You hear the word fanfic in almost every anime-related site you go to. I'm sure most of you know what that is, but for those who don't, allow us to explain.

Formally, it is called fanfiction, but it is often known as fanfic or fic. This refers to all stories written by fans of a certain TV program, movie, book or event. It's the own viewpoint of a fan, including the what ifs, and it comes in different forms. Thus, it doesn't necessarily follow the original plot. It may be of any length, and of any type. It depends on the author. Also, fanfics aren't written for money or the like, usually, fanfics are written plainly for entertainment purposes. See, fanfic = fun fic?

Fanfic Terms

AU - Alternate Universe
A timeline that has never existed in that particular matter. Very common in Dragonball fanfics. Usually, making a sequel for a particular part of a original plot involves twisting your fic and bringing it to an alternate universe.

A/N - Author's Note
The author's rant or speech, usually found before and/or after a chapter.

DISCLAIMER
The part where the author acknowledges the characters he/she is using, and it usually has the lines "All blah blah characters belong to blah blah..."

G/CC or K/CC, V/B, G/V
This applies to the Dragonball series only, and you'll usually find these in romance tales. They stand for Goku/Chichi or Kakkarot/Chichi, Vegeta/Bulma and Gohan/Videl. Couples are usually written that way, so if you want to warn the readers that your fic is between Trunks and Pan, you'll simply have to write it as T/P.

CROSS-OVER
This is the type of fanfic when you put two or more things together. If you have a fic with Dragonball and Digimon characters together, then that's a cross-over.

PARODY
A type of fanfic imitating another work (usually humorously) in terms of plot or characters. Example, this fic written by a friend, patterned after the movie Alive. But instead of having the normal movie characters, she put in the DBZ characters instead.

LEMON
A type of fic implying sexual content. We don't write or read this kind, and we don't host those kind of fics either since children also stumble to webpages and lemon is not good for them.

YAOI/SHOUNEN AI
A type of fic implying boy to boy relationship. We don't write or read or host this kind too. But some people just do. Anyway, just for information sake, we're going to tell you about it. You can distinguish yaoi/shonen ai warnings from couples because instead of a slash (/) an X is put instead. So it would be GXV (GokuXVegeta) and the like.

YURI/SHOUJO AI
A type of fic implying girl to girl relationship. Again, we don't write or read or host this kind. Like yaoi, it's an X instead of a slash (/). So it would be CXB (ChichiXBulma) and the like.

HENTAI
A type of fic implying very intense sexual content. Heavier and a lot more intense than lemon. And once again, we don't read, write and host this kind. So hentai writers, your fics aren't welcome here, sorry.

ONE-PARTER/ONE-SHOT
A fic that stands alone and is not a part of a series. It only has one chapter.

SONGFIC
A fic based on a certain song, usually incorporating the lyrics of the said song.

Fanfic Tips

Remember, fanfics are written according to the author's point of view, so instead of flaming someone who writes a fanfic with a plot you don't like, just ignore the fic. It's that person's right to write what he/she wants, and it's pointless to flame with regards to the characters or storyline. Constructive criticism, like mistakes in grammar, for example, are usually accepted and appreciated by authors, as long as the critic won't sound too rude.

Write about the topic/character you like the most.
Inspiration comes easiest this way. Also, you can finish fics faster if you are able to get every person involved in character.

Have a critic.
Critic? Your best friend, for example. Let he/she read your fics and comment about them. He/she will be a great help in your writing.

Be original.
As much as possible, don't write a fic which has the same plot as another. If your plot isn't that original, then make the body or the ending original. Originality is really essential.

Have plot twists.
Keep a descent amount and kind of twists and turns. But don't overdo it also. It will keep the reader excited and eager to read the rest of your fic.

Don't make romance fics too mushy.
This is just a suggestion, since most people don't like mush. You can have a little mush, but not too much. And if you really can't avoid the mush, give a warning in advance.

Experiment with plots and twists.
Experimentation works well. Try to put different plots together, sorta clash them into one, and see what happens.

Keep a dictionary and thesaurus at hand.
It's tiring to see the same words all the time, and that's when the thesaurus kicks in. So instead of using "said" always, try "blurted out", "mumbled" or the other synonyms.

Write when you're on fire. Revise when you can think properly.
What we mean is that when you have an idea, or when you are suddenly inspired, don't hesitate to start writing! And then, go over your finished work later when you aren't burning with ideas anymore. In that way, you can now see your mistakes and fix them up. Also, be sure to check your fics --- especially those saga/epic types --- for plot holes!

Post your fics at [fanfiction.net].
In that way, you can get reviews, and you can see how well you are doing.

Those are just some of the tips, there are a lot more. It actually depends on the author. So if you have any other tips/terms to share, don't hesitate to let me know about them, and I'll post them here!