Should there be a seperate category for Historical Stories?

[jon.hayworth]

I see that we have a new category "First Time", I think there should be a seperate category for stories written in the HISTORIC FICTION GENRE. A seperate category already exists for SciFi and Fantasy.

When I post my stories set in the Roman Era I have to put them in to the category dictated by the story line - which is not a help to readers who specifically enjoy stories with a historical setting.
This makes the stories harder for readers to find and breaks up stories with a common theme.

jon

 

[Sabledrake]

What Jon said. I'd be quite inclined to read stories set in other eras, but it's hard to find them winnowing through the other categories.

Sabledrake

 

[damppanties]

too many stories

I'd like to see a Historical section because there are just too many stories here at lit. Any more sections will just help the reader zero in on what he/she wants.

-DP.

 

[Chicklet]

Yes, I think that there SHOULD be another section for Historical Fiction. Sometimes I really want to read historical fiction and can't find anything, other times I'm dismayed when I open a story and find it set in earlier times. Romances have even split this genre off into its own little world, so I think that Literotica should, too!

Chicklet

 

[wildsweetone]

yes i agree also

a Historical category gets the thumbs up from me

it would help if any stories with historical reference include 'history' as a keyword so readers have a quick option for searching.

 

[Axeltheswede]

Historical category

Good idea. I think it would be interesting to add a historical setting to an erotic story.

 

[naudiz]

I like the idea. I'm definitely interested in writing in a historical/altered-history setting. My only question would be how would cross-overs be handled? What if I wrote historical gay, or historical incest? Would those go into historical or gay/incest? Then again, I'm not sure how that's handled for non-historical cross-overs either, so if someone wants to hit me with the clue stick, have at.

 

[Weird Harold]

Then again, I'm not sure how that's handled for non-historical cross-overs either, so if someone wants to hit me with the clue stick, have at.

General rule of thumb -- categorize based on what predominates in the story and/or what is most likely to offend if found unexpectedly.

A story that is predominatly about gay male sex or lesbian sex should go in those categories no matter what other categories might fit because putting them elsewhere will have an adverse effect on people who want straight/kinky hetero sex in the other categories.

However, a story that focuses on two centurians in Roman times would be a "historical" story even if gay because the focus is on the time period and it's mores instead of the gay sex.

It's difficult to decide sometimes, but the "least offence" rule of thumb will at least keep homophobes from trashing your votes -- in the case of gay or lesbian stories, just as an example.

 

[naudiz]

That seems like a good idea, as a general rule. Thanks for the info!

 

[Charlotte Blanchard]

It would be great if they were in a seperate category as historicals are what I read most, but Weird harold has a point too. If I opened an incest story unexpectedly, it would squick me.

Perhaps if the category were set up so that the sexual category is also listed beside the name of each story, such as:


Victorian Story (lesbian)- This is the author's description of this story.

Civil War Story (interracial)- This is the author's description of this story.

And so on. That way everyone gets what they want.

I really like the historical category idea. I would be reading that category most often.

 

[wildsweetone]

is it impossible

to have sub-categories?

how about breaking up Historical into romance, gay, group etc... that would probably make more work for those accepting the lit story submissions though.

i wonder what percentage of stories are having to be read fully by the webmaster as the author is unable to choose the right category.

 

[Quasimodem]

First Business: YES to a Historical Category.

Next Business: YES to Sub-dividing the Categories.

Sometime in the future, what will be needed is a search engine that looks for stories, including some (wanted) keywords in and some (squick) keywords out.

That way, the reader determines where s/he wishes to go and where s/he DOES NOT wish to go.

The member's list is already too large to navigate easily. One seldom desires to navigate the member's list, however, so it is overlooked.

Eventually, Literotica will either have to dump some stories. (For example: everything with a score lower than 3 -- or, everything posted before Jan. 1st 2001, with fewer than 100 scans since Jan 1st 2002.) If they don't dump some stories, the story list will become as unmanageable as the member's list.

The question for the future, is: install a search engine, or dump? In the meantime, opening a few new catagories and sub-categories - especially in those most populated - will delay the eventual.

While looking to the future, there is another feature that could be mentioned. This would be most helpful for readers, while being most rewarding to the writers.

Reviewers.

 

[Weird Harold]

Next Business: YES to Sub-dividing the Categories.

Sometime in the future, what will be needed is a search engine that looks for stories, including some (wanted) keywords in and some (squick) keywords out.

There already is a fairly efficient search engine for the stories and memeber list, although it does NOT allow exclusionary keywords.

I suggested sub-categories some time ago and discussed it with Laurel and Manu to some extent. The conclusion was that although it would be nice, it would require a complete redesign of the site to implement. In other words, a good idea, but not economically or technically practical.

 

[wildsweetone]

yes Weird Harold

i thought as much. a huge job indeed to recategorise existing stories. far easier to simply add Historical on it's own.

i like the idea of a Review section too Quasimodem.

 

[Monazwx]

Personally

I would love to see this happen.
I love historical fiction most of all.
It takes more research and time, which makes reading it worth the effort.
It's so hard filtering through all the catagories to find the historical stuff.

Thanks for bringing it up!

 

[jon.hayworth]

THANK YOU WHO HAS VOTED AND CONTRIBUTED TO THIS DISCUSSION - KEEP YOUR COMMENTS COMING IN

Now to serious business - I do see the attraction to readers of authors giving their work a sub category - this would not seem to need any more than using the "slug line" box. However I have noticed in the existing dedicated genre category "SciFi and Fantasy" this is not done. Readers do have the option of clicking out if a storyline is not their thing, and well written stories may open-up more categories to some people.

Thank you again and keep the debate running - the more responses and greater the demand the greater the chance Laurel and Manu will decide the category is valid.

jon

 

[Hitchhiker]

eroicahistorica.com

How about a completely new web site?

eroticahistorica.com

For the more descerning reader who will take the sign of the times for the story.

An excuse to get away from todays bloody PC society.

Just a thought

 

[naudiz]

Personally, I'd rather see stories archived than dumped. That is if managing the lists is the issue rather than database space. Maybe there can be an archive for stories written before 2000, another for stories written for 2000-2001, and then a current list of stories written in 2002. As a reader, I would gladly look over the older stories, and they would be easier to find.

I don't know how difficult it would be to make sub-categories available code-wise, but I suppose writers could take the initiative and state the sub-category in their story description. For example, if I wanted to write a historical story where incest was the sexual theme, I could put in my description 'a story of familial passion in Ancient Egypt' or whatever. While I think it's hardly fair to give a lower vote to a story because you accidentally stumbled upon a topic you don't like, at the same time I'd really rather not surprise anyone unpleasantly.

This actually came up for me in the story I posted recently, because it's sexual theme is gay male, but its overall theme is supernatural. I stuck it in gay male, but what if the readers of that category don't care much for the supernatural? Can't please everyone, I guess.

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

Why Not?

I'm all for a Historical section. That way I'd know just where to post my autobiograph. RF

 

[vgrey]

Historical? Yes. Search engine refinements. Maybe.

I would be all for new categories since they allow additional navigation for content. I agree with Wierd Harold that the writers need to exercise careful judgement on where to categorize their stories.
I wonder if the existing search engine could be refined, or replaced without a huge rework of the site? The growth of content here is huge and getting potential readers to potential authors is always a concern. It is likely getting difficult to manage simply because of its size.
Still, the navigation tools that are currently available seem to allow pretty smooth navigation, better than anything else that I've seen by far.
VG

 

[wildsweetone]

just as a slight sidetrack here...

how 'bout we subdivide the forum categories into different areas.

eg
Authors Hangout
1. boxing ring
2. foosball ground
3. lovers nest
4. apology apartment
5. handy hints

oh wait, they sound more like chat rooms eh?
*down wild*

 

[Hitchhiker]

Haha

You must forgive wild she's going walk about.

Back to the thread.

The ideas sound good to me, but to make thing easier (I'm all for an easy life) how about erotic couplings/historic etc etc.

But please refer to my previous reply on this thread

 

[Omni]

You got my vote!

I tried something in my last post, and in the keyword description, I put (Regency) then my little tag description. Actually, I did this because I did not want anyone disappointed to open up the story and find it had a Regency theme. And, that is because I did not believe there were many historical offerings on this site. After reading this thread I see there are many more than I have ever been able to find.
It could be self serving, but I vote for the Historical catagory as it is nearly all that I write. But, also it is what I enjoy most reading!
And if it means anything in the soup of conversation, Historical Romances, which are not a far cry from erotica really, are over a billion dollar business each year.


Omni

 

[jon.hayworth]

Omni,

I tried typing in Regency on the story search engine, and it turned up zero.

I tried Roman and ended up with every story with romance coming up.

I think that in itself that makes a case for a seperate category. Also you make a very valid point about Historical Romantic Fiction.

I only hope that with all the site upheavals Laurel or Manu have time to read this thread and the thoughts expressed. Let us hope that a few more people look in and vote.

jon

 

[Jigs]

Please, a historical category by all means. I have been churning a couple of historical plots for some time, but I've never felt I had a place to put them. The confusion or inaccuracies of subject matter that might result from such an addition is no reason to deny us 'Gone with the Wind' romantics a fertile field in which our imaginations might wander.

Categories already are, and always have been, notoriously subjective. The site is usually understanding about the Author's choice of where his/her story best fits, and there is no practical way to do otherwise. Many, perhaps a majority, of stories are like a good stew--some hot wife here, a little bondage or D/s there, a dash of romance with an older woman, and perhaps just a splash of incest for seasoning.

Anyway, I'm sure I'm not the first author to observe how easy it would be to write a rape story, but place it in a category where there are more readers than in Nonconsent. Simply build the plot around a married woman as the heroine/victim, and her husband, and...vola'...a story that qualifies for the "loving wives" category. Incest isn't my thing, but I have been sorely tempted lately to use this technique to post a story in a category that seems to attract two or three times the number of readers as any other.

I would rather, however, have a historical category where I could cook up a well seasoned stew about a sexy Marco Polo.