A/A = Action/Adventure -- refers to 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.

Adult -- refers to the presence of graphic or explicit sexual content and/or violence; must be 18 years or older to read. See also: 'Het' and/or 'Slash'

Angst --refers to physical or, mainly, emotional torment of characters. See also: 'H/C'

Archive -- a collection of stories in one easy-to-browse location. Major fandom archives often host thousands of stories of every imaginable variety.

AU = Alternate Universe -- refers to a story of which there is a (often major) plot, setting, or character deviation away from estalished canon. Sometimes refered to as Alternate Realities or Parallel Realities. See also: 'Fusion'

Badfic -- refers to stories written in a deliberately horrible manner, as a special type of Parody story (one usually only done as a Challenge). Badfics tend to use every cliche in the book, ridiculous (completely out-of-character) sweeping (and often purple-prosy) descriptions and dialogue, and mainly... the most awful grammar and spelling one can stand! Such stories can be terribly funny (in the way watching a train wreck is interesting) or excrutiatingly nauseating. It takes a master to pull it off without encouraging the Pepto-Bismol stockprices, so is not recommended for beginners. May or may not require a squick warning, but I'd lean heavily toward the "may" half of that option if I were you. See also: 'Challenge' and/or 'Parody'

Bestiality -- refers to the presence of a sexual relationship between humans and animals. Most bestiality stories actually involve a human physically transformed into an animal via some spell or mysticism, but who still retains their human thoughts and emotions. May be mild to extreme, implied or graphic. This can frequently be a squick for many people, so should be listed in the author's warnings.

Beta (-'d, -read, or -reader) -- refers to having someone knowledgable 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 plotholes, 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.

BDSM (or B/D, D/s, S/M) = Bondage Domination Sadism Masochism -- refers to the presence of bondage, dominance/submission, and/or sado-masochism for sexual or violence purposes. May be mild (PG-13) to extreme (NC-17). This can frequently be a squick for many people, so should be listed in the author's warnings. See also: 'Bondage'

Bondage -- refers to the presence of physical restraints used as sexual stimulus for a character in a sex scene. May be mild (PG-13) to extreme (NC-17). This can frequently be a squick for many people, so should be listed in the author's warnings. See also: 'BDSM'

Canon -- refers to elements established by original source material (TV show, book, movie, etc...) itself for either plot, setting, or character developments. The official details, as it were. See also: 'Fanon'

Casefile -- refers to a certain type of plot element in a mystery or action storyline which involves the procedural investigation of a case. Most frequently used in fact-based fandoms, such as crime or medical shows. See also: 'Plot'

Challenge -- refers to story ideas issued to potential authors by other fans; often involve following specific guidelines or using suggested elements. Example: In an ABC challenge, each sentence must begin with the next letter of the alphabet until the the entire alphabet has been used.

Con = short form of "Convention" -- refers to real-life gatherings of fans--sometimes officially endorsed (with offical guests!), sometimes not--gathering together to meet and exchange over a period of several days. Cons may be small (no more than 25 people) or large (no less than 25,000 people); dedicated to one specific fandom or welcoming them all; gen, slash, or bi-genre in nature; and/or anything else the hosts can think of.
Moonbeam's Note: For example, MediaWest* is a famous multifandom sci-fi con held every Memorial Day Weekend in Lansing, Michigan (USA).

Corporal Punishment -- refers to the presence of mild to extreme physical punishment as a child-rearing practice, whether implied or described. This can frequently be a squick for many people (myself included!), so should be listed in the author's warnings.

Crackfic -- refers to stories in which completely ridiculous, unbelievable or inexplicable things occur. Are generally written shamelessly and with no excuse beyond a desire to have fun. Often are also PWPs, though not always NC17. Are almost always humourous, although it is possible to write them seriously. See also: 'Humour' and 'PWP'

Crossover -- refers to stories which include the characters, premises, or settings of more than one fandom coincide. Crossovers may consist of a complete blending of universes or only a slight connection. See also: 'AU' and 'Fusion'

Dark (-fic or -Story) -- refers to stories in which either the content or, usually, the characters themselves are written "darker" than their canon counterparts. Can range from morally ambiguous to outright evil, possibly even psychopathic/sociopathic. Stories often carry high ratings due to disturbing subject matter. See also: 'AU'

DD = Domestic Discipline -- refers to the presence of character interaction similar to that of a parent and child, but in the context of a sexual relationship. This can frequently be a squick for many people (myself included!), so should be listed in the author's warnings.

