Ratings
PG - Suitable for all ages probably.
PG-13 - Intended for reasonably mature readers; young children should theoretically seek permission from a parent or guardian.
R - Intended for mature readers; children should seek permission from a parent or guardian.
NC-17 - This probably contains PORNAGRAPHIC material and is intended for MATURE readers! Make sure you're legally allowed to read this.
Incidentally, this list may be rated R for adult concepts.
Terms
- AU - Alternate Universe. The story is not canonically accurate. Technically, most fanfiction is AU. For practicality's sake stories are only marked as AU if they almost completely re-write canon.
- bestiality - indicates that one or more (human) character is involved in intercourse with an animal. Should not be confused with beastiality.
- BDSM - Bondage/Dominance/Submission/Masochism. The story, it involves these things. And probably some other nasty stuff.
- canon - The source material. Canon refers to the details of the original book/anime/whatever as set out by its creator/s. Canon is the sacred truth, not to be messed with even when it conflicts with itself. Non-canon stories directly ignore the details of the source material, which is ususally much more interesting. XP
- chan - The story involves intercourse in which one or more of the participants is underage. For the purposes of this archive I usually define 'underage' as 'under sixteen,' depending on how the author views it. The legal age of consent varies from place to place, so depending on your location stories may be mis-labeled.
- chanslash - See chan; implies that all participants are male.
- coercion - indicates that force or intimidation is used to gain a character's compliancy. In fanfiction this refers to the use of coercion to get sex.
- drabble - A short story. While traditionally a drabble is exactly one hundred words, anything five hundred words or less can be considered a drabble. Some people define it as anything under one thousand words; however, I do not.
- dubious consent - Sometimes denoted as dub-con. Implies that one or more characters are involved in intercourse that may be unwelcome, but falls short of flat out noncon. Consent is cloudy.
- F/F - Female/Female. The story involves intercourse between women. (Also referred to as femslash or yuri.)
- ficlet - a story longer than a drabble but shorter than a typical one-shot.
- gen - Indicates that that pairings are not a significant focus of the story.
- incest - intercourse between two or more members of the same family.
- incomplete - For the purposes of this archive, this indicates that the story is incomplete and is unlikely to ever be continued.
- M/F - Male/Female. The story involves heterosexual intercourse.
- M/M - Male/Male. The story involves intercourse between men. (Also known as slash or yaoi.)
- mpreg - Male pregnancy. Um.
- necrophilia - Intercourse involving dead bodies. Ugh.
- NCS - Non-Consensual Sex. A nicer way of saying 'rape.'
- noncon - See NCS.
- OC - Original Character. Should not be confused with OOC.
- OOC - Out Of Character.
- one-shot - A short story in the traditional sense. No chapters.
- PWP - Porn Without Plot (or more humorously, Plot? What Plot?). Indicates that the focus of the story is sex and any vague semblance of plot is just there to give the participants an excuse.
- toys - refers to intercourse involving sexual toys.
- WIP - Work In Progress.