beside it. Also, don't forget AO3! Otherwise known as the Archive Of Our Own, a massive fan-created multifandom archive alternative that is well worth checking out! (It has great downloadable formats of every story for e-readers and tablets, too!)

A/N: Author's Note: Usually used to answer questions, thank readers and betas, or explain things.

Backstory: A story about, or containing scenes of, the past history of a character as set well before the canon's timeline. The character's prior background may be previously established in canon and just further elaborated in the fic, or the backstory may be an entirely original creation of the author. As backstory is ostensibly part of the character's unseen history, it may be Jossed by canon at any time or possibly even retconned in at a later date. See also: Jossed and/or Retcon

BAMF = Bad Ass Mother Fucker: A character who is particularly awesome and impressive. Often expressed by the BAMF character being extremely clever, effective, and hard to defeat. BAMFs may be male or female, stereotypically heroic or unexpectedly amazing, consistently so or just during brief moments.

Bashing: A practice in which an author or reader who does not like a character or pairing consciously or unconsciously demonstrates their hatred for the character/pairing within the story. When character bashing, for example, an author may rewrite a canonical character out-of-character as an idiot, evil villain, or have other characters mention their dislike within the story.

Beta (-'d, -read, or -reader): Having someone knowledgeable in writing etiquette edit a story prior to posting. While spell-checking a story can catch most simple mistakes, certain grammar faux-pas will be missed. A beta-reader can catch not only the technical errors, but is often useful as a sounding board for improving the story itself. Betas can fill in plot holes, keep your characterizations on target, and help guide an author to new creative heights. Authors are fantastic and always appreciated, but betas make authors better and deserve some appreciation of their own.

Big Bang: Refers to a special kind of ficathon event in which authors sign-up to write long stories or novels by a certain date and are paired up with fanartists who make accompanying artwork for their stories. Length requirements for Big Bang challenges can range anywhere from a minimum of 10,000 words up to 50,000 word novels, and often produce epics well past those minimums. (A "Reverse Big Bang" is the same thing just switched around, with authors creating novels based upon submitted fanart.) Big Bangs may be fandom-specific, pairing-specific, genre-specific, or open to all possibilities. They also usually result in a large explosion of wonderful long fics all being posted simultaneously, hence the appropriateness of the term 'Big Bang'. See also: Challenge, Ficathon and/or Prompt

Canon Pairing: A couple that is clearly stated to be a pairing in the actual manga/anime/etc. The term is also used to refer to a two characters that are heavily suggested to be a couple. So saying that they would become a couple is “canon”.

Citrus: Sexually explicit scenes or fics (Warning: generally assumed to have no plot beyond the sex).

Con: Short for ‘convention’.

Conventional Relationship: Relationships that have occurred within canon, i.e. Spike/Harmony, Angel/Buffy, Angelus/Darla, etc.

ConCrit or Concrit: Short for "constructive criticism". Within the realm of fan fiction, "constructive criticism" nearly always refers to criticism of a specific work, rather than a general criticism of the writer.

Cosplay: Short for 'costume play', a 'cosplayer' is somebody who dresses up as a character from their fandom. The term originated in Japan and was originally anime-specific, but has moved into wider use, and is both a noun and a verb: a cosplay is the costume itself, or the event at which it is worn. 'Cosplaying' somebody is shorthand for 'dressing up as' that individual.

Crack Pairing: Randomly take two characters… they don’t have to know each other, they don’t have to show ANY signs of a relationship, and hook them together. That is a crack pairing. (I personally like them, I just adore randomness)

Crossover: Where characters from one fandom, interact with another.

Deathfic: A story in which a character, usually one of the main ones, dies. They also will occasionally deal with things like funerals, characters recovering from people they love dying or, usually after the death of a loved one, the character committing suicide.

DLDR: An acronym for 'don't like, don't read', often trotted out as an answer to concrit or flaming. A person who uses it to apply to a genre of fanfiction that the reviewer claims to dislike: eg, in answer to a complaint that the writer's work contains nothing but slash, is usually considered to be in the right.

Drabble: A drabble is a short work of fiction of two hundred words or less in length. The purpose of the drabble is brevity, testing the author's ability to express interesting and meaningful ideas in a confined space.

Dub-Con: There is also "dub-con," or "dubiously consensual", in which the character's consent is at least questionable.

ER = Established Relationship: Stories featuring characters already involved in an established romantic or sexual relationship prior to the beginning of the story. The opposite of a first time fic.

