Lit Taboos to avoid for a new author.

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Aug 4, 2018
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Hello Lit!

I have been a long time reader on this site, and having exhausted basically every story that includes the stuff I'm into, I find myself wanting to contribute.

Are there any strict taboos to avoid that I should be aware of? I've seen a few new authors and they get slammed with lower ratings, and I'd like to know how to avoid that pitfall if possible.

Bear in mind that I indeed to post almost exclusively to the taboo/incest area. I just want to know how to those folks happy/excited/stickyasfuck while crafting my stories.

Thank you for your time and patience.

-JNPPLF. o7
 
The taboo to avoid is to avoid worrying about taboos.

Write the story you want. Some will love it, some will hate it, but what's important is you love it.

If you're going to start writing with the thought in your mind that all you want is good scores and not to offend anyone then stick to reading because you've already stunted your muse by worrying more what people think than what you think.

Every story is going to offend someone, but it will also please someone. Focus on the latter.
 
Even though you need to write for your intended audience, you're writing for yourself. When the two come together, it's inspired writing.

The last thing you want to write for are ratings. Those who prefer reading pornography will rate your pornographic stories much higher than erotic stories.

Even though the name of the site is called Literotica, erotic stories suffer with much lower ratings. Most readers want a story to masturbate to while reading. Most readers don't vote. Even fewer readers comment on your story. The only ones who always vote and who typically comment are the ones who don't read the story but just bash the story.

I write erotica. Instead of writing stories with sex, sex, and more sex, I write stories with plot, tension, character development, dialogue, description, and imagery. Instead of writing stories for the sake of sex, I write stories for the intended purpose of writing a real story.

Good luck with your writing.
 
I agree with the authors above, but at the same time I think it's useful to know how categories work on this site and what readers are expecting in different categories. Here are links to two useful articles on the subject:

https://literotica.com/s/love-your-readers-categories

https://literotica.com/s/how-to-break-the-literotica-toplist

If you intend to write stories in the incest/taboo category, here are some thoughts:

1. Some readers will respond negatively to gay male incidents in this category.

2. Spend some time in your story building up to the incest. Don't just have them jump into bed right away. Buildup is key.
 
Suggestions

1. Don't have any sexual activity before age 18. If there are children in the story keep them well away from the sex.

2. If the sex is non-consensual they have to enjoy it - eventually.

3. Fan fiction is problematic.

4. Follow Lit's standards for spelling and punctuation particularly for dialogue, with quote marks around the words:

e.g. "Do you want to go to bed?" She asked. "Now? Or later...?"

"Both," he replied, "and as often as possible."
 
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I'd echo the earlier comments, write the story you want. Never try to give them what you think they want, you'll never get it right, and you'll lose the will to write.

Others said it much more eloquently.

Stacey
 
I've read I/T for years and I've done well as a writer in that category.

1. Some readers will respond negatively to gay male incidents in this category.
Agreed.

Also, non-con is frowned upon.

2. Spend some time in your story building up to the incest. Don't just have them jump into bed right away. Buildup is key.
I wouldn't call this a taboo. Don't get me wrong - I agree in general that buildup is key as well as guilt and shame, but there are stories that work without those.

I'd say avoid the "the mom/sister/aunt/daughter walks in on the son/brother/nephew/dad masturbating and decides she has to fuck him" story line. It's not a bad story line, but it's been done to death.

I'd echo the earlier comments, write the story you want. Never try to give them what you think they want, you'll never get it right, and you'll lose the will to write.
You get paid the same amount whether your story is a smash or if nobody cares for it. If there's a story stuck in your head, then by all means write it down and publish it.

OTOH, if you are like me and find comments very rewarding and motivating, writing a story that goes against the expectations of your category is not a great use of your time. IMHO a story's premise is the main determiner of its rating. Come up with a premise that appeals to I/T readers and you'll do fine.

If you've read my stories and like them, PM me and I can send you a How To I'm working on.
 
