What is this alphabet soup I see in every story?
If you’re new to X-Files fan fiction, you may come across story postings like this:
| Title: | Enema Mine |
| Author: | The Glee Club |
| Rating: | NC-17 verging on R |
Keywords:SAR, AU, Post-Col, M/S, M/K, S/K, K/O, PWP
And then stop suddenly, scratching your head. "What the–?" you say. "Mulder had a colostomy in Australia? What kind of sick bastard wrote this?"
But after skimming this article, you should be able to decipher these keywords enough to tell you that this is a Story with Angst and Romance, set in an Alternate Universe, Post-Colonization, with Mulder having sex with Scully, Mulder having sex with Krycek, Scully having sex with Krycek, and Krycek getting down and dirty with an as yet unnamed character, otherwise known as a "Plot? What Plot?" story where juices are humming, but brain cells may not be.
Now you can stop and say, "What kind of sick bastard wrote this?"
The truth is, Internet culture, including us, loves using acronyms and abbreviations. We use them to feel like VIPs (sorry, Very Important People) who IRL (In Real Life) exasperate our SOs (Significant Others) by talking in our own little language and proceeding to attempt to put emoticons on everything. And believe me, nothing looks dumber than a handwritten :) on a sticky note asking your husband/wife to feed the fish/dog/baby.
So, for the new recruits to X-Files fanfic, here’s an index to some popular acronyms and abbreviations, according to FAQs for alt.tv.x-files, alt.tv.x-files.creative, and Gossamer. Use them judiciously.
| The Code | What It Stands For | What It Really Means | What It Doesn’t Necessarily Mean |
| A | Angst | One of the main characters is in physical or emotional pain | Fluffy bunnies abound |
| AU | Alternate Universe | Set outside the chronology/events of the official universe (i.e. pretty much all fanfic, technically) | The AU is on Earth |
| Babyfic | Baby Fiction | Fic featuring the infant offspring of Mulder and Scully | Not necessarily post-"Requiem" |
| Badfic | Bad Fiction | The story is a parody or collection of cliches and conventions in the history of XF fanfic | The story is actually bad. In fact, badfic can rock. |
| C | Crossover | Incorporating characters/situations from another fandom | Cross-dressing |
| DAL | Deep Abiding Love | Fateful schmoopiness between Mulder and Scully | Cross-dressing |
| FTF | Fight the Future | Fic set in the X-Files feature film, released June 1998 | The story follows FTF faithfully |
| G | General (rating) | Family reading | Gratuitous sex |
| H | Humor | The story is supposed to be funny | The story is funny |
| K or Kry | Krycek | AKA Ratboy; fic featuring the character of Alex Krycek | Krycek is a bad guy |
| Kidfic | Kid Fiction | Fic featuring offspring of Mulder and Scully | Kiddie porn |
| M/O | Mulder/Other | Mulder involved with <gasp> someone other than Scully! | Mulder in love with someone other than Scully |
| MSR | Mulder/Scully Romance | Exactly what it sounds like | Not to be confused with M/S |
| M/S | Mulder/Scully sex | Romance not necessarily required | Masochism/Sadism. That’s classifed as BDSM by most people. |
| MT | Mulder Torture | Exactly what it sounds like | Fluffy bunnies abound |
| NC-17 | No children under the age of 17 should be reading this (rating) | Features graphic violence, language and/or sexual situations | Fluffy bunnies abound–that would be an R |
| PG | Parental Guidance recommended (rating) | Maybe some harsh language, minor violence–nothing you would see on primetime TV | All porn, all the time |
| Post-col | Post-Colonization | Set after the mythical event when the alien races take over Earth | Dark and depressing |
| Post-ep | Post-Episode | Fic that begins where an official episode ended, or fills in gaps in that episode | Post-Epidural. See Babyfic. |
| Pre-XF | Pre-X-Files | Set before Mulder and Scully met in the official universe | Set before Mulder and Scully had cognitive reasoning functions |
| PWP | Plot? What Plot? | Gratuitous sex | All porn, all the time |
| R (rating) | Restricted Adult | Usually gratuitous sex, scenes of intense horror and violence | Good old-fashioned family reading |
| R | Romance | Exactly what it sounds like, but be warned: R doesn’t always mean MSR! | A happy ending |
| RST | Resolved Sexual Tension | Mulder and Scully act on their feelings for each other | A happy ending |
| S | Story | It has a semblance of a plot | It has to have a good plot |
| Sk | (Walter Sergei) Skinner | Fic featuring the Assistant Director | Fic featuring the Assistant Director in bed with his agents |
| Slash | Slash | Fic featuring homosexual romance and/or smut | Fic featuring the Assistant Director in bed with his agents–but it might |
| S/O | Scully/Other | Scully involved with <gasp> someone other than Mulder! | Scully in love with someone other than Mulder |
| Songfic | Song Fiction | Fic featuring lyrics from published music, pop or otherwise | Mulder and Scully sing |
| UST | Unresolved Sexual Tension | Exactly what it sounds like | Gratuitous sex–that would be RST |
| V | Vignette | A moment in time, no plot required | It has to be short |
| X | X-File | A case file investigation or the Conspiracy is featured prominently in the plot | It makes more sense than the show does |
Now that it’s all clear, get writing!
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