Multiple Chapters Across Multiple Categories?

[BuckyDuckman]

The last couple of chapter stories I wrote, I just dumped into Novels and Novellas as complete works. I know this question gets asked all the time, but I'm curious where the current thinking is on posting different chapters of the same story across several different categories? For example:

Chapter One: Erotic Couplings, since it's just a man and woman having sex.
Chapter Two: Lesbian Sex, since it only includes lesbian sex
Chapter Three: Fetish Sex, because the original couple gets really kinky
Chapter Four: Erotic Couplings, because that couple has calmed down
Chapter Five: Lesbian Sex, because she heads back to her lesbian partner

You get the idea. What's the general consensus? Dump it into Novels and Novellas as a complete work and be down with it? Spread it out over categories? Or . . . ?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Vix_Giovanni]

The last couple of chapter stories I wrote, I just dumped into Novels and Novellas as complete works. I know this question gets asked all the time, but I'm curious where the current thinking is on posting different chapters of the same story across several different categories? For example:

Chapter One: Erotic Couplings, since it's just a man and woman having sex.
Chapter Two: Lesbian Sex, since it only includes lesbian sex
Chapter Three: Fetish Sex, because the original couple gets really kinky
Chapter Four: Erotic Couplings, because that couple has calmed down
Chapter Five: Lesbian Sex, because she heads back to her lesbian partner

You get the idea. What's the general consensus? Dump it into Novels and Novellas as a complete work and be down with it? Spread it out over categories? Or . . . ?

Thanks in advance.

I’ve posted the chapters of two novellas across categories. One is complete (approx 75k words, 6 chapters) and across five categories: I/T, Group, Non-Erotic, Toy’s, Romance. The other is in progress (approx 36k words, 5 chapters) and is posted across I/T, mind-control and fetish.

I’m new-ish to Lit. As a new writer, I thought that I/T could only be posted in I/T, not N&N (unlike you and others, I wasn’t smart enough to ask for advice).

EDIT: I should clarify. It was imperative that my six chapter novella be cross-category, regardless of whether I’d dumped the rest of the story in N&N or in I/T. In my case, restructuring content to make each chapter fit the same category was not an available option. Firstly, and creatively, I just don’t write that way. Secondly, I was foreclosed from posting all the chapters to I/T or N&N for moral reasons. In one chapter, my male protagonist reminisces on meeting and bonding with his daughter when she was a toddler. Posting that chapter in non-erotic was purposeful, to impose a further barrier to base and rank extrapolations. That may be an unusual content problem, but is an exception to the “rules” others have outlined and an example of where multi-category is unavoidable.

So, as a work around, I posted non-I/T chapters across categories. As a bonus, I thought that would also give me more exposure.

It did not. In fact, my novellas across categories have considerably less readers. A couple of chapters have only about 2k reads.

However, posting across categories had one interesting, ego-boosting result. One chapter, despite only about 3k reads, had about 50 or so votes, all 5.00, and thus was the no.1 story site-wide across all categories for about four months. It’s “reign” is over and is now at 4.90 I think. That was probably a fluke, but of course, that would never have happened to a chapter posted in I/T.

 

[SimonDoom]

The last couple of chapter stories I wrote, I just dumped into Novels and Novellas as complete works. I know this question gets asked all the time, but I'm curious where the current thinking is on posting different chapters of the same story across several different categories? For example:

Chapter One: Erotic Couplings, since it's just a man and woman having sex.
Chapter Two: Lesbian Sex, since it only includes lesbian sex
Chapter Three: Fetish Sex, because the original couple gets really kinky
Chapter Four: Erotic Couplings, because that couple has calmed down
Chapter Five: Lesbian Sex, because she heads back to her lesbian partner

You get the idea. What's the general consensus? Dump it into Novels and Novellas as a complete work and be down with it? Spread it out over categories? Or . . . ?

Thanks in advance.

Based on everything I've seen, the best thing to do is to publish all chapters in the same category, assuming you can find a category that will fit. But there are a whole bunch of things to consider:

1. You absolutely do NOT want to publish a story in a category that it doesn't fit at all. In your story above, if you were to publish chapter 1 in Lesbian Sex but there was no lesbian encounter, you'd lose almost all your readers. You wouldn't get many sticking around for the second chapter.