Death (-fic or -Story) -- refers to stories in which a major or minor canon character dies. This can frequently be a squick for many people, so should be listed in the author's warnings. (If possible, that is. Admittedly, sometimes the nature of deathfics are best kept secret, so that nothing detracts from the power of the emotional impact upon revelation.)

Disclaimer -- refers to the legal statement of ownership, or non-ownership, authors make regarding the use of canon characters, settings, premises, etc... Technically, disclaimers do not provide any legal protection against charges of copyright infringement, so it is not truly necessary to include them. However, they are considered a courtesy that is strongly encouraged, in that they do provide a valid defense against charges of plagiarism. The best disclaimers actually mention who the legal copyright holders are, which may mean the creator and/or production network. Most fanworks are generally considered to be transformative and therefore fall under the "Fair Use" clause of copyright law, and disclaimers help reinforce that distinction. See also: 'Plagiarism'

Drabble -- refers to stories of exactly 100 words in length.
Moonbeam's Note: There is some debate among fans as to the exact definition of a drabble. The 100-word limit is the most common (and, quite frankly, makes the most sense) but acceptable word limits can range anywhere from 50 to 500 words.

Dub-Con = Dubious-Consent -- refers to the presence of borderline non-consensual sexual contact within a story, whether implied or described. Often begins with a character refusing or denying the sexual relationship, but who eventually changes their mind and enjoys the act. It is a grey area between fully reciprocal intercourse and non-con, but is definitely not rape. This can frequently be a squick for many people, so should be listed in the author's warnings. See also: 'Non-Con' and 'Rape'

ER = Established Relationship -- refers to 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. See also: 'First Time'

f/f = Female/Female -- refers to a homosexual relationship involving two women. Sometimes referred to as 'Femslash'. See also: 'Slash'

Fanart -- refers to original illustrations and/or photo manipulations featuring fandom-related characters, etc... based on original source material, but created by a fan. It is a form of transformative work designed as an expression of appreciation and exploration of the canon material. No profit is made from its production or distribution; no harm is meant. See also: 'Fanfic' and 'Fanvid'

Fandom -- refers to the fan-based community dedicated to a particular TV show or other cult-inducing medium. Fandom includes both the internet presence and real-life (ie: at Cons) presence, and is expressed in many ways; including fanart, fanfic, Cons, etc...

Fanfic (-tion) -- refers to original stories featuring the characters, settings, premises, etc... of original source material, but written by a fan. It is a form of transformative work designed as an expression of appreciation and exploration of the canon material. No profit is made from its production or distribution; no harm is meant. See also: 'Fanart' and 'Fanvid'

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, the minor canon character of Detective Rafe was never given a first name. Fanon, however, assigned him the name of Brian and it stuck. See also: 'Canon'

Fanvid -- refers to music videos and montages created by a fan using a combination of clips from original source material set to a song or tune. It is a form of transformative work designed as an expression of appreciation and exploration of the canon material. No profit is made from its production or distribution; no harm is meant. See also: 'Fanart' and 'Fanfic'

Feedback -- refers to an author's idea of a 'reward' for their efforts. *g* Okay, seriously, feedback acts as a form of extrinsic reinforcement (if you want the actual psychological classification), which basically means that it generates good feelings in the author. Those good feelings reinforce the author's desire to write, so that they can get more good feelings and start the cycle all over again. (However, I should point out that this is not and should not be the main reason authors write. They should write for the intrinsic reinforcement, the sense of good feelings that is inspired within themselves. Internal sources of reinforcement like a sense of accomplishment, pride in their work, joy in playing with the characters, or the pleasure of sharing should be the reason authors write and post stories. Otherwise, if they fail to get external sources of reinforcement, they may grow dissatisfied with writing and quit.) Readers who enjoy a story are encouraged to let the author know, either by private email or a public review. 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, but flames are not. Fanfiction authors don't get paid to write, they do it for the fun of it. Getting feedback for your work, knowing people out there are reading and enjoying what you write--it's all the reward an author needs. (Unfortunately, the statistics on readers giving feedback are very low: something like only 1 out of 200 stories, according to one estimate, ever recieve feedback. Which means that every letter of comment is special and greatly appreciated.) See also: 'LoC'

