Focal vocabulary related to ships and fan fiction

Here you have a list with some focal vocabulary related to ships and fan fiction. Enjoy!

Angst: Although it’s often used to describe fan fiction that is dark and characters that suffer a lot; it’s also used for situations or literary pieces with the same dark and suffering charged characters.

ATTHS: “And then they have sex.” From the X-Files fandom. It’s used by authors who don’t want to describe explicit sex in their fan fiction pieces.

AU: Alternative Universe.

Archive: A website that publishes fan fiction stories from many different authors.

BAMF: Badass motherfucker. It’s used to describe strong, independent and badass female characters (or a male character if you read slash).

Beta/beta reader: An editor of fan fiction; someone who reads the story before it is released to the main public.

BROTP: It’s very similar to OTP (one’s true pairing), but it refers to a set of friends that are destined to be besties forever.

Bromance: A close relationship between two men, but nonsexual. It can also be a complicated love relationship between two straight men.

Canon: Description of the events that happened in the movies as they happened.

Conventional relationship: A relationship with two characters that has taken place within the Canon.

Crackship: An alluring pairing in fandom that it’s very unlikely to happen in canon. Some say that those who ship it must be on crack to support the ship.

Creys: Synonym to “feels” but much darker. It’s like crying because they’re based on a very negative development in the plot of the story you’re fan of.

Crossover: It happens when you pair a character with another from different fandoms. It usually happens within the realm of fan fiction. However, many shows crossover one another. For example: the Flash and Supergirl.

Dark Lord: It refers to the evil character, usually with plans for world domination or its destruction. Examples: Darth Vader, Sauron, Loki.

Death smile: Probably from “death ray” (Nikola Tesla), referring to Loki having the sexiest smile ever.

Done: A description of the feelings of a fan when stating something negative or positive about something that happened to their favorite character. A tornado of emotions.

Drabble: A 100 word fan fiction.

Drabblet: A 100-500 word fan fiction.

Endgame: when a fictional pairing are together forever, at the end of the show, movie, book…

Fandom: A community that shares the same interests around a celebrity, a movie, a show, a singer, etc.

Fanfic: Fan fiction. A written piece telling an alternate story about a movie or a show. Usually writers write further, deeper or alternative story lines.

Fangirling: Behaving as a fangirl. For example: to collect pics in your computer, having posters, collecting things, being aware of being a fangirl. Extreme fangirling would include a Gollum syndrome, according to which the idolized person turns to be like the One Ring.

Fanvid: a music video made by fans combining scenes of their favorite fandom and music.

Fanwank: Re-writing a movie, show. See “Retcon.”

Feels: Synonym of feelings. It’s used by fans to describe a tornado of unstoppable emotions.

Fic: Short for fan fiction.

Ficathon: An event in which several writers decide to write a piece of fan fiction with a deadline.

Ficlet: A 500-1000 word fan fiction.

Flames: Unhelpful feedback, close to trolling than a real feedback.

Fluff: A humorous or romantic piece of fan fiction. There’s little to no plot at all.

FOETP: The perfect nemesis. If you have a OTP, you might also have a FOETP.

Future Fic: Future fiction, fiction that takes place after the canon story ends.

GPOY: Gratuitous picture of yourself. It’s most used on Tumblr in the main post or as a tag. It might be accompanied by a picture of yourself, or an explanation of what you do.

Hand porn (also, neck porn, etc): An expression meaning I love his hands, neck, etc.

HBIC: Head bitch in charge.

H/C (hurt/comfort): A piece of fan fiction in which one of the two characters is hurt and the other helps the hurt one. It usually ends with some sex.

Het: Fan fiction where male/female relationships are presented.

Headcanon: Additional narrative used by fans to explore a particular belief not used in the canon narrative of the show, movie, books… It makes sense in the head of a particular fan, a group of them or an entire fandom. There might be possibilities for some head canons to become canon if they’re finally incorporated into the original narrative by producers or writers.

I can’t: An expression used by fans to express to many feelings that are overwhelming them.

I hate your face: Used by fans to describe how beautiful/handsome is one of their favorite characters/actors/actresses.

Jump the Shark: It happens when a show is declining quality and is ill with cheap writing. Writers want to shock viewers and tend to forget quality over shock.

Kerfuffle: An online argument among several people, usually about slash topics.

Kink Fic: Kink fan fiction.

LJ: Live journal.

Ladygoggles: A methaphor that points at watching a show only for the female characters.

Life-ruiner: For example, Loki (Tom Hiddleston). He is so perfect that he ruins your life in the most positive and perfect way. (Coff, coff)

MAL: Middle-aged lady.

Manip: Manipulation. It normally refers to photomanipulation. Fans manipulate pictures to make things happen that are not happening within the canon narrative of their favorite show.

Meta: A nonfiction piece of fan fiction that explores other areas of the fictional world.

Netiquette: Online etiquette.

Non-canon: Relationships that are not in the canon of the movie or show.

NOTP: Your least favorite pairing.

OC: a. Original character. An original character created by a fan fiction writer. b. Other character. A minor character poorly introduced in the movie or show, or who was not very active, that is used in the fan fiction.

OOC: Out of character. Usually used in role-play to describe when someone wants to be out, or when describing some actions are not what the original character would have done.

OTP: One true pairing. A romantic couple that the fan likes best.

POV: Point of view.

PWP: Porn without plot.

Posting text: The warning text at the beginning of a fan fiction post in which its title, type, etc is stated.

Rates: Types of fan fiction. Fiction ratings are: K (content suitable for most ages), K+ (suitable for children 9 years old and older), T (suitable for teens, 13yo and older), M (not suitable for children or teens below 16 years old, contains mature content), MA (contains explicit content, mature adults only). Other rating systems follow that of the movies: G (all ages), PG (there is some intimacy and mild language), PG-13 (there is some touching and strong language), R (there is nudity, sex and/or course language), NC-17 (there is graphic sex with lots of details, maybe tortures, etc).

Retcon: Re-writing a movie, show. See “Fanwank.”

RPF: Real people fiction, fan fiction involving real people.

RPG: Role-playing game. They can be offline or online.

RPS: Real people slash fan fiction.

Ship: To ship, to like a fictional relationship between two characters. “I ship it like Fedex” would express a strong feeling of liking that relationship.

Shipper: A fan who has a specific relationship between two or more characters as his/her favorite one.

Slash: Fan fiction where male/male relationships are presented. See “Yaoi.”

Slay: To kill it. To do something amazing.

SMUT: Erotic fan fiction.

Songfic: Fan fiction with lyrics from a song, or inspired by a song.

Squee: An onomatopeia that refers to a fan getting exited about something.

Squeeflail: When a fan does the squee sound and moves her body in an exited manner, usually by flapping the arms like a bird.

Squick: Something in the plot that turns off and out a reader from the fan fiction piece.

Subtext: A sexual relationship that is only apparent to the viewers of a certain movie or show.

Stan: Synonym of stalker or fan. It’s also used to refer to a fan more focussed on the celebrities than the characters.

TBC: To be continued.

TGTGT: Totally gratuitous, totally gay touching.

Trash: A fan will use it to describe herself when she likes a lot or is obsessing over a ship. Used in a joking manner.

Troll: An online troublemaker who only wants to cause arguments and chaos.

Unicorn: Someone who is unique.

UC: Unconventional relationship. A non-canon relationship.

What is air? An expression used by fans when they’ve laughed a lot.

WIP: Work in progress.

Yaoi: Slash fan fiction.

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