weird fandom terms: "preslash"

[kennahijja]

Now I think I know what it means - getting the two characters together in a situation that will (or has the potential to) later on (in sequels, for example) turn into a proper slash pairing. Kind of... acquainting them, without any real romance/sexual context/innuendo.

But... how about the other side of the Quidditch pitch? Has anyone ever seen something labeled as 'pre-het'?

Comments

[bruno-greengras.livejournal.com]

I've seen fics labeled pre-het, though the label aways makes me grin. As do pre-slash, by the way - either it is slash or it isn't. Otherwise it's gen, isn't it? Where does one draw the line? *ponders*

[hijja.livejournal.com]

D'you actually remember a title/writer? Just curious...

[bruno-greengras.livejournal.com]

Nope, sorry. :/ I've only seen it on LJ though, can't remember having come across it on Fiction Alley.
I think most of these writers have labeled their fics 'pre-het' in reaction to the slash debates, since slash is obviously such a horrible thing that many require that you put a warning on *genfics* that can be read as 'pre-slash'.

[ariss-tenoh.livejournal.com]

Most of the pre-slash I've read does have sexual/romantic poetential or otherwise known as UST aka Unresolved Sexual Tension. I don't think there's anything called "pre-het". It wouldn't make much sense either. "Pre-slash" exists because two males are not going to view each other as potential loves or sex partners, so pre-slash is supposed to 'thaw' that idea.

But what is there to misunderstand about a man and a woman or a girl and a boy? In most cases, they'de be thinking about how hot the other person is before they even exchange one word^^

[kennahijja.livejournal.com]

Ah, that would explain a lot - I really have not thought about it that way before, the only fics so labeled I read didn't have any romance or hints at it. But I see why it would make sense.
But then it would kindof apply to a het pairing with two characters very reluctantly coming to consider a potential romance between them - like if you would want to write a proper Ron/Pansy, wouldn't you need quite a bit of pre-het to pull it off convincingly?

[millefiori.livejournal.com]

I think it's kind of silly, but possibly useful. Technically I would call a pre-het or pre-slash story gen, but there's gen and there's gen that focuses on interpersonal relationships and seems to be laying the groundwork for a future romance. As someone who's totally in it for the romance, the terms can serve as a heads up for what I like to read. (I've never actually seen 'pre-het' used, but that may be because I tend to travel more in slash circles.)

[phreid.livejournal.com]

And now you've got me wondering about "post-slash" fic.

Harry and Draco decide that they really don't swing that way. What will they do? Who will they date now? Is Draco really straight, or is he just in denial?

[leni-jess.livejournal.com]

'Pre-slash' is handy for contexts where readers think they're entitled to smut (as on the new Snape/Harry Detention archive, though the mods don't require it): it might keep the troops from revolting.

There's always the 'gen, for now' label, which can suggest romantic/sexual goodies to come, if a reader cares to keep an eye out for the next installment. Mind you, some people keep that label up for 30 chapters and more...

As for 'post-slash': if I write the planned sequel to Bed of Roses, where Harry and Draco find that both of them having cocks is a turn-off, I could use that, I suppose. If Draco manages to get off with Snape instead, though, he won't be in denial, he'll just be desperate.

*pre Het*

[djin7.livejournal.com]

Hmm. Good question, I'm going out on a limb here when I say that 'slash' is a warning in itself, therefore 'pre-slash' is a legitimate precurser to such potential. Not everyone can relate to it. However, 'het' is *DJIN7 ducks from any projectiles* as they say, natural, so no warning applicable, yes?

It seems logical to me.

On a less political note, I've finally got an LJ! And it's all your fault!
Cheers!
DJIN7

[annephoenix.livejournal.com]

I just found a "Pre-HG/SS". I'm guessing that's one step beyond the usual Potions class sniping. Maybe it could be incorporated into the fanfiction-specific rating system everyone seems so desperate to develop.

P.S. No, I didn't read it. *Ew... h-youknow*

[hijja.livejournal.com]

Throw me a link? (I've just labeled my own crime against HG/SS the same for sheer fun, and would like to see how far I'm off the usual usage...)

[kennahijja.livejournal.com]

Err... that was me (as you could probably guess). I've seen it coming that juggling two journals was too much for me! Bloody heck.

[annephoenix.livejournal.com]

ARGH!! *going schizophrenic - one fic at a time*
Now one needs two of these? *whimper*

[kennahijja.livejournal.com]

Just for a review/writing workshop project (fanficsymposium). Not that I'm paranoid about people seeing my stories ripped to shreds, but I understand that not everyone in the group would like to wade through all my other wafflings. And it's ok if I want to air out a not-yet-publicly-presentable piece :).

[annephoenix.livejournal.com]

It's your funeral.
I have a feeling this could potentially be written by a 12 year-old, judging by the summary.
That'll teach me to go sneaking around gen archives when I have one million deadlines for next week. You're on the list, too - first impressions impressed ;-)

http://owl.tauri.org/viewstory.php?sid=274

[kennahijja.livejournal.com]

Thankee!
And again :). But you can really take your time!

[kryptyd.livejournal.com]

I've never seen that term used but never noticed the fact. Your double standards detectors are turned on high!

The fandom term, well euphemism really, that always gets me is noncon. Do people think it's ok to read a fic with noncon in it but not ok to read one that contains rape? And I know noncon can imply more than rape, it just annoys me. I can't stand euphemisms when the proper term will do.

[kennahijja.livejournal.com]

I'll keep the double standard thing in mind when I post the piece I'm currently working on :).

But apart from that, I've been grateful for the term noncon so far, for two reasons. First, because the current project aside, I haven't written an explicit rape scene before, but a lot that wouldn't come close to being consensual - so I'm kind of glad 'noncon' will cover all that without having to go into details that would spoil the plot of the fic beforehand.

And that's the second reason, really - noncon is ambiguous enough to give appropriate warning without giving away the plot, and I don't like giving away what happens beforehand. If readers know there'll be a rape scene, some of the potential tension won't be able to build up. I don't like that, just as I hate to label something 'character death' when I want that to come as a shock/surprise...

Now the euphemistic (?) term that really confuses the socks off me is 'ambiguous consent'...

[kryptyd.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's weird one. I suppose it would count if the person was having sex under the influence of drink or a potion/spell or something. Polyjuice-assisted shagging might be ambiguous consent too.