Ficathon -- refers to 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. See also: 'Challenge' and 'Prompt'

Filk -- refers to stories written along the lines of a song; usually a parody of either the TV show or of the song itself. See also: 'Songfic'

First Time -- refers to stories in which the characters become romantically or sexually involved for the 'first time' during the course of the story. As opposed to having an 'Established Relationship' prior to the story's timeline. See also: 'ER'

Flame -- refers to inflammatory (rude, cruel, mean, hateful, unjust) remarks made about an author or their work. This is widely considered very bad netiquette, and will often get you kicked-off lists or groups if you insist on doing it.

Flashfic -- refers to the stories of a kind of challenge community in which stories are written quickly in response to a daily or weekly prompt. The fics are usually short, jotted down "in a flash" as inspiration from the prompt hits. However, as some flashfic communities leave prompts up for a week or more, it is possible for a particularly-inspired author to produce longer, detailed fics in the same short time-frame. See also: 'Challenge' and 'Prompt'

Fluff -- refers to stories in which there is no angst or, often, any real plot either. Fluff fics tend to be short and sweet, with little to no depth. See also: 'HHJJ' and 'WAFF'

Fusion -- refers to a special brand of AU Crossover in which the characters of one fandom are written into the reality of another, as it is an easy way of writing an interesting AU without worldbuilding a new reality from scratch. Often, the canon characters of that reality do not make an appearance in the story and therefore fusions may not necessarily count as true crossovers. See also: 'AU' and 'Crossover'

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 and can be easily jossed by later canon. See also: 'AU' and 'Jossed'

Gen -- refers to stories in which there is no romance or sex. May, however, contain mild to extreme violence and/or foul language.

Genderswitch (-bender or -flip) -- refers to stories in which a character of one gender undergoes some kind of sex change at some point throughout the fic. Are usually sudden and unexpected, caused by magic or alien technology. Can be temporary or permanent. Can be serious or, often, quite humourous. See also: 'AU' and 'Crackfic'

H/C = Hurt/Comfort -- refers to the presence of emotional or physical angst of one character followed by emotional or physical comfort by another. A proper H/C story contains enough 'comfort' to equal or out-weigh the amount of 'hurt' experienced; if not, then the story qualifies as 'angst' more so than 'H/C'. See also: 'Angst' and 'Whump'

Het (-/Adult) -- refers to the presence of a heterosexual relationship featuring at least one canon character. See also: 'm/f' and/or 'Slash'

HHJJ = Happy Happy Joy Joy -- refers to stories that either have no angst at all, or close with a Happily Ever After ending. HHJJ tends to be very light and fluffy. See also: 'Fluff'

Humour -- refers to funny and amusing stories with strong elements of humour throughout.

Incest -- refers to the presence of a romantic or sexual relationship between related members of a family. Incest can be of an abusive nature or completely consensual and genuinely loving. Parent/child and sibling (especially among twins, ie: 'twincest') relationships are the most common. This can frequently be a squick for many people, so should be listed in the author's warnings.

Jossed -- refers to stories, originally written to be canonical, which have become AU only after-the-fact because the canon material continued on and went down a different path than the fanfiction author expected. Derived from show writer/creator Joss Whedon, who was particularly adept at changing canon with little warning (or explanation) to the fans. Originated in the Buffy: The Vampire Slayer and Angel: The Series fandoms, but has since been procured by several other fandoms as well.

Kink -- refers to an unusual element of a story that some authors and readers find especially pleasing, but which others may consider squicks. (Remember: what turns you on, may turn someone else off!) Kinks vary from mild (PG-13) to extreme (NC-17) sexual acts, so should be listed in the author's warnings. See also: 'Squick'
Moonbeam's Note: If you are wondering what kinds of things count as "kinks", Livejournal user Eliade has compiled an enormous list of potential kinks, tropes, and cliches that are used in fanfiction. At present, she has almost 400 things already.

