Link to article: Genre Tagging Guide.
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[[f>toc]] If you are reading this, you are likely interested in helping to apply Genre tags to fiction on the site. This category of tags are divided into Genre, Theme and Setting tags that can be applied to [[[scp-hub| SCP articles]]], [[[foundation-tales| tales]]] or [[[GoI formats]]], as well as Style tags that are only applicable to tales. Additionally, [[[series-archive| Hubs for Series]]], which have the [/system:page-tags/tag/series-hub series-hub tag], may be given the Genre, Theme and Setting tags that best describe the series as a whole. + The Rules to Follow Unlike other tags, which are an objective description of an article, the genre of a work is inherently subjective. To remedy this, we take the author's word as the final source of authority on an article. ++* The Golden Rule: The author has the final word on what genre and theme tags apply to an article. The second key thing to understand is that genre and theme tags are fundamentally for navigation and discovery. Thus, in case of uncertainty: ++* The Secondary Rule: If you are uncertain about if a tag should be applied, ask if someone who was searching specifically for that tag would be interested in that article. When tagging for genre and themes, the aim is to apply the most relevant tags for describing the work, not necessarily everything that could apply. Note that subtags require the parent tag, so tales should be tagged with both //horror// and //body-horror// or //comedy// and //black-comedy// when appropriate. ++* You don't need to tag everything that could apply, just whatever you see based on your best judgement. Finally, when it comes to new articles, you can tag for genre and themes. However, the objective components (characters, groups, series, and canons) are best left to the tagging team; we identify untagged articles by a lack of these top level tags. ++* If you are tagging a new article, please don't add the //scp//, //tale// or //goi-format// tags specifically, and let the tagging team do that part. Please see the [[[a-laymen-s-guide-to-tagging| tagging guide]]] for details on these other types of tags. + Who can tag articles While we do limit the number of people who can tag articles, this list is very broad and applies to most people who have interacted with the site in any meaningful capacity. The following users can tag articles: * Any user with one successful page on the site. * Any user who has had an idea fully greenlit (two greenlights). * Any user who has passed a crit flight or has greenlight permissions for some other reason. * Site Staff. * Former staff in good standing. * Any user a member of site staff deems capable of doing so (see https://05command.wikidot.com/staff-list for a list of all staff). + Where to start If you are an author, we recommend that you start with your own articles. If all of your articles are all tagged, or if you are not an author, please check [[[workbench:tale-tagging|here]]] for a list of untagged tales, and [[[workbench:goi-format-tagging|here]]] for a list of untagged GoI Formats. If an article you want to tag is locked, please contact a site moderator as seen in [[[system:members]]]. The best way to do this is to make a request on the official SCP discord (https://discord.com/invite/scp) or the official SCP staff discord (https://discord.gg/efrnKZxVZB). Alternatively, sending a wikidot PM to a moderator with a list of tags for an article is allowed. + Tags and their definitions ++ Genre Genre Tags summarise the core features and intended effect of the work. Articles can have as many genre tags as are applicable, as there's a lot of overlap between them, and the application of multiple genre tags can be a useful way to differentiate between stories in the same genre. However, for articles or series with brief sections in many different genres, the aim of genre tagging should be to describe the work as a whole, rather than every section within it. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/absurdism absurdism]** -- Absurdist fiction depicts events lacking any rational explanation or meaning, for the purpose of shock or comedy. * //Compare with 'surrealism'// * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/action action]** -- Focuses on exciting events and spectacular violence. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/adventure adventure]** -- Focuses on the exploration of unfamiliar environments. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/bittersweet bittersweet]** -- Intended to evoke both positive and negative emotions. * This is intended for articles that mix elements of both the //'bleak'// and //'heartwarming'// tags, and so only one of the three should be applied to a work. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/bleak bleak]** -- Intended to evoke negative emotions, focusing on anguish, distress and suffering. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/breakout breakout]** -- Focuses on containment breaches and escaping from imprisonment, both attempted and successful. * //Compare with 'chase'// * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/comedy comedy]** -- Intended to be funny. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/black-comedy black-comedy]** -- Depicts shocking or unpleasant situations for the purpose of humour. * Applying this tag also requires the //'comedy'// tag. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/chase chase]** -- Focuses on pursuit or escape. * //Compare with 'breakout'// * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/crime-fiction crime-fiction]** -- Focuses on criminals and law enforcement. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/fantasy fantasy]** -- Depicts magic and the supernatural, inspired by myth, legend and folklore. * Most works on the site are set in the present, and so most of our fantasy is [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contemporary_fantasy contemporary fantasy], but this tag can also apply to works set in the past (which may be a //'period-piece'//) or in other worlds (which would be //'otherworldly'//). * //Compare with 'mythological'// * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/heartwarming heartwarming]** -- Intended to evoke positive emotions, focusing on pleasant experiences and supportive relationships. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/horror horror]** -- Intended to evoke fear, shock or disgust in the reader. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/body-horror body-horror]** -- Focuses on physical mutilation or transformation. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/cosmic-horror cosmic-horror]** -- focuses on human insignificance and irrelevance, with emphasis on the unknowable and incomprehensible. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/psychological-horror psychological-horror]** -- focuses on psychological distress and emotional vulnerability. * Applying any of these tags requires the //'horror'// tag. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/metafiction metafiction]** -- Fiction about fiction, referencing the work's fictional nature. May feature fiction affecting reality, characters entering or leaving works of fiction, and characters being aware that they are fictional or are influenced by narrative tropes. * When used on SCPs or in reference to specific SCPs, they will often be tagged [*/system:page-tags/tag/narrative narrative]. * [*/system:page-tags/tag/pataphysics-dept 'Pataphysics] is a form of metafiction, as are references to [[[sandrewswann-s-proposal| "author entities"]]], but not all metafiction on the site uses this terminology. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/military-fiction military-fiction]** -- Focuses on soldiers, field agents or mercenaries. * When used on SCPs or in reference to specific SCPs, they will often be tagged [*/system:page-tags/tag/military military]. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/mystery mystery]** -- Focuses on investigation of unanswered questions. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/religious-fiction religious-fiction]** -- Focuses on religion, faith and belief. Includes depictions of real-world religions, as well as worship of anomalous entities. * When used on SCPs or in reference to specific SCPs, they will often be tagged [*/system:page-tags/tag/religious religious]. * //Compare with 'mythological'// * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/romance romance]** -- Focuses on romantic relationships between characters. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/science-fiction science-fiction]** -- Depicts advanced science and technology. May feature scientific analysis of phenomena currently thought to be impossible. * Science fiction in the Foundation setting may focus on trying to scientifically understand an anomaly, or on making use of it to create anomalous technology. Science fiction stories may also study and explain anomalies through fictional sciences like memetics, essophysics and thaumatology. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/slice-of-life slice-of-life]** -- Offers a look into the everyday lives of characters, with a focus on the mundane. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/spy-fiction spy-fiction]** -- Focuses on espionage, counter-intelligence, double agents or assassination. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/surrealism surrealism]** -- Surrealist fiction creates a dream-like story by juxtaposing the mundane with the impossible and irrational, with emphasis on subconscious associations between them. * //Compare with 'absurdism'// * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/xenofiction xenofiction]** -- Told from a non-human perspective, such as an alien, an animal, a monster or a machine. * The emphasis is on the perspective being inhuman - [[[scp-1867| Lord Blackwood]]] doesn't count, he has a [[[new| surprisingly human perspective]]] for a sea slug, but stories from the point of view of [[[exhibitionist-fantasising| SCP-173]]] or [[[jot-it-down| Josie the Half-Cat]]] are examples of this genre. ++ Themes These tags describe the major themes and genre elements featured in an article. Articles may have multiple themes, but they should all play an important role in the story, rather than just being briefly mentioned. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/alien alien]** — Features extraterrestrial life, typically intelligent beings originating from a planet other than Earth. * //Often used with 'science-fiction'// * When used on SCPs or in reference to specific SCPs, they will usually be tagged [*/system:page-tags/tag/extraterrestrial extraterrestrial]. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/artificial-intelligence artificial-intelligence]** -- Features artificial intelligence, and anomalies that have AI or affect AIs. * //Often used with 'science-fiction'// * When used on SCPs or in reference to specific SCPs, they will usually be tagged [*/system:page-tags/tag/computer computer] or [*/system:page-tags/tag/robotic robotic]. