Category Question

[KarennaC]

One of my stories for the Valentine's contest is driving me nuts as far as figuring out which category to put it in. The plot of the story (hope it's okay to post it here) is that a woman comes home and finds that her partner has left her a box of X-rated candy conversation hearts. She has to perform the task that each heart says. At the end of the story, she finds him in bed with the last heart.

I'm leaning sort of toward saying it's a BDSM story because of the Domination/submission aspect; her partner leaves a note with the box of hearts saying he's watching her, and she follows every instruction no matter how uncomfortable the idea makes her. But I confess I don't know enough about BDSM stories to know if it fits there. Any help or thoughts would be appreciated; I want to be accurate with the category when I submit the story.

 

[Salvor-Hardon]

Personally, unless she calls him Master, or there are cuffs and collars and chains involved call it Romance or Erotic Coupling as BDSM readers are usually looking for something with a more obvious control aspect.

My two cents, which doesn't buy nearly enough cuffs, collars or chains

 

[KarennaC]

Salvor, thanks I can see I need to do more reading in the BDSM category to get a better feel for what it is.

It would be more Erotic Couplings than Romance, except for the slight problem that the actual "coupling" is only about 4 sentences long; the rest of the story is the woman alone following the directions on the hearts. That's where I'm stuck...

 

[TxRad]

Voyeur Exhibition might be better in that case.

I'll have a BDSM story in the contest you can check out it you want to.

 

[KarennaC]

Ooh, I hadn't even thought of E/V! There's definitely some of that, both with the partner supposedly watching and with a picture window... Thanks for the suggestion, Tx I'll be sure to check out your story!

 

[snowy ciara]

I'm a reader in the bdsm forum... If you feel the control aspects are bdsmy, then go ahead and place it there. It sounds like your story is light on the SM part but a bit heavier on the Ds part. Which is good. We actually do need more of that in the BDSM section because it's heavily slanted towards the SM and the stereotypical bdsm romance. We need some variety and less of the "Strappin' SheBitches from Hell" dreck.

 

[KarennaC]

Snowy_ciara, thanks for your input! I was hoping someone from that forum might see this question I really do feel like there's some D/s going on in the story; there's other things too, like exhibitionism, but she's flashing in front of a picture window because he told her to, not because she wanted to. I'm gonna have to think on this more, and see what others have to say... I can't submit it till the Valentine's contest starts on Sunday, so hopefully by then I'll figure it out! lol

 

[snowy ciara]

Very Welcome, Karenna! There's a really a great variety in what falls under the BDSM umbrella, but the association that most people make is the scary stuff that becomes the fodder for Law & Order: Special Spinoffs Unit, or CSI: LaLaLand. I actually like both of those programs (though I truly miss Lumiere, er Jerry Orbach...) but they only do the highly shocking stuff. The majority of D/s and BDSM relationships are very subtle and the Dominance and submission aspects are more covert. On a site like Lit, we get a lot of the quickie stroke stories on the story side, because no-one really wants to read about the nuts and bolts of submission. I do like a lot of the quickie stroke stories, but sometimes I want something with a bit more substance.

ETA: okay, I think I've gotten rid of all the prednisone/codiene inspired goofs, and should be done editing now. But I make no promises...

 

[graceanne]

Very Welcome, Karenna! There's a really a great variety in what falls under the BDSM umbrella, but the association that most people make is the scary stuff that becomes the fodder for Law & Order: Special Spinoffs Unit, or CSI: LaLaLand. I actually like both of those programs (though I truly miss Lumiere, er Jerry Orbach...) but they only do the highly shocking stuff. The majority of D/s and BDSM relationships are very subtle and the Dominance and submission aspects are more overt. On a site like Lit, we get a lot of the quickie stroke stories on the story side, because no-one really wants to read about the nuts and bolts of submission. I do like a lot of the quickie stroke stories, but sometimes I want something with a bit more substance.

I hear that. To tell the truth I'm sick of most of the bdsm stories. They're all the same, just different names put to the people. This sounds a bit more interesting than that 'meeting my master for the first time' story.

 

[Chicklet]

My question would be: who do you want your readers to be?

I've noticed that my Erotic Coupling's stories get a lot more reads than my BDSM stories. The people that browse the BDSM stories are *generally* looking for the S/m, fantasy BDSM of their pornographic dreams... The erotic couplings section is a good catchall where a lot of smaller kinks get placed, and people who aren't necessarily looking for it might find something exciting about the implied D/s that they wouldn't have expected.