LoC = Letter of Comment -- refers to a quick, short message of appreciation a reader gives an author. See also: 'Feedback'

m/f = Male/Female -- refers to a heterosexual relationship involving a man and a woman. See also: 'Het'

m/m = Male/Male -- refers to a homosexual relationship involving two men. See also: 'Slash'

Mary-Sue (or Marty-Stu) -- refers to the presence of an original character that represents an idealized image of the author. They are often portrayed as the most beautiful, intelligent, powerful character for whom everybody falls in love with them and they can fix everybody's problems. They have often also survived some great tragedy that has molded them heroically into being a better person, and we should all bow down before their perfect greatness. *rolls eyes* Essentially, Mary-Sues are annoying and completely un-realistic figures as they have not a single human flaw within them. They are strongly detested by most readers, but most frequently written by young new authors without the age and/or experience to differentiate between an interesting original character and the dreaded Mary-Sue. Thankfully, given time and exposure, such authors usually grow out of the Mary-Sue complusion within a year or two. (So please be gentle with them, okay? Most of us won't admit it, but when we first started writing fanfic we probably fell into the Mary-Sue trap as well, so we have no right to point fingers.) This can frequently be a squick for many people, so should be listed in the author's warnings (assuming the author is themself able to make the distinction, of course). See also: 'OFC' and/or 'OMC'

Missing Scene -- refers to a, usually, short story written to fill in, add to, or flesh out a gap in the canon episode's storyline. See also: 'Tag'

MST (-ing) = Mystery Science Theatre -- refers to an author embedding humourous personal comments within the body of a fanfiction story. Based on the old TV show, Mystery Science Theatre 3000 (MST3000), in which a narrator tossed in snarky ad-libs while telling a story.

MPreg = Male Pregnancy -- refers to stories featuring a male character capable of conceiving and/or carrying a child within their own body. May or may not include birth as well. Obviously considered AU-ish. This can frequently be a squick for many people, so should be listed in the author's warnings.

Multiple Partners -- refers to stories involving sexual relationships of more than two people. The terms (m/m/m), (m/f/m), (m/f/f), etc... indicates genders of the involved members (often in the order involved). This can frequently be a squick for many people, so should be listed in the author's warnings.

NC-17 -- refers to the strongest rating a story may carry; indicating graphic or explicit sex and/or violence. Must be 18 years or older to read the story.

Non-Con = Non-Consensual -- refers to the presence of non-consensual sexual contact within a story, whether implied or described. It will be clearly unwanted and undesired contact, but may or may not go as far as full rape. This can frequently be a squick for many people, so should be listed in the author's warnings. See also: 'Dub-Con' and 'Rape'

Novel (-la) -- refers to stories of great length, usually at least 200Kb or 30,000 words. Minimum length requirements vary among fandoms, but in general a novella tends to be somewhat shorter than a novel, though still long in and of itself.

OOC = Out-Of-Character -- refers to the fact that the characterizations used by an author are not those established by canon standards. Personality development flaws may be deliberate or accidental, for the better or (more likely) detrimental to the story. Please note that even the most fantastical AUs can be written with the characters still in-character, if one is careful.

OFC = Original Female Character -- refers to a female character created by the author that is featured prominently in the story. May or may not be a Mary-Sue. See also: 'Mary-Sue'

OMC = Original Male Character -- refers to a male character created by the author that is featured prominently in the story. May or may not be a Marty-Stu. See also: 'Mary-Sue'

OTP = One True Pairing -- refers to an author's preferred relationship pairing within a fandom. (An OT3 refers to one's preferred trio of lovers, when two just isn't enough.) The term is recognized across multiple fandoms, but seems to be sticking to the LiveJournal and Message Board users alone. See also: 'Pairing'
Moonbeam's Note: For the curious, a list of my preferred fandom pairings and OTPs can be found here.

Outside POV = Outside Point of View -- refers to stories written from the perspective of a non-major character, who observes the main characters while often not knowing or recognising the significane of details that are readily apparant to the reader. Can be either a minor character, a crossover character, or an original character.