Just a question out of curiosity; what are the (other) taboos that get placed into I/T, besides Incest? And is there an audience in I/T for stories that don't contain Incest? I always get the impression that I/T could easily be renamed to 'Incest', but maybe I'm wrong?

The only thing I can think of is step-incest, which, since it involves non-blood relatives, might not be considered true incest by some.
 
The only thing I can think of is step-incest, which, since it involves non-blood relatives, might not be considered true incest by some.

My second story on Lit involved brother-in-law and sister-in-law and I put it in I/T. There was a comment that it wasn't incest. The score on the story isn't great, but I think that has more to do with the length of the story (it's very short) than with the content of the story.

Probably all the taboos acceptable to I/T are going to involve sex within some close relationship. I doubt that other taboos would be understood. A story that uses racial slurs for instance (use of racial slurs being taboo) isn't going to excite the readers.
 
Are there any strict taboos to avoid that I should be aware of? I've seen a few new authors and they get slammed with lower ratings, and I'd like to know how to avoid that pitfall if possible.

Thank you for your time and patience.

-JNPPLF. o7

I would recommend that you steer well clear of the "age" problem. Your character should not resemble anyone under 18-years old AT ALL., if they indulge in any sexual activity.
 
The only thing I can think of is step-incest, which, since it involves non-blood relatives, might not be considered true incest by some.

When in-laws, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, father-in-law, and/or mother-in-law live in the same household and under the same roof, no matter if they're not blood related, their sexual relationship is considered incestuous and thereby meets the definition of the incest category.
 
Just a question out of curiosity; what are the (other) taboos that get placed into I/T, besides Incest? And is there an audience in I/T for stories that don't contain Incest? I always get the impression that I/T could easily be renamed to 'Incest', but maybe I'm wrong?
I've read a story about sex with a close family friend that was given the honorary title of "uncle" (I think it was uncle). There are quite a few stories about sex between a sibling and an adopted sibling, which I think doesn't meet the definition of "incest" as they aren't genetically related.
 
When in-laws, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, father-in-law, and/or mother-in-law live in the same household and under the same roof, no matter if they're not blood related, their sexual relationship is considered incestuous and thereby meets the definition of the incest category.

I disagree. Incest is blood related. The examples above would be considered taboo as in something not acceptable in most people's eyes. Sleeping with a mother in law would be seen as sleazy and frowned upon, but its not incest.

What people forget since Kay Parker first starred in Taboo is that the word taboo does not automatically mean incest. A married woman sleeping with her boss could be considered taboo....

But I think that this point Taboo is 100% locked in as meaning family relations on lit and other porn sites.
 
Just a question out of curiosity; what are the (other) taboos that get placed into I/T, besides Incest? And is there an audience in I/T for stories that don't contain Incest? I always get the impression that I/T could easily be renamed to 'Incest', but maybe I'm wrong?

Without any knowledge about conventions here or elsewhere...

I would consider putting teacher/student sexual relationships right besides incest. Where that flavour actually goes here on Lit?

Religious abuse?
 
I disagree. Incest is blood related. The examples above would be considered taboo as in something not acceptable in most people's eyes. Sleeping with a mother in law would be seen as sleazy and frowned upon, but its not incest.

What people forget since Kay Parker first starred in Taboo is that the word taboo does not automatically mean incest. A married woman sleeping with her boss could be considered taboo....

But I think that this point Taboo is 100% locked in as meaning family relations on lit and other porn sites.

I didn't write that it was incest.

I wrote that if they live in the same household, a sexual relationship between in-laws is incestuous.

That fits the broad category that Literotica embraces as incest, otherwise Laurel wouldn't post in-law stories in the incest category.

 
Without any knowledge about conventions here or elsewhere...

I would consider putting teacher/student sexual relationships right besides incest. Where that flavour actually goes here on Lit?

Religious abuse?

Religious abuse? If it's priest/choirboy pedophilia, don't even consider it as that hits the under-18 button. If it's a priest using his or her religious authority to coerce sex from a parishioner, that's probably Non-Consent. Teacher-student sex is illegal as hell almost everywhere, but there are a lot of stories in a number of places on Lit featuring such, usually with university or high school seniors to avoid the under-18 bar.
 
Religious abuse? If it's priest/choirboy pedophilia, don't even consider it as that hits the under-18 button. If it's a priest using his or her religious authority to coerce sex from a parishioner, that's probably Non-Consent. Teacher-student sex is illegal as hell almost everywhere, but there are a lot of stories in a number of places on Lit featuring such, usually with university or high school seniors to avoid the under-18 bar.

I've seen teacher/student and teacher/former student stories in Mature.

It isn't a taboo so much, but writers shouldn't expect a great response to stories that are one Lit page or less.
 
Religious abuse? If it's priest/choirboy pedophilia, don't even consider it as that hits the under-18 button. If it's a priest using his or her religious authority to coerce sex from a parishioner, that's probably Non-Consent.

I was more thinking about the lines of a false prophet building up very willing, devoted and zealous cult following he can use to his whim either as his 'holy' rights or ritual practice, or just dictate who gets to fuck whom. The later might the apotheosis of human power, and the true ingrained reason why priest profession is so desired.

Teacher-student sex is illegal as hell almost everywhere, but there are a lot of stories in a number of places on Lit featuring such, usually with university or high school seniors to avoid the under-18 bar.

Just for redundant note, incest is also illegal. Actually, for very comparable reasons: typically, one partner holds way too much power, authority and undoubted trust for consent to be truly given by the dependant partner. Even if they are by all means willing, perhaps may be put in midset it is just the right thing and very much norm, it is still technically non-consent. Sure, it is very much not how porn incest is written.

However, as far porn is considered, legality and desirability have no correlation whatever, nor should have.
 
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I've seen teacher/student and teacher/former student stories in Mature.

It isn't a taboo so much, but writers shouldn't expect a great response to stories that are one Lit page or less.

I would say teacher/former student is a whole different beast, but that may vary on case by case basis. Just saying, I know one successful couple that had quite a strain on their early relationship because of that status and the stigma that comes with it, made even worse by them meeting as colleges and then becoming boss/employee. With less than ten years between, it not a 'mature' story either.

Mature not being my go-to category (residing in E/V mostly), I have seen a lot of teacher/student, but mostly just as added kink, not the focus of the story.
 
Just for redundant note, incest is also illegal. Actually, for very comparable reasons: typically, one partner holds way too much power, authority and undoubted trust for consent to be truly given by the dependant partner. Even if they are by all means willing, perhaps may be put in midset it is just the right thing and very much norm, it is still technically non-consent.

i know, right! Always amazes me how the same people who wail and kvetch endlessly about NC/R are like 'oh yeah, incest, that's fine.'

Incest is so abhorrent that even the ancient Greeks, renowned for their freakiness, condemned it.

People are weird.
 
I was more thinking about the lines of a false prophet building up very willing, devoted and zealous cult following he can use to his whim either as his 'holy' rights or ritual practice, or just dictate who gets to fuck whom. The later might the apotheosis of human power, and the true ingrained reason why priest profession is so desired.

Quite so and I see your point. Yet it is not just false prophets who work that gig. For instance, check out the 'home life' of the gang run by the late and unlamented Charlie Manson.
 
Its LAURELS site and it can die if she wants, but my efforts are far beyond what LAUREL allows. So my stuff gets arvhived for the future. I'm a villain.
 
I came to LIT 11 years and discovered the worst you can do is suggest anything TEX, PILOT, and others don't like. We had wars for a few years. STELLA launched an attack for ,y thoughts about verbs.
 
I read it minures ago: IF YOURE READING THIS STORY YOURE SICK AND NEED PROFESSIONAL HELP.

It was an authors note to readers. I suspect OGG is the author.
 
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