Index: Introducing the new way of doing the AU tagging!
Introducing the new AU tags, created because we’ve had one to many Suethors and/or their readers come in ranting about one of two things.
All of the stories which get an AU tag will get the “AU is not an excuse for the impossible” tag. More importantly, it should be noticed that almost every entry on Pottersues is AU in some shape or form, but not all entries will be receiving the AU tags. No, the AU tags are reserved specifically for entries where the “it’s an AU” excuse might in fact be used for what is some very specific issues. In fact, the new tagging system is actually designed with the intention of identifying the specific issue that the “it’s an AU” excuse might be used to justify, but this allows me to include more stories under these tags than the "fake AU" tag I used to use. Here is the list of said issues.
- Alternate Backstory Mangled - This story is for where either the alternate backstory for a canon character is mangled or in the case of an OC the background given doesn’t make logical sense.
- Alternative Timeline Mangled - This is a story where the changes to the timeline don’t make logical sense.
- Canon Mangled - This is a story where the canon is mangled to the point it isn’t recognizable as being from the HP universe anymore and/or for where the changes to the canon material doesn’t make logical sense.
- Character Facets Mangled - This is a story where a canon character’s personality is mangled either because the writer doesn’t realize they’re doing it and/or because the changes they want to make doesn’t make logical sense.
- Fusion What Fusion - This is for stories where a Fusion Crossover doesn’t feel like a Fusion Crossover should.
- Strange Non-Crossover Setting - This is for stories where the canon characters are transported to a non-canon setting which isn’t canon for another fandom, but more specifically the end result is the canon characters feel like OCs with the canon characters names and looks.
- Strange Crossover Setting - The same goes for the above, except for this one the setting is a non-canon setting which is canon for another fandom. It should be noted that this can include bringing a canon character from another fandom into the Harry Potter universe.
- Unintentional Bizarro Universe - This is for the stories which are just logically bizarre in some fashion. This can be unintentional on the writer’s part, but this can include crackfic which is unintentionally bad.
- What if Logic Fail - This is for stories for which one can pose a given “What if” question can be asked, and the answer to said doesn’t make logical sense. (See the “What if” question section for examples.)
As seen above, a lot of the issues involve either logic fails and/or something in the canon not being recognizable anymore. The fact the writer is writing an AU excuses neither.
Examples of ‘What If’ Questions (along with the issues involved)
What if something, anything were changed?
- The story is simply an exact rehash of canon except for that change. For example, if the story changes the gender of Harry the only actual changes to the story is the pronouns used for Harry and the way Harry looks to be more like Lily, if even that.
What if Harry Potter was a girl?
- The writer ignores the fact the wording of the prophesy indicates a male child.
- The writer ignores the fact Voldemort would likely choose Neville the male child over a female version of Harry.
End Note
That’s about it. I may have missed something though in regards to the type of issues we see, so if you think I’ve missed something let me know so I can either add it to one of the existing tags or create a tag for it.
- The first is how I’m supposedly only featuring the story because I have something against AUs when I don’t.
- The second is how the story being AU actually somehow excuses the bad writing going on in the story. As Sheldon Cooper says, the multiverse theory only actually covers possibilities and not impossibilities.
All of the stories which get an AU tag will get the “AU is not an excuse for the impossible” tag. More importantly, it should be noticed that almost every entry on Pottersues is AU in some shape or form, but not all entries will be receiving the AU tags. No, the AU tags are reserved specifically for entries where the “it’s an AU” excuse might in fact be used for what is some very specific issues. In fact, the new tagging system is actually designed with the intention of identifying the specific issue that the “it’s an AU” excuse might be used to justify, but this allows me to include more stories under these tags than the "fake AU" tag I used to use. Here is the list of said issues.
- Alternate Backstory Mangled - This story is for where either the alternate backstory for a canon character is mangled or in the case of an OC the background given doesn’t make logical sense.
- Alternative Timeline Mangled - This is a story where the changes to the timeline don’t make logical sense.
- Canon Mangled - This is a story where the canon is mangled to the point it isn’t recognizable as being from the HP universe anymore and/or for where the changes to the canon material doesn’t make logical sense.
- Character Facets Mangled - This is a story where a canon character’s personality is mangled either because the writer doesn’t realize they’re doing it and/or because the changes they want to make doesn’t make logical sense.
- Fusion What Fusion - This is for stories where a Fusion Crossover doesn’t feel like a Fusion Crossover should.
- Strange Non-Crossover Setting - This is for stories where the canon characters are transported to a non-canon setting which isn’t canon for another fandom, but more specifically the end result is the canon characters feel like OCs with the canon characters names and looks.
- Strange Crossover Setting - The same goes for the above, except for this one the setting is a non-canon setting which is canon for another fandom. It should be noted that this can include bringing a canon character from another fandom into the Harry Potter universe.
- Unintentional Bizarro Universe - This is for the stories which are just logically bizarre in some fashion. This can be unintentional on the writer’s part, but this can include crackfic which is unintentionally bad.
- What if Logic Fail - This is for stories for which one can pose a given “What if” question can be asked, and the answer to said doesn’t make logical sense. (See the “What if” question section for examples.)
As seen above, a lot of the issues involve either logic fails and/or something in the canon not being recognizable anymore. The fact the writer is writing an AU excuses neither.
Examples of ‘What If’ Questions (along with the issues involved)
What if something, anything were changed?
- The story is simply an exact rehash of canon except for that change. For example, if the story changes the gender of Harry the only actual changes to the story is the pronouns used for Harry and the way Harry looks to be more like Lily, if even that.
What if Harry Potter was a girl?
- The writer ignores the fact the wording of the prophesy indicates a male child.
- The writer ignores the fact Voldemort would likely choose Neville the male child over a female version of Harry.
End Note
That’s about it. I may have missed something though in regards to the type of issues we see, so if you think I’ve missed something let me know so I can either add it to one of the existing tags or create a tag for it.