Pairing -- refers to the main characters featured in a romantic or sexual relationship within the story. May be het (m/f) or slash (m/m or f/f) or consist of multiple characters. Is often distinguished from mere friendship fics featuring those characters by the presence of the "/" between they're names; gen fics which included the same characters in a purely platonic relationship often, but not always, use the "&" symbol instead. See also: 'Het' and 'Slash' and 'OTP'

Parody -- refers to a story created for the sole intent of mocking something else. Often humourous, but may be merciless in making fun as well.

Plagiarism -- refers to the unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the misrepresentation of them as one's own original work. This includes not only taking an author's work and calling it your own (whether or not you "changed" some details) but any use of it without permission -- including remixing or making a podfic out of it. While it can be argued that all fanworks are unlicensed uses of the original source material in the first place, in general the distinction comes from the fact that we do not steal, but create from it. Plagiarism is nothing more than lazy, literary theft and is very, very frowned upon. If you wish to share or borrow aspects of an author's work, simply contact them and ASK -- you may be surprised by just how many are more than happy to allow it. However, if the person says "no" or you are unable to reach them for any reason, that's it. Any further work beyond that point crosses the boundary into plagiarism. See also: 'Disclaimer' and 'Podfic' and 'Remix'
Moonbeam's Note: Portions of this definition were borrowed without permission from the Random House Dictionary (© 2009) retrieved via Dictionary.com. (And yes, I do realise the irony! :P)

Plot -- refers to the overall storyline, plan, or scheme within the narrative of a fanfiction story. May include action, mystery, suspense, etc...

Plotbunny -- refers to the rampant and often uncontrollable story idea that smacks an author in the face (often at the most inappropriate of times!) and demands to be written. Such fuzzy pests are generally wild and quick to breed subplots, but are also ridiculously irresistible. Some authors, if unable to attend to their plotbunnies right away, will share them with other authors seeking to adopt. Plotbunnies may either be of a serious nature or, more often, completely crazy crack. However, all bunnies are usually well-loved -- even the poor abandoned ones. ;)

Podfic -- refers to stories which have been recorded in audio using the podcast format. Stories may either be read aloud by the author themself, or by an authorized spokesperson whom the author has personally chosen to be their voice. See also: 'Plagiarism'

Pre-slash -- refers to stories in which a homosexual romantic relationship does not yet exist, but the groundwork is laid to introduce the possibilities, situations, and circumstances for one to occur. Such stories are still technically Gen and rarely exceed a PG-13 rating, but due to the non-heteronormative insinuations are often marked just in case. There is no opposite "pre-het" version, as heterosexual inclinations are generally considered expected and unworthy of mention. See also: 'Gen' and 'Slash'

Prompt -- refers to a story idea issued in the desire that it will spawn a plotbunny and inspire an author to write a fanfic. May consist of as little as one word, a phrase or quote, or be more detailed scenarios even listing preferred pairings and/or kinks. See also: 'Plotbunny'

PWP = Plot? What Plot? -- refers to stories with little to no plot. May be vignettes, character studies or, most frequently, pure sex.

Rape -- refers to the presence of non-consensual sexual assault within a story, whether implied or described. It is a more extreme form of non-con, which often involves violence against the victim. This can frequently be a squick for many people, so should be listed in the author's warnings. See also: 'Non-Con' and 'Dub-Con'

Rec = Recommendation -- refers to a story written by another author that is considered especially good and worth suggesting to other fans to be read.
Moonbeam's Note: For the curious, a list of my favourite story recommendations can be found here.

Remix -- refers to a story written by a second author that is a (often total) rewriting of a first author's story, usually from a new perspective or with a different ending. Usually only done as ficathons or with personal permission from the original author. An unauthorized remix could rightly count as plagiarism, so prior approval is necessary. See also: 'Ficathon' and 'Plagiarism'

RPF ( and/or RPS) = Real Person Fiction and/or Slash -- refers to stories featuring the actors themselves (rather than the characters they play) or some other real life person. If RPS, those real people are placed in a slash relationship. This genre is generally frowned upon by many fandoms, and many archives and moderators refuse to permit it to be posted. However, some fandoms not only permit it, but welcome it--Lord Of The Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Supernatural for example. Remember, this topic is a major squick for many people (myself included!), so it should be listed in the author's warnings.

