If you're not into reading and/or writing fanfiction, you can skip this part (unless you don't want to).

This is basically a list of terms that you should know or will learn as you begin to read and/or write fanfics. I didn't know any of these at first, but over the years, I've learned some. I don't use some of these terms a lot, but they're good to know anyway.

DISCLAIMER: I know that there are many, many terms out there. I'm still learning about different terms that are used for fanfics. This list will not include every single term in existence. I will also be using some definitions from a book or websites, which I will site at the end of this. The reason I am including definitions from other sources is that they're better worded and/or they're more descriptive/detailed.

A growing trope of AUs in which characters can either be Alphas (dominant males [usually] or females), Betas (ordinary working class), or Omegas (submissive males or females). The exact details vary, but they often include the themes of mating, heats, ruts, knotting and Mpreg. They're often high in kink factors and include lots of smut. Omega, Heat, Mpreg, AU, Smut and Kink (on website).

It's usually put in at the beginning or end of the writing piece.

Refers to a genre of stories with prevalent physical or, mainly, emotional torment of characters. Most stories with an angst description contain significant levels of characters feeling emotions such as fear, anxiety, or sadness. Such fics may also be designed to elicit such emotions in the readers.

Refers to a story where there is a (often major) plot, setting, or character deviation away from established canon. AU's may be anything, but there are some themes that are quite common in a variety of fandoms such as Historical AUs, Animal AUs (these include stories where a character is an animal hybrid), High school AUs, and/or Modern AUs. Authors may also create and develop their own unique worlds in which to place familiar characters.

It refers to the presence of bondage and discipline, dominance/submission, and/or sado-masochism in either sexual practices or as a lifestyle relationship. Not all aspects of the term BDSM may be included within a single fic, so many authors may distinguish which specific elements are involved, ie: spanking. A BDSM AU is one in which everyone is either a dominant or a submissive and BDSM relationships are considered the norm. Be advised that while a healthy BDSM relationship is consensual and no dangerous, if handled incorrectly it can result in abusive behavior considered Bad BDSM Etiquette. May be mild (PG-13) to extreme (NC-17). Aftercare, Bondage, Discipline and Safewords (I won't put them here, but they're on the website I got this definition from)

Elements established by the original source material (ie. books, tv shows, movies, etc).

Refers to elements within a story (plot, setting, characterization, etc) that are so common and overused that they become stereotypical. They're annoying when encountered too often, but they became cliches for a reason - people like them!

Refers to stories in which the characters, premises or settings of more than one fandom coincide. They may consist of a complete blending of universes or only a slight, passing connection. Be careful with these though, because certain fandom universes just don't mix together.

This one is pretty self-explanatory, but it basically means that the content or (usually) the characters themselves are darker. These stories often have higher ratings due to disturbing subject matters.

Refers to a homosexual relationship between two women.

Intense feelings readers experience over certain scenes or character development that cause strong emotions.

Refers to when characters in a story become sexually involved for the first time during the course of the story. It could also mean that it is the first time a character (or multiple characters) are being sexually active at all.

Refers to stories in which there's no angst or, often, any real plot either. Fluff fics tend to be short and sweet, with little to no depth, but they're often quite comforting to read.

Refers to stories in which a character of one gender undergoes some kind of sex change at some point throughout or before the fic. They're usually sudden and unexpected, caused by magic or alien technology. They can be temporary or permanent and irreversible. They can be serious, but they're often quite humorous. They may also indicate stories in which a character who is canonically one gender is and always has been the opposite gender within the fic, such as a canon male character being rewritten as a female. In these situations, you may see the term/tag "fem!___" or, if they're gay, "lesbian!____".

Refers to a phenomenon in which a character undergoes a sort of mating cycle in which they experience heightened sexual drive and the strong desire to mate and/or reproduce offspring. This is a common kink in Omega-verse fics or among more animalistic characters. These may include dub-con situations if the heat becomes overwhelming, self-lubrication to ease resulting penetration, and increased fertility (even in males, which can lead to Mpreg). Kink, Mpreg and Omega (Kink will not be listed here. Check the website for more details).

Refers to when an author takes a break for weeks or even months. This does not mean the story is being cancelled or deleted. It means that the story is temporarily 'on hold'.

Refers to the sexual and/or romantic relationship between related family members. It may be abusive or completely consensual and genuinely loving. The most common incest fics are parent/child and siblings, especially among twins (ie. "twincest").

Refers to stories in which canon characters are either written as children or it's a fic set in a time back when they were children. They also include stories in which children of their own or children unrelated are featured and have a prominent role.

Refers to the heterosexual relationship between a man and a woman.

Refers to the homosexual relationship between two men. These are also referred to as fics, or .

Stories in which a man (or a percentage of the male population) is capable of conceiving and carrying a child within their own bodies. They often include the birth of the child (or children) as well. Obviously, this is used in M/M fics and are AU-ish.

Refers to stories involving sexual and/or romantic relationships of more than two people. The terms (m/m/m), (m/f/m), (m/f/f), etc., indicate the genders of the members involved. You might also see the tags OT3 or higher.

When there is non-consensual sexual activities in a story, whether it be implied or described.

Refers to an original female character created by the author(s).

Refers to an original male character created by the author(s).

Submissive males or females in A/B/O fics.

One chapter stories. They're not usually related to any other fics the author may have, but can be if the author so desires. There are some stories referred to as "Two-Shots".

Someone's preferred relationship pairing between two characters (or even real people) within a fandom. Some people even have multiple OTPs within a single fandom for different sets of characters. There are some relationships that involve more than two people (ex. OT3). Some popular OTPs from around the world from different fandoms include Larry Stylinson (Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson from One Direction), Destiel (Dean Winchester and Castiel from Supernatural), and Lashton (Ashton Irwin and Luke Hemmings from 5SOS).

This is what authors put when there is a change of point of view. This is done most often with fics that are written in First Person.

This is short form for and . These are stories that include graphic scenes of sexual activity and don't really include a plot. It's basically just the characters having sex. See also: Smut.

Refers to stories that features the actors themselves rather than the characters they play. They also include real life people, celebrities or historical figures. Fanfics for artists or bands are examples of RPF fanfics.

This is another term for . Refers to stories or scenes of graphic sex, in which any plot or character development that also occurs is incidental to the sex itself.

That's all for now. I may add more terms later, but I think that this is a pretty good list.

1. The Fangirl's Guide to the Galaxy by Sam Maggs.

2. http://www.angelfire.com/falcon/moonbeam/terms.html