2. The general problem with using many different categories is you will lose too many readers as the story goes along. An exception to this is if you deviate from the usual category to a much more popular category for a single chapter. For instance, if you have a story that you publish in erotic couplings for several chapters and suddenly have an Anal Chapter, you might actually pick up readers, because Anal is a more popular category.

3. Look at TxTallStories Love Your Readers: Categories for guidance on what category to use.

4. If you can, consolidate chapters into larger stories so you can make every chapter fit the category in which it's going to be published.

 

[Hypoxia]

The idea generally sucks. My deliberate attempts sucked. A series that accidentally oscillated between Incest and Group did well but it won't happen again. Warn readers if a chapter jumps themes. "BDSM is inflicted on BBCs and BBWs" in a Romance series should scare away the weak.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I agree with Simon. Pick the dominant storyline category and stay in it; and, depending on that category, don't always succumb to the temptation to make a long story cycle a smorgasbord of every kink imaginable. Especially if you choose the "big" kink pools. If you mix incest with bdsm with non-con with whatever else is an eyeballer category, you're not going to please everybody every time. Some category police are likely to go feral. And god forbid you mix in GM. The homophobes of Lit are in every category.

I don't think there are many categories where you can get away with a smorgasbord: sci-fi and fantasy, you can (I got away with a fair mix in my Arthurian myth thing, but not with high view counts - but that could also have been the basic premise keeping numbers low); erotic couplings can accommodate most things, but not much else.

 

[BuckyDuckman]

Thanks for the sound advice. If the content could all squeeze into a single category, that's what I would. I realize that some categories are more finicky about material matching the heading than others. For example, I've always found "Group Sex" to be an indulgent group of readers, the same with "Fetish" readers.

"Novels and Novellas" seem to be a relativity indulgent group of readers, too. I typically include trigger warnings at the beginning of my stories if I know some of the content has limited appeal. I'm bi, but I know tossing in a hot scene that includes male-on-male sex can alienate the vast majority of readers who don't want to read about that.

I should just make two of the characters brothers or brother/sis and dump it all into "Incest," LMAO!

 

[Hypoxia]

I don't think there are many categories where you can get away with a smorgasbord: sci-fi and fantasy, you can...

I found Group and even Mature accepting of what are considered 'trump' kinks as long as those aren't major themes and the stories otherwise qualify. But sure, Novels is a safe refuge. What, you don't want those many LW peering eyeballs? Post there of Wifey having wild fun and await frenzied reactions. Maybe post under an .alt. for safety.

 

[SimonDoom]

To follow up on something EB said: if you are thinking about writing a story comprising a series of chapters, which will encompass many different kinks and fetishes, you might want to rethink the concept. If you're really sure you want to write a long series, that's perfectly OK, but think hard about it and think about whether it might be more artistically satisfying -- and popular -- to break one long story with many chapters covering many different categories into several different discrete stories.

Some reasons why you might want to do that:

1. Standalone stories on average get more views than do chapters.
2. By breaking up the story into discrete stories, you will have an easier time matching each story to its appropriate category and find the right audience for it. This may result in more readers and more satisfied readers.
3. By breaking up the story into discrete stories, you may challenge yourself more artistically, because you are not writing about the same characters over and over again. You force yourself to come up with more new characters and plot ideas.
4. If you compromise your category selection to find a "common denominator" category like Novels, you may end up putting the story in a category that not only is an awkward fit but is less viewed. Novels is not a highly viewed category.
5. Finally, you get the benefit of a principle of erotica I call "First time is best." Maybe others don't feel this way, but I do. In an exhibitionism story, the most erotic moment is the very first time the character takes his or her clothes off in public. After that, to get the same thrill, you have to ratchet up the degree of nudity or the type of sexual activity the person is doing in public to pack the same erotic punch. Same thing with incest: the first time with mom is the most erotic. Anal, same thing. Mature, romance, BDSM -- same thing. There's nothing like the first time your character feels those hand cuffs snap shut. Repetition is not erotic. This is why I resist requests by readers who like my stories to write more chapters about the same characters. It's more erotic and artistically rewarding for me to move on to a whole new story.