Fandom: Refers to people who enjoy a specific Book, TV Show, Movie, or other type of media and actively interact with others who share interest in the same media.

Fanon: Refers to common plot or character elements that were not established by the original source material, but are generally accepted to be true by the fans anyway. These are the un-official details, folks. Fanon concepts have often become so prevalent in the fandom that their origins (which fan came up with the idea first) are no longer remembered. Example: In The Sentinel fandom, the minor canon character of Detective Rafe was never given a first name. Fanon, however, assigned him the name of Brian and it stuck.

Fan Service: Scenes or moments within the original canon source material that are deliberate nods to the fans, such as in-jokes or bonus scenes that most fans can immediately recognize as being targeted to them rather than just the general viewer audience. Fan service indicates that the canon's creators and/or actors are aware of and appreciate their fans' dedication and they wish to acknowledge it in some form by catering to their fans' preferences. Oftentimes, this desire to please the fans is expressed in gratuitous scenes of nudity ("eye candy") or playing up of the subtext between characters' relationships even though it is irrelevant to the plot. Is usually excellent fun for both TPTB and the fans, but can become distracting if overused.

Fanwank: The fandom equivalent of a retcon: rewriting the show to suit your needs or finding an explanation for events that keeps the character's motives true to the character as the writer sees it. These are often far stretching theories on the why's or hows of canon.

Feedback: Refers to comments given to authors by readers about the fanfic they just read. Readers who enjoy a story are encouraged to let the author know, either by private email or a public review. Feedback acts as a form of extrinsic reinforcement, which basically means that it generates good feelings in the author. Those good feelings reinforce the author's desire to keep writing. Feedback can be anything from a short "I love your story!" to lengthy dissections of what works and what doesn't. Constructive criticism is sometimes appreciated (depends on the author), but flames are never acceptable. Fanfiction authors don't get paid to write, they do it for the fun of it and the shared enjoyment with their readers, so please be respectful when giving feedback of any kind.

Feels = Short form of "Feelings": Refers to intense feelings experienced by reader over certain scenes or character developments within a story or canon that cause a strong emotional response. Some authors may warn or tag for 'feels' if they know their story contains emotionally fraught scenes that may incite them in the reader.

FemSlash: Fanfiction based on lesbians.

Ficathon: A multi-participant challenge and writing fest in which authors are invited to submit story ideas in return for writing another author's prompt. Often, but not always, participation is anonymous until a later date. Ficathons often run based on a particular theme, but can be anything. Stories are usually beta'd prior to posting.

Ficlet: Refers to a complete short story, usually only 201 - 699 words long, as a ficlet is short enough not to take much time to read.

Flamer: A term used to describe someone who enjoys commenting or reviewing a person's story harshly, only pointing out the faults, often using heavy sarcasm. The comment or review left by such a person is known as a "flame."

Fluff: A light-hearted story or romance that's devoid of angst.

Future-fic: Refers to stories in which the characters are written at a time (usually far) into their own future. Stories are by necessity pure speculation. Also known as "Post-Canon".

Gen: General, or non romantic fanfiction.

Genderswap (-bender or -flip): Stories in which a character of one gender undergoes some kind of sex change at some point throughout or before the fic. Are usually sudden and unexpected, caused by magic or alien technology. Can be temporary or permanent and irreversible. Can be serious or, often, quite humorous. May also indicate stories in which a character who is canonically one gender and always has been the opposite gender within the fic, such as a canon male character being rewritten as a female in 'always-a-girl' fics.

Gush: Gushing is the opposite of bashing - a gusher absolutely loves and praises something and will go on about it until everybody else is sick of listening to them. The term is not used as often as 'bash', probably because gushers are somewhat less annoying.

HEA = Happily Ever After: Refers to stories in which the characters find romance and close with a Happily Ever After ending.

Hiatus: Refers to a break of weeks or months between episodes of a television show, usually between seasons/series or over holidays. Authors may also take hiatuses from writing to prevent or recover from burning out. A hiatus does not mean the show or story is cancelled or abandoned, merely temporarily postponed.

H/C (Hurt/Comfort): A plot where one character in a relationship experiences pain, and their partner offers comfort.

IIRC: Acronym for ‘if I recall correctly.’

IMHO: Acronym for ‘in my humble opinion’.

Lemons: Another term for PWP, or Mature or explicit sex.

Limes: Stories with sexual themes, but aren't explicit.

Lurker: Refers to a reader who does not comment or review a fic or post. Lurkers stay quietly in the background, their presence unseen and often unknown, merely passively absorbing the fandom without actively participating. Lurkers may leave anonymous reviews when able, but generally prefer to remain unobtrusively in the shadows away from any possible wank.

