I kind of suck at tagging, so I made this infographic to help make it easier.
[ID: An infographic, “Tags are Tricky… A quick and dirty guide,” breaking tags down into Canon (How does it relate to canon?), Format (Is it something other than a story?), Tone (How does it make you feel?), Relationship (Describe the relationship), and Theme (What’s the theme?). Each category is numbered and shown in a box a darker shade of pink than the last.
1.examples of Canon tags: Alternative universe, Canon compliant, Canon divergence, Crossover, Fix-it Fic, Future Fic, Missing Scenes & Codas, Pre-canon/Backstory.
2. examples of Format tags: 5+1 Things, Art, Dialogue-Only, Epistolary, Online & Social Media, Podfic Poetry, Songfic, Texting.-examples of Tone tags: Angst, Crack, Fluff, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Pining, Smut and PWP, Whump.
3. examples of relationship tags, in subcategories: Platonic (Coming Out, Families, Friendship, Siblings); Getting Together (Amnesia, Body Swap, Childhood Friends, Different First Meeting, Drunken Confessions, Enemies to Lovers, Huddling For Warmth, Meet-Cute, Miscommunication, Road Trips, Roommates, Sharing a Bed, Slow Burn, Soulmates, Strangers to Lovers, Trapped in an Elevator); PG-13 (Cuddling, First Kiss, Kissing and Making Out); Sexy Times (ABO, Dirty Talk, First Time, Kink, Roleplay, Sex Pollen, Sexting and Phone Sex, Voyeurism); Commitment (Arranged Marriage, Established Relationship, Honeymoons, Infidelity, jealousy, Kid Fic, Long Distance Relationship, Pregnancy, Weddings & Proposals).
4. examples of Theme tags, in subcategories: Activities and Interests (Baking and Cooking, Camping, Celebrations, Crafts and Hobbies, Drinking or Getting High, Fashion, Holidays, Pets, Piercings and Tattoos, Religion, Sports, Theatre and Dance, Yoga); Adaptations (Fairy Tales, Historical, Reality Show, TV/Movie/Book Adaptations); Character Drive (Anxiety and Mental Health, Introspection, Queer Themes); Jobs (Artists, Celebrities, Crime and Suspense, Firefighters, Lifeguards, Media and Journalism, Medical, Military, Musicians, Pilots, Politics, Retail, Royalty, Teachers); Other worldly (Apocalypse, Fairies, Ghosts, Magic and Fantasy, Parallel Universe, Sci-fi, Shapeshifters, Superheroes, Supernatural, Tentacles, Time Travel, Vampires, Witches, Zombies); Places (Bookstores & Libraries, Coffee Shops & Restaurants, College, Flower Shops, High School, Summer Camp, Wineries).
Note: These are examples, not a definitive list, but I hope the categories are useful. /End ID.]



























