Lois & Clark Fanfic Archive

FAQs: Archive | Submitting Stories | Critiquing | Grammar | Story Ratings | Archive History

Frequently Asked Questions About the Archive and Fanfic

This FAQ page last updated Oct. 14, 2023

What is fanfiction?

Fanfiction, or fanfic, is fan-written fiction — stories, novels, poems and scripts, but usually short stories — inspired by a movie, television show or book.

This site is dedicated to the writing, reading, sharing, editing and enjoying of fan-generated fiction inspired by the TV show Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. Absolutely anyone can read these stories — and absolutely anyone can write stories to share with us.

Recognizable characters in these stories are the property of Warner Bros. and DC Comics. No copyright infringement is intended by fanfic authors, who receive no monetary benefit from their work. The ideas expressed in the stories are original, however, and are copyrighted by their authors.

How can I search for fanfic from this archive?

Fanfic is listed in alphabetical order by story title, author's name and document filename.

The most recent stories are found on the What's New page. You can also browse the archive by upload date.

If you ever wished you could get your hands on the raw data compiled by our Editors-in-Chief team of KSaraSara and SuperBek on every single story we host, data that includes genre and theme descriptors, file size, author, summary, publication date and more — and you're comfortable with programs like Excel and OpenOffice Calc — have we ever got a massive spreadsheet for you. We call it the Fanfic Database Spreadsheet, because its data will eventually be the basis for a database-driven version of the archive, and you can get it here. Just download and pop it into your favorite spreadsheet program and search, sort and filter to your heart's content. Don't have a spreadsheet program? Check out the version we have posted as a Google Sheet; you can't do as much with it, but it's still a powerful look at thousands of stories. From either the offline spreadsheet or the Google sheet you can click URL links to read stories you've searched for.

We also have a simple site-search widget (see below), courtesy of Google, that allows you to find stories by typing in things you're looking for. But using it will probably bring up many more results than you expect. For a more targeted web search, try an advanced search of our site at Google.

If you need help retrieving files using these web pages, try the Help page.

What do the story ratings mean?

We post to the archive only stories that are rated G, PG, or PG-13. This rating will appear under the title and author's name at the beginning of each story, and it is determined by the archive's editing staff.

Because Lois & Clark was a family show, the rating system of the L&C Fanfic Archive is more strict than the movies or even fanfic for other television shows. We allow PG-13 stories on our archive, but as a general rule, we follow the guidelines for, say, a TV-14 television show moreso than for a PG-13 movie. For example, violence can't be more graphic, or sexual references more explicit, than what you might see on a primetime drama. We also put violence warnings on stories that are rated PG-13 for that reason, because graphic violence really isn't very common in L&C stories.

More detailed information on our rating guidelines can be found on our Ratings FAQ page.

What is the best way to read a story?

This is subjective, but in our opinion, the best way to read a story is as an ebook on an ereader device such as a Kindle or Nook — or by using an ereader app on a smartphone or tablet. Why? Because phones, tablets and ereader devices are light and portable enough that you can read most anywhere with them.

Then there are the built-in advantages you don't get when reading stories in our HTML flavor. Ebooks remember where you left off, so there's no scramble of scrolling when you come back to a story in progress. Ebooks use chaptering and a horizontal progress bar to make it easy to jump around in a story. They let you choose a typeface, type size and background color (or shade) that are aesthetically pleasing to you and that make for a comfortable reading experience, reducing eye strain.

Our advice is that, when you're browsing the archive and decide to read a story, opt for one of the ebook versions — especially if the story looks like it'll take you longer than 10 minutes or so to read. The longer the story, the better suited it is to be read as an ebook. The archive has made ebook versions for every story uploaded after 2008: When you open the HTML version of the story, you'll see links to epub and mobi in the "Read in other formats" section near the top. Tap the format that goes best with your ereader device.

Choose the epub format if you'll be reading on a Nook, Sony Reader, iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch. Choose the mobi format if you'll be reading on one of Amazon's Kindle devices. If you'll be reading on an Android phone or tablet, you'll need to have installed an ebook reader app first -- then choose either epub or mobi per whichever format is supported.

