AU or Not AU?

[WarpGirl]

ok

[Lady Rainbow]

Just making a fly-by post here...(hi everyone! )

I like AUs and a good bit of my stories can be considered AUs, since I tend to change details that weren't in the series (like giving Travis, Hoshi and Malcolm promotions...well-deserved). And like someone said earlier, the appealing thing to me is trying to write our heroes in a different way w/o changing their basic characters. (Tried that with the Switcheroo series).

The MU: I thought it was fascinating how our guys would be in that kind of environment (different cultural upbringing, etc.). TnT had a weird, twisted relationship. The person I thought that didn't change all that much from RU to MU was Forrest, but his days were numbered. (The character I didn't care much for in the MU was Archer. MUHoshi was...interesting, a complete 180 from her counterpart.

Anyways, I'd write AU without any problems. Then again, there are times as a writer than I break canon (that's just me...not to slight those who adhere to it. Personal style.

Annie

[WarpGirl]

[honeybee]

Yes, I think that almost any fanfic that doesn't adhere directly to canon is AU. Then, there is extreme non-canon AU such as what Escriba is up to in Mirage.

Then, there are the canon AU's the show created. That would be Twilight, E2 and the MU - which are fun territory for me at least. I loved E2 because we have canon that says TnT got married and had a son. I feared Twilight because onscreen it wasn't TnT story, but then I took the challenge and ran - shoehorn and all that rot.

Now, with the MU, I have two challenges. One, I don't want to do what others have done well with the MU. (I bow before Payment) And I never liked how poisonous TnT were to each other - (Kudos to KRN for fixing that while sticking to canon). I do have my own idea - maybe one day soon I'll have the time to sit down and let it manifest.

[WarpGirl]

Ooooooooooooooh I am looking forward to that. But I have to say I understand why MU T'Pol was they way she was. I mean humanity had no humane tendencies in the MU.

But I have to admit, I kid of hate the fact that if you deviate even in a minor way from established canon, you have to slap an AU on it or get in trouble. I mean suppose all you want to get rid of is something like A Night In Sickbay. There is no real meaning for TnT in that episode. But if you do write a story with no ANIS and don't slap an AU on it somebody will complain, even if they hate the episode. NOT FAIR!

[pdsldl]

Ooooooooooooooh I am looking forward to that. But I have to say I understand why MU T'Pol was they way she was. I mean humanity had no humane tendencies in the MU.

But I have to admit, I kid of hate the fact that if you deviate even in a minor way from established canon, you have to slap an AU on it or get in trouble. I mean suppose all you want to get rid of is something like A Night In Sickbay. There is no real meaning for TnT in that episode. But if you do write a story with no ANIS and don't slap an AU on it somebody will complain, even if they hate the episode. NOT FAIR!

I'm confused. If I write a story and never mention ANIS how is that AU. There are several episodes and/or incidents that I don't like/agree with but leaving them out of my stories doesn't mean it's AU. If I purposely write something counter to what happened in canon then yes I guess it's technically AU but I don't think anyone here has ever complained about that. Besides who cares if it's AU it's just a label and doesn't change the story. After all this time and the many stories that have been written it gets more and more difficult to not step outside of canon.

[WarpGirl]

I didn't mean not mentioning it. I mean stating it never happened!

[panyasan]

I always like to give a little twist to certain episodes like the Seventh or ANIS or Carpenter Street (I have ideas for all three). I like to offer explanations or add a scene, so I can live with some of those episodes.
A good example of this is Alelou's missing scene of Rogue Planet (the scene is more exicitingthen the whole episode) or Esriba's Without end. I was thinking the other day that I regretted that my rewrite of the Seventh had been snowed under (do you have this expression in English) in chapter 11 of The Captives by everthing else that was going on and I got this idea about two sequels for another story, telling [puts on announcer voice] "the true story behind the Seventh". Is it AU? Of course not!

[WarpGirl]

Snowed under is an expression I've heard, but it isn't used in the US that I know of. I loved your explanation but I admit I wanted more so please by all means write write write. I would also love to know your ideas to make the other episodes make more sense, Carpenter Street specifically was just weird beyond all belief. You are so right about Alelou's Rogue Planet scene, God that was beautiful.

[Transwarp]

I use 'snowed under' as a term all the time. In fact, I'm snowed under now.

Back on topic, I believe it's okay to add things that are not specifically addressed in canon, or even enhance things that are vaguely defined, without being relegated to AU. So, for example, you can write a story in the 'twilight' setting where Trip and T'pol are a couple, without violating canon, since the episode is silent on what T'pol does or who she sees when she's not playing ground-hog day with Archer. I've seen fan fic to that effect, and I would not call it AU. Feel free to take what's NOT stated and run with it.

The only time you venture into AU territory is when you contradict canon. My 'Commissioning' story is definitely AU, since the events I show did not happen in the series, and if they HAD happened, everything in season four would have unfolded VERY differently. Hence AU.

And then there is canon that contradicts other canon. A story that picks one source over the other and uses it can remain canon. For example, pon farr in female Vulcans is canon, according to ENT, but not according to a ST movie. I would say a story could have either interpretation without being AU.

And then there is canon that is AU, as in 'it never happened', as in the ENT series finale.

[honeybee]

I've heard snowed under used in the US many times.


I think now we're playing a game of Semantics. Canon AU like Twilight and E2. AU that is invented by the writer. All that rot.

I've been really careful not to contradict canon in Family Secrets, aside from the whole ignoring *the_abomination* thing. So that story is probably more alternate season 5 than AU.

So, for example, you can write a story in the 'twilight' setting where Trip and T'pol are a couple, without violating canon, since the episode is silent on what T'pol does or who she sees when she's not playing ground-hog day with Archer. I've seen fan fic to that effect, and I would not call it AU. Feel free to take what's NOT stated and run with it.

While technically that would be canon AU - it is canon. I wrote Dusk - which does that (more chapters to be up soon) and tried to not contradict what was on screen while clearly ignoring Mike Sussman's take on it being an A/T story.

[Aquarius]

Regarding "minor deviations" and having to label it AU: I think, as with many things in life, what's "minor" to one person can often be a big deal to someone else. For most people I know, omitting or rewriting an entire episode can be a pretty big deal, even if it doesn't do anything to affect their 'ship, especially if they love the show in general and aren't only in it for their favorite pairing.

[honeybee]

I just think - label your fic, put in author's notes and move on. People don't have to like what you write, but it is fair to warn them so they can be the judge of whatever you are up to.

[Silverbullet]

Since I have only rexcently ventured in to writing about TnT I cannot comment too much on AU and ru. what I believe in most and is most impprtant to me is how the characters are treated. Making Trip too much of an idiot or constantly getting terribly hurt gets to me. Making t-Pol do things that I personaly don't agree with her doing or would do. but that is just me. I have this deep regard for the two so I am bit toucvhy about how they are used.

I read as much as I can other writrs and their take on ST, TNT and try to follow what has gone before. Problem is there isn't a handbook for me that says this has been established by a majority of writers so it is FanFic canon.

Ths conversation is a learning experience for me (is that the right expression?) HOwever I am now much more conservative thanI was when younger so I will timidly stick to canon and read you brave souls who venture out into more imaginitive stoires.

[Aquarius]

I just think - label your fic, put in author's notes and move on. People don't have to like what you write, but it is fair to warn them so they can be the judge of whatever you are up to.

Exactly. That way, major or minor, the reader can make an informed decision. If your changes aren't a big deal to you but it is to them, then they can pass it up and go on to something else. No harm, no foul. Conversely, your fic may be exactly what they're looking for, but if you didn't label it AU, they might've skipped it.