If it's well-written and well reviewed by your peers, it's going to get all the reads from the people that matter (this forum ) whichever category it ends up in.

The bottom line is that story placement should happen from your gut.

Is it BDSM? You're the one who should decide.

 

[JMohegan]

Personally, unless she calls him Master, or there are cuffs and collars and chains involved call it Romance or Erotic Coupling as BDSM readers are usually looking for something with a more obvious control aspect.

My two cents, which doesn't buy nearly enough cuffs, collars or chains

Romance + erotic coupling + a woman following instructions even though it makes her squirm = BDSM in my book.

Master, cuffs, collars, chains? What is that - a litany of stereotypes from the pages of porn?

My answer to the OP - The outline for your story sounds like realistic D/s to me.

 

[Salvor-Hardon]

Romance + erotic coupling + a woman following instructions even though it makes her squirm = BDSM in my book.

Master, cuffs, collars, chains? What is that - a litany of stereotypes from the pages of porn?

My answer to the OP - The outline for your story sounds like realistic D/s to me.

Yes it is a litany of stereotypes. Its sad but thats the stereotype and that's what the anonymous reader is expecting going in there. Yes what she is telling is more D/s but without something more overt, it may fall flat on BDSM expectation, that subtle difference being stumbling point.

If there is a dynamic that she does obey, that is presented in the story, if the power exchange is presented as such, it may do better. But if she just obeys because she is playing along with his "surprise", even if she is uncomfortable with parts of it, the average BDSM reader may not catch it.

 

[TxRad]

Yes it is a litany of stereotypes. Its sad but thats the stereotype and that's what the anonymous reader is expecting going in there. Yes what she is telling is more D/s but without something more overt, it may fall flat on BDSM expectation, that subtle difference being stumbling point.

If there is a dynamic that she does obey, that is presented in the story, if the power exchange is presented as such, it may do better. But if she just obeys because she is playing along with his "surprise", even if she is uncomfortable with parts of it, the average BDSM reader may not catch it.

I have several stories in BDSM and they are doing well, They are shall we say, light on the s/m side and I think and readers say that is the reason they are liked so well. Readers who are into the lifestyle or who have researched it are the one who are fed up with the stereotypical stories. The mind is the place for d/s play and that draws believe me.

 

[Boxlicker101]

I don't think I would call it E/V. She is just displaying herself for her SO, not flashing people outside. (presumably) E/C doesn't sound right either, since there is so little coupling. It sounds more like D/s to me, which would put it in BDSM.

 

[Salvor-Hardon]

I have several stories in BDSM and they are doing well, They are shall we say, light on the s/m side and I think and readers say that is the reason they are liked so well. Readers who are into the lifestyle or who have researched it are the one who are fed up with the stereotypical stories. The mind is the place for d/s play and that draws believe me.

Ok, I would listen to TxRad more than me. He's twice the writer and has done much better with readers than I ever will.

 

[Weird Harold]

a woman comes home and finds that her partner has left her a box of X-rated candy conversation hearts. She has to perform the task that each heart says. At the end of the story, she finds him in bed with the last heart.

Depending on what the instructions on the hearts are, you might consider the Fetish(es) category if you decide bD/Sm isn't right. It doesn't sound like there's enough exposure or arousal from the exposure to qualify as Voy/Exhib category.

My first thought was Romance because it's kind of a "Guy's Idea of Romantic" kind of Valentine's stunt, but I can definitely see it as a D/s play as well.

 

[Boxlicker101]

Depending on what the instructions on the hearts are, you might consider the Fetish(es) category if you decide bD/Sm isn't right. It doesn't sound like there's enough exposure or arousal from the exposure to qualify as Voy/Exhib category.

My first thought was Romance because it's kind of a "Guy's Idea of Romantic" kind of Valentine's stunt, but I can definitely see it as a D/s play as well.

As the Weird one says, it might depend on what the hearts say. If they have her flashing people going by, and stuff like that, it might be E/V. Or, it could even be fetish, if she is wearing certain things.

 

[KarennaC]

My thanks to all of you who've weighed in so far! All of your comments are extremely helpful.

In rereading the story, I agree there isn't much E/V. The character thinks a neighbor sees her through the picture window, but she isn't deliberately flashing him and isn't even completely sure he sees her, and even though the note says her partner's watching, there isn't really any sign that he is.

