My fandom is a kaleidoscope; what's yours?
Every time I think I've got this fanfic lark figured out, I run into another snag.
Up to this point, I've treated all my stories as completely independent entities. Most of them fit into gaps in canon (though they may be either silly or serious), and the AUs are fairly clearly labeled. I do have a couple of sequels planned, but not started yet; so I've never approached any story as having to fit with another story, but only having to fit with canon (or not, in the case of the AUs). I like variety, so this isn't a problem for me.
However, I can't help but notice that many fanfic writers do fit all their stories into a personal universe or timeline of some sort; that their Spike always has the same character traits, that their Avon always has the same childhood. And now that I've taken on the challenge of writing 100 Willow/Snape stories for crossovers100--Willow/Snape obviously being a ship where there's no official canon to fit the stories into--I find myself wondering: what expectations do readers have about continuity across an author's body of work? Because I myself have none. I could dream up a half-dozen ways for Snape and Willow to meet, and happily write all of them. But--boredom and repetitiveness aside--would readers be confused and put off by this type of thing? Does it become a problem if Willow is Snape's teaching assistant in one fic and his pen-pal in another? If one story is in an AU that diverges at the end of Goblet of Fire and another story diverges from canon after Half-Blood Prince?
Hence, a poll. Please note that while my above examples are drawn from what I'm currently working on, I'm interested in answers from all fandom perspectives.
Poll Microscope or kaleidoscope?