Writing Outside Your Story Category: What Would You Do?

[EmilyMiller]

To build on what @Writer61 says, I try to connect with the kink and - if possible to link it (link the kink ) to something in my own experience. I try to get into the head of soemone who is - for example - an exhibitionist. What might they be feeling and why? Can I find an analogous source of arousal that I do have and which I can adapt? So is there a way to channel - say - my group sex experience to give color to what my exhibitionist protagonist is feeling?

If there is nothing in my own experience that connects at all, I’ll just try to imagine myself in the situation and go from there.

 

[Writer61]

We are all different. I’d never consider doing that. I’d write my own story and let the chips fall. Not saying either approach is right or wrong.

Completely agree, it is just how I would go about it.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Completely agree, it is just how I would go about it.

Your approach is likely to lead to better engagement, I agree.

 

[yowser]

This is one of the great things about Lit. You can write whatever you want, in whatever genre and whatever style. What's the worst that can happen? A regular reader will say, "I prefer your other stuff."

If you want to write, write. There's really no downside.

I mostly agree, and am a big proponent of expanding horizons, but the worst, unfortunately, I think can be worst than that.

I think it is possible to alienate readers (and I am not talking about just folks taking a torch to your scores when you've annoyed them, which absolutely happens).

Perhaps you are known for good stories on kink X, and then do a Y kink story with a high ick factor for your loyalist X folks. Seems possible some might do the 'not sure I can respect you in the morning' business. Still seems entirely worth the risk to me, but is a factor perhaps to consider.

 

[StillStunned]

I mostly agree, and am a big proponent of expanding horizons, but the worst, unfortunately, I think can be worst than that.

I think it is possible to alienate readers (and I am not talking about just folks taking a torch to your scores when you've annoyed them, which absolutely happens).

Perhaps you are known for good stories on kink X, and then do a Y kink story with a high ick factor for your loyalist X folks. Seems possible some might do the 'not sure I can respect you in the morning' business. Still seems entirely worth the risk to me, but is a factor perhaps to consider.

Back when I wrote a series of T/I stories I noticed that effect. If I published a new story in that series, the scores of my non-T/I stories would drop a little - not much, not as if someone was systematically bombing them. But definitely a few 3s and 4s to drag the average down. I could be mistaken, but I always assumed it was disappointed readers expecting more snuggly siblings.

I used to get quite indignant about it. I'd shout at the screen, "Do you see a brother-sister tag? Is it in the T/I category? No, it's E&V!" But I never let it stop me writing whatever I wanted. (I'm cool and edgy that way, you see.)

 

[Britva415]

I wonder what other people would consider their non-wheelhouse categories

There are non-wheelhouse categories in the sense that I simply haven't yet written a story which would ideally go into them. Then there are anti-wheelhouse categories I wouldn't ever write for.

 

[SimonDoom]

I mostly agree, and am a big proponent of expanding horizons, but the worst, unfortunately, I think can be worst than that.

I think it is possible to alienate readers (and I am not talking about just folks taking a torch to your scores when you've annoyed them, which absolutely happens).

Perhaps you are known for good stories on kink X, and then do a Y kink story with a high ick factor for your loyalist X folks. Seems possible some might do the 'not sure I can respect you in the morning' business. Still seems entirely worth the risk to me, but is a factor perhaps to consider.

I've written stories in seemingly non-compatible categories, and my own personal experience is that this is less of a problem than some fear it is.

It MAY result in some downvoting, and scores being less than I want. But I don't think it hurts reads, favorites, and followers, and that's what I'm after.

I encourage authors to be bold and to test their limits, and not to worry too much. The risks are there, but probably exaggerated, and the benefits outweigh the risks.

 

[Statius]

I would think the bigger issue would be the new followers one gains from a new category thinking they found a new writer who writes their kink then goes looking into your back log to only find non human- for example. Again I don't have enough followers for me to give a flying F but for a writer with a huge following I could see this being an issue.

 

[THBGato]

Having stayed very much in the Lesbian Sex section in my first year - despite writing stories that could easily have gone in First Time, E&V, Romance or Sci Fi - I've now done the opposite. I've published three this year that all could have gone in Lesbian, but instead they are in Letters & Transcripts, E&V and First Time. My next one will most likely be in Loving Wives.

