1. Noun; nouns coming before it often act as adjective ("Warhammer 40,000 Fanfiction"). A story based within a pre-existing world, which may or may not include canonical (
canon) characters as major or minor actors. Usually also includes non-
canon characters, commonly referred to as OCs among the community. Though technically
canon characters are also OCs, stories that focus majorly or entirely around OCs are considered 'OC fiction', or '
OC stories.' Many
OC stories allow readers to submit their own characters to the story, though it's wise to do some research before hand to avoid having your character butchered.
There are many fanfiction writers out there who do genuinely amazing
work with fanfiction, especially with stories which involve no
canon characters. It's very difficult to butcher a
canon character's personality if they're not present, and it's fairly easy to remain
true to lore in most cases.
Unfortunately, there's also a lot of
horny idiots who write fanfiction so that they can see their favourite characters having sex, even if there is no way this would ever happen in the source material ever. There's also a fair amount of fics that turn otherwise well-rounded characters into complete Mary Sues (see the fanfiction written for Homestuck's Vriska--actually, don't; I don't want to responsible for making anyone cry), or which completely ignore established
canon in favour of headcanon.
1. Fanfiction.net is full of both excellent and terrible fanfiction.
1. I was about to read the Homestuck fanfiction, but then I saw the words "All Vriska ever wanted was to have
friends" and threw my computer out the window.
1. I submitted my carefully thought-out, asexual, sociopathic serial-killer OC to an OC story. Three chapters later, she was rescuing babies from wells and kissing
random girls, and I was contemplating suicide again.
2. The close-minded
asshole refused to even contemplate reading fanfiction, because he thought the above examples were all there is in fanfiction.
