Stories... split categories? Advice?

LadyMireille

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I was just reading ThePracticeShortStories post about posting a multi-part story in different categories, and it prompted me to post about my current story. Looking for advice from Lit writers...

My current story may not be ready for publication for a while (I have three kids and it's hard to get the quality time to devote to it), but I am almost done with draft 1 of the first part.

The gist is that in the beginning of the story, it gives the background information about the main character and her relationship with her boyfriend. It doesn't go into great detail, but states that she was with him for two months before meeting his friends, and that he seemed like "the perfect boyfriend", and she felt like she was falling in love with him. However, as they start to spend more time with his friends, he starts to make cutting remarks and verbally abuse her in front of his friends, who laugh at her expense.

One evening, as she is on her way back from the bathroom, she has one of those moments where she bumps into a person (spilling his drink), apologizes, and has one of those pounding heart connections with the new person. She doesn't spend any amount of time with him, but when she arrives back with her boyfriend and his friends, he is clearly angry. He accuses her of sleeping with the guy and tells her they are leaving. He takes her back to her apartment, and then "treats her like the slut she is" (his words). After that event, she decides to leave him. The next day there is an opportunity for her to leave him, and she does.

Still developing the details, but she ends up meeting up with the man from the night before. The connection they have is very strong. Long story short... she can't stay away, he tries to push her away, but he can't help the attraction. It turns out that he is a "special" person with special qualities, and that is the reason he tried to push her away.

Sorry so long... finally to my problem... the first part with the old boyfriend is not more than a little over one Lit page. I am thinking it will need to go in the non-consent/reluctance category because of the forceful scene (or two) with the boyfriend. However, the content of the rest of the story is the relationship with her and the enigmatic man, and based on his qualities, it most likely fits in the Fantasy category, though the erotic scenes would qualify as Erotic Coupling and possibly even Romance.

So... how do I do this?

1) If the new boyfriend was something like a vampire or the like, it will be best received in Fantasy and not Erotic Coupling, correct?

2) How do I post the first part? In non-consent/reluctance? If so, would you recommend me posting only the section with the first boyfriend as part 1 or as a prequel or epilogue despite it being so short?
And then start with part 1 being the story with the new boyfriend and post in the Fantasy category?

Thanks for your feedback. :)
 
I'd put it in the category defined by its predominant theme, which, from what you have given us, is vampire = fantasy. It doesn't really sound like non-con to me, and if later chapters go fantasy, you might as well start there.

Word of advice though, if you are as time challenged as you say, I'd put off posting chapter one until you have the whole thing written (or at least, a substantial portion and you know you can keep your writing ahead of your posting rate). You'll lose readers if they get into your story and then the time between posts is too long. And you'll really annoy readers if you run out of steam/time and don't finish the story.
 
Thank you for the feedback.

So, the thing with the first boyfriend... the sex scenes in that one are basically him "punishing" her for her behavior in the bar. He is verbally abusive and rough with her. It basically starts out with him baiting her into kissing, he gets her aroused, and then he turns on her and she is shocked and scared, and wouldn't want to be treated and used that way. So... that is why I was wondering if that part of the story needs to be non-con/reluctance??? Otherwise, part one will end up quite long if I get into the new relationship because it takes some time before they actually end up together. Know what I mean?

Yes. Thanks for the advice about posting. I do plan on finishing at least several parts before posting the first one. (Since I havent' managed to post a second story since my first on in March. *insert eye roll*) Especially because I also have 5 other stories drafted and in need of second draft, editing and then sending to a volunteer editor. lol I seem to have a follow-through problem. lol I have so many ideas in my head and a written list about 30+ long. haha
 
If it's a vampire would Erotic Horror fit? I suppose it depends on the overall feel you're shooting for, if the vampire boyfriend is scary or if he's more an Edward Cullen type.

I've been wrestling with the same issue on my story. The different chapters can all, technically, fit into several categories. I finally realized that they all still revolve around one 'main' category so I'm going to go with using that. Even if some chapters may not seem like they fit, especially the first few. It's certainly making the early chapters more difficult! Trying to put enough hints and such in them to still point out the theme while giving the characters a chance to figure out it's what they are into.

Haha. I'm also wrestling with the issue of too many ideas and not enough time. I get an idea and type part of it out so I don't forget... now I've got 50k+ words piled around and need to fill in all the parts to connect them.
 
Thank you for the feedback.

So, the thing with the first boyfriend... the sex scenes in that one are basically him "punishing" her for her behavior in the bar. He is verbally abusive and rough with her. It basically starts out with him baiting her into kissing, he gets her aroused, and then he turns on her and she is shocked and scared, and wouldn't want to be treated and used that way. So... that is why I was wondering if that part of the story needs to be non-con/reluctance??? Otherwise, part one will end up quite long if I get into the new relationship because it takes some time before they actually end up together. Know what I mean?

You mention it being just a page - from what I can see, the non-con crowd want to see much longer developments of the non-con elements in their stories (and only the non-con elements). If your later chapters are going down the fantasy path (edit: or Erotic Horror), then it's probably best to target your core audience early.

Also, fans of vampire stories are likely to expect some reluctance/mind power so that's already in their kit bag. Whereas a non-con reader is probably more into the humiliation and/or rape fantasy aspects, and may not be so pleased to see Dracul's taste for blood.
 
I agree with Blue, here.

I'll try to keep this short and sweet, though it's not really my strong suit, lol. Basically, your first chapter is your best chance to hook new readers. A multi-part story is a bit of a commitment and unless later chapters end up winning a contest or getting visibility through the hall of fame, it'll be tough to grab readers whose first experience with your work is stumbling across "Lady Mireille's Story: Ch. 5." That means your first chapter has to have enough world building, character development, and action to bring readers back.

It also means you need to be very, very careful to correctly categorize. If you put your first chapter in noncon, despite it centering on a predominantly consensual relationship, and hook that class of readers, they'll be disappointed and abandon your story once they realize the noncon was a one-time thing. In a similar vein, if you post your first chapter in Fantasy, Nonhuman, or Erotic Horror, but don't touch on any of those elements in your first chapter, those readers won't come back for chapter two. My advice? Make the first chapter longer--long enough to get past the noncon part and start in on the magical vampire stuff--and put it in one of the categories mentioned above, even if it means several Lit pages of content or a total restructuring of the first chapter. That way, you hook long time readers with your first chapter and can start building a base.

Thank you so much for your thoughts. I am probably overthinking it, but it's on my mind because my first story was posted in Non-con when I submitted it as Erotic Coupling, and I think it negatively effected my voting scores. (It has since been moved.) So, I am concerned that even if my new story has that beginning, but the focus is on the other relationship, that it may be put in non-con because of the first scene. No?

Yes. I agree that a multi-part story is an undertaking. I plan to wait to post the first one until I have more than one finished, and at least an outline of the rest. I don't imagine it will be longer than 3-4 parts. I am too new (and busy) to think about anything longer. Honestly, this story morphed, and ran into the other story that I was already planning (hence the category-crossing), so that is partly why it is ending up multi-part. lol
 
If it's a vampire would Erotic Horror fit? I suppose it depends on the overall feel you're shooting for, if the vampire boyfriend is scary or if he's more an Edward Cullen type.

I've been wrestling with the same issue on my story. The different chapters can all, technically, fit into several categories. I finally realized that they all still revolve around one 'main' category so I'm going to go with using that. Even if some chapters may not seem like they fit, especially the first few. It's certainly making the early chapters more difficult! Trying to put enough hints and such in them to still point out the theme while giving the characters a chance to figure out it's what they are into.

Haha. I'm also wrestling with the issue of too many ideas and not enough time. I get an idea and type part of it out so I don't forget... now I've got 50k+ words piled around and need to fill in all the parts to connect them.

Not in this case. In this story, vampires are not what you think they are. They are, in fact, not dangerous. Just a different species. It's like saying that all this time, people have got it all wrong... like a game of telephone.

lol. I hear ya. I was writing a juvenile fiction novel last year. I will not claim that I am awesome and it would ever be published. lol It was upwards of 70 MS Word pages. But it was so hard to get the chunks of time to work on it with family obligations, and I was spending far too much time having to reread my own story so I could continue... so I put it away for now. Short stories are more doable at this time. :)
 
Thank you so much for your thoughts. I am probably overthinking it, but it's on my mind because my first story was posted in Non-con when I submitted it as Erotic Coupling, and I think it negatively effected my voting scores. (It has since been moved.) So, I am concerned that even if my new story has that beginning, but the focus is on the other relationship, that it may be put in non-con because of the first scene. No?

Yes. I agree that a multi-part story is an undertaking. I plan to wait to post the first one until I have more than one finished, and at least an outline of the rest. I don't imagine it will be longer than 3-4 parts. I am too new (and busy) to think about anything longer. Honestly, this story morphed, and ran into the other story that I was already planning (hence the category-crossing), so that is partly why it is ending up multi-part. lol

Yes, I reckon you're over-thinking.

With regard to chapter posting:

When you submit the first part, call it

Story title Part 1 (or Chapter 1) - chapter subtitle

Put a note to the editor (Laurel) in the Notes box, pointing out that it's the first part of a story that will be mostly about vampires (or whatever your predominant theme is). If she knows it's a longer piece, that should out-weigh any overt non-con in the first chapter.

Then, when you submit part 2, do this:

Story title Part 2 - chapter different subtitle.

The important thing is to have the identical main story title. Laurel will then see it's a second part, and will do all of the joining up on the site - the links to other chapters, the right sequence in your story file.

If you plan more than 10 parts, number them 01, 02, 03 etc, so when you get to 10, 11 they remain in the right order.

See my story file for several examples -link in my Sig. Bloc
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Thank you both for your help. The insight about the non-con possibly being okay in Fantasy as long as it isn't the overarching theme, and the advice about how to submit will certainly make it easier when I submit the story in the future.

<3 ~M~
 
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