What if the story was uploaded in 2008 or before? Please take a look at our Archive Wiki, where volunteers have created ebooks for your enjoyment. Chances are, if it's a longish story, someone has stepped up to make an ebook version for you. The archive will catch up eventually; we're working backward in time to make ebook versions of all stories we host. If you can't wait on us, you could build your own ebook version — creating an ebook is incredibly easy using a program called Sigil. It's what we use. And if you do create an ebook version for a story not already in the wiki, why not send it to us so we can add it to the collection? (More info here.)

Note that if you're surfing the archive using your ereader device, tapping an ebook link will fetch and load the ebook. If you're using an iPad, for example, and tap to read an epub, a little window pops up asking if you want to load the story into the iBooks app, where it'll be added to your library. If you're using the experimental browser on an e-ink Kindle, tapping the link will download the story and add it to your library.

If your ereading device happens to be a Kindle Fire, you get one more bonus feature: text-to-speech narration. It's not the same as having a person read to you — computers will never get the inflections and pacing right, they can't emote or inject humor, and they'll mispronounce things from time to time — but having some audio is better than having no audio. Sometimes it's handy to be able to "read" hands-free. Fans of audible.com and books on CD know this already: audio books offer a great way to read while you're busy driving, cleaning or fixing lunch. So if you see a Play button down on your progress bar, try tapping it to hear what happens. (And if you're studying for a test or need to review material, why not turn your notes into an ebook, then let the Kindle Fire read it back to you? )

Why are there so many story formats?

Originally we offered stories in only one format — plain text — but today we offer them in seven formats, and each format is meant to meet a specific need. The native format is now HTML, but you can also read stories in these other six formats: plain text, Microsoft Word .doc, OpenOffice/LibreOffice .odt, PDF, Epub (an ebook format popular on iOS, Nook, Sony Readers and other devices), and Mobi (an ebook format used on Amazon's Kindle).

For short stories, reading them in the native HTML is quick and easy in your computer or device's browser. But for reading larger stories — and we have many writers who have written novel-sized works — we recommend you read them as an ebook on your smartphone, tablet or dedicated ebook reader device. Ebook readers and apps allow you to choose type size and background colors for a soothing experience, and they also remember where you left off. To read a story as an ebook, simply browse to the HTML version on your device and from there jump into the ebook version. Near the top of newer stories in HTML format you will find links to the other formats. If you're reading on your iOS device, simply tap the Epub link, and you'll be given the option to open the ebook in Apple's iBooks app (or any other epub app you use) on your iPhone or iPad. If you're browsing on a Kindle, choose the Mobi link, and the story will be added to your Kindle collection.

By newer stories we mean those added to the archive since January 1, 2009. Translating the original text files into HTML was a time-consuming process, and getting them from there into six other formats is even more so. We are working backward in time and hope to eventually have even the oldest stories in our current seven formats.

The PDF format is intended for readers who like to print off stories and read them from paper hard copies. To help save on paper, we've formatted the stories in two columns. For people who like to use a three-hole-punch and collect stories in three-ring binders, we have used mirror margins, which are handy for duplex, double-sided printing — this leaves plenty of room for punching without destroying any of the text on either the front or back of the page. (Have you noticed, at your local office supply store, that you can now buy laser and inkjet paper pre-punched for three-hole binders? What will they think of next?)

The Word and OpenOffice formats are there primarily for authors who want to revise and resubmit their stories — just download, edit and resubmit. Please note that Word and OpenOffice are now our preferred formats for story submissions, so authors no longer need to use old text workarounds like *asterisks* to indicate italics. A secondary reason to include these word processing formats is for people who like to print off stories but don't like the way we've formatted our PDF versions. Prefer a different typface and larger type size for your printouts? Dislike mirror margins because your printer doesn't duplex? Would opt for three columns over two? Download and go for it.

Why Microsoft Word and OpenOffice? Isn't OpenOffice practically a clone of Microsoft Word? Yes, they're workalikes, and OpenOffice is capable of creating and editing Word's .doc/.docx files. But we want to stress that writing stories shouldn't have to require an investment in expensive software. OpenOffice is completely free and open source, and so is its popular variant, LibreOffice. Unlike Microsoft Word, OpenOffice and LibreOffice may be freely downloaded and used by anyone, anywhere. Get OpenOffice here, or get LibreOffice here.