Not Fetish, either; the instructions are things like "Strip" and "Touch Yourself" (abbreviated so it will fit on one of those hearts).

After reading over the story a couple of times, and based on this discussion and a conversation I had with one of my beta readers (who I hadn't even realized was into D/s until I told her about this thread), I think I'm going to tweak the story to play up the D/s aspects and submit it as BDSM. I'm still interested in hearing others' opinions, though!

 

[bandelero]

Hi KarennaC,

I am making the assumption that you haven't yet had any stories published on Lit, can't find 'em if you have.
Basing it on that, I wrote my first ones a couple of years back, and it almost took longer trying to decide which category to place them in than it took to actually write the stories.

At the time I wrote the story that I eventually placed in BDSM it was originally intended for another area, mind control. I will openly admit that I had no idea whatsoever of what BDSM was about other than that the SM was probably SadoMasochism, so my idea of that category was the classic "Whips, chains n dungeons" idea.

I did more or less what you have done here and asked for advice on placement from more experienced Lit authors, and the consensus was to place the story in BDSM. Now two years on and with my spiritual home firmly in the BDSM forums I can appreciate the aspects of my story that gave it it's deserved place in BDSM.

I see those aspects in the plot line of your story and agree with the majority here, that though not a sterotypical offering for the BDSM grouping, it definitely deserves a placement there. I for one look forward to reading it.

**Ouch, I am beginning to realise that I am long winded...I could have summed up this whole post with one sentence....oh well, I hope that reading it helps your decision, and I agree with your thoughts on tweaking it slightly, but please don't add whips and chains **

 

[KarennaC]

Bandolero, thanks for your input And I didn't consider your post as long-winded!

Actually, I've had 5 stories posted here on Literotica since July; the most recent went up yesterday, so it's under "New Stories." (It's categorized Group Sex.) I also have two in Erotic Couplings, one in E/V, and one in Toys. All of those were pretty obvious to me as far as where they went, fortunately. lol

The people here definitely give great advice and feedback, and I consider myself fortunate to have found Literotica!

 

[TxRad]

Bandolero, thanks for your input And I didn't consider your post as long-winded!

Actually, I've had 5 stories posted here on Literotica since July; the most recent went up yesterday, so it's under "New Stories." (It's categorized Group Sex.) I also have two in Erotic Couplings, one in E/V, and one in Toys. All of those were pretty obvious to me as far as where they went, fortunately. lol

The people here definitely give great advice and feedback, and I consider myself fortunate to have found Literotica!

You need to get your signature lines set up and advertise. Most of us are to lazy to go digging without a nice handy link to click on.

 

[KarennaC]

Tx, good point... I'm still trying to figure out this board... gotta play around and see if I can find out how to do a signature.

(I don't see sigs on anyone else's posts; I only see them if I click on the person's name; is that the way it's supposed to be?)

 

[TxRad]

Tx, good point... I'm still trying to figure out this board... gotta play around and see if I can find out how to do a signature.

(I don't see sigs on anyone else's posts; I only see them if I click on the person's name; is that the way it's supposed to be?)

I'm guessing you have sigs turned off in your users CP. It's at the top of the page on the left. You set your sig up from there also.

 

[KarennaC]

Tx, thanks! I found where to set up my sig; can't find how to turn on sigs, though.

Now, how do I figure out the links to my stories, or is it enough to just post their titles? (Can ya tell I'm new at this? lol)

 

[TxRad]

Tx, thanks! I found where to set up my sig; can't find how to turn on sigs, though.

Now, how do I figure out the links to my stories, or is it enough to just post their titles? (Can ya tell I'm new at this? lol)

Sorry, I can't help on turning on sigs. I can't find the switch to turn on go to last read post in a thread myself. I used to know but that was a couple of years ago. Old age forgetfulness is a bitch.

As for your stories. Go to your Lit Bio and bookmark the page. That will give you a list of your stories and the links to them individually. Add a link to your story page to your sig and then you can add links to individual new stories as you need to.

Above the sig setup box is an icon for links. Get the url for your bio story page and copy it. Click on the link icon. type in something like My stories or whatever click enter and on the next page paste in the link. Preview your sig and it should have what you typed first and when you click it should take you to the story page.

Same thing for individual stories. If ya have a problem PM me an I'll try to help.

I hope this is clearer than mud. and helps.