First Time (Genre) - Fanlore

A fic classified as a first time is one where the featured characters engage in an intimate or sexual relationship with each other for the first time. Often the structure of the story is built on overcoming something keeping the characters apart, with the dramatic arc concluding when the obstacle is overcome or circumnavigated.

General

First Time stories appear to be an enormously popular trope in virtually every fandom^[1][2] and are often specifically labeled as such as a guide to the reader.^[3] Many of the stories mimic the characteristics of romance novels, with unresolved sexual tension, the first flush of realization, the hurdles that must be overcome and the final resolution which, more often than not, involves a sexual encounter.

Examples of First Time fiction

• Summer Country by Seperis (Merlin, M/A)
• Droit de Seigneur by Mithrigil and puella_nerdii (Hetalia: Axis Powers, America/France)
• Beautiful, Dirty, Itch by scaramouche (Supernatural, C/DW)
• I'd Appreciate Your Advice On Whether I Should Let You Win by summerstorm (Glee, H/P)
• The Threat by sunsetinthewes (Jeeves & Wooster, J/W)
• Switch by ceres_libera (Star Trek XI, K/Mc)

Publications

Cover of issue #49. Cover art by Shelley Butler

The first fanzine to cater specifically to this popular genre was First Time, an anthology of stories featuring first time encounters between Kirk and Spock. The zine was published in 1984 by Merry Men Press and proved so popular, it became a series that, as of 2010, is still in publication. It is now up to issue #63 and is the longest-running genre-specific fanzine.^[4]

Notes

1. ↑ The LJ K/S community Delicious boorkmarks show that first time stories are more popular than those depicting an established relationship
2. ↑ A poll of Xena fans showed that 83% of them prefer first time stories.
3. ↑ List of "First Time" tag use on Archive of our Own
4. ↑ Latest editions of First Time zine