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/bureaucracy bureaucracy]** -- Focuses on the administration, management and official procedures of an organisation. * This is usually applied to stories that focus on what working for the Foundation is like, but it can apply to stories about any organisation. It can overlap with //'slice-of-life'//, but may instead feature very high stakes, usually by focusing on the people who respond to a crisis by filing paperwork and attending meetings. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/demon demon]** -- Features supernatural entities traditionally associated with evil, temptation and Hell. * //Often used with 'fantasy'// * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/faerie faerie]** -- Features fairies, fae or the fair folk, supernatural entities inspired by European folklore. * //Often used with 'fantasy'// * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/ghost ghost]** -- Features ghosts, the spirits of the dead, also known as spectral entities. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/historical historical]** -- Focuses on historical events, or on anomalies with historical significance. * This may overlap with //'period-piece'// if an article is set in the past, although many historical works are instead set in the present or an unspecified time period, but still describe notable events that occurred in the past. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/journalism journalism]** -- Focuses on journalists, professional reviewers, news reports or news articles. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/legal legal]** -- Focuses on law, legal proceedings, and legal documents. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/lgbtq lgbtq]** -- Focuses on LGBTQ+ themes, culture or history. Possible examples include portrayal of gay and lesbian relationships, depiction of asexuality and bisexuality, and exploration of trans, queer and agender identities. * If an article has an incidental gay couple or a character who goes by neopronouns, but the story does not explore those concepts, it likely should not be tagged LGBTQ (unless the story's author decides it should be). * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/murder-monster murder-monster]** -- Features an inhuman anomaly that is hostile to human life. * This term typically refers to classic Series I monsters like [[[SCP-173]]], [[[SCP-682]]] and [[[SCP-939]]], but it can be applied to any SCP, tale or GoI Format that focuses on a monster that attacks and kills people. * //Often used with 'horror'// * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/mythological mythological]** -- Focuses on creatures, events and practices drawn from a specific mythology, outside of structured religious practice. * There's often overlap with //'fantasy'//, but //mythological// stories will feature specific gods, heroes or monsters from ancient myth, while a lot of fantasy fiction is much less specific. * This tag can also be applied to stories about invented mythologies that are written in the style of a myth or legend. * Stories about the worship of gods are generally //'religious-fiction'// instead. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/political political]** -- Focuses on politicians, diplomats or the political process. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/superhero superhero]** -- Features superheroes or supervillains. These characters typically have secret identities, costumes and supernatural powers. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/time-travel time-travel]** -- Features travel to or from the past or future. * //Often used with 'science-fiction'// * When used on SCPs or in reference to specific SCPs, they will often be tagged [*/system:page-tags/tag/temporal temporal] and/or [*/system:page-tags/tag/future future]. ++ Setting The following tags describe settings, many of them associated with particular genres of story. Additional genre tags from the list above will likely apply as well. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/afterlife afterlife]** -- Describes or is otherwise related to what happens to consciousness after death. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/alternate-history alternate-history]** -- Depicts historical events that diverge from how they happened in real life. This tag only applies for when there is a divergence in history as known to the general public - otherwise this would apply to all tales on the Wiki, given that there is not a massive global conspiracy to hide the supernatural in real life. Additionally, any events occurring in the future are not alternative history. To give some specific examples: * [/system:page-tags/tag/7th-occult-war The Seventh Occult War] does not count as Alternate History, as World War II still looks normal to most people, despite the use of anomalous weapons. * [[[broken-masquerade-hub| Broken Masquerade]]] is alternative history, as things do look dramatically different once the Foundation is unveiled. * [[[unfounded-hub|Unfounded]]], in which the Foundation never existed, does not usually get the alternate history tag, as the premise is that the world largely looks the same. * [[[ad-astra-per-aspera-hub| Ad Astra Per Aspera]]] is set in the future, and so does not count as alternate history. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/apocalyptic apocalyptic]** -- Takes place during or shortly before a catastrophic event. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/post-apocalyptic post-apocalyptic]** -- Takes place after a catastrophic event. * When either of these tags are used on SCPs or in reference to specific SCPs, they will often be tagged [*/system:page-tags/tag/k-class-scenario k-class-scenario]. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/christmas christmas]** -- Set during or influenced by the holiday of Christmas. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/corporate corporate]** -- Focuses on the operations of a business or corporation. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/dystopian dystopian]** -- Imagines a non-existent society or culture, portrayed as being much worse than our current one. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/halloween halloween]** -- Set during or influenced by the holiday of Halloween. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/otherworldly otherworldly]** -- Set in another world, reality, or universe. Includes works that are entirely set somewhere other than Earth, as well as stories featuring travel to another world. * This is often used with //'fantasy'//, in the case of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fantasy#By_narrative_function constructed worlds and portal fantasy fiction], or //'science-fiction'//, if it features travel through outer space or into other dimensions. * When used on SCPs or in reference to specific SCPs, they will often either be [*/system:page-tags/tag/extradimensional extradimensional] or [*/system:page-tags/tag/extraterrestrial extraterrestrial]. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/period-piece period-piece]** -- Set during a specific period in the past. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/school school]** -- Focuses on a school, college or university, or on the education system more broadly. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/space-opera space-opera]** -- Depicts a futuristic society in outer space or on other planets, focusing on dramatic events and adventures. * //Often used with 'alien', 'otherworldly' and 'science-fiction'// * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/utopian utopian]** -- Imagines a non-existent society or culture, portrayed as being much better than our current one. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/western western]** -- Set in the American Frontier, during the time period known as the Wild West. ++ Major Page Tags The following tags are not genre tags, but serve a similar function and should also be applied to articles when appropriate. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/comic comic]** -- For stories that are primarily told via sequential art. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/illustrated illustrated]** -- Features an original artwork specifically made for the article. This includes photobashes and other forms of photo manipulation. This tag should be replaced by comic if a significant part of the article is illustrated as a comic. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/poetry poetry]** -- Applicable if the page consists significantly of a form of poetry, with elements such as meter and rhyme. ++ Style The following tags describe how the tale is conveyed. Note that these tags are only applicable to tales, unlike the earlier genre and setting tags. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/first-person first-person]** -- Told from a //first-person// perspective ("I did"). * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/second-person second-person]** -- Told from a //second-person// perspective ("you did"). * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/no-dialogue no-dialogue]** -- Contains no spoken dialogue. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/creepypasta creepypasta]** — In the style of short, old-school Internet horror. Typically lacks any reference to the Foundation. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/correspondence correspondence]** -- Told in large part through written communications between characters, including letters, emails, text messages or social media posts. Also known as epistolary. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/foundation-format foundation-format]** -- Told in the form of an SCP document. * This is most often used in tales that reimagine an existing SCP article, mimicking the format of the original article to add new information to it, although it can also apply to tales containing their own original SCP objects. Although they mimic an SCP article in style, these tales are not posted in a valid slot of any SCP series, and so cannot be tagged as SCP articles. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/journal journal]** -- Told in the form of an in universe journal written while events happen. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/orientation orientation]** -- Styled as an orientation lecture. * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/worldbuilding worldbuilding]** -- Focuses on conveying information about the setting, often taking the form of an in-universe document. ++ Other * **[*/system:page-tags/tag/_genreless _genreless]** -- No Genre, Setting, or Style tags apply to this article. Used to identify which articles need to be tagged, versus those that are not taggable. Apply this tag if none of the definitions listed above apply to the article. + FAQ ++ I don't want genre tags on my work If this is the case, apply the _genreless tag, as this indicates to our taggers that you do not want your work genre tagged. 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