I had received some good technical suggestions on writing from a couple of the experienced authors on this site (which, by the way, is one of the really wonderful things about this community!) and decided it was worthwhile going through and fixing some of my earlier postings. The suggestions had to do, primarily, with paragraph breaks and nuances relating to punctuation, not substance.
I started with Duet, and the experience was a bit disconcerting. One of the primary characters in Duet was the protagonist in the sequel that I wrote after Duet was done. I realized that both the character and the tenor of the story had evolved quite a bit while I was writing the sequel, but I hadn't realized quite how much until I went back and did a line-by-line.
I went back and forth on this. Quite a few more people had read Duet than read the sequel; quite a few more people had liked the sequel than liked Duet (proving, once again, that the perversity of life tends to a maximum). Was it fair to those who liked Duet as it was to change it? Hem haw, haw hem.
Well, I made some changes. The story is intact, and it's still got femdom elements that many people won't care for, but were nonetheless important to the arc of the story. But, I dialed it way back. I think it now forms a somewhat more harmonious read with the later work, and at the end of the day I feel better about it. For anyone who disagrees, and preferred the original version, I apologize.
Comments
I’m not a fan of any form of Dom……
Mainly due to the whole humiliation deal. Love and humiliation don’t mix no matter what anyone says.
Having said that, I truly loved both stories. Had I not enjoyed Duet so much, I would probably not have read the sequel - and both stories were wonderful!
You have a true talent and I thank you for sharing it with me.
D. Eden
Dum Vivimus, Vivamus
Humiliation
I'm with Dallas on not liking humiliation stories. Reading that kind of thing makes me so uncomfortable that now I simply avoid anything with that header, no matter how much I like the author.
(I've wondered about their popularity among readers here. I understand the reasons that some are attracted to forced femme, but surely a lot of the folks here have suffered enough humiliation in their past that I wouldn't expect them to want more.)
Anyway, although I consider "Aria" one of the two or three best new stories I've read here this year, I haven't read "Duet". Still trying to decide, now that you've revised it.
Best, Eric
If it helps . . .
What happens in Duet is consensual, and Liz and Cam are careful of each other’s feelings and vulnerabilities. It shifts very quickly into a feminization exercise, and Cam plays a very collaborative role. With that said, the flavor of the story is still distinct from Aria.
Emma
A reread is in order for me
I did like Duet, but the intensity of Aria just grabbed my heart. I too, am not a fan of humiliation but a strong female partner is something that I do like in stories. Cam seems a bit unsure of himself in Duet, but the journey of self actualization to become Cami in Aria is fantastic. I don't know if Cam would have ever started his feminine journey without Liz's prodding. The females (and males) that Cami interacts with in her journey are very supportive (with a couple of exceptions) and help shape Cami's outlook and timeline.
I'm not sure what to think of rewrites. When I find an author I like, I usually go to their site and read the rest of their stories, usually in chronological order.
I often think about rewriting a couple of my stories in order to get them in line with how I'd like to finish them. Maybe that would help me get back to writing again.
Dee
DeeDee