Need help categorizing a story idea

[Lominiel]

Okay I have this idea for a story between two people who met online in a role playing game. She is 26, never been married, never had a boyfriend, never even been kissed. He is 60, wheelchair bound and a widower, with children older than her.

Their characters get married in the game and on the game's accompanying forums. On instant messenger, because their characters are married, its getting more sexual in nature. Then they find out that in real life, they live half an hour away from each other and decide to go out to lunch.

Needless to say they hit it off as well as they did in the game since they're basically playing their true natures in character form. There's a struggle concerning whether he really wants to start a relationship with her because he is more than twice her age. In the end he decides to pursue it, they get engaged, have sexual encounters, get married.



The sexual parts in the story will be between the RP characters and later as the actual players involved.




Lemme know where you think it should be categorized.

 

[where]

I'd put something like that in erotic couplings or romantic.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

or Mature

 

[where]

or Mature

or first time?

 

[Stella_Omega]

Not to mention letters and transcripts...
I think it sounds like Romance. And I wanna say, I like your mixture of elements!

 

[Lominiel]

Thanks. With two suggestions for romance, I will put it there.

 

[3113]

Thanks. With two suggestions for romance, I will put it there.

Have to disagree. Here's a second suggestion for Mature. Check out the definition. This is May-December romance, and that's what that category is all about. It's exactly the sort of romance that readers of that category are looking for and will heartily approve.

Romance readers, on the other hand, could be put off by the age difference. Not all, of course, but some. They usually want the man and woman to be closer in age. Which is to say, I don't think it will be as well read or fairly judged in that category. Mature readers won't be put off at all, and so will be more willing to read it, and they will also judge it more fairly as a May-December romance rather than just a romance.

.

 

[Lominiel]

Okay I'll take more suggestions. It's not written yet, I just have an idea for it.

 

[Dragonlipz]

I like it, but I write somewhat similar plots about older, virile, men and younger, nubile women........erotic couplings or mature...

 

[Stella_Omega]

I'm thinking 3113 knows what she's talking about!

Make mine mature likewise.

 

[sr71plt]

As described, I think it would get the best reception in "Romantic." I can see where "Mature" is a good possibility too. The story leaves me, however, at the point where they both have been significantly true to their characters (and I presume infirmities) in Net play. (Which is why I think it would fly best in Romantic--they tend to be unrealistic.)

 

[Austin8]

I'm thinking 3113 knows what she's talking about!

Make mine mature likewise.

Mature

 

[JamesSD]

It doesn't really fit neatly into any category. Partially depends what aspect you stress.

Even Sci-Fi/Fantasy is a possibility, although probably not the best option. The trouble is the idea of getting "married" in an online world is probably very foreign to most people (myself included. I don't judge it, but I don't really understand it). I guess the important part would be to make the readers understand the emotions behind the keyboards, and what the relationship means to the characters.

To that end, I'll hedge and say it depends what you want to focus on. If it's largely focusing on the characters' avatars, Romance might work. However, if it becomes a realistic May-Dec romance, mature might be better. If it's a long work, splitting the categories is also a possibility (Romance for Ch. 1, Mature for Ch. 2)

 

[3113]

The trouble is the idea of getting "married" in an online world is probably very foreign to most people

It's foreign to me as well, but there are tons of people involved in second life and other on-line games, and to them it's quite common. So I think if the tag-line ("They find love and a second life on the internet"--something like that), cues readers as to what this is about, then they won't find it all that strange or foreign. Likewise, the story might do a good job explaining it and making it less foreign. It's certainly not sci-fi, not any longer.

If it's a long work, splitting the categories is also a possibility (Romance for Ch. 1, Mature for Ch. 2)

I'd worry about splitting the chapters into two different categories. I know people do it, and it works fine when the story is new. But once it's no longer in the "new submissions" area, people can lose track. I mean, they're reading Romances, right, they see "Second Life Love: chapter 1..." and no Chapter 2. They read Chapter 1 thinking that Chapter 2 will show up eventually. They keep coming back month after month to the Romance category, no chapter 2. Eventually, they give up assuming that maybe the writer isn't ever going to write chapter 2. Which, does happen here on Lit. Writers can take years to write that next chapter.

And only the people in Mature know that there's got to be a Chapter 1 somewhere and find it and read it.

Better to put both in the same category, to my way of thinking. Especially with this story where the difference between chapter 1 and chapter 2 wouldn't be that great. It'd be different if chapter 1 was hot lesbian sex with a husband watching and chapter 2 was gay male sex with the wife watching. In that case, the readers of chapter 1 might say, "Not interested in Chapter 2 if it's going in that direction...." But I'm assuming that the story isn't going to hide the fact that this relationship is between an older man and a younger woman. In other words, even if the characters are in the dark about it when they meet on line, readers will know.

So if the story captures romance readers, they're going to want chapter 2.