RPG = Role Playing Game -- refers to stories featuring the characters from a multiplayer role playing game, in which players interact as if they were the characters themselves. An RPG fic may either be written from the point of view of a canon character in the game setting or of an original fan-created character in the game. RPGs usually diverge greatly from the canon source material, so are often very AU. See also: 'AU'

Round Robin -- refers to stories written by multiple authors taking turns; often open to the public so that anyone can add a passage to the ever-growing story.

RST = Resolved Sexual Tension -- refers to the presence of a sexual relationship, the 'inevitable' resolution of pre-existing UST; either implied or described. Originated in The X-Files fandom, but has since been procured by several other fandoms as well. See also: 'UST'.

Series -- refers to multiple interconnected stories that follow one another in a sequential order. See also: 'Stand Alone'

'Shipper (-ness) = Short form of "Relationshipper" -- refers to someone who supports the idea of two specific, and usually heterosexual, characters being destined to be involved in a romantic relationship. Often, the het pairing in question is also the canonically-supported pairing. Alternatively, when the pairing of choice is homosexual, the proponent is said to be a 'slasher' instead. See also: 'Slash'

Slash -- refers to the presence of a homosexual relationship featuring at least one canon character. May or may not include graphic or explicit sexual content. Derived from the "/" used to indicate the specific characters paired off; orignated by Kirk/Spock (of Star Trek) slash over 40 years ago. Male/male homosexual content is always known as 'slash', while female/female homosexual content may also be known as 'femslash'. This can frequently be a squick for many people, so should be listed in the author's warnings.

Slave (-fic) -- refers to stories featuring characters who have been either trained as or forced into (often sexual) slavery. Such fics tend to have high incidences of abuse and rape, although not necessarily. May or may not be AU.

Smarm -- refers to 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 (or Porn) -- refers to stories or scenes of graphic sex, with little to no hints of plot. The term "smut" is most frequently used to denote adult stories containing an m/f relationship rather than slash (m/m) stories, while the term "porn" can go either way. Sub-category of a PWP. See also: 'PWP'

Snark -- refers to a type of sarcastic wit or verbal interplay between characters. Snark tends to run the slightly more biting edge of humour than mere sarcasm. Characters whom excel in it are referred to as being "snarky". The term was first coined by Lewis Carrol in The Hunting of the Snark, and is believed to be derived from the combination of "snide" and "remark". See also: 'Humour'

Songfic -- refers to stories inspired by music, often with the meaning or lyrics of the song used to embellish the story itself. See also: 'Filk'

Spoiler -- refers to 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.

Squick -- refers to possibly offensive elements (ie: bestiality, BDSM, rape, domestic discipline, etc...) of a story which may cause feelings of unease or revulsion in a reader. Derived from the word "squeamish" and the slang term "icky." Authors should provide warnings of any and all possible squicks in their stories. (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.) See also: 'Kink'
Moonbeam's Note: Portions of this definition were borrowed without permission from NancyW's Blackraptor's Fanfic and M7 Terminology.

Stand Alone -- refers to 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. See also: 'Series'

Tag (-fic or Episode Tag) -- refers to a, usually, short story that picks up from the end of a canon episode and adds to or fleshes out the episode in whole or in part. See also: 'Missing Scene'

UST = Unresolved Sexual Tension -- refers to the presence of an unrealised sexual relationship, but in which the characters react (either unawares or purposefully) to their wants and needs. Originated in The X-Files fandom, but has since been procured by several other fandoms as well. See also: 'RST'.

VS = Virtual Season -- refers to a fan-based continuation of a TV show after its series finale or, conversely, the re-writing of a season to the fans' desire. Often presented in fanfiction format, one 'episode' per week, in accordance with scheduled 'air-dates' and 'VS canon' guidelines.