Jury's still out on whether it will be worthwhile. The only story that is getting close to the engagement that I typically see with my Lesbian stories is the one in Letters & Transcripts, rather hilariously. In fact, it's beating my normal views to votes to comments ratio: 912 views, 88 votes, 33 comments is amazing.

 

[M_K_Babalon]

I don't just write in one catagory. That's the easiest way to get known, though. I'd rather show some sort of range of skill.

 

[anthrodisiac]

I think there's some confusion about the point of this thread, so I'll clear up a couple things:

1. I'm never writing things I don't want to write again. I did that a long-ass time ago and hated every damn second. If I ever come up with a human on human sans weird-nonsense thing, cool. If not, I'm fine where I am. I've no intention of pandering to bump up my numbers.
2. This was not supposed to be about me. Oops. I had brain thought, I sneezed out brain thought, wanted to see what other people's No-Go/Never Considered It/I Have No Idea What I'd Even write categories were based on premise of said sneezed-out brain thought.

Probably should've not included small documentary about myself, but I thought the context for why I was even thinking about it was interesting enough to include. Oops 2: Revenge of Spoo. (Why are all my part 2s "Revenge of"? Who knows.)

Case of anthrodisiac including too much information and muddling message: confirmed! Logging incident 561,459.

You're all wonderful and I very much appreciate the words of encouragement and advice all the same!

 

[Statius]

I think there's some confusion about the point of this thread, so I'll clear up a couple things:

1. I'm never writing things I don't want to write again. I did that a long-ass time ago and hated every damn second. If I ever come up with a human on human sans weird-nonsense thing, cool. If not, I'm fine where I am. I've no intention of pandering to bump up my numbers.
2. This was not supposed to be about me. Oops. I had brain thought, I sneezed out brain thought, wanted to see what other people's No-Go/Never Considered It/I Have No Idea What I'd Even write categories were based on premise of said sneezed-out brain thought.

Probably should've not included small documentary about myself, but I thought the context for why I was even thinking about it was interesting enough to include. Oops 2: Revenge of Spoo. (Why are all my part 2s "Revenge of"? Who knows.)

Case of anthrodisiac including too much information and muddling message: confirmed! Logging incident 561,459.

You're all wonderful and I very much appreciate the words of encouragement and advice all the same!

Apologies for the misunderstanding, probably my fault; then as these threads tend to go, it took on a life of it's own and veered from your intention; again probably my fault.

Peace

 

[anthrodisiac]

Apologies for the misunderstanding, probably my fault; then as these threads tend to go, it took on a life of it's own and veered from your intention; again probably my fault.

Peace

No worries! I'd be more offended if this thread hadn't gone off the rails.

 

[Statius]

No worries! I'd be more offended if this thread hadn't gone off the rails.

Logging incident 561,459.

Rookie

 

[StillStunned]

2. This was not supposed to be about me. Oops. I had brain thought, I sneezed out brain thought, wanted to see what other people's No-Go/Never Considered It/I Have No Idea What I'd Even write categories were based on premise of said sneezed-out brain thought.

I used to despise 1P present, until I thought about it and gave it a go. The idea of 2P horrified me, until I thought about it and gave it a go.

Now I keep an open mind. At this time I can't conceive of doing Audio, Illustrated, Interracial or LW, but if a story idea presents itself that I think would be interesting, I might give it a go. I've probably at least touched on most category themes, even if the story wasn't actually in that category.

 

[Erozetta]

I've posted in 15 categories, including audio and poetry with audio. I will probably be up to 20 by the end of the year.

Not with any intent to change categories, but I reckon I'll add a few of my older stories back after some edits and they were in different categories than I've currently posted in.

I write then post to the category that is most fitting. I don't write to the category just to post in a category.

What I've found most interesting about writing outside of my own interests is that those stories seem to do much better than the ones that fall within my interests. I kinda question if it's because I'm lazy about writing what I'm into vs the excitement of exploring something new/something I haven't experienced.

The flip side of this is I'm actually afraid to write to my interests in a few categories because my experiences don't line up to the "expectations" in those categories and I'm unwilling to alter that to write something formulaic to fit the expectations of the category.

I like to write outside of my comfort zone. I like exploring things I'm not into or haven't experienced.

I don't research. I don't plot and plan ahead. I don't try to figure out what works in which categories to write to that expectation. I just write then plop it into the right slot, sit back and wait to see what happens. More often than not it goes over well. The ones that don't go over well tend to be the ones that mirror my actual experiences, and my best guess for the issue is most people are here for light and fluffy fantasy vs things that explore emotion, psychology, and trauma in relation to sex and sexuality.