This isn't to dissuade anyone who wants to write a chaptered series. There are many good series here and they can be rewarding. But think hard about what you really want to accomplish with the story and figure out if a chaptered series is the best way to do it. Or whether that "Anal" chapter you want to insert into the middle of the tale might work better if it's spun off into a wholly separate standalone story with different characters.

 

[Vix_Giovanni]

To follow up on something EB said: if you are thinking about writing a story comprising a series of chapters, which will encompass many different kinks and fetishes, you might want to rethink the concept. If you're really sure you want to write a long series, that's perfectly OK, but think hard about it and think about whether it might be more artistically satisfying -- and popular -- to break one long story with many chapters covering many different categories into several different discrete stories.

Some reasons why you might want to do that:

1. Standalone stories on average get more views than do chapters.
2. By breaking up the story into discrete stories, you will have an easier time matching each story to its appropriate category and find the right audience for it. This may result in more readers and more satisfied readers.
3. By breaking up the story into discrete stories, you may challenge yourself more artistically, because you are not writing about the same characters over and over again. You force yourself to come up with more new characters and plot ideas.
4. If you compromise your category selection to find a "common denominator" category like Novels, you may end up putting the story in a category that not only is an awkward fit but is less viewed. Novels is not a highly viewed category.
5. Finally, you get the benefit of a principle of erotica I call "First time is best." Maybe others don't feel this way, but I do. In an exhibitionism story, the most erotic moment is the very first time the character takes his or her clothes off in public. After that, to get the same thrill, you have to ratchet up the degree of nudity or the type of sexual activity the person is doing in public to pack the same erotic punch. Same thing with incest: the first time with mom is the most erotic. Anal, same thing. Mature, romance, BDSM -- same thing. There's nothing like the first time your character feels those hand cuffs snap shut. Repetition is not erotic. This is why I resist requests by readers who like my stories to write more chapters about the same characters. It's more erotic and artistically rewarding for me to move on to a whole new story.

This isn't to dissuade anyone who wants to write a chaptered series. There are many good series here and they can be rewarding. But think hard about what you really want to accomplish with the story and figure out if a chaptered series is the best way to do it. Or whether that "Anal" chapter you want to insert into the middle of the tale might work better if it's spun off into a wholly separate standalone story with different characters.

But what you’re describing is erotica with subplot. In that case, I’d agree that nothing is like that first hit and then you’re chasing. No need necessarily to repeat that same scenario sixteen times. But some of us are writing stories with erotica, in which case the erotica isn’t severable. It seemed to me that OP is trying to write a story with erotica, but perhaps he can clarify that.

 

[ElectricBlue]

This isn't to dissuade anyone who wants to write a chaptered series. There are many good series here and they can be rewarding. But think hard about what you really want to accomplish with the story and figure out if a chaptered series is the best way to do it. Or whether that "Anal" chapter you want to insert into the middle of the tale might work better if it's spun off into a wholly separate standalone story with different characters.

Or, well-established characters but an absolutely self-contained "chapter" that can be read by other category fans without confusion, but on-going fans can wander by if the new kink isn't a squick for them. Your example of anal is a good one: some folk are comme ci, comme ca about that, but for others it's a major walk away. If there's a little bit of bottom to be indulged in, make it all about the bum for a whole episode, grab another cohort, but give the more vanilla category fans fair warning.

That's my plan for my latest Maddy story - a part two as a direct follow-on in the same category, but a third chapter stepping sideways for the duration of a sub-story with two out of the three characters. Mind you, my story universe lends itself to that - most of my stories end up inter-connected in some way or another to each other, eventually.

 

[SimonDoom]

But what you’re describing is erotica with subplot. In that case, I’d agree that nothing is like that first hit and then you’re chasing. No need necessarily to repeat that same scenario sixteen times. But some of us are writing stories with erotica, in which case the erotica isn’t severable. It seemed to me that OP is trying to write a story with erotica, but perhaps he can clarify that.

What do you mean by "story with erotica"? Or "erotica with subplot"? I don't understand.

 

[Hypoxia]

... well-established characters but an absolutely self-contained "chapter" that can be read by other category fans without confusion, but on-going fans can wander by if the new kink isn't a squick for them.

'Chapter' IMHO implies an integral slice of a sequence, a chain link. Omit a link and the chain breaks -- the storyline falls apart (and readers vanish). Standalone episodes, spinoffs, shared-universe arcs may be more suitable. And yes, you can link to those in your text.