(Side note: Yes, this is actually a thing) MPreg or mpreg: Short for male pregnancy. Stories that involve this trope will either provide an explanation for the male pregnancy that is reasonable within the bounds of canon (only applicable in canons that include magic or fantasy elements, or for canons set in a future where medicine may conceivably enable male pregnancy), attempt to provide a pseudo-scientific explanation (for canons that are otherwise subject to real-world laws of biology), or provide no explanation whatsoever. Explanations in the second category can be extremely thin; fics which fall into the third category are often considered crack. Mpreg is a common squick and will almost always be warned for.

Mary Sue: An unusually powerful or favored-by-the-author character. This character may represent the author's own wish-fulfillment fantasy. Often the Mary Sue character will rescue the nominal main character from a series of impossible situations, or nurse him back to health after he is seriously wounded or driven to the edge of insanity. The term can be used derisively by saying a story is contaminated by "Mary Sue-age" where the "Sue-age" is a homonym of "sewage." A male Mary Sue is sometimes referred to as "Marty Stu" or "Gary Stu". Though "Mary Sue" is not exclusively a fan fiction term, it is strongly associated with fan fiction due to the frequency with which Mary Sue characters appear in fan-created works. Several nicknames for specific subtypes of Mary Sues exist, such as "God Mode Sue" for overly powerful characters or "Mary Tzu" for unrealistically good tacticians.

Missing Scene: A short story written to fill in, add to, or flesh out a gap in the canon episode's storyline.

Muse: Refers to the source of inspiration for an author or artist. May be another person or thing, or just an aspect of their own imagination. It is what usually breeds the plotbunnies in an author's mind, but it can be impeded temporarily or permanently. This frustrating situation is widely known as Writers Block and is the bane of many an author's existence.

Name Smooshing: An alternate way to denote the relationship pairing in a fanfic. Where as the traditional notation is: First Character's name/Second Character's name. Example: Smooshed ship name: JaSam - Ja - Jason / Sam - Sam = JaSam Traditional notation: Jason Morgan/Sam McCall (General Hospital fandom)

Netiquette: General term for online niceness. This applies to many online settings, proper netiquette involves everything from asking for permission before archiving stories or essays to writing responses/feedback to authors you enjoy and signing guestbooks at sites you visit. Netiquette's main purpose is to keep online life friendly and avoid hard feelings and misunderstandings.

Non-con: "Non-consensual": a character in the story is forced or coerced into sexual activity. Precise definitions of this term vary; it may be considered synonymous with 'rape', or may be distinguished from rape by the fact that the character, though not having wanted the sex, does experience pleasure.

NSFW = Not Safe For Work: Refers to stories or images that contain elements, usually of an explicitly sexual nature, that make them inappropriate to be opened in a public domain such as one's place of employment.

One-Shot: A one-shot (or oneshot) is defined as a fanfic that has only one chapter. One-shots can also have sequel fics and still be considered one-shots. 700 words or more.

OTP: One true pairing is a term used by fans to indicate their favorite pairing in a particular fandom. It can refer to a canon couple or two other characters that the fan would like to see in a romantic relationship.

OT3: A variation on OTP, stands for one true threesome. It describes a similar situation in which three characters (usually all from canon) are romantically and sexually linked. The term can be expanded indefinitely, as OT4, OT5, etc., although higher numbers tend to be parodic. OT3 is more likely to appear in fandoms with multiple canonical characters operating in an ensemble.

Pit of Voles: The archive site fanfiction.net. The term was coined by a fan who sought to emphasize the overwhelming quantity of very bad fanfiction in that archive.

Plot Bunny: An idea for the beginning (or middle, or end - some fragment, in isolation) of a story, generally occurring to an author in a flash of inspiration and then leaving him or her to work out the rest of the plotline by the hard away. The number of plotbunnies an author conceives of is usually inversely proportional to the time he or she has available to write.

Pre-Series: Stories set before the official canon timeline begins, by as little as days before to often back when the characters themselves were children. Often contains backstory, but may be acknowledged alternate universes not attempting to remain canon-compliant. Even if the author does make an effort to do so, they can be easily Jossed by later canon.

PWP: Stands for Porn Without Plot, or Plot? What Plot?

Queerbaiting: The idea of queerbaiting has evolved mainly among slash and femslash fans to mean an in-progress canonical storyline which exploits queer fans or fans of a specific queer ship by teasing them for ratings without any intention of actually making characters canonically queer.