 

[Writer61]

I think there's some confusion about the point of this thread, so I'll clear up a couple things:

Thanks for the clarification.

So far, I have only posted in E/V and EC, although many of my stories include elements of GS.

Essentially, I am writing stories that please me. I have no intention of pushing myself to write something that I don't enjoy.

Thus, I can imagine posting in Mature, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, maybe Humour & Satire, or something Taboo (not Incest). Everything else is very unlikely, and definitely not BDSM, IR, LS, LW, MC, R/NC, or TG.

 

[Djmac1031]

but if you were to write in a category you'd never really thought you would, what would it be?*

I've written in all kinds of categories, and I can pretty much say the ones I haven't written in are mainly because the subject matter is not in my wheelhouse.

While I'd have no objections to trying my hand at, saying, a transgender story, I dont know that I'd be able as a CIS male to truly do it any justice. Same with, say, Gay Male (although I did write a 750 GM story) or Lesbian.

The idea of a Non Human story is intriguing, but until I find an idea interesting enough it's not a priority.

It really just depends; if I have an idea that inspires a story that would fit in a category I haven't yet written in, I'd be more than happy to pursue it.

 

[Belegon]

This is half question, half could-be-interesting exercise, half curiosity, and half me not being good at math.



I know a decent chunk of you write fairly widely across Lit story categories, but if you were to write in a category you'd never really thought you would, what would it be?*



*Part of me thought this could be an interesting author challenge, but I have no idea how you'd possibly enforce the rules on that.

I set a goal for myself early last year to try and get a story published in every Lit category... I'm not pushing hard on it but I have made some progress. I put a call out to some friends to give me ideas for a couple categories that ended up generating the request for a rather specific story that became an entry into the Mature genre and I took a suggestion from that same girl and it became my first BDSM story. Both kind of stretched limits for me and were difficult to write, but both got some pretty good reactions and I'm happy with the results.

Just to be clear, I don't have any real issues with age gaps in general. What made the story in Mature difficult for me was that she asked for a very specific scenario that included crossing a line that I had drawn due to my previous work in a specific area. I used to be a school bus driver and she asked for a situation involving a high school girl seducing her bus driver. That was shattering a hard core ethical line in the sand I had drawn for myself. I had trained myself never to even allow myself to fanatasize about my students. I don't have a problem with an adult woman of any age, even just 18, pursuing something she wants, but there is an implied trust relationship there that I couldn't conceive of breaking. Aside from any issues about legality, there was just a straight-up ethics concern. Even though I knew I was writing fiction, it was like pulling teeth.

The BDSM was more difficult for me simply because I have always had ethical concerns about myself in that area related to consent. Not that I don't think a partner there is incapable of giving consent, just that I personally have a thing about making sure I have it. I used those concerns by having the man in the story wrestle with it and while the audience for it seems to have been small, I also seem to have struck a sympathetic chord with some readers. It just has to do with my personal history. My first lover, the girl I lost my virginity with, had been a victim of incestual child sexual abuse. The memories of us dealing with the repercussions of that abuse remain strong and vivid, even 40 years later. that and some other experiences with girls who were rape and/or abuse survivors have hard-wired into me a need to be absolutely certain about consensual issues.

 

[anthrodisiac]

The BDSM was more difficult for me simply because I have always had ethical concerns about myself in that area related to consent. Not that I don't think a partner there is incapable of giving consent, just that I personally have a thing about making sure I have it. I used those concerns by having the man in the story wrestle with it and while the audience for it seems to have been small, I also seem to have struck a sympathetic chord with some readers. It just has to do with my personal history. My first lover, the girl I lost my virginity with, had been a victim of incestual child sexual abuse. The memories of us dealing with the repercussions of that abuse remain strong and vivid, even 40 years later. that and some other experiences with girls who were rape and/or abuse survivors have hard-wired into me a need to be absolutely certain about consensual issues.

There are a great many of us who deeply appreciate the thoughtfulness you approach this from. Consent is the cornerstone of BDSM, as is mutual respect. Thank you for handling this topic from such considerate viewpoint

 

[DEFCOM5]

I doubt I could write a story in T/I, BDSM, Gay, Lesbian, Trans, cross dressing because I have no interest in them and little knowledge. The stories would come out as someone that knows shit about the category and is relying on lousy porn tropes.