The line between BDSM and Fetish

[AG31]

People overthink these things. Categories should be regarded as "big tents" rather than as exclusive clubs with strict requirements.

Excellent!

 

[Britva415]

The script of a fictional story doesn't have to follow the rules of a real-life BDSM club. A story can depict two people getting into a BDSM experience suddenly, unexpectedly, with both of them experiencing the thrill of a first-time experience. A woman could glance suggestively at the man's tie on the bed, and he could suddenly tie her hands to the bed in response. There are many ways of doing it.

IMO the best BDSM story wouldn't even have any recognizable trappings of established BDSM culture at all. Like someone else said, it's what's happening between the ears, not what's being worn or where it happens or what the tools are. You'd read along and be brought into or at least shown the headspace, which can happen without any of those trappings.

A slightly second best would be a story where the same thing happens, but the trappings are present too.

 

[NoJo]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Tags are the only sensible way fot this site to go, and dispense with categories altogether (except maybe Non-English, which should probably be set in user preferences).
Tag search (along with title, author, date range and free-text search) should be the only way people can find a story. People should be able to subscribe to tags like they do with authors.