Rarepair: A pairing combination that is not often seen in a given fandom and has only a few dedicated fans who ship it. Often features minor canon characters rather than the main cast members, though it may consist of a major character paired with a minor character as well. May also include rare crossover pairings.

Rating: A classification system in which a story is marked for suitability by age or content. Rating levels indicate what amount of graphic language, violence, or sexual content a reader might anticipate within the story. Most fanfiction ratings still follow the USA Motion Picture Ratings established for television and movies, whereby G=General Audiences, PG=Parental Guidance, PG-13=Parental Guidance for Anyone Under 13, R=Restricted to Mature Audiences Only, and NC-17=No Children Under 17 Permitted. However there are a growing number of sites now using the non-copyrighted Fan Rated Rating System with its equivalent values, and some other sites that use their own personal systems.

R&R: Stands for Read and Review.

RPF: Real Person Fiction. Fanfiction written about famous people. Musicians, Actors, Athletes, etc.

Rec: A rec is an abbreviation of “recommendation”, as in a fan fiction recommendation. Extensions of the term include "recpages" and "reclists" and are, thus, pages and lists of recommended fan fiction. Typically these sources are a collection of links redirecting the reader to the original hosting site of the story, and do not seek to re-host the work. Lists will often include just the title of the work, a direct link, the author, the rating, and a brief summary, or any combination thereof.

Retcon = Retroactive Continuity: A story or idea written to change or add to the already established history of a canon or fanfic. Often, it is performed to smooth out continuity so that there are no gaps or glaring errors in the characterizations or plotlines as new ideas are introduced. Alternatively, it may completely change the meaning of all other continuity and result in a total "reboot" of the work.

Rule 34: Refers to one of the Rules Of The Internet originally coined as a 4chan meme which essentially states: "If it exists, there is porn of it." In fandom, this rule means that if a fan can conceive of a topic, be it kink or pairing or whatever else, someone else has likely already written it. If not, the corollary Rule 35 states that such porn will soon be created.

Rule 63: Refers to one of the Rules Of The Internet originally coined as a 4chan meme which essentially states: "For any given male character, there is a female version of that character." In fandom, this rule is the reason for the prevalence of the Genderswap trope, be it the 'sudden-sex-change' or 'always-a-girl' variation on the theme. It also applies to the opposite of female characters rewritten/redrawn as males, too.

Sex Pollen: Stories in which some sort of external influence (often the pollen of a plant, hence the name, but may be any kind of drug, magic, or mind-control) causes the characters to spontaneously engage in sexual relations, often oblivious to gender or sexuality or even propriety. Is a classic sci-fi trope. Originated in various classic Comics and Science Fiction fandoms, but has since been procured by several other kinds of fandoms as well.

Ship: A ship (short for "relationship") is a romantic pairing in a particular fandom. A fanfiction story may feature one or more "ships". Many fans may consistently favor a particular character pairing (or more than one), and such a fan is referred to as a "shipper." Popular couples may have a special name or portmanteau to refer to their ship; for example, in the Superman fandom, Clark Kent and Lois Lane (as a ship) are called Clois.

Shipper: Someone who has an affinity for a specific pairing or relationship, whether conventional or non. I myself ship Spike/Angel, as you may also since you're here, but I also ship Angelus/Darla and even Spike/Anya, which is not terribly different from most fans, we all like different pairings when we're in different moods. It is okay, really, like who you like and don't flame others just because they worship a different relationship, okay?

Ship War: A war between two followings of different 'ships, usually sharing one common character, thus the reason for their fighting.

SI: Self-Insertion. Meaning that the writer puts themself into the story.

Slow Burn: Stories featuring characters who gradually and naturally fall in love or lust before beginning a romantic or sexual relationship. As the emphasis is on the slow evolution of the relationship rather than a quick conflagration into sudden resolution, such stories may contain a lot of UST and pining until the smoldering passion eventually catches fire. See also: UST

Smarm: Physical or emotional displays of affection between characters, usually of the same gender but not necessarily, that are considered completely non-sexual in nature. Often represented as the affection of family or deep friendships. (Smarm is NOT slash!) Originated in the Starsky and Hutch fandom, but has since been procured by several other fandoms as well.

Smut: In case you don’t know already, smut pertains anything that is sex. Smut scene = Sex scene. Smut Writer = Erotica Writer.

Snuff: A piece of fanfiction that exists simply so that the author may kill off a character he or she does not like.