 

[ElectricBlue]

'Chapter' IMHO implies an integral slice of a sequence, a chain link. Omit a link and the chain breaks -- the storyline falls apart (and readers vanish). Standalone episodes, spinoffs, shared-universe arcs may be more suitable. And yes, you can link to those in your text.

I agree, hence "chapter" - the trick is the naming/numbering arrangement to keep the stand-alones nearby, if not in sequence. You have to hope the first part of your story title is short and can fit extra words instead of chapter #s.

 

[Hypoxia]

I agree, hence "chapter" - the trick is the naming/numbering arrangement to keep the stand-alones nearby, if not in sequence. You have to hope the first part of your story title is short and can fit extra words instead of chapter #s.

Two words: plan ning.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Two words: plan ning.

Que?

You should know by now I'm a pantser, not a plotser. I never know which of my starts will spawn sequels - I usually have no idea that I'll even have a third character, until she walks in off the page.

 

[BuckyDuckman]

But what you’re describing is erotica with subplot. In that case, I’d agree that nothing is like that first hit and then you’re chasing. No need necessarily to repeat that same scenario sixteen times. But some of us are writing stories with erotica, in which case the erotica isn’t severable. It seemed to me that OP is trying to write a story with erotica, but perhaps he can clarify that.

While I'm not part of the old guard, I've been posting on the site for a while. Figuring out "which category" is a different topic that gets discussed a lot. I like SimonDoom's advice to go with "First time is best." Not seen that advice before and like it. Perhaps closer your point, I've posted novella-length stories in a single category with good success without breaking it up into chapters.

To your point, Vix, like real life, broader stories will often cross Lit's pre-established categories. Some topics, like incest, are assigned automatically regardless of the erotic action in the story as soon as it's family members getting it on.

Or, well-established characters but an absolutely self-contained "chapter" that can be read by other category fans without confusion, but on-going fans can wander by if the new kink isn't a squick for them.

Some people are very good at writing chapter stories that are a bit like an episode of NCIS or each of the superhero movies in the MCU. Each episode is self-contained, but the characters persist beyond the episode. They change and grow, but it's a bigger arc. If you know the entire story, you're rewarded with more subtly, but if you just watch a random episode, you're still rewarded with a fun story.

Unfortunately, the story I'm working on builds tightly on each chapter.

What do you mean by "story with erotica"? Or "erotica with subplot"? I don't understand.

I hope Vix replies, but I took her comment to suggest the difference between a story that's sex for sex's sake versus a sexy story about real characters with depth outside the bedroom, too. A stroke story versus a story-story.

 

[Vix_Giovanni]

What do you mean by "story with erotica"? Or "erotica with subplot"? I don't understand.

While I'm not part of the old guard, I've been posting on the site for a while. Figuring out "which category" is a different topic that gets discussed a lot. I like SimonDoom's advice to go with "First time is best." Not seen that advice before and like it. Perhaps closer your point, I've posted novella-length stories in a single category with good success without breaking it up into chapters.

To your point, Vix, like real life, broader stories will often cross Lit's pre-established categories. Some topics, like incest, are assigned automatically regardless of the erotic action in the story as soon as it's family members getting it on.




Some people are very good at writing chapter stories that are a bit like an episode of NCIS or each of the superhero movies in the MCU. Each episode is self-contained, but the characters persist beyond the episode. They change and grow, but it's a bigger arc. If you know the entire story, you're rewarded with more subtly, but if you just watch a random episode, you're still rewarded with a fun story.

Unfortunately, the story I'm working on builds tightly on each chapter.



I hope Vix replies, but I took her comment to suggest the difference between a story that's sex for sex's sake versus a sexy story about real characters with depth outside the bedroom, too. A stroke story versus a story-story.

Sorry for my late reply; I didn’t know I’d been asked anything. I’m not sure how my comment wasn’t clear. But thank you for seeing and jumping in before me, Bucky. That’s exactly my point (and well illustrated with your comparison to NCIS to clarify the difference between sex for sex’s sake vignettes versus non-episodic stories in which the multiple working parts, one of many being the erotic, are not severable). I wouldn’t have explained it more clearly or succinctly.

Just my two cents, and hope my comments were helpful to your question. Looking forward to reading in whichever category you decide to post!

 

[LupusDei]

My very first idea about writing specifically for Lit was a deranged high school harem serial that was intended to visit as many categories as creatively possible.

It would start as E/V with no real sex for several characters, have several that could be labeled first time, but quickly descended into group, and interracial, include (forced) crossdressing, non-con and bdsm elements (mostly just power play), several teacher/student subplots, and besides, protagonist clearly goes off on similarly between one of his girls and his sister, although there's no direct incest. The crossdressing thing could lead also to M/M episodes and the most natural would be rape of the protagonist, but that's likely yucky squared (perhaps cubed), so I dropped that idea, for now. Also, couldn't quite figure how to visit Loving Wifes with it, other than intentionally sarcastically from the get go.

Since, I have read about and might agree that it might have been a tad naive approach, and haven't added to it in like two years.

I had about dozen episodes mapped, more or less written first part, and most of what could be fourth or so, but mostly have just a collection of scenes in my head. It doesn't have any ending in sight, and isn't really a story, mostly just protagonist reacting on series of absurd situations (he's trapped in all girls boarding school (with , but luckily he's almost impossible to embarrass) held together by very slow and damaged romance. If there's message, it's perhaps discussion about consent, but forced to choose just one category, I would likely try to remain with my home ground, E/V, at least for most of it. That boarding school and BDSM are outside of my experience doesn't help either.

 

[Hypoxia]

You should know by now I'm a pantser, not a plotser. I never know which of my starts will spawn sequels - I usually have no idea that I'll even have a third character, until she walks in off the page.

All the more reason to keep titles short.

Yeah, leave space. I wrote The Botanists: An Adventure with room for possibilities like TB: Berkeley Blues and TB: Catalina Dreaming etc just in case. Whereas Randy's Revenge (The Pharmacist) could accommodate only chapter numbers... but no sequels should emerge from THAT beauty. Wouldn't be prudent. Or tasteful.

Characters intrude on you? Mine may emerge unsuspected. The guys and gals joyriding in Evie's vintage limo somehow encountered a hitchhiker who orally pleasured them all. Those things happen. (Then readers demanded her in a sequel. So I HAD to!)

My very first idea about writing specifically for Lit was a deranged high school harem serial that was intended to visit as many categories as creatively possible.

That sounds like a good project. Readership might be spotty but it should be fun to create.

 

[BuckyDuckman]

A few years back, Lit used to have a Survivor Contest, very loosely based on the TV show by the same name without the voting out of people. The contest lasted a year and you scored points by posting a story in each of Lit's different categories. (Here's a link to a scorecard template if you're curious: Scorecard Template)

The best way to earn lots of points would be to enter at least one story in as many different categories as you could over the course of the year. It was an interesting challenge, truly requiring one to flex their muse to post a story in a category you didn't like. Without the Survivor contest, I would have never written an incest story. I had to work hard to get out of my own headspace to provide myself enough permission to write in that category. Now? It's nothing for me to do it.

While that contest is defunct, there's nothing preventing someone from challenging themselves.

Oh, the stories did NOT need to be chapter stories, you just needed to hit as many categories as you could for the best score.

 

[SimonDoom]

A few years back, Lit used to have a Survivor Contest, very loosely based on the TV show by the same name without the voting out of people. The contest lasted a year and you scored points by posting a story in each of Lit's different categories. (Here's a link to a scorecard template if you're curious: Scorecard Template)

The best way to earn lots of points would be to enter at least one story in as many different categories as you could over the course of the year. It was an interesting challenge, truly requiring one to flex their muse to post a story in a category you didn't like. Without the Survivor contest, I would have never written an incest story. I had to work hard to get out of my own headspace to provide myself enough permission to write in that category. Now? It's nothing for me to do it.

While that contest is defunct, there's nothing preventing someone from challenging themselves.

Oh, the stories did NOT need to be chapter stories, you just needed to hit as many categories as you could for the best score.

That sounds interesting. Do you know why it was discontinued? I imagine there weren't too many contestants.

I don't understand the point scoring system. How does it work? What are the cap levels?

 

[SimonDoom]

I believe it created / experienced a nasty atmosphere. It was held during the negative time phase for Lit, a couple of years ago, and it probably didn't help to improve the animosity between writers.

I keep hearing about the nasty era. I think it was just a year or so before I came on board. I've seen a fair share of nastiness so it must have been quite bad.

 

[Hypoxia]

Lit used to have a Survivor Contest... you scored points by posting a story in each of Lit's different categories... The best way to earn lots of points would be to enter at least one story in as many different categories as you could over the course of the year... While that contest is defunct, there's nothing preventing someone from challenging themselves.

Here's a challenge: Write ONE story, mutated to fit each category. To torture readers into chasing chapters, serialize it. To judge success (if any), average the votes and faves of all entries. Comments will be fun, too.

That's surely the only way I would slither through LIT's extremities -- as a factory project, or Mad-Libs blueprint, or Szechuan menu. Take a generic framework; drown with juicy add-ons (pick players from columns A-D, settings from E-H, kinks from I-Q, and consequences from the rest); and sauce it fluorescent metalflake.

How to structure this? Maybe a road trip. MC goes somewhere and gets fucked, then somewhere else with more fucking, etc. Maybe rotate players in and out of the mix. Each 'chapter' follows the last but is essentially a standalone episode. Think of a pansexual ROUTE 66 sitcom. Sexcom?

Ah, there's the gimmick.

SEXCOM 1.0: Ass Me Out (Anal)
SEXCOM 1.1: Yes, boss (BDSM)
SEXCOM 1.2: Swinging Stars (Celebs)
SEXCOM 2.0: Hey Baby! (Erotic Couplings)
SEXCOM 2.1: Hey Cthulhu! (Erotic Horror)
SEXCOM 2.2: Hey Stranger! (Exhibitionism)
SEXCOM 2.3: Put It WHERE? (Fetish)
SEXCOM 2.4: Put It THERE! (First Time)
SEXCOM 3.0: Hello, Sailor (Gay Male)
SEXCOM 3.1: Hello, Team (Group Sex)
SEXCOM 3.2: Yes, Right There (How-2)
SEXCOM 3.3: Sandpaper Sam (Humor)

Etc, yada yada.

 

[SimonDoom]

Here's a challenge: Write ONE story, mutated to fit each category. To torture readers into chasing chapters, serialize it. To judge success (if any), average the votes and faves of all entries. Comments will be fun, too.

That's surely the only way I would slither through LIT's extremities -- as a factory project, or Mad-Libs blueprint, or Szechuan menu. Take a generic framework; drown with juicy add-ons (pick players from columns A-D, settings from E-H, kinks from I-Q, and consequences from the rest); and sauce it fluorescent metalflake.

How to structure this? Maybe a road trip. MC goes somewhere and gets fucked, then somewhere else with more fucking, etc. Maybe rotate players in and out of the mix. Each 'chapter' follows the last but is essentially a standalone episode. Think of a pansexual ROUTE 66 sitcom. Sexcom?

Ah, there's the gimmick.

SEXCOM 1.0: Ass Me Out (Anal)
SEXCOM 1.1: Yes, boss (BDSM)
SEXCOM 1.2: Swinging Stars (Celebs)
SEXCOM 2.0: Hey Baby! (Erotic Couplings)
SEXCOM 2.1: Hey Cthulhu! (Erotic Horror)
SEXCOM 2.2: Hey Stranger! (Exhibitionism)
SEXCOM 2.3: Put It WHERE? (Fetish)
SEXCOM 2.4: Put It THERE! (First Time)
SEXCOM 3.0: Hello, Sailor (Gay Male)
SEXCOM 3.1: Hello, Team (Group Sex)
SEXCOM 3.2: Yes, Right There (How-2)
SEXCOM 3.3: Sandpaper Sam (Humor)

Etc, yada yada.

I think the only way to make this work -- i.e., hold on to your readers -- is to make it a spoof, keep the chapters short, and publish them in one standalone story. Otherwise it's going to lose too many readers.

 

[Hypoxia]

I think the only way to make this work -- i.e., hold on to your readers -- is to make it a spoof, keep the chapters short, and publish them in one standalone story. Otherwise it's going to lose too many readers.

I didn't see "retaining readers" as a goal in the LIT Survivor game. The obvious fix: Post each in their category; then post the compilation in Novellas, except for Illustration and Audio segments (which can be linked there). Get-em coming and going, hey?