We keep the text format around because it's our legacy format, and we like it. And it's tiny: You can copy hundreds of story text files to your thumb drive and make barely a dent in its available space.

What should I do after I've finished reading a story?

We don't pay fanfic writers for the stories they write, but we can show our appreciation by sending them feedback. Each and every story on the archive is a gift of time and talent. It's important to let authors know we value their work. How will they know unless we send emails telling them? They won't be too busy to read your message, really! It just might make their day — and help motivate them to write more stories we will all enjoy.

You'll find authors' e-mail addresses at the top of their stories, right next to their names.

We do not verify that authors' email addresses remain current, however. If an author who wrote a story years ago lets an address lapse and doesn't alert us to his or her new email address, we have no way of knowing. If you send feedback to an author only to have your message bounce back to you, consider posting the contents of your message over on the Fanfic-Related section of Annette's Lois & Clark Fanfic Message Boards. Chances are the author may eventually stumble onto your feedback, be gratified, and also be reminded to get back in touch with the archive about updating contact info.

(NOTE: Please do not send story comments to the archive — send them directly to the author!)

What are the Kerth Awards?

"Kerth" is the name of a prestigious journalism award on Lois & Clark, an award coveted by both of our favorite fictional reporters. The FoLCs (Fans of Lois & Clark) adopted this moniker for our own popular fanfic awards.

The L&C Fanfic Kerth Awards are the fans' way of honoring their favorite fanfic writers and stories. The readers themselves nominate their favorite stories, the ones they feel excel in the categories in which they fit, then vote from the resulting ballot for the top stories of the year. The first ceremony was held in March 1998 to honor those stories written from 1994 to 1997. The Kerths have since become an annual event, and stories are nominated on a calendar basis (i.e., the March 1999 ceremony honored 1998 stories, the March 2000 ceremony honored 1999 stories).

Throughout the archive, you will see red Kerth icons next to stories that have been nominated for a Kerth Award, and a similar blue icon next to those stories which have won their category. While these stories are by no means the only outstanding stories on the archive, an icon alerts you to the fact that the story is a fan favorite. You can also find links to all Kerth-nominated and Kerth-winning stories from our Kerth page.

Look for information about the upcoming Kerth Awards to be posted to the front page of the archive. Keep track of your favorite new stories, and be sure to nominate them each spring!

For more information about the Kerth Awards, including transcripts of past ceremonies, visit the official Kerth Awards site.

Are there other sources of Lois & Clark fanfic besides this archive?**

The Lois & Clark Fanfic Archive is the most comprehensive source of L&C fanfic. There are several other great sources of new L&C fanfic as well, along with forums for discussing it. Many have faded away over time (it's been more than 20 years — in Internet time, that's more than a century!). But several remain.

Annette's Lois & Clark Fanfic Message Boards is a place where fanfic writers and readers gather. You'll find an active community of writers posting stories in segments as they write them and readers who chime in with feedback. It's fascinating to watch stories build over time… and sometimes frustrating when authors step away from their onscreen lives for a bit while you're waiting eagerly for that next chapter. Over in the Fanfic-Related section of her site, you can ask questions — a popular one is "Can someone help me find this story?" When a fandom has thousands of stories in its back catalog, it's easy to forget the name of a favorite when you feel an itch to re-read it. Asking for help over on Annette's boards is a fast way to reconnect with stories you love, and there's the added bonus of pointing others to stories they'll probably love too.

Zoomway's Lois & Clark Message Board remains an active part of the fandom, even though Zoomway herself has passed away. The fanfic section of the boards, while it has slowed over the years, is still seeing new story posts, and there is lots of activity in the sections where fans keep up with the media presence of Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher, the actors who played Clark Kent and Lois Lane on Lois & Clark. Zoomway has left the fandom a legacy that lives on.

