I'm reading thru the fanfics at fanfiction.net, and I keep seeing people, in their story descriptions, saying their story is AU. What does AU mean?

Alternate Universe. Although technically ALL fanfiction is AU, since it isn't canon, the term is reserved for stories that lift parts of the show out and put them in a totally different setting. For instance, if THE HIGHLANDER killed off Richie Ryan and continued for several seasons without him, and you object, you might write an A/U where Richie DIDN'T die and the succeeding seasons never took place. Perhaps you want to create a version of STAR TREK in which there was never a Dr. McCoy and Britney Spears was the ship's doctor--don't expect me to read it--or you want Buffy (the vampire slayer) to be a vampire and Angel (the vampire with a soul) to be a vampire slayer. These are alternate universe stories. Non-AU fanfiction tries to carry on within the limits of the actual show--perhaps showing scenes inbetween the aired events, or creating a story that could be an episode of the show without confusing anyone too much.

ha, so Jenny was right. :lol: I'll have to tell her.