AU's - how do you differentiate?

[theresa_ramseyer]

Good morning All :)

Cleaning out my DW inbox, and reread the entry 4 weeks ago about fixing a favorite characters death in canon through fanfic. That hasn't happened in any of my usual fandoms canon.

But, unless you're writing completely in one AU where the character doesn't die, how do you keep track of which is which?

For example, my most written fandom is a show called the Equalizer from the mid-late 1980s. I've added a couple of main original characters, and some minor. None of the main characters have ever died in canon, though I now sense some little plot bunnies twitching their noses at medium/minor canon character deaths.

So that's the main canon/AU that I write in. My Nanowrimo novel is a fantasy AU for this show, and I'm liking it enough to probably keep on with it. There are other versions I'd like to play with at least once or twice.

But how to label is what's throwing me a bit. Technically, I write a slightly AU, I know, but that is my canon. The Nanowrimo AU I can easily label for a reader, but adding new AU's off of either of those - that's where it could get complicated if I don't figure something out. I figure many readers will be unfamiliar with the details of 20+ year old fandoms, especially since only the Equalizer has official DVDs out, and that just the first season. (Plus, supposedly the EQ movie is still going to be made, and it sounds like it will be much of its own AU canon altogether....)

Would just a summary of the AU canon in the comments before the story work? That would be easiest. Or should I label the universes somehow? EQ, for example, being the canon canon and my AU canon for the Equalizer, then EQ2 being the stories written in my fantasy/Nanowrimo AU, and so on?

Thanks
Theresa

PS: linaewen I really like your LOTR AU canon, and am recommending it to one of my friends, another Sean Bean fan. I also read an interesting AU with the current Hawaii Five-O cast as mainly book/classical music store owner and employees and friends, but am not sure where. Both stories reminded me that I hadn't posted the reply I had wanted to post. Now I have time, and figured I'd waited long enough that it should be a post in itself! :). Have a good day.

Comments

[obsidian_sea]

I find labeling very effective. Most writer's I've seen give different names to their most frequently used AU sets (such as "Conra AU" or "Nightriders AU" or "The Missings - South Side"). It's easy for readers to pick out the timeline or world that way. I think a short summary would also help, but it might not be necessary. It reminds me of when a main series spawns spin off incarnations, but they're still pretty standalone.

Thank you jasryl, and getting organized.

[theresa_ramseyer]

Thanks Jasryl.

I'm working on a master list as well, after seeing several people do so. I have scribbles of various sizes in several places, and need to get everything together, sorted, and organized.

The canon death that wasn't - Mickey Kostmayer

[theresa_ramseyer]

I had forgotten until a few minutes ago. The second episode, China Rain, introduced Mickey Kostmayer, who had been Robert McCall's protege and friend in the Company. Mickey was supposed to be killed in the rescue of the kidnapped five year old boy, but wasn't when the test audience protested voraciously. Great move on their part, the Mickey-Robert friendship/partnership became one of the show's foundations, and Mickey one of the most loved characters.

[linaewen]

Good post, good question! I'm not sure if what I have to contribute on this will be helpful, since I think my experience with AU is actually rather limited and specific. For my own work, I define alternate universe as "a story in which the events as they occur in canon are altered in such a way as to give a different outcome to the story." It's a "what-if" that explores how the canon tale might change if a certain character survives instead of dies. I've been labeling it as "alternate universe - canon" because I actually try to stick with canon as much as possible in the overall story, while having my no-longer-dead character interacting naturally as he might have if he had survived in canon. I also have a few original characters in addition to the plethora of canon characters available to me. I don't really find a need to differentiate with my AU because my tale is following the progression of the original but with some different characters, some gap-filling, and some looking at things from different points of view.

As for your question, I like the idea of a summary with each story to help readers follow the different threads of the AU universes. I agree that a master list might be helpful for those who want to follow each of your timelines. The idea of a master list actually makes me realize that I do have some other shorter pieces that are attaching themselves to my main AU epic, and thus are probably considered AU, as well. I may actually have to do something like this myself so that at some point, readers will be able to understand how it all fits together!