Tig

Synonyms:	collaboration, co-writing
See also:	Commentfic, round-robin
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(v.) To tig, (gerund form tigging): To write fiction (usually fanfiction) with a co-author or co-authors, each writer taking turns and passing the story back and forth, or around the circle, as the case may be.

Origins of the Word

Tig is a British name for the children's game tag. However, fandom usage comes from an imaginary game, invented by hobbit actors Billy Boyd (Pippin), Dominic Monaghan (Merry) and Sean Astin (Sam Gamgee) to (good-naturedly) torment fellow-hobbit Elijah Wood (Frodo).

No, Elijah, you can't tig on a tog, you can't tag on a tig, you have to do an elephant impression if you're gonna tig Billy... If Billy's gonna tig you back, you have to get on your knees and take your trousers down...

The game was first revealed to the public (and to Elijah) in the DVD actor commentaries of The Fellowship of the Ring; the bored hobbits had invented the game on location one day, and then taken the piss by repeatedly informing Elijah that he was playing incorrectly. (Since the others were making the rules up as they went, this is less than surprising.)

Fandom Usage

In an analogy to the game of tag, and a slightly ironic reference to the game described above, Lord of the Rings fan fiction authors writing in collaboration started using the term tig when they were done with their part and ready for their collaborator(s) to take a turn. This is particularly common in real-time role-playing games, played in Instant Messaging dialogs or rooms.

Examples of Tigged Stories

TBA.