Within the context of the AO3 discussion, "meta" is currently allowed on AO3 (which is one of the things I like about AO3, not having to decide if something on the border is more fic or more meta). But presumably it has to be fanmeta. So even if you think of something as meta/commentary, choosing between "fandom" or "original" is still sometimes necessary. (Not that you have to change your answers, but that's how I decided on those.)
ETA: I also don't think there's a strong line between fic and meta - a lot of definite fanfic has a strong element of meta or parody, some meta is done in a fictionalized format, and a lot of not-labeled-as-fic published stories have strong elements of genre critique, too. I would never say something isn't fanfic just because it includes a commentary or critique.
As for your other question... I personally picked original for that one too! But once you allow that RPF is fanfic, I think it can be an edge case. Like, okay, example that is relevant to our shared interests: A story about an OC who is a fan of conservative nutjob!Stephen and her fannishness would read, to me, as being clearly a fanfic story from an outsider POV. If we allow rpf as being fanfic, why shouldn't a story about a fangirl of real!Stephen also be fanfic then? An OC living in Gotham City and an OC living in Mitchell Hundred's NYC would both be in fanfic; why not an OC living in Keith Olbermann's NYC? Yeah, it would include a lot of published literary novels, but that's the problem with expanding fanfic even as far as RPF; suddenly there *isn't* a strong line between fanfic and literary...
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ETA: I also don't think there's a strong line between fic and meta - a lot of definite fanfic has a strong element of meta or parody, some meta is done in a fictionalized format, and a lot of not-labeled-as-fic published stories have strong elements of genre critique, too. I would never say something isn't fanfic just because it includes a commentary or critique.
As for your other question... I personally picked original for that one too! But once you allow that RPF is fanfic, I think it can be an edge case. Like, okay, example that is relevant to our shared interests: A story about an OC who is a fan of conservative nutjob!Stephen and her fannishness would read, to me, as being clearly a fanfic story from an outsider POV. If we allow rpf as being fanfic, why shouldn't a story about a fangirl of real!Stephen also be fanfic then? An OC living in Gotham City and an OC living in Mitchell Hundred's NYC would both be in fanfic; why not an OC living in Keith Olbermann's NYC? Yeah, it would include a lot of published literary novels, but that's the problem with expanding fanfic even as far as RPF; suddenly there *isn't* a strong line between fanfic and literary...