The way we do things and what it means: Het, Slash, and Gen.
Het, slash and gen. From our newsletter to our fic awards, from fic communities to header information, these are the three most common ways of organizing fic in our fandom. Of course, there are dozens of sub-genres that stand on their own or are mixed with the main ones, and sometimes stories defy simple classification because they involve multiple types of pairings and story styles. However, I do think it is fair to say that most often we categorize our fic based on a) the sexual preference of the partners involved or b) the lack of romantic or sexual entanglements between characters.
For a writer, claiming one of those three terms is an act which woos or warns readers. The categories act as borders, announcing and channelling interests into different streams. Yet at the same time, having a fic labelled het or slash or gen offers no hint to the diversity which lies within these categories, but it is starting point. Perhaps this method of organization is particularly apt to a fandom based on a property whose canon story is divided into relationship drama and plot driven mythology, of which it is rare to find writers/readers that care equally about both.
So I would like to start a conversation about what it means to classify ourselves this way. I invite authors who identify with only one category and those who write in multiple genres to share their thoughts on the following questions, and anything else they would like to add.
1. How do you (or do you) identify with one or more of these categories?
2. Do you think there are unique factors writers face when writing het, slash and gen? For example, are there specific challenges and bonuses when writing fic within each category? Different relationships with readers? Different statuses within the fandom? Has this changed over time?
3. What might all LOST fic writers have in common regardless of genre?
4. For het and slash writers, are those categories less important than let’s say preferences for specific pairings or a passion for the explicit type of sex a rating might hint at?
5. Gen is such a huge category. What features would you expect to see in a gen fic?
6. You’re building the ideal LOST fandom bookstore. How would it make sense for you to categorize all the fic? By het, slash, and gen? Different ones like romance, mystery, horror etc. By rating? Pairing? Character? Season? Length? Something else?
7. Any other thoughts?
Just a reminder, our membership comprises writers in all genres. This is not the place to champion or question the validity of one genre or writing style or pairing over another.
For a writer, claiming one of those three terms is an act which woos or warns readers. The categories act as borders, announcing and channelling interests into different streams. Yet at the same time, having a fic labelled het or slash or gen offers no hint to the diversity which lies within these categories, but it is starting point. Perhaps this method of organization is particularly apt to a fandom based on a property whose canon story is divided into relationship drama and plot driven mythology, of which it is rare to find writers/readers that care equally about both.
So I would like to start a conversation about what it means to classify ourselves this way. I invite authors who identify with only one category and those who write in multiple genres to share their thoughts on the following questions, and anything else they would like to add.
1. How do you (or do you) identify with one or more of these categories?
2. Do you think there are unique factors writers face when writing het, slash and gen? For example, are there specific challenges and bonuses when writing fic within each category? Different relationships with readers? Different statuses within the fandom? Has this changed over time?
3. What might all LOST fic writers have in common regardless of genre?
4. For het and slash writers, are those categories less important than let’s say preferences for specific pairings or a passion for the explicit type of sex a rating might hint at?
5. Gen is such a huge category. What features would you expect to see in a gen fic?
6. You’re building the ideal LOST fandom bookstore. How would it make sense for you to categorize all the fic? By het, slash, and gen? Different ones like romance, mystery, horror etc. By rating? Pairing? Character? Season? Length? Something else?
7. Any other thoughts?
Just a reminder, our membership comprises writers in all genres. This is not the place to champion or question the validity of one genre or writing style or pairing over another.