Online Fandom Lingo Guide

Basic Lingo

Here is some basic lingo that I have encountered on my journeys through WattPadLand™. (They are also commonly used on other online platforms or IRL.)
See next chapter for abbreviations, tone indicators, and gender.

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adjective!Character_name: The character after the exclamation mark has the attribute before the exclamation mark.
angst: A feeling of anxiety or dread. "Angst stories are considered dark, sad, and sometimes bittersweet." — KeichiAkechi24
anon (abbr.): anonymous, anonymously
apologist: someone who defends a certain idea, person, or thing, particularly one that is controversial.

beta: A person other than the author(s) who reads a chapter before it is published.
brainrot (n): An obsession over a topic, commonly ships.

canon: Anything supported by a creator as being official or related to the original work(s).
cinnamon roll: "A character that is very kind and sweet but faces more hardship and suffering than they truly deserve." —Urban Dictionary (Tumblrite237)
crack (fic): A fanfiction that is intentionally crazy or absurd.

drabble: A work that is typically shorter than a oneshot. (traditionally 100 words long)

fart (abbr.): fan art
fluff: "...fluff stories are considered light, happy, and most of the time just makes your heart explode because of the cuteness of the stories." —KeichiAkechi24
found family: A group of unrelated people that create a family together.

incorrect quotes: Putting people or characters into a dialogue from a scene, song, etc..

multishot: A work consisting of two or more chapters that is shorter than a typical work.

one true pairing: A ship that someone believes is superior to other ships.
oneshot: A work consisting of a single chapter that is typically extremely short.

platonic (adj): "of, relating to, or being a relationship marked by the absence of romance or sex" - merriam-webster.com

retcon (retroactive continuity): A literary device in which earlier works are adapted or ignored by sequels.

ship (n): A romantic relationship between people or characters that is not canon, but is instead supported by fans.
ship (v): The act of wanting characters or people to be in a romantic relationship.
stan (n): an overly-obsessed fan
stan (v): "to exhibit fandom to an extreme or excessive degree " —Merriam-Webster

unreliable narrator: a narrator who withholds information or misleads the reader, compromising the credibility of the narrative.

whump: [contested] Physical or mental trauma, often followed by treatment for said trauma. "...similar to angst, but...a little more extreme. It's trauma mixed with emotions and breakdowns..." —TooManyInsideJokes

I'd like to thank KeichiAkechi24 and TooManyInsideJokes for allowing me to use their definitions.