Sockpuppet: Can be a noun or a verb: A person advocating an unpopular opinion, posting under several names in order to convince other members of a community that he or she has a great deal of support is sockpuppeting. A sockpuppet account is a membership to a message board or mailing list created as an alternative identity for the puppeteer.

Spoiler: Stories or comments which contain scenes or information crucial to a specific episode of the canon material, often about major plot points or character developments. The accidental or deliberate revelation of the information prior to seeing the canon material usually "spoils" the surprise/pleasure for the reader in discovering the information themselves. Warning for spoilers allows readers to make the choice themselves about whether or not they wish to proceed and discover the unknown information willingly or skip the story until later, instead of having the surprise unpleasantly ruined when they least expected it.

Squee: In contrast to squick, squeeing is encountering stories or elements of stories that are especially entertaining, an onomatopoeia for a high-pitched squeal of delight. Elements that can make a reader "squee" include meta references, inclusion of OTPs, or pop culture references. Compare fanservice.

Squick: Refers to possibly offensive elements (ie: bestiality, abuse, rape, torture, slavery, suicide, etc...) of a story which may cause feelings of unease or revulsion in a reader. Most likely derived from the combination of the word "squeamish" and the slang term "icky." Authors should provide warnings of any and all possible squicks in their stories, especially those that may be triggering to trauma survivors. (Remember: Different people are squicked by different things! Besides, one person's squick may be another's kink... so it's not always a bad thing to advertise.)

STFU: Acronym for 'shut the fuck up'. Used to mean that the poster has absolutely had it with the addressee.

Stand Alone: A single story that can be read and understood in full without having read any other prior story. Stand alones are complete in and unto themselves, and are not related to any other story by that author, or any other author for that matter. Also called One-shots.

Trigger (TW = Trigger Warning): Anything seen, read, or experienced that can cause a negative reaction within a trauma survivor's psyche, such as flashbacks or extreme anxiety due to exposure to something which triggers the memory of the traumatic event to replay within their minds. Authors should, out of respect to survivors, provide story warnings for the most common triggers (ex: rape, suicide, abuse, self-harm, torture, etc...) to prevent blindsiding their readers with unexpected suffering. Oftentimes, just the advanced knowledge alone is enough to override the trigger itself so that it does not adversely affect the reader if they are prepared for it ahead of time. Even if an author chooses not to warn for squicks, they should still provide basic trigger warnings as a common courtesy.

TWS: An acronym for 'train wreck syndrome'. Used to refer to things that are fascinating and horrifying at the same time, such as Twincest.

Troll: Refers to someone (who is usually cowardly anonymous) who deliberately and often repeatedly makes inflammatory or off-topic comments in a ploy to rile up other people and create dissension. Trolls set out to induce emotional responses, preferably as explosive as possible, and don't actually seem to care about whatever point they are making so long as it starts an argument. In truth, trolls cannot and should not be argued with at all because you can't make them see reason and you are only encouraging them to be even more disruptive if you try. Hence, the frequently used reminder of "Please Do Not Feed The Trolls", because often the only way to get rid of them is to simply ignore them.

Trope: A conventional literary device or figure of speech in which elements within a story plot, setting, characterization, or 'behind the scenes' of a fanwork (or canon source material) are a common concept that audiences are already familiar with and can easily recognize. Tropes are related to the concept of clichés but are not actually the same thing, especially in that they are not necessarily overused to the point of being distracting. Rather tropes are significant or recurrent themes whose universality makes them a convenient way to show familiar concepts.

Unconventional Relationship: AKA UC pairing, a non-canon relationship. i.e. Spike/Angel, Spike/Xander, Angel/Anya, etc.

UST: Stands for “unresolved sexual tension” and refers to 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.

WTF? Acronym for 'what the fuck'. Used as a shorthand for questions such as "what is this person talking about?" or "what is going on?", but usually only when said questions are not meant to be answered - the person speaking is expressing his or her confusion, not looking for an explanation.

Whumpage: Also known simply as whump. Describes a style of fic in which the plot or events focus on physical (or sometimes emotional) violence done to the lead character or characters. Whumpage overlaps with darkfic, but is not synonymous, as whumpage can focus on the character's endurance or survival as well as on suffering. Whumpage differs from H/C (Hurt/Comfort) in that the "comfort" side of the dynamic is rarely present. The term may also be used to describe a story element in a fanfic that is not otherwise specifically focused on violence and suffering

Woobie: A woobie is a character that elicits the sympathy of the reader, often because the character has experienced excessive abuse or misfortune.

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