Category Advice?

[oggbashan]

I've nearly completed a story I started in January 2003.

The premise doesn't matter but the 19th Century gentleman hero has to be disguised and work as a maid for most of the story, with his new fiancée as his mistress, helped in the charade by her former nurse and her two daughters who are real maids.

There's no sex, just romance, and it isn't that he is a closet transvestite. Being disguised might save him from the consequences of a shooting accident.

I'm not inclined to put it in the TS/TV category. I think my choices are Humor and Satire; Romance; or Non-Erotic.

Any thoughts or suggestions about which category?

 

[lovecraft68]

Doesn't sound like humor unless you are planning on a lot of tongue in cheek type incidents.

If you are stressing he is doing this because of a forbidden love it could play in Romance. Non erotic would be a bit safer, but low readership.

Certainly not a TS/CD story, they would get ticked off with it there.

 

[RejectReality]

I'm inclined toward Romance, unless you're really playing the cross-dressing for laughs as a dominant theme of the story.

 

[49greg]

I agree with not putting it into the TS/TG category as long as there's no sex and he doesn't get off on the clothing. Romance sounds good, again to repeat others, unless there's humor in it.

Years ago when I was just an anon, I read one of your stories about a guy/chap who had to dress as a woman for some sort of parade due to smart assing his significant other about something or other.

I can't remember there being sex, or what category. This sounds like it might be in the same category, unless my memory forgot about the sex and there was, or he enjoyed it more than he should have.

Perhaps you should just forget this comment. My wife made margaritas and quick nachos (shredded cheese on tortilla chips and then microwaved) for lunch. Emphasis on margaritas. Yes, I'm lit and the brain cells are not firing in order. Soooo good.

Beats hot dogs and beer for Independence Day. She even sang the Star Spangled Banner for me. Wasn't the tune for that an old Brit drinking song?

 

[oggbashan]

Thanks for the advice so far. I have to read it through for a final edit. I'll think about the category again before submitting it.

TS/CD is not on. That category has specific expectations this story won't meet.

Non-Erotic usually means 'Not Read' so I'll avoid that unless I'm desperate.

It's about 9,000 words (3 Lit pages) so I could think about Novels/Novellas.

I'm just pleased to be close to finishing a story that I started 12 years ago.

 

[Handley_Page]

I think "Romance".

 

[CyranoJ]

Any thoughts or suggestions about which category?

What you're describing sounds like a lightly-bawdy farce, which sounds to me like that means Humor & Satire? (Not sure how much of the readership will really get that kind of humour but I think I can sort of visualize the kind of story you're talking about.)

 

[oggbashan]

I agree with not putting it into the TS/TG category as long as there's no sex and he doesn't get off on the clothing. Romance sounds good, again to repeat others, unless there's humor in it.

Years ago when I was just an anon, I read one of your stories about a guy/chap who had to dress as a woman for some sort of parade due to smart assing his significant other about something or other.

I can't remember there being sex, or what category. This sounds like it might be in the same category, unless my memory forgot about the sex and there was, or he enjoyed it more than he should have.

...

That story was The Procession and I put it in Fetish. It was almost forced feminisation, certainly femdom like most of that series.

Those who liked it seemed to be into Fetish, but that is an awkward category. Fetish lovers are very particular. They like one or two fetishes, and not others. But if a particular story doesn't fit, they aren't vindictive.

 

[oggbashan]

Romance or Humor and Satire seem the best choices.

I've just finished editing it and will submit it now. The category will depend on how I feel when I hit the 'submit' button, but either would do.

Edited: It ended up as Romance. The three Lit page "Missed: Fenian Outrage" should appear in a few days or so because contest entries have priority.

 

[49greg]

That story was The Procession and I put it in Fetish. It was almost forced feminisation, certainly femdom like most of that series.

Those who liked it seemed to be into Fetish, but that is an awkward category. Fetish lovers are very particular. They like one or two fetishes, and not others. But if a particular story doesn't fit, they aren't vindictive.

I may not remember the details, but after all these years I remember bits and I remember that I liked it. So must have been good.

edited: or rather it must be good.

 

[oggbashan]

I may not remember the details, but after all these years I remember bits and I remember that I liked it. So must have been good.

edited: or rather it must be good.

Thanks for that. I'm surprised how many people remember my stories.

I'm not sure it's the quality. Sometimes it's the originality of the concept.

Or the WTF! factor e.g. https://www.literotica.com/s/getting-nude-with-chairman-mao

and

https://www.literotica.com/s/just-so-elephant

 

[LadyVer]

Romance sounds like a good fit. This is a common romance trope. A man, or woman, disguises themselves as the opposite gender to avoid a killer or blackmailer, usually Regency or Victorian eras. Hilarity and mystery follows while Cupid makes a match.

 

[oggbashan]

The story is posted.

The story that I didn't know how to categorise has now been posted in Romance:

https://www.literotica.com/s/missed-fenian-outrage

 

[DesEsseintes]

Lit clearly needs a Libretto category.

 

[oggbashan]

Lit clearly needs a Libretto category.

Sometimes I use Operas as inspiration for a story e.g. La Cenerentola.

On Sunday we went to a cinema to see a live transmission of the Royal Opera House's controversial staging of Rossini's Guillame Tell. The rape scene had been toned down but I think it was still unnecessary. I could appreciate what the director was trying to do, but he was pushing his agenda too far at the expense of Rossini's music. His ideas were interesting, but he hammered his points home with a sledgehammer instead of being subtle. I think it will be very interesting to see how he develops as an operatic director over the next decade. Our verdict on this one? "Stretched the metaphors beyond the breaking point."

 

[DesEsseintes]

Sometimes I use Operas as inspiration for a story e.g. La Cenerentola.

On Sunday we went to a cinema to see a live transmission of the Royal Opera House's controversial staging of Rossini's Guillame Tell. The rape scene had been toned down but I think it was still unnecessary. I could appreciate what the director was trying to do, but he was pushing his agenda too far at the expense of Rossini's music. His ideas were interesting, but he hammered his points home with a sledgehammer instead of being subtle. I think it will be very interesting to see how he develops as an operatic director over the next decade. Our verdict on this one? "Stretched the metaphors beyond the breaking point."

Interesting - I didn't know they had toned it down. I agree with you - at Glyndebourne they have been trying so hard over the past 10-15 years to get away from the idea of staid old traditional country house opera that there have been some absurd productions over the years. I know it's by way of laying down a calling card for the director/set designer, but it oughtn't to be at the expense of destroying the sense of the opera.

Anyway - back on topic, your story sounds like good fun. But I seriously do think porn based on operas could be hot. 'The Honeymoon of Figaro'; 'The Rimming Dutchman'...Carmen and La Boheme are more or less there already.

 

[oggbashan]

Interesting - I didn't know they had toned it down. I agree with you - at Glyndebourne they have been trying so hard over the past 10-15 years to get away from the idea of staid old traditional country house opera that there have been some absurd productions over the years. I know it's by way of laying down a calling card for the director/set designer, but it oughtn't to be at the expense of destroying the sense of the opera.

Anyway - back on topic, your story sounds like good fun. But I seriously do think porn based on operas could be hot. 'The Honeymoon of Figaro'; 'The Rimming Dutchman'...Carmen and La Boheme are more or less there already.

I appreciate traditional productions and experimental ones, but I prefer to have seen a traditional production of a particular opera first. That was the problem with Guilliame Tell. It is so rarely staged that I hadn't seen a standard classic production.

The same is true of Shakespeare. I really enjoy the transmissions from The Globe. My favourite so far has been Much Ado About Nothing. Recently we saw Anthony and Cleopatra. But because I know Shakespeare, I'm happy to see a different production, particularly at local cinema prices.

As for using operas as plots? My obvious one is:

https://www.literotica.com/s/the-magic-flute

 

[sr71plt]

Lit clearly needs a Libretto category.

I've tried a couple of Opera offshoot stories on Lit. They haven't done real well.

 

[oggbashan]

I've tried a couple of Opera offshoot stories on Lit. They haven't done real well.

Join the club. I have dozens of stories on Lit that 'haven't done real well'.

jeanne_d_artois' success rate is worse than mine.