- What is yaoi?
Sexually explicit gay sex stories involving male anime characters written mostly by women for women. It's known as "slash" or "fanfiction" if it involves non-anime characters, and "doujinshi" if you're referring to anime fan-art. Fascinating, isn't it?
- How do you pronounce "yaoi"?
I pronounce it "yowie" (rhymes with "zowie"), but since it's a Japanese abbreviation, I believe you can pronounce it any way you want.
- Why do women write yaoi?
Pure speculation on my part, but women who are interested in porn have few outlets and a long-standing history of writing porn (or "romance novels") for other women.
- Why don't you like deathfics?
Anyone who writes a sexy story about anime characters getting killed, disfigured or dismembered is a very bad person.
- Why don't you like songfics / alternate universes?
Writers of songfics use two pieces of work they didn't create to pass off as their own. An alternate universe makes the whole purpose of writing a yaoi story moot; if you're not going to use the same universe, at least have the respect for the creators not to use their characters...
- Why don't you like Gundam Wing "Let's Rape Duo" stories?
I have no problem with rape in yaoi - there's a distinct difference between fantasy and reality, and if you can't detect it, you shouldn't be reading yaoi. I object to taking Duo, the sole cheerful character in Gundam Wing, and raping & beating him until he's depressed & neurotic. If you need a mopey or unlovable character, rape Trowa or Wufei instead.
- Why don't you like Japanese words used in yaoi?
I admire the hard work it takes to master any language, so writers who drop coy little Japanese phrases they've gleaned from other yaoi stories really annoy me.
- What is the strangest aspect of yaoi you've encountered?
Homophobic stories and all "male pregnancy" ones. Ick.