To anyone versed in fanfiction...

[dawsongirl]

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?

[robyrob]

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.

[dawsongirl]

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