Yup, I’m changing my line up yet again. Just trying to keep you all on your toes. 😛
I decided to do author-speak for readers. Every professional has its own language. People in that professional tend to forget that everyone else in the world has no idea what they are talking about. The same goes with authors.
Once we learn the lingo of the job, it’s hard to use any other terms. As such, a reader might get lost talking to us. So the next few Thursday are going to feature author-speak explained. Some of it might be “duh” and some of it might be “oh, is that what that means.” Hopefully everyone will get something worthwhile out of this.
Let us begin…
ms = manuscript – Referring to the document file of the written story (finished or unfinished). Usually written in lowercase.
mss = manuscripts (plural)
POV = point of view – The character’s perspective within the story. Also know as the character’s voice in the narration.
WIP = Work(s)-in-progress – The story currently under production. Readers (and authors) have a TBR pile. Authors have a WIP pile.
SRE = Strong Romantic Elements – a story where the central focus is not the romance of the main characters, however there is a love relationship present and the characters have an HEA/HFN.
HEA = happily ever after – the story ends with the main characters living… well you get the picture.
HFN = happy for now – those authors a little more realistic/cynical in their writing will sometimes leave the main characters with a happy for now ending. Things might change a few years down the line, but the book has ended while they are still happy, in love, and together.
TBA = to be announced
* In Story Descriptions *
MF or M/F (same thing) = male / female – a story featuring a man and woman in a relationship
MM or M/M = male / male – a story featuring a gay (male) couple.
MMF or M/M/F = male / male / female – a story featuring a menage relationship where the two heroes are in a sexual relationship with each other as well as the heroine.
MFM or M/F/M = male / female / male – a story featuring a menage relationship where the two heroes share a sexual relationship with heroine but not each other.
MFMF or M/F/M/F = male / female / male / female – a story featuring two MF couples in a relationship together where the men do not engage each other sexually and neither do the women. Usually husband/wife-swapping.
MMFF or M/M/F/F = male / male / female / female – a story featuring two heroes and two heroines who are in sexual relationships with all members of the group. This type of story could indicate two established couples getting together as in MFMF or simple a group of four getting together.
Note: The order of the letters is important. MFM and MMF (or FMF and FFM) are NOT the same or interchangeable.
And I’m not going to go into the lesbian equivalents of the above. The definitions are all the same except with women instead of men.
And that’s the end of the first batch of abbreviations. As I remember/recall more, I’ll add them to the next Abbreviations post.
Hope this helped.