I thought this was a PWP, but it turned out to be a PWP and I'm not sure how I feel about that

[conuly]

No, I do not intend to clarify that statement or provide any context. But I will generously provide a poll!

Poll #27251 PWP

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 100

View Respondents

Which do you usually mean when you see the initialism PWP?

View Answers

Porn without plot
64 (65.3%)

Plot without porn
0 (0.0%)

Something else
12 (12.2%)

I am completely unfamiliar with this term
22 (22.4%)

Which do you prefer?

View Answers

Porn without plot
7 (7.6%)

Plot without porn
27 (29.3%)

A reasonable mixture of both plot and porn
56 (60.9%)

I abhor all fiction
2 (2.2%)

Clicky?

View Answers

Ticky
85 (100.0%)

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Comments

[potofsoup]

I think I first encountered it as "Plot, What Plot?" ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[conuly]

You may have.

[isis]

My understanding is that the initialism stands for "Plot, What Plot?" which indicates that there is no plot, only porn.

[conuly]

Oh, I forgot about that. But now I really do see a lot of fics labeled either "porn without plot" or "plot without porn" and... well, the point is if you think you're getting one and get the other, it's like taking a bite of mashed potatoes thinking it's ice cream. Everybody likes mashed potatoes, but you'll still spit it out.

[flemmings]

In my day, she mumbles through her dentures, it was Plot? What plot? and meant porn or the sake of porn.

[conuly]

I do distantly remember that. Back in the day.

[brokenallbroken]

I usually think "plot, what plot?" which I guess is porn without plot, but I put down "something else", because it's not exactly that.

[lilysea]

I thought PWP meant "Porn With Plot"

[conuly]

Well, it definitely wasn't that either! Honestly, it's like that time I *thought* was getting pumpkin pie and it turned out to be sweet potato. Do you know, I haven't been able to eat sweet potato pie since?

[antisoppist]

So did I!

[beccaelizabeth]

PWP= plot what plot

... meaning porn without plot

[melannen]

Add me to the "Plot? What plot?" group, with the addition that while I would be a bit surprised to see a pwp without porn, you can write PWP fluff or angst or crack etc. if you really want to without me thinking you're wrong. As long as there's so little semblance of plot you can credibly deny knowing plot exists. But a PWP with plot is just wrong.

[fox]

Yes, I'm in the denture-wearing "Plot? What plot?" (occasionally punctuated "plot, what plot" or "plot-what-plot") group, but "porn without plot" was an acceptable alternative (and what I chose in the poll) because although I suppose theoretically you could have a plotless gen fic, I'd likely have called that a vignette or a word painting or something else that didn't imply that the thing only existed for what we used to deliberately misspell teh secks.

[greenwoodside]

Back in my Harry Potter fandom days, I think it stood for Plot? What Plot?

[jack]

I know it from people saying "I set out to write 'plot? what plot?' and then accidentally wrote a bunch of plot anyway because I can't help but love the characters, oops, I hope you enjoy x"

[alexseanchai]

this is why AO3 canonical "Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot", separate from "Porn With Plot", separate from "No Porn" (to which a couple variations of "plot without porn" have been synned, but most variations seem to just be hanging out in unfilterable noncanonical freeform land), so that it is very easy to avoid any ambiguity in tagging

[siderea]

I really feel my choice on question two would be better described by "an unreasonable mixture of both plot and porn", and, no, I'm not going to elucidate that either.

[conuly]

No, I getcha.

[semperfiona]

When I say, "a reasonable mixture of porn and plot"..... it's not always within the same fic. I read gen vignettes and long plotty stories and smutty plotless pornfests with equal abandon.

[pauamma]

I'm pretty sure I was introduced to the "Porn Without Plot" and "Plot? What Plot?" expansions at the same time or very close. If I saw "Plot Without Porn" before, it didn't register. In your second question, are you asking about genre preference or initialism expansion preference?

(Personally and tangentially, I wish "fanfucktion" would get traction.)

And speaking of tomatoes and labor abuses: https://www.producebluebook.com/2021/12/15/tomatoes-chinas-role/#.

[neotoma]

Plot, What Plot? -- usually that means porn without a plot

[reynardo]

Of all the fics I've written, there's been quite a few PWPs, but even the most Porny has been sprinkled with *some* plot. I mean, you do need to have at least "I have come to clean the pool!".

I started writing what was supposed to be a sex-fantasy fanfic porn with little plot, aiming for 5K.

It ended up a plot-filled with much porn and angst and a heist and drama and snark and bad puns for 100K. I am so proud of it.

[conuly]

I mean, you do need to have at least "I have come to clean the pool!".

IDK, there's something to be said for starting in media res.

[archersangel]

i've never personally used it, but seen it ment by the poster as Porn With (a) Plot. sometimes as Plot, What Plot?

[pensnest]

Also in the "Plot? What plot?" camp, ie it's all about teh sex.

[thekumquat]

I've seen many a 'plot what plot' tag, but PWP has been explained as porn without plot when it's been explained anywhere I've seen.

[marahmarie]

I had to abhor all fiction just to be one of the few people who would (one of two as of this writing).

Never heard the term/saw the acronym before, either. As I was saying on a journal we both read just minutes ago, I still come across internet lingo I don't know or initially "get", despite my trying to keep up.