The Lois and Clark Fanfic Discusion List, a.k.a. LCFic, has its own archive over on Yahoo. It's been a while since members used it to circulate stories, but the list owner, Dawn, performs the helpful service of collating updates on new story chapters as they are posted to the above message boards. You are free to read the messages and conversations that stretch back to the list's founding in October 2001. LCFic is a continuation of the LOISCLA-GENERAL-L list that was discontinued when technical support and server space were withdrawn in 2001. To participate and send your own messages to LCFic, you must subscribe: Send e-mail to LCFic-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or go here and click "Join This List."

Four years' worth of the old LOISCLA-GENERAL-L list, from August 1997 to October 2001, can be found archived here, thanks once again to Annette. You'll be able to download week-long digests of discussion. If you're a Lois & Clark historian, this is a treasure trove. The fandom was much bigger then, so that'll be a lot of reading.

For other Lois & Clark fan resources, please visit our Links page.

** The Lois & Clark Fanfic Archive is not responsible for the content or the existence of any of these sources. We have simply included the information so that you can find out about all the other great Lois and Clark online resources available.

What is Nfic? Where can I find it?**

Nfic, also called nfanfic, stands for "naughty" fanfic, and includes stories rated above PG-13; it usually contains loving, consensual, explicit sex. Nfic is not available on this archive, but there are other forums for it. In many countries, it is illegal to read this type of story unless you are 18 years of age or older, therefore the following lists and sites will require you to make an age statement.

Annette runs the password-protected website Lois & Clark Nfic Archive. There you'll find hundreds of stories from more than 90 authors. You must register and declare your age before you're given access. Note that there is also a place on her site for PG-rated stories.

There are also restricted nfanfic sections of the two message boards described earlier, Annette's Lois & Clark Fanfic Message Boards and Zoomway's Lois & Clark Message Board. On these sites authors post their stories in segments as they write them, and you can leave feedback. But you will need to register and be approved in order to gain access.

** The Lois & Clark Fanfic Archive is not responsible for the content or existence of any of these sites.

“What's that acronym mean?”

Can you FoLC (Fans of Lois & Clark) tell your WAFFs from your WHAMs? (That would be, your "Warm And Fuzzy Feelings" vs. your "Wistful, Heartwrenching, Agonizing Moments.") If you need a refresher, check out this useful glossary of acronyms and abbreviations specific to the Lois & Clark fandom (FoLCdom) over at the Lois & Clark Fanfic Messageboards.

Additional Acronyms Used In FoLCdom:

AKs = The Alt Kerths - an infrequent award for non-fiction artistic work. Music videos, websites, trailers and so on.
AFAIK - As Far As I Know
ARGH = A derogatory term for the clone/wedding arc episodes of Lois and Clark.
CLOIS = the Lois clone in the clone/wedding arc episodes of Lois and Clark (NB - other fandoms outside FoLCdom may have other definitions for this one).
FFP = FanFic Poster
FFT = FanFic Trailer
FFTQ - FanFic Trailer Question
IIRC = If I Recall Correctly
IMO = In My Opinion
IMHO = In My Humble Opinion
IOW = In Other Words
K-Com = The Kerth Committee, who organise the annual Kerth Awards for gfic.
MV = Music Video
NK = New Krypton
OT = Off Topic
RL = Real Life - what you do when you're not being a FoLC

Lois & Clark fanfic writers often use specific episodes as jumping-off points for their stories, and they often identify which episodes in the intros using acronym shorthand. Here's a key (and many thanks to Virginia for compiling these for us!):

Do you have an episode airdate guide handy?

Yes, we do. Check out the table below.

What is IRC?

IRC stands for "Internet Relay Chat." It's a way of talking in real time to other people via the computer. It's similar to the "chat rooms" you may be familiar with through AOL or have heard about through the media. Basically, people join a "channel," and by typing to the channel window, you can communicate with others also on that channel. You can also send messages privately to someone, in a one-on-one conversation.

To chat on IRC, you first need to download a software program from the internet, and install it on your computer. Fortunately, both Windows and Mac users are able to get great software for little or no money. Programs are available offering a free 30-day trial. If you like the program after that, you can pay the shareware fee (around $15). For Windows users, the most popular program can be found at www.mirc.com. Many Mac users prefer www.ircle.com. **

Once you launch the program, you need to select the server you want to use. There are many different servers on IRC, but the main thing to remember for FoLCdom is that we use the Undernet list of servers. Your program should have a list of servers built in, so skim through it to find the segment you are looking for. You must use an Undernet server if you want to participate in the L&C chats.

