Different Categories

[Nathan_Brazil]

Realized there were 32 different categories (not even including the poetry and illustration group) in which to submit material. Then realized that there might...might be 6 that I would consider using.

And 6 is a stretch...

Is this less than common for most of the writers here?

I will read material from maybe another 10 categories... But have nothing to offer them.

 

[lovecraft68]

Like everything else it varies, there are writers here who only stick to one or two categories and others that have written in everything.

I'm not sure if they are interested in everything or it is a test or challenge. The survivor contest led a lot of authors to try writing things they had no real interest in.

I stick to two main categories and occasionally dabble in a couple more. I think all told I have written in 12.

I see no need to try things I have no interest in, but again we are all different

 

[TxRad]

Categories? We don't need no stinking categories.

I write the story and then figure out what category it fits.

How many categories have i written in? Hell if i know.

ETA More than I thought. 23 categories.

 

[sr71plt]

GM and Lesbian have one category each, so it's all relative.

 

[Hypoxia]

Sometimes I write for a category; sometimes I categorize post-penning; sometimes I'm totally off and/or lost; and sometimes I don't much care (or so I tell myself). Right now I'm resuming writing with a tale about a woman pulling a train to audition potential mates. Just her and lots of applicants but she only does one at a time, and once each. Group sex? Erotic couplings? IR or Anal? (But those give away the surprise ending.) If one of the candidates were her brother it could be Incest even if he was just a bit-player and not a lead. So many possibilities...

 

[Bramblethorn]

Realized there were 32 different categories (not even including the poetry and illustration group) in which to submit material. Then realized that there might...might be 6 that I would consider using.

And 6 is a stretch...

Is this less than common for most of the writers here?

I will read material from maybe another 10 categories... But have nothing to offer them.

Some writers like to stick to a particular niche, others end up straddling a lot of categories. Looking at mine so far:
- lesbian romance with elements of BDSM and a non-erotic chapter (posted to Lesbian)
- lesbian horror romance (posted to Erotic Horror)
- lesbian BDSM (Lesbian)
- comedy horror poetry with audio (Text with Audio)
- lesbian horror-ish non-human (non-erotic? depending on how you define it) (Erotic Horror)

So that's about eight categories across five stories; one of these days I may add some SF or fantasy to that, perhaps a few others.

 

[HandsInTheDark]

I don't write for categories. They annoy me because I don't know where to put a story with a sci-fi background and a character who evolves from a coercive-non-consent approach to a D/s and romantic one, including some bondage and one guy-on-unwilling-guy scene, with social commentary mixed in. Every time I go to post a new chapter I look at that dropdown and curse. I'm writing about PEOPLE. Sometimes my characters evolve. Categories? Seriously?

A story that's about gay sex, or incest, or foot fetish... what is that even for? Show me what happens between the ears, not parts grinding on parts or relationships neatly defined and constrained by simple adjectives.

 

[sr71plt]

You can't not write to a category at Lit. Stories are presented in categories.

I've written to 26 different categories.

A story that's about gay sex, or incest, or foot fetish is for those who enjoy reading/writing that--just like whatever you like. I don't accept that you have a problem with that here and it's getting a little tiresome that you are repeating that. Yes, most stories go across more than one category, but you have to choose one.

 

[lovecraft68]

Every category of course has sub categories and fans of each. Just because someone likes incest does ot mean they like all incest, there are plenty of mom/son fans who squick at dad/daughter etc...

Fetish is probably the most widely mixed except for the catchall erotic couplings.

So even when you put your story in the most fitting category you're still rarely hitting that entire readership's sweet spots, but there is enough readers for all possible kinks.

The only thing I try not to do and appreciate it when others have the same courtesy is to not stick major squicks where they don't belong. Blindsiding some one with incest in group sex or sticking a rape scene in a romance for example will get you flamed.

Which leads to the infamous 'trump' debate....if you have a non consent incest story between two men....you are in deep shit regardless

 

[Gorza]

The category system on Lit is a bit clunky; there are better ways software could handle a database of stories, but that's another deal.

My first story didn't really fit any one category, but, in the end, I picked one, on advice, and wrote the story up to fulfill that category better. My second story happened to fit a category, so that was easier. Of the drafts and plot outlines I have, some are written specifically for a category and some happen to fit one better than the others. The difficulty is when you have a story idea that doesn't fit neatly into a category. There is a tendency for readers to vote down a story that doesn't fulfill the category brief, even if the story is good. So, I'm tempted to write these up to a category, but this can feel artificial if not handled well.

