Every group has a specialised language. Fan fiction writers are no different. However, it has been noted that we do have a better sense of humor than newts. Not that newts aren't funny, but hey, we're funnier. Anyway here are some terms to help you all on your fan fiction journey. Take notes, there will be a test later.
The Essential Terminology
BDSM - Bondage, domination and sado-masochism. Content warning label meaning someone gets bound, tied or taped to something, at least.
Challenge - A challenge to write a piece with a certain theme, line, or idea. "See if you can write a story starting with the line 'The river flowed both ways'"; this is a challenge. Any piece which answers this is a challenge fic.
Consensual - A heading in adult fan fiction that says that all the parties that have sex want to have sex. This is as opposed to semi-consensual where consent is forced or a character is nudged but not outright forced into sex or otherwise having sex but not for reasons of their own (a character sleeping with someone to save someone's life for instance) and nonconsensual which says that one of the characters is raped.
Crossover - A piece which incorporates characters, events, places, ideas, etc from another fandom. Often disturbingly like "The 3 Stooges Meet Dracula" but there are some good ones out there.
Drabble - A fan fiction that is self contained and is no more than 100 hundred words. A half drabble is a fan fiction of 50 words and a double drabble is a fan fiction of 200 words etc into mathmetical infinity where drabble no longer means anything.
F - A notation on a slash story that warns that sexual situations involving only one female are going to take place in a story.
Femslash - A story depicting sexual relations between women. AKA what you almost never see on tv.
Filk - Parody of a song.
Lemon - Any fan fiction containing graphic sexual situations that are described but not the whole point of the piece. See PWP.
Mary Sue - An invented character who gets to sleep with one of the series characters. Mary Sue is usually beautiful, brilliant, courageous etc. Any original female character who is too perfect, too extreme, or otherwise badly done.
Marty-Sam - Any original male character which is too perfect, too extreme or otherwise badly done. The male counterpart to a Mary Sue.
Plotbunny - An affectionate term for an idea that sticks in your head and must write it even if it goes nowhere or keeps going off into other ideas.
Pre-slash - A story which is not strictly adult or strictly about a homosexual relationship but which introduces the possibilities, situations, and circumstances for one to occur.
PWP - Plot, what plot? Essentially a story describing some sort of sexual gratification and little else.
RL - Real Life. That annoying stuff away from the computer.
Slash - Pieces that focus on homosexual relationships and are adult in nature.
Songfic - A piece which is based on a song or includes a song.
Spoiler - Anything in a piece or email which gives away parts of episodes, movies, or books.
Squick - Anything that upsets, disturbs, or grosses a person out is a squick.
Subtext - Code word for the belief that TV executives have hidden gay content in straight shows. AKA what most slash writers live for.
TPTB - The Powers That Be. Deeply ironic and irreverant in most cases.