Undernet servers are identified by city/state/country. Some servers to try include:

washington.dc.us.undernet.org
dallas.tx.us.undernet.org
los-angeles.ca.us.undernet.org

Once you choose a server, open a connection and you'll be ready to chat. See the user manual or online help function of your program for specific information on how to use the software.

Two of the most-used L&C channels at the time of this writing are #lanekent and #loisclark. The #lanekent chat is a general chat room, with a focus on the actors. The #loisclark chat is also a general chat room, with a focus on fanfic.

TThe #lanekent channel is restricted to adults 18 and older. For more information, go here.

The #loisclark channel, for those 16 and older, is also password-protected, and you can register for access at the signup page here.

For years, #loiscla was the place to hang out to meet other L&C fans. This channel hasn't been used as much recently, however, so you might want to visit Zoomway's Message Boards or subscribe to one of the listservs to ask if there are any chats scheduled. Or, even better, pick a time to host a chat, and advertise on the various forums to encourage visitors!

Similarly, the channel #L&CFanfic has been used in the past for regular chats about fanfic and to write Round Robin stories online. Check out the Message Boards or the Fanfic Listserv to find out if anything is scheduled.

Good luck, and happy chatting!

** The L&C Fanfic Archive is not associated with either mIRC or Ircle. We are only suggesting programs which are popular with many frequent IRC users in our fandom. We are not responsible for the programs in any way.

Can I help the archive by becoming a General Editor?

Yes, you can! General Editors (GEs) are volunteers who help shepherd authors' stories from submission to publication on the archive, ensuring compliance with archive guidelines.

We're in desperate need of editors who have the time and commitment to take on everything from vignettes to epics. Our General Editors are not Beta Readers and so do not comment on plot or characterisation issues. General Editors should have a friendly manner and be able to gently but firmly guide authors over issues of grammar and punctuation only. Abrasive editing techniques aren't what we're looking for. If you think you can help, are comfortable in Word or OpenOffice, and want to volunteer, please contact our Co-Editors-in-Chief KSaraSara and SuperBek (LCArchiveEIC@gmail.com) for more information.

A small thank you to our wonderful GEs

Among the feedback we've had for the archive over the years, one thing comes through loud and clear, and that is just how much our readers appreciate the grammar and punctuation standards of our stories. Much of that is down to our talented authors, of course, but it wouldn't be possible without the dedicated team of General Editors who volunteer their knowledge, time and attention to working with authors to make the very best out of their stories and produce the best reading experience possible. GEs have come and gone over the years and they all have our grateful thanks for their hard work. Currently, our GEs are:

Amber
EmilyC
GooBoo
IolanTheAlias
Jenn
Marcelle
Pava Leaves

Some of them are more visible in our fandom than others, but if you meet them on the messageboards or IRC, do take a moment to let them know how appreciative we are of their dedication and hard work.

— LabRat

Who maintains this archive?

Our Co-Editors-in-Chief KSaraSara and SuperBek. They took over the reins from LabRat, who for over 20 years (2001 - 2023) tirelessly kept us running smoothly. Thank you, LabRat! And LabRat succeeded the ever-efficient and dedicated Kathy Brown, who with the demands of a growing family in mind, retired from the position she'd held from September 1997 – April 2001. KSaraSara and SuperBek receive all story submissions, and — along with their invaluable staff of General Editors — ensure that each story is edited, given a rating and provided a description. If you have a question about the stories on this archive — or have written a story you'd like to have uploaded — they're the ones to talk to. They can be reached at LCArchiveEIC@gmail.com.

LaurenW is our webmaster. In April 1996 she created the original archive (an HTML front end to the fanfic FTP archive run by the talented Renate Brink). In December 2016 she retired the creaky, desktop-centric design of the site and opted for a more talented designer's responsive theme, making the archive easy to read and navigate no matter whether you're browsing stories on a tiny smartphone or a huge desktop system. Lauren uploads stories she receives from the Editors-in-Chief, maintains the story catalog pages and keeps us running. She can be reached at lcfanfic@gmail.com.