I love writing and reading the works I find on this site. I really love to read fiction that is appropriate for young adult audiences. There are tons of trashy stories that children can, and do access on the internet. I truly feel that these young readers (I teach in a middle school) need a resource like this for two main reasons. First is the positive outlook that is gained from seeing a character that they can identify with overcoming obstacles. Second is the ability to gain some semblance of affinity for people from other cultures, genders, ethnicities, and sexual identities.
I am a firm believer in anything that helps people overcome their prejudices.
With that said, I must address the subject of erotic content. The story editor offers authors the ability to warn the reader about the content of a story. This feature is for the benefit of both the author and the reader. This last point brings me to the reason for this particular entry.
A few readers have objected to the content of my current story. I have tried to mark everything properly and do not wish to be bitchy, but I am not sure what other responsibility I have here if someone objects to my work.
I am well aware that what I have written is not the mainstream on this site, but the existence of these warning labels tells me that the site has no policy that would deny me the right to publish it. I sincerely enjoy the experience of publishing here, and the vast majority of emails and comments that I receive are positive. However, I would caution readers to please read the warning labels before reading the stories.
waif
Comments
Something I
Always do is check the tags and keywords. If you've used the caution and other relevant tags then they don't have anything to complain about. Its like not voting and complaining about the people elected.
I went outside once. The graphics weren' that great.
Incredible feature
There's an incredibly useful feature built right in to the Drupal software we use. If, for anyone, there turns out to be a reason to dislike a story—you can stop reading it!
That said, if there are comments an author wants removed from their story, for any reason at all, just ask me, Cat or Piper and we can do that.
Hugs,
Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
Eh. Humans come equipped
Eh. Humans come equipped with an incredible feature to avoid things they don't like. They're called "Feet", but still, many persist in believing that they should try to force someone else to change, rather than walk off.
I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.
On /off
I lived in a town that had one TV station the chose on or off.
I just looked at your most
I just looked at your most recent posting, while it's not my cup of tea, you had plenty of warnings posted about was contained in the story.
I don't see the problem here. If you gave some people a 10 dollar bill, they would complain it wasn't a 20.
Karen
I can't say that all my stuff
is suitable for teens but the vast majority is, Totally Insane, was actually written for a teenager whose mum used to visit the site looking for suitable stories which reflected her experience of life rather than the mainstream. As I don't write erotica, my only worry would be occasional violence in my stories, though I'm sure most teens see more on telly or in real life than I describe.
Angharad
Life is an Experience
Those who understand life doesn't come in one flavor (theirs) are the builders of society. They are doctors, engineers, farmers, ranchers, mechanics, plumbers, etc. They make a better world for all of us by improving our lives and feeding us emotionally and physically.
The "special snowflakes" grew up as protected darlings of mom and dad.
"Johnny can't do that because he might skin a knee."
"My Susy can't play because she might get her dress dirty."
Sadly, instead of turning out to be decent humans, their protected childhood taught them nothing about the real world disappointments, losses, pain, and the pride in self achievement when things do go right. They expect everyone else to adjust to their desires and wishes.
Even when reading a story they didn't purchase or have any input in, they want the story written the way they wish it to go. Skipping the hard part of reading the descriptive labels at the beginning is below their ability as mommy or daddy always did the preparation work for them.
Our world is in deep trouble because there isn't one of those kind of people out there but millions of them. They no longer can cope if things go wrong. They wait on someone to bail them out. Gov is supposed to provide all their needs.
I read the stories on BCTS for entertainment and escapism. There are some unbelievably excellent writers posting their hard work and time. They are sharing with me their hours, weeks, months of labor as they wrote their story. I have been blessed more than anyone I know. I have lost animals, friends, hail and drouth destroyed my crops, equipment breaks down when I needed it most. I always carry a gun on my hip, sometimes a rifle in my hands and have used them many times to kill. I made that trip to God's Kingdom once already. He gave me the choice of staying or coming back. Losing this mortal life isn't death. I'm NOT a Pioneer Woman. They were a lot stronger. This nation wouldn't have been what it is now if strong women hadn't rode or walked beside their strong man.
And reading a story you don't like offends you?
always
Barb
Oklahoma born and raised cowgirl
Wow! You speak from the heart.
I wish I could share your post on any of the sites which are so occasionally frequented by those special snowflakes. You perfectly picture what is wrong with our society, PCness and special snowflakiness.
