Steve's typology:
Canonical - actually there, in the series (not the radio plays), for all
to
see. Subcanonical - an interpretation of the canon that does not contradict it. Extracanonical - an addition to the canon that is neither supported by the canon nor directly violates it.
Some items are more plausible than others however--for instance, I'll bet Tavia isn't the only person who thinks Avon likes espresso, there are widely-held fanon items and coterie and idiosyncratic ones.
Noncanonical - a flat contradiction of the canon.
Some stories are intended as AUs (e.g., Blake as Coriolanus) which is a different approach then "oh, stuff canon." There are also things that might be termed permanent vs. disposable items--i.e., I've written a lot of stories that take a consistent view of certain issues, and only one story in which Gan is a werewolf. I don't REALLY believe that Gan is a werewolf, but...
Neil said:
So, taking a particular incident that has recently come under the
spotlight:
Canon - Blake kissed Inga Subcanon - Blake loved Inga (an interpretation of the kiss)
However, he could have loved her as a family member, or as a precious reminder of the past that was taken away from him
Extracanon - Blake was the father of Inga's illegitimate child who was
taken
away from her at birth by the Morality Police, inspiring Blake to join the Freedom Party and vow to overthrow the Federation (invented backstory that canon neither supports nor refutes).
Nice one! Are you going to write it?
Noncanon - 'Inga' was really Tarrant in disguise.
Crikey! Hair straightening technology must make great strides! Oh, and don't forget Inga-clones and Inga-androids programmed to kill Blake.
-(Y)