"This is an imaginary story.  But then, aren't they all?" Alan 
Moore, "Whatever Happened to Superman"

			ALTERNATIVE UNIVERSE STORIES
			    by Scott K. Jamison

	This essay is primarily meant for new writers of fanfic, although 
experienced writers may also find it of interest, and will certainly have 
their own points to add.  Once again, I'll be primarily drawing on Ranma 
1/2 for examples, but most of what I'm going to say can apply to any 
series. 
	Technically, any fanfic is de facto alternative universe, since 
it is not written by the original creator(s).  But we'll focus on those 
that are written specifically as alternative to the original continuity.  
	Alternative Universes, aka "Elseworlds", can be best described as 
"what if" stories.  They've long been a booming subgenre in science 
fiction, where "What if the South won the Civil War?" alone has spawned a 
dozen good stories and any number of mediocre ones.
	As is my habit, I'll sort these "what ifs" into handy 
categories.  
	1) Venue Changes.  These are changes to the background world of 
the series so drastic as to make it an entirely different setting.  For 
example, setting the action in a different time period or country.  
Gagne's "Ministry of Confusion" is a prime example.
	"Fusion" stories, where one series' characters are implanted in 
the situation of another series, are usually of this type as well.
	"Paint it Black" was an especially interesting "venue change" 
story.  It starts with a feint towards being an "in-stream" alternate, 
but as the background details mount, it becomes ever clearer that this is 
not our world, or Takahashi's.  (Or even a nice place to visit.  A-ko and 
*Spawn*?  Oh well, I'm sure they'll be very happy together.)  
	"Venue change" stories work best with series that rely most on 
the character interactions and personalities.  Series where the 
environment itself is a major character (like Rayearth or El Hazard) lose 
something unless they're the situation part of a fusion.
	2) Background Changes.  These are changes that happen before the 
official start of the series, but don't affect the whole world.  They can 
be deep background (Jyuusenkyo springs affect minds as well as bodies, 
the Silver Millenium had a ruthless secret police) or personal background 
(Ranma was born female, Mamoru Chiba died in that car crash.)
	An interesting example of this type is "The World Without", where 
(apparently, I missed the first chapter) Queen Serenity decided not to 
give her daughter an alternate fighting identity, thus the Senshi must 
muddle along without Sailor Moon.
	Most "background change" fics start at the beginning of the 
original series, though some will reveal the start of the changes first.  
Loader and Domine's "Ill Met" series is unusual in that while the effects 
of the changes are immediately obvious, what happened to make these 
changes is still unrevealed even relatively late in the story.
	3) In-Stream Changes.  These stories start their changes during 
the regular storyline.  It can be almost immediate (Ranma shows 
incredible strength of will and doesn't make the "built better" crack), 
or considerably down the road (Naru dies to save Nephrite.) 
	Good examples of this type are Hitomi Ichinohei's "Alternate 
History of Ranma 1/2" and Lawson's "Thy Outward Part." 
	The big advantage of "in-stream" stories is that you don't 
normally have to start any earlier in the story than the change itself.  
	4) Borderline Cases.  This category includes things like "new 
character" stories, which can deviate considerably from continuity if 
there are a number of stories featuring the newbie; "contrary to 
assumptions" stories, which violate things the author clearly intended 
but never spelled out in the original, even though made clear in 
interviews (such as those fics where the Nanniichuan *cannot* cure 
Ranma); and "rules change" stories where the "World Laws" of the original 
series no longer apply (a good example of this is Zen's "Bitter End", 
where the "slapstick" rule is suddenly repealed, with tragic results.)

	Things to Do
	1) Pick a divergence point.  This is not necessarily directly 
tied to your "what if".  For example, one of Biles' "Elseworlds" asks 
"what if Dr. Toufuu were the first man to defeat Shampoo?", but the 
actual divergence point is up to a century earlier, resulting in Happosai 
living in Joketsuzoku. 
	An earlier divergence point will allow for more personality 
changes if a particular "what if" is difficult to justify.
	2) Consider the domino effect.  It's best to write out in advance 
at least a partial timetable of the changes that result from the 
divergence point.
	For example:  What if Genma had just a smidgen more honor?
	a. Despite being sorely tempted by Mr. Kuonji's offer of the 
yatai as dowry, Genma refuses to engage Ranma to Ukyou because of the 
Tendou promise. 
	b. Mr. Kuonji explains to Ukyou why she can't marry Ranma.  Being 
a six-year-old, she doesn't quite get it.
	c. Ukyou gets mad at Ranma for "liking another girl better" than 
herself.  Ranma gets confused, and there's a fight.  As a result, Ranma 
learns Ukyou's gender and what an "engagement" is.  
	d. The problem explained, Ranma and Ukyou return to being good 
friends.  Due to both of them moving all the time, they only keep in 
touch sporadically over the years.
	The most obvious changes are to Ukyou, who doesn't have quite so 
bad a heartbreak and no particular need to dress as a boy for a decade.  
She could very well have had another engagement arranged by her father 
instead.  But Ranma could have learned slightly different attitudes about 
girls and engagements due to that early encounter, which alters his 
behavior towards Akane, which alters her reaction to him, which alters 
the reactions of the other Tendous, and down the line.
	3. Synopses.  While they are important for any multi-part story, 
they're absolutely essential for one where the reader is otherwise likely 
to go "so when did Mihoshi become a prostitute again?"

	Things to Watch Out For
	1) Lockstep.  This is the tendency to follow the original a 
little *too* closely, to the point of just inserting new names in the 
original dialogue.  While it's good to keep a clear connection to the 
inspiration, sticking too close risks boring the reader.  See the Kodachi 
fight in my own "Twilight Existence" for an example.
	It's usually best to de-emphasize the incidents that are almost 
unchanged from the original in favoer of new scenes, or try to come up 
with new points of view to show them from.
	2) What Th--?!  These are changes that don't seem to make sense 
from the premise, such as OOC behavior in someone whose history should 
not have been affected by the divergence point.  A particulary boggling 
example is the changes to Mousse and Cologne in "Ranko and Kaneda".  
(Sorry, Mr. Wong, but my suspension of disbelief is badly frayed...)  
Note that the sillier or more surreal your story is supposed to be, the 
more "what th--?!"s you can get away with.
	3) The "Shouldas".  This is a tricky one, and a fine line for 
authors to work with.  It happens when the writer considers a particular 
"what if" to be so neat, or the way things "should have happened" that 
the story starts going too smoothly for the characters, things clicking 
into place just a bit too easily for the reader to stomach.  Usually you 
won't notice this until a reader calls you on it.
	
	Well, I hope this essay has been useful to you, or at least not 
too boring.

SKJAM!
"What if Ranko were the vengeful spirit of Ranma's stillborn twin 
sister?"