I/T or Romance?

[RoyalAuthor]

I've started work on an entry for the Summer Lovin contest this year. Without going into too many details, it's an enemies-to-lovers story about a pair of former high school classmates whose single parents are getting married. They'll be soon-to-be stepsiblings, although not until the story begins, and they're already in college. Does that qualify for the I/T category? I mostly just want to avoid getting punished because it doesn't fit if readers decide it doesn't.

Also, separate question: is there an official Summer contest thread yet? Couldn't find one.

Thanks!

 

[AllenWoody]

Does the story lean into the step sibling aspect, or is it incidental. If they're running around fucking and thinking about how they're a type of sibling then I/T makes sense. But if the parent marriage aspect is more to bring them together then I think the I/T fans will call BS.

 

[Bamagan]

I've started work on an entry for the Summer Lovin contest this year. Without going into too many details, it's an enemies-to-lovers story about a pair of former high school classmates whose single parents are getting married. They'll be soon-to-be stepsiblings, although not until the story begins, and they're already in college. Does that qualify for the I/T category? I mostly just want to avoid getting punished because it doesn't fit if readers decide it doesn't.

Also, separate question: is there an official Summer contest thread yet? Couldn't find one.

Thanks!

Technically, yes, that is at least a taboo relationship. In practical terms, though, the T/I readers often express some degree of contempt for stories that don't feature actual incest, so expect some complaints if you put it there. By the same token, though, you may get some complaints for the taboo elements if you place it in Romance. Romance is probably the better choice, though.

 

[RoyalAuthor]

Does the story lean into the step sibling aspect, or is it incidental. If they're running around fucking and thinking about how they're a type of sibling then I/T makes sense. But if the parent marriage aspect is more to bring them together then I think the I/T fans will call BS.

That's a good question - I haven't decided whether finally falling into bed will include the whole "this is wrong" aspect or if they won't care because they're already adults. Probably won't make that call until the story is more fleshed out, since I don't know the characters that well yet; I'm still on plotting the whole piece and writing the first few scenes. Good to think about, though. Thanks.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I've started work on an entry for the Summer Lovin contest this year. Without going into too many details, it's an enemies-to-lovers story about a pair of former high school classmates whose single parents are getting married. They'll be soon-to-be stepsiblings, although not until the story begins, and they're already in college. Does that qualify for the I/T category? I mostly just want to avoid getting punished because it doesn't fit if readers decide it doesn't.

From what people say, Incest/Taboo category readers want blood relationships in their stories, not step.

Do you want it to go into I/T to pull in the views? If so, you'll need to cope with the flak - if you want your cake, you gotta eat it.

If you're not chasing category view counts, it's Romance. They're adults, so the parent's relationship should be irrelevant, unless they're all living under the one roof, in which case it's Domestic Drama, but we don't have a category for that.

Also, separate question: is there an official Summer contest thread yet? Couldn't find one.

Summer Lovin' is a site contest, not an author driven collection, so unless someone has jumped on board with a thread, probably not.

 

[RoyalAuthor]

Do you want it to go into I/T to pull in the views?

That'd be nice, but I really just don't want to pick a category and then have people complaining that I picked the wrong category and vote-bombing me. I've never written I/T so I wasn't sure what actually qualified - the inspiration I had for this story was not the goal of posting there.

 

[SmilingLez]

That'd be nice, but I really just don't want to pick a category and then have people complaining that I picked the wrong category and vote-bombing me. I've never written I/T so I wasn't sure what actually qualified - the inspiration I had for this story was not the goal of posting there.

The easiest solution would be to read several high rated I/T stories and get a vibe for the category

 

[ElectricBlue]

That'd be nice, but I really just don't want to pick a category and then have people complaining that I picked the wrong category and vote-bombing me. I've never written I/T so I wasn't sure what actually qualified - the inspiration I had for this story was not the goal of posting there.

In that case, keep away from I/T, would be my suggestion. You're more likely to upset the natives if you put it there.

 

[NotWise]

In that case, keep away from I/T, would be my suggestion. You're more likely to upset the natives if you put it there.

I think you're going to get the natives restless in either Romance or T/I: in T/I because they aren't siblings, in Romance because of the step-sibling squirk factor. In Romance, you could play down the sibling aspect and play up the enemy-to-lover aspect and maybe make a Romance out of it.

I'm careful about what I put in Romance. If it were a binary choice, then I'd play up the step-sibling aspect and go with T/I.

You could try something else. For instance, make the step siblings both virgins when they get into bed and put it in First Time. You could make it about them discovering some shared kink and put it into Fetish. In most categories, the adult step-sibling aspect would be titillating background.

If your story goes into the Summer Lovin' contest, then submit early and make sure the title catches attention. The contest will deliver views regardless of the category. Last years' Summer Lovin' contest delivered 30k views for my story in Toys and Masturbation.

 

[anthrodisiac]

I've started work on an entry for the Summer Lovin contest this year. Without going into too many details, it's an enemies-to-lovers story about a pair of former high school classmates whose single parents are getting married. They'll be soon-to-be stepsiblings, although not until the story begins, and they're already in college. Does that qualify for the I/T category? I mostly just want to avoid getting punished because it doesn't fit if readers decide it doesn't.

Also, separate question: is there an official Summer contest thread yet? Couldn't find one.

Thanks!

I'd worry about it after the story's finished. You'll probably have more clarity about what category is belongs in once you see the whole thing.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

T/I readers often express some degree of contempt for stories that don't feature actual incest, so expect some complaints if you put it there.

Pseudo-incest is well accepted. As you mentioned, there remains the "taboo" aspect of the relationships.

I'm still on plotting the whole piece and writing the first few scenes.

Your writing should not be solely focused on a targeted category or you will probably be limiting yourself.

Finish the story and then decide what is the main plot element, ignoring sub plots and ancillary events that may occur within the tale. Anything other than the main plot should not be considered when selecting a category. Everything else can be addressed through the use of tags.

In the end, if you, as the writer can't determine what the main plot element is, how will your readers figure it out?

 

[Ianus4]

I suggest the Romance category not only because of the absence of a blood relationship, but also because one of the key emotional underpinnings of "true" incest is that the parties have known each other from the very beginning—through shared experiences, even the most intimate ones, and family secrets unknown to others.

 

[Five_Inch_Heels]

It might even go in the generic EC.

Doesn't seem to have that family thing.

 

[darkquasar]

I'd go with Romance or another category if I were you.
Two adults whose parents happen to get married doesn't count as I/T in my view.
If their parents got married when they were kids, and they were raised together, then I/T would make sense.

 

[BeechLeaf]

Romance if that's what it primarily is, and perhaps defuse the taboo by having them discuss it: 'You know, technically this could be considered incest. We're two weeks from being step-siblings.' Then the other rubbishes it, points out the reasons mentioned above.