One question might be how the categories end up shaping authors' output.

 

[Boxlicker101]

Realized there were 32 different categories (not even including the poetry and illustration group) in which to submit material. Then realized that there might...might be 6 that I would consider using.

And 6 is a stretch...

Is this less than common for most of the writers here?

I will read material from maybe another 10 categories... But have nothing to offer them.

Counting everything, there are actually 35 categories. I have written in all of them except Illustrated Stories, and several others have done the same.

There are also sub-categories, and they will probably stay that was, although there have been threads about additions to the list.

 

[Nathan_Brazil]

I'm curious as to why anyone would want to write for all the categories? Just for the challenge? Do you lack the 'ewww' factor that most of us have?

 

[Nathan_Brazil]

The category system on Lit is a bit clunky; there are better ways software could handle a database of stories, but that's another deal.

My first story didn't really fit any one category, but, in the end, I picked one, on advice, and wrote the story up to fulfill that category better. My second story happened to fit a category, so that was easier. Of the drafts and plot outlines I have, some are written specifically for a category and some happen to fit one better than the others. The difficulty is when you have a story idea that doesn't fit neatly into a category. There is a tendency for readers to vote down a story that doesn't fulfill the category brief, even if the story is good. So, I'm tempted to write these up to a category, but this can feel artificial if not handled well.

One question might be how the categories end up shaping authors' output.

So far I've just written whatever I felt like writing, but I haven't offered much yet. But even then, I knew that my piece fit nicely in one category, I probably could have gotten away with putting it in a couple of others.
Seems like several people have warned me about pissing off the fanboys now. I guess I will let ya know when they fling their one bombs.

 

[sr71plt]

I'm curious as to why anyone would want to write for all the categories? Just for the challenge? Do you lack the 'ewww' factor that most of us have?

As others have noted, I think, I write the story usually--although I do think of writing variety when I start a story--and the category is chosen after the story is written.

 

[Boxlicker101]

I'm curious as to why anyone would want to write for all the categories? Just for the challenge? Do you lack the 'ewww' factor that most of us have?

Mostly I just like variety but, in addition, until this year, there was a year-long contest, known as the Survivor Contest, which paid cash prizes. The way to win this was to write a lot of stories in a lot of categories.

Besides that, I don't go "Ewww" very easily. If you read some of my stories, especially the one about the friendly undertaker, you will see what I mean.

 

[Gorza]

I'm curious as to why anyone would want to write for all the categories? Just for the challenge? Do you lack the 'ewww' factor that most of us have?

Mostly I just like variety but, in addition, until this year, there was a year-long contest, known as the Survivor Contest, which paid cash prizes. The way to win this was to write a lot of stories in a lot of categories.

Besides that, I don't go "Ewww" very easily. If you read some of my stories, especially the one about the friendly undertaker, you will see what I mean.

I saw the Survivor Contest. Some writers want to push themselves to write something that is out of their comfort zone. I imagine that most of these offerings are not that great, as experience is lacking and imagination is tested. Yet, I think it has produced some gems. I think the authors who don't normally write incest stories write better ones They are better at avoiding cliche, and they have to make it believable, starting from a sceptical view on things. I wouldn't normally write for that category, but I know that it gets a lot of readers, which is an incentive in itself.

The "Ewww" factor is perhaps something that diminishes with experience over time. I don't find it important, although there are some things that make me a little uncomfortable.

So far I've just written whatever I felt like writing, but I haven't offered much yet. But even then, I knew that my piece fit nicely in one category, I probably could have gotten away with putting it in a couple of others.
Seems like several people have warned me about pissing off the fanboys now. I guess I will let ya know when they fling their one bombs.

As others have noted, I think, I write the story usually--although I do think of writing variety when I start a story--and the category is chosen after the story is written.

It is good when this happens, but it's not always the case. I have two drafts that are 'sexual adventure' stories, in which the protagonist has a series of couplings. They could go in Erotic Couplings, but that category tends to be one man and one woman, and is a bit of a mixed bag. The temptation is to write them up to another category. For example, I throw some anal sex, group sex or exhibitionism into the mix to get them into the respective category.