On the Development and Maintenance of Alternate Universes
by Sajinn
The Alternate Universe (henceforth referred to as the AU) is as old as fanfiction itself. Strictly speaking, *all* fanfiction is set in AU, since by its very nature fanfiction involves changing what is canon to the show. Some changes are, of course, less drastic than others. Just how AU is it to have Buffy and the gang fighting yet another demon bent on bringing about the apocalypse? In modern fanfiction jargon, that scenario would fall far outside the AU umbrella. In fact, stories with significantly more drastic changes aren't considered AU--this includes stories with slash relationships and major character death.Of late, AU refers making significant changes to the world in which the story takes place. For some writers, this means axing the events of a season (or seven), changing the outcome of some meaningful event, or bringing back a beloved but long-gone character. For other writers, AU means putting the characters from their favorite show into a completely new universe--say, the universe of another show, a book, or one of their own creation. Understandably, each of these options presents its own set of unique challenges. AU stories can be the bugbear of canon-oriented writers--those writers who insist that every word and detail be a photocopy of the show's original. While such hidebound small-mindedness is uncommon amongst most AU writers, its reverse is quite common.
Regardless of what type of AU the writer wishes to make, it is of utmost importance that said writer consider carefully both what changes he or she has made, and what the ramifications of those changes are. One of the more rewarding aspects of writing fanfiction is being able to breathe life into characters that quite honestly have little depth on the screen. Also, writers are given a chance to add new dimension to already well-known figures. One key to being able to do this is to know the character. No matter what is being written, if the character is an unknown entity to the writer, they will have a difficult time writing them accurately. How can a writer accurately portray Spike's reaction to having to stand in line at the Department of Motor Vehicles if they've seen virtually none of the show?
Perhaps the most common AU is where the writer removes or alters some part of the show's history. The reasons for this are varied--the writer may wish to bring Doyle back from the dead (or Jenny Calendar for that matter), or not have Spike receive his soul, or make sure that Xander and Anya marry. For whatever reason, something significant is changed, and the reader is expected to believe that whatever is written reflects that change. This is where good writing is critical. All too often, writers state that they have made these changes, yet the characters do not reflect such alterations. If Jenny Calendar survived Angelus' presence, then we can expect Xander, Giles and Angel to all be a lot less angst-ridden. This does not mean, however, that they will all have the cheerful appearance of a mental patient. On the other hand, sometimes writers go overboard in not changing their characters' reactions, so the story ends up with many sad people after Glory's appearance and defeat, even though Joyce and Buffy did not die. In short, before any major change is taken up as an AU, writers should be sure that they have very carefully thought out what the characters would actually do should that outcome occur. It cannot be stressed enough that moderation is key! No matter how much any particular writer dislikes one or more characters, the good guys are still nominally good. If Xander suddenly shows up one day married to Amy, without prior warning, a tense--even angry--scene could be expected. Would Buffy, Willow and Giles decide to form a vigilante posse and exterminate all life on the west coast (of course, until Angel, in a fit of pique and anger because Xander is his, steps in to kill the evil posse)? I think not.
Specific Aus present unique challenges. One of the more popular subgenres of AU writing is crossing two or more shows into one--and this doesn't include writing Angel: the Series and Buffy the Vampire Slayer together. No, in this field, the writer attempts to meld universes never meant to cleave unto one another. Buffy meets Highlander, Buffy meets Pretender, Buffy meets Law & Order, Buffy meets Will & Grace... the list is endless. Some of these are more challenging than others. Crossovers that put two supernatural universes together already have a bit of suspension-of-disbelief for their characters. It is easier to convince all of the principles in Buffy and Xena that demons, magic and whatnot actually exist. But what if you cross an undeniably magical show, such as Buffy, with one that seeks nothing more than to disprove such things--like CSI, Homicide, or Judge Judy? One 'solution' is to simply make the characters of one universe blithely accept the strictures of the other. All of a sudden, Buffy is no longer a Slayer, Angel is human, and Willow has no idea what mugwort is used for. While this certainly solves the problem of explaining that pesky stake to the nice police officer, it can come across as something of a cheat unless the author is extremely careful--and takes pains to make sure that the characters themselves are still there. Any reader with a decent imagination can put the actors' faces on an original story, but it takes some creative writing to bring the archetypes of our favorite characters into being in an AU. This challenge can be quite rewarding--some excellent stories have come of sending characters into the pages of classic novels or completely different shows.
The AU scenario that can be considered a meshing of original and fanfiction is world creation AU. In this style, writers create a completely new universe for their characters--not that of another show, or book, or even 'real life' (by real life, I refer to bringing the characters into a world in which we as normal, earthbound humans would find realistic). Though perhaps less common than other types of AU stories, they present no fewer challenges--and no greater ones. The writer is completely free to dictate the parameters of their universe, with the same dictums as have been listed before. Characters are characters because they have consistent ways of behaving, stable personality traits, or archetypal tendencies. What is the point of writing an original story, naming the characters with familiar labels, and calling it an AU? At that point, it would be more profitable for the writer to simply sell the work as original fiction. These original AU stories, however, are indeed fanfiction, particularly when the characters are still recognizable from the show.
Some writers are quite possessive of their AU stories, particularly when they have spent a considerable amount of time building them. It is considered good etiquette to ask a writer before using their AU in a new story not of their own creation. Remember, some universes are closed, while others are open--and it is not nice to play in a private sandbox without permission.
The writing of AU stories should never be considered unduly daunting--writing this type of work is no more difficult than writing any other type. Indeed, to some writers, the AU is quite freeing, as they do not feel compelled to recite every point of canon, chapter and verse, that applies to their story. Just as freely discarding characterization is a bane to good writing, hidebound narrow-mindedness is as well. The key is to find a good balance.