Wingfic -- refers to stories in which the wings of characters (either naturally, or in which the author has -- often gratuitously -- given the character) are featured. Are most often humourous crackfics and/or a type of kink for smut. See also: 'Crackfic' and 'Kink'

WIP = Work-In-Progress -- refers to the fact that the story is not yet complete, but is actively undergoing updates and revisions.

Whump -- refers to stories in which physical or emotional pain is heaped on a favourite character, often repeatedly and brutally. Very similar to Hurt/Comfort, but differentiated mainly by motive: H/C fics exist to provide one character the chance to offer comfort to the injured one, whereas whump fics are usually written more for the sheer pleasure of seeing the whumpee battered and bruised. See also: 'H/C'

'Zine -- refers to stories published and sold in hard-copy format or CD-ROM (ie: E-Zines). Costs vary, but are non-profit--all proceeds go directly to covering the costs of printing and binding the 'zines. Often include fan-created illustrations (ie: fanart) and never-before-seen stories. Traditionally, zine-published stories will not become available to the net until at least one year after the zine has been released.

Anime Fandom Terms

Chanslash -- refers to stories, usually slash and often (but not always) explicitly graphic, involving underage characters in a sexual or romantic relationship.

Hentai -- refers to the presence of graphic or explicit sexual content, either heterosexual or homosexual in nature. Often, the sexual content will be of a kinky or deviant subject matter, such as "tentacle porn". Japanese term, specific to anime fandoms only. Always rated NC-17. This can frequently be a squick for many people, so should be listed in the author's warnings. See also: 'Lemon' and 'Lime'

Lemon -- refers to the presence of graphic or explicit sexual content, either heterosexual or homosexual in nature. Lemons are usually more vanilla than hentai porn. Japanese term, specific to anime fandoms only. Usually rated NC17. See also: 'Hentai' and 'Lime'

Lime -- refers to the presence of light or mild sexual content, either heterosexual or homosexual in nature. Japanese term, specific to anime fandoms only. Usually rated PG13, as there is no actual "on-screen" action. See also: 'Hentai' and 'Lemon'

Yaoi -- refers to the presence of a male homosexual (m/m) relationship. Japanese term, specific to anime fandoms only. This can frequently be a squick for many people, so should be listed in the author's warnings.

Yuri -- refers to the presence of a female homosexual (f/f) relationship. Japanese term, specific to anime fandoms only. This can frequently be a squick for many people, so should be listed in the author's warnings.

Fandom Specific Terms

Bonding -- refers to stories in which two (or more) characters are connected psychically or emotionally, such as soulmates. Often contains intense emotional or physical scenes of the bonding process itself. Can be gen or slash, although even the most gen of stories often read as pre-slash when the bonding is described. The Sentinel

ELF = Evil Lucas Fiction -- refers to stories wherein poor boy-genius Lucas Wolenczak is the target for physical, emotional and mental anguish. In ELF's, expect everything from child abuse to self-mutilation, in addition to the usual themes of hurt/comfort and high angst that are typical. seaQuest

Eurominutes -- refers to the extra minutes of an episode that were cut out of American broadcasts due to time constraints of advertisements. The cut portion did air in Canada and throughout Europe. Highlander

HEA = Happily Ever After -- refers to stories in which the characters find romance and close with a Happily Ever After ending. Twilight

Spider -- refers to an inconsistency or canon discrepancy in the plot or dialogue of a story. The Magnificent Seven

Sex Pollen -- refers to stories in which some sort of external influence (often the pollen of a plant, hence the name, but may be any kind of drug or mind-control) causes the characters to spontaneously engage in sexual relations, often oblivious to gender or sexuality or even propiety. Is a classic sci-fi genre. Comics and Science Fiction fandoms

Sticky -- refers to a type of sexual intercourse that closely mimics human methods (and, often, body parts) when writing about robotic characters. Named so for the tendency to include the use or description of various "sticky" fluids. Constrasts alternative relationship methods such as: spark-bond (spiritual/emotional only), holo (robots use human holograms to engage in sex play), and plug-n-play (robots connect with cords and exchange electrical signals). A single story may contain only one type, or several variations of both sticky and non-sticky interaction. Transformers

WAFF (-iness) = Warm And Fuzzy Feelings -- refers to stories with no angst but lots of sappiness. Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman