Loving Wives - BTB vs Consequence

[sbrooks103x]

I have been having an ongoing debate with oatzab about what is BTB and what is not.

The two examples he used were, Vulcez's story "How Are You?" and StormX's story "Shattered Crystal"

He insists that the former is BTB, and the latter a Con sequence.

In the former, the ex-wife contacts her old family three years after taking ALL the money, leaving her husband with four children to run off with her older rich husband. The only thing she suffers is her regret at missing out on her kids development, and finding out that her ex is now successful beyond her wildest dreams. She even has real hope of a renewed relationship with her children. Not much of a burn, IMHO!

In the latter, the husband sabotages his wife's liaison in a way that intentionally or not, results in the deaths of both the wife and her lover. In my view, pretty much a Scorched Earth BTB!

I'm interested in other views, particularly from LW writers.

Thanks!

 

[gordo12]

If I recall both stories correctly it appears that you want a stricter definition. The first story she was burnt by Karma and the second by the hubby.

A stricter definition would just be by the hubby.

I agree with you.

 

[Hypoxia]

I've written varied BTB stories -- one quite literally, with electrocution. Another was more sarcastic, with the cucked hubby capturing and shrinking his cheating wife and a number of her lovers. But I'm not really big on revenge and my better BTBs involve outside forces. Cheating wife catches horrible STD. Cheating couple are washed away in a mudslide, i.e. divine retribution. These impersonal BTBs seem to get better reader reactions than revenge BTBs.

 

[sbrooks103x]

I've written varied BTB stories -- one quite literally, with electrocution. Another was more sarcastic, with the cucked hubby capturing and shrinking his cheating wife and a number of her lovers. But I'm not really big on revenge and my better BTBs involve outside forces. Cheating wife catches horrible STD. Cheating couple are washed away in a mudslide, i.e. divine retribution. These impersonal BTBs seem to get better reader reactions than revenge BTBs.

Okay, I can concede being burned by Fate.

But in "How Are You?" she isn't burned at all. She has the life she wanted, her only "burn" is that her family ISN'T pining away without her!

In "Shattered Crystal," the wife and love are killed as a direct result of the husband's actions, yet oatzab refuses to see this as BTB, simply a Consequence!

 

[Hypoxia]

Okay, I can concede being burned by Fate.

But in "How Are You?" she isn't burned at all. She has the life she wanted, her only "burn" is that her family ISN'T pining away without her!

In "Shattered Crystal," the wife and love are killed as a direct result of the husband's actions, yet oatzab refuses to see this as BTB, simply a Consequence!

Try this: BTB is too general a term. IMHO it's BtB if the cheater suffers. As a general label if could be subdivided:

* BtB: a tag: some Bitch(es) or Bastard(s) will be burnt.
* BeBh: hubby will burn the Bitch and maybe her lover(s).
* BtBw: wifey will burn the Bastard and maybe his lover(s).
* BtBc: Bitch(es) and/or Bastard(s) acts produce consequences.
* BtBf: fate or god(s) will burn some Bitch(es) and/or Bastard(s).

Maybe that's a little anal but wtf. I agree, "How Are You?" (which I read some time back) isn't BtB because she isn't burnt, doesn't suffer. And the cheaters certainly suffer from hubby's acts in "Shattered Crystal" so I'll call it BtB.

OR: forget the above classification table. Label something BtB if that tag will attract a desired audience and if the cheaters suffer. Otherwise just let the action happen. Maybe lots happens. Hubby cheats. Wifey finds out, sets BtB trap. Hubby discovers trap, sets his own to setup Wifey. And back and forth.

 

[rutger5]

To me at least btb is about the writer wishing to inflict revenge on the cheating wife, whether caused by the wronged husband or by karma. Doesn't matter if it's the husband getting violent, the husband pursuing a scorched earth policy during divorce that leads to her being left financially ruined, or things like the aforementioned mudslide that sweeps away the adulterous lovers to their doom. Btb is about the writer and the readers that like that type of story feeling that she had to pay and getting satisfaction from that when she does.

Consequences on the other hand is when the cheater's actions bring about bad things happening to them. Examples could include her kids no longer wanting anything to do with her for destroying the family or after she dumps her husband she realizes that her lover has no intention of getting serious with her.

I still think the best solution to all the acrimony over this genre would be to split the section into a cheating/adultery category and have loving wives (or spouses) be for swingers, cuckold stories, or actual really loving wives.

 

[sbrooks103x]

BTB vs Consequence

To me at least btb is about the writer wishing to inflict revenge on the cheating wife, whether caused by the wronged husband or by karma. Doesn't matter if it's the husband getting violent, the husband pursuing a scorched earth policy during divorce that leads to her being left financially ruined, or things like the aforementioned mudslide that sweeps away the adulterous lovers to their doom. Btb is about the writer and the readers that like that type of story feeling that she had to pay and getting satisfaction from that when she does.

Consequences on the other hand is when the cheater's actions bring about bad things happening to them. Examples could include her kids no longer wanting anything to do with her for destroying the family or after she dumps her husband she realizes that her lover has no intention of getting serious with her.

I still think the best solution to all the acrimony over this genre would be to split the section into a cheating/adultery category and have loving wives (or spouses) be for swingers, cuckold stories, or actual really loving wives.

I certainly have no problem with a new category for cheating/consequences (and those "consequences" could range all the way from RAAC to scorched earth BTB), but unless the Mods change their mind(s) we are stuck as is.

You obviously agree with me that the wife and lover dying, at least indirectly at the hands of the husband, is extreme BTB, not simply a Consequence, and the ex-wife having some buyer's remorse is a Consequence, NOT BTB!