--
>> There is not one single truth out there. <<
PCness
Let's be careful about PCness. While there are indications that "PC" and "Politically Correct" have appeared earlier (and used as ridicule or denunciation), "PC" came into its own under Rush Limbaugh and his likes, primarily to trounce those who had the gall to denounce their relentless offensiveness. How often has it been used to jump on a perfectly sound idea?
Talking Barbie doll: "Math is hard!"
Captain Kirk ("Star Trek IV" I think): "To boldly go where no man -- no one -- has gone before."
Random audience member: "Political Correctness!"
One could pretty much say that Political Correctness is not considered PC these days, although it was more the case in the nineties.
A bunch of drunken spectators shouting out "Nigger!" at a sports event, disrupting some activity.
Rush Limbaugh telling that President Clinton's family had not only a cat, but also a dog. Who was the dog? Chelsea Clinton.
"You'd better be careful. You might be called Communist^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^HPolitically Correct." (^H is an old form of strike.)
">> There is not one single truth out there. <<" Is this really true?
-- Daphne Xu (a page of contents)
re: PCness
It is so much easier to tear things down than to build something. I am not going to complain about anyone else's opinion of my work, I just wanted to explain my position on labeling erotic content.
I think the world is an amazing place, and people are amazing creatures who have an unlimited capacity for good.
Is it too much to ask people to offer constructive ideas rather than denounce? We seem to have lost the capacity for civil debate. It is not just the Rush Limbaugh's or the Al Sharpton's or the Donald Trump's or the Hilary Clinton's. I graduated from Texas Tech University in 2014. I dealt with it in college, when only certain groups of people had the right to free speech. I see this intransigence among people of every political, economic, racial, ethnic, religious, social, or sexual belief. It seems that every cause has someone that would rather shout down or stifle any viewpoint that doesn't align with their own. It is a form of fascism and no group is immune.
I prefer to avoid that worldview and maintain my own. I truly believe that people are basically good, and will usually do the right thing, regardless of who shouts the loudest.
To paraphrase an old adage, It's better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.
Best wishes to you all.
waif
Be kind to those who are unkind, tolerant toward those who treat you with intolerance, loving to those who withhold their love, and always smile through the pains of life.
Gentler Stories
Cat and I created a site a while back, featuring some of our Favorite Stories, and Authors. The main site (forums,blogs etc) is currently down, but the Stories are still up for everyone! http://stories.lgtales.com/
-Piper
I always peek there.
Unfortunately, the site does not seem to get many postings. It has been a while since I have seen anything new. The site needs more attention by authors. The stories that are there are very good!
>i< ..:::
I object
I object to any kind of sexual content or prolific use of foul language, therefore when an author is responsible enough to post those flags, I simply don't read it. The only time I have complained about such content is when the author fails to use the tags. Then I do so in a PM, pointing out the tags I felt should have been used.
I see the tags as being the same as movie rating system. They advise me as to the appropriateness of a piece for a particular audience.
As to why I object. In TG stories I particularly don't want to see erotic content because when dealing with the cis world on the matter of cross-dressing they want to make it all about sex. They label it as a sexual perversion. If we, as authors, offer up trans fiction full of explicit sexual activities it just bolsters their argument that this is about sex.
I object to crude language because I don't use such language and in my real world, the people I come into contact with don't either. I was raised in the fifties and was taught that use of foul language was simply an indication of a poor vocabulary.
All that being said, you have the right to depict any person or situation any way you choose. It's called literary license. So long as you appropriately tag it I have no right to read your story and complain about its content. Though in my perfect world their would be no such content to in the first place.
If I were queen....
Hugs
Patricia
Happiness is being all dressed up and HAVING some place to go.
Semper in femineo gerunt
Ich bin eine Mann
Tags are good!
However, (about your last comment only). In other people's perfect world their would be no TG content to in the first place. Thankfully, we don't have to live in any one persons perfect world, though some people would like to force us too do so. Of course everyone has the right to "picture" their own perfect world.
I do agree with what you said about tags and rights. Personally, I sometimes don't mind some limited erotic content, if it fits, and as long it is not what the story is about. There are tags I tend to avoid.
>i< ..:::
Things you wish you hadn't
In a not understandable way, exposure to things can later develop shameful connections. In most, those connections do not lead to violence, only impure thoughts. If we feed those connections it can only end badly and thankfully most have no idea. Some of us have two or more personalities and many do not know about them. If you don't, be thankful, very thankful.
Two or more personalities!
I find that, "Gaming"(online or not) and "VR" RP, and also "Reenactment Group" RP Can be an outlet for that.
*Giggles*
~Hypatia >i< ..::
PS. Even a little forum etc. silliness can help!
*pixie dusts everyone in range*
A Further Comment
I thank you all for your comments. I would like to address a few of the points made without singling anyone out. I also apologize to one reader in particular for causing you grief when I posted my complaint about labels. my story, In Too Deep has received more than one complaint, and I did not mean to single out any particular reader.
The story was not created as erotica, but I try to express my characters fully and allow my readers a glimpse into their lifestyles, relationships, aspirations, and motivations. I would view it, using the MPAA rating analogy as a hard R-rated tale. My reasoning was that most people's lives, when viewed objectively, would be described as R-rated. It is true that too often TG content is sensationalized to create sexual excitement. Sex and violence sell in every culture. It is a part of every news broadcast. For every warm fuzzy moment, you see in the media, you will see hundreds of sensationalized sex, violence or both.
I am a 22-year-old navy brat who grew up in a media culture, I am sure that is one reason my story runs more like a movie or TV show than as a piece of literature. I write the story how I see it in my own mind.
Caveat Lector!
:-)
waif
Be kind to those who are unkind, tolerant toward those who treat you with intolerance, loving to those who withhold their love, and always smile through the pains of life.
Thank for using the tags
I would like to thank you for using the tags.
Well said.
You can't do much more than give an appropriate warning and, frankly, it shouldn't be your responsibility to do more beyond that. If people want to ignore the warning labels they can deal with the consequences. It's one thing to give constructive feedback but another entirely to tell someone not to write on a particular subject, in a particular genre, or to include or not include particular elements. If a person doesn't like the content then they need to stop reading it.
Forced feminization and
Forced feminization and bondage stories aren't my thing but I skim through the story to see how you are building up the characters. You are creating two truly despicable characters and two sympathetic characters who have more going on in their heads than just being unwilling participants.
I really don't mind that you are using the forced theme, I only hope that you know where you are going and try to make the horrid people get what they deserve in the end.
I'm told STFU more times in a day than most people get told in a lifetime
Despicable?
Do you really find the Sharps to be despicable? I have tried to portray them honestly, and I certainly believe that they are manipulating things to get what they want. I also believe that we are all guilty of being manipulative, at times.
In fact, I can see where people might think that someone trying to get an author to change her story arc because of moral objections might be a form of manipulation. I also see that the author is the bigger manipulator because she knows where the story is going and uses her portrayal of the subject matter as a means to evoke a response from readers.
I will honestly plead guilty to being manipulative, but I hope nobody will characterize me as despicable.
:-P
With that said, I do confess that I loved both Despicable Me films.
;-D
waif
Be kind to those who are unkind, tolerant toward those who treat you with intolerance, loving to those who withhold their love, and always smile through the pains of life.
You are right about the
You are right about the manipulation as the author and trying to get someone to change something. That doesn't change opinions about characters though, I see the actions as being despicable and hope they get what is rightfully deserved at some point. I want to see just how bad you can get the Sharps and how low Sloan and Dana can go to get what they want before they realize they are at the point of no return. I hope for the best for Sloan and Dana but fear for them as characters.
Take my comment as a bit of an insult to your story but it wasn't, it was just my interpretation of it in regards to this discussion. I'll read the story to find out what happens to who, I'll let you decide where you go with it and I'll follow behind. It's your baby, it's not my style of story normally and I won't tell you how to write it but I have to see where it goes.
I'm told STFU more times in a day than most people get told in a lifetime
Insult?
I saw no insult, and my comments were purely an attempt at humor
:-)
waif
Be kind to those who are unkind, tolerant toward those who treat you with intolerance, loving to those who withhold their love, and always smile through the pains of life.
I gotta be honest. In the
I gotta be honest. In the real world, I want to see horrid people pay for what they've done. In the fictional world, I really don't need that closure. I'd rather the ending fit with the story. If the "villain" has a chance to get away, I would far rather see them get away. If the "victim" can live on and cope with what has happened to them, I would far rather read about how they cope. Real life doesn't always have a happy ending, and although we escape to fiction to fill that void, sometimes a bittersweet ending just fits.
~Taylor Ryan
My muse suffers from insomnia, and it keeps me up at night.
Got Your Seat-belt Fastened?
Since I am just coming to the end of part one of three, I can only offer this to anyone that is looking for closure.
"Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night!" -Bette Davis, All About Eve
I am going to post 3-4 more chapters tonight. The plot is thickening.
:-)
waif
Be kind to those who are unkind, tolerant toward those who treat you with intolerance, loving to those who withhold their love, and always smