Yet Another Category Question...

[VerbalAbuse]

I have a story where one of the characters is a once-transsexual. But to which category should I post it? CD? TS? Gay?

 

[SimonDoom]

I don't think we can answer the question without knowing more about the story. What is its central erotic appeal? That's where I start. What's the BIGGEST turn-on in the story?

What does it mean to be a "once-transsexual"? What are they now?

 

[CalBishForNow]

1. I'm curious about the phrase "once-transsexual." Are they or aren't they? Did they change and then change back?
2. I don't think cross-dressing has to enter into it at all. Some cisgendered heterosexual guys cross-dress and see no contradiction in it. It's possible that a person could go through a period when they cross-dress but still identify with their sex assigned at birth, and then later realize that they are transgender, but it's not an inherent part of either condition.
3. To help decide between TS or Gay, I'd say it depends on what they are in the now of the story. If they've fully transitioned to male and are in a relationship with a male, probably gay. If the story spans both/all their transitions or is set when they're partially transitioned, probably TS.

 

[VerbalAbuse]

Are they or aren't they? Did they change and then change back?

What does it mean to be a "once-transsexual"? What are they now?

Changed back / de-transitioned / stopped taking hormones, you name it.

 

[TheWritingGroup]

The category would depend on what the story is about. If it's about their being trans, that would be a reasonable category. If it's about their discovering a love for rubber garments, I would think Fetish.

In my humble opinion, of course.

--Annie

 

[SimonDoom]

Changed back / de-transitioned / stopped taking hormones, you name it.

The question then is, why is it important to the story?

Nobody can answer your question unless you answer that. We don't know anything about your story except that the character used to be transsexual and now they're not, and we have no idea how that's relevant to the story.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

The question then is, why is it important to the story?

Nobody can answer your question unless you answer that. We don't know anything about your story except that the character used to be transsexual and now they're not, and we have no idea how that's relevant to the story.

I agree with this.

Whenever a writer comes here asking others for an opinion on the category that their story should go into, I cringe.

If you haven't figured out what your story is about by the time that you've finished it, how is anyone else supposed to do it for you?

I never understand these questions. It's like asking someone to name your child without even knowing its gender.

 

[VerbalAbuse]

I agree with this.

Whenever a writer comes here asking others for an opinion on the category that their story should go into, I cringe.

If you haven't figured out what your story is about by the time that you've finished it, how is anyone else supposed to do it for you?

I never understand these questions. It's like asking someone to name your child without even knowing its gender.

I haven't invented the stupid categories on lit. And the once TS/CD category has been split in two...
In fact, the three categories are quite related.