Help with choosing the right category

[cdog21]

I'm working on an X-Change story (magic pill that gender bends people), but I'm not sure what category to put it in. I've got three chapters ready to start editing, but I don't know where to put them.

In chapter 1, Adam returns to his hometown from college and hooks up with a girl named Marie. Except for some foreshadowing because the title of the story will have "X-Change" somewhere in it, it's basically an Erotic Coupling story. Chapter 2 would easily fit in the Incest/Taboo category because Adam and Marie's non X-Changed form as Matt is Adam's younger brother. In chapter 3, Adam would have his first experience with the X-Change pill and would hook up with a guy by the end. I suppose at that point it would make sense for the chapter to be placed in the Crossdresser/Transgender category since the main character is now the one interacting with the gender bender aspect of the story. In either chapter 4 or 5, a quirk of his family's bloodline allows Adam to be one of the people that gain the permanent ability to switch between genders at will as well as some enhancements I'm planning out. My first thought would be to put that chapter in the Sci-Fi/ Fantasy section, but since he's still changing back and forth between genders again, the Crossdresser/Transgender category could fit.

Chapter 1 is what's really making me question everything because except for "X-Change" being in the title, it has nothing to do with the concept. There is no mention of the X-Change pill or its gender bender properties. Maybe the novella section could hold everything? I don't know. Any insight would be appreciated.

 

[TheRedChamber]

Arrgh,

You're not making it easy on yourself. The incest fans with squick at the transexual content. The transexual fans will squick at the incest content. Except, none of them will read past chapter one because it's boringly unincesty and cisgendered.

(I'm sure your story is lovely)

The conventional wisdom is that incest trumps everything else, so even if you posted to another category, Laurel might move it to incest. But...that probably only applied to the chapters containing actual incest. It's also considered not great form to post a multi-chaptered story into multiple categories.

That said, having read it again, I have no idea this means...

Chapter 2 would easily fit in the Incest/Taboo category because Adam and Marie's non X-Changed form as Matt is Adam's younger brother.

Presumably, Adam has sex with his younger brother who is now female due to story magic?

It's bad form to try and write your story for you, but I'm really leaning towards telling you to ditch the incest aspect and just focus on the sex change. And then get some foreshadowing in chapter one.

 

[ElectricBlue]

@cdog21 What's the major theme of the whole story? You've given a precis of three chapters, but what about the rest?

Also, how long are your chapters, and how long do you thing the whole thing will be?

Remember, once the whole story is published, the category of individual chapters is far less relevant, because all of it is there on your story page. Think about the whole story, not just the individual parts.

From what you've said so far, I'd say T & C, with an Editor's Note at the beginning of the chapter with the incest sub-theme.

 

[cdog21]

Presumably, Adam has sex with his younger brother who is now female due to story magic?

It's bad form to try and write your story for you, but I'm really leaning towards telling you to ditch the incest aspect and just focus on the sex change. And then get some foreshadowing in chapter one.

Their dad works for the company that produces the pill. He was promoted to being a sales rep (and in-person example) to meet with partners for mass market manufacturing once the drug gets approval and all of the possible side effects have been uncovered. Matt accidentally took one of the pills thinking it was pain medication and everything spun out from that incident. The drug has a sort of Jekyll and Hyde effect where it's basically two people with the same memories looking at something from two different perspectives.

What's the major theme of the whole story? You've given a precis of three chapters, but what about the rest?

I suppose it would be Adam and his misadventures as his X-Changed alter ego Ashley. I've already screwed with the original story concept by having aftereffects of the drug enhancing and "perfecting" their original form even after the drug has left the user's system. Adam, Matt, and their dad's bodies are metabolizing the drug differently than 99% of the other people involved in the tests and the company is fascinated by it. For like five minutes I though about going straight up action sci-fi with it and having Adam get recruited by the government for infiltration missions because of his shapeshifting ability, but that notion passed quickly.

Also, how long are your chapters, and how long do you thing the whole thing will be?

Between 8-13K. I think the first one is shortest, but I didn't write down the last word count down for chapter 1 & 3. Chapter 1 was a little under eight thousand the last time I saw, but chapter 3 is longer than chapter 2 and that one is over 13K. As far as how long the whole thing is, I honestly don't know.

Guy comes home, fucks a pretty girl, girl is the transformed version of guy's brother, brother introduces guy to the drug and takes him out on the town. That's as far as it went, but ideas for more chapters popped into my head so I started outlining them. That's why only Chapters 1-3 are actually written, the story "ended" there.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I suppose it would be Adam and his misadventures as his X-Changed alter ego Ashley. I've already screwed with the original story concept by having aftereffects of the drug enhancing and "perfecting" their original form even after the drug has left the user's system.

Between 8-13K. I think the first one is shortest, but I didn't write down the last word count down for chapter 1 & 3. Chapter 1 was a little under eight thousand the last time I saw, but chapter 3 is longer than chapter 2 and that one is over 13K.

There's your answer.

Just add an Editor's Note to the chapter with the incest bits, as a sub-theme, that chapter only.

 

[cdog21]

There's your answer.

Just add an Editor's Note to the chapter with the incest bits, as a sub-theme, that chapter only.

So stick with the C & T category?

 

[ElectricBlue]

So stick with the C & T category?

I would, yes. From what you've described, that's the primary theme.

I've got a story in that category with a sibling incest sub-theme. I asked Laurel to place it in T&C because I knew the Incest stalwarts would shudder at anything outside their wheelhouse. Laurel agreed, and the story has done quite nicely. No-one has commented on the incest aspect, neither for nor against.

 

[Helgamite]

got a story ready to come out. but not sure of the category.

contains the following:
Harem building
Cheating
revenge
big business rebuilding
POSSIBLE in law joining harem.
group sex M\f and F\F

for me, it has elements of LW and Romance to it. I was thinking of the LW category but, honestly, I'm fucking SCARED of LW category lol.

help?

 

[TheRedChamber]

got a story ready to come out. but not sure of the category.

contains the following:
Harem building
Cheating
revenge
big business rebuilding
POSSIBLE in law joining harem.
group sex M\f and F\F

for me, it has elements of LW and Romance to it. I was thinking of the LW category but, honestly, I'm fucking SCARED of LW category lol.

help?

You're right to be scared. Harem building doesn't feel like a LW story, regardless of the cheating and revenge. Group is probably the way to go.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Stick in Group, but nobody will react. It's the least responsive category in my experience, but you won't have to deal with the LW commentariat.

 

[Helgamite]

I put the first part in LW, I may change to group on 2nd part. Lets see how I get responses in Lw lol. this should be fun, scary and interesting!

Stick in Group, but nobody will react. It's the least responsive category in my experience, but you won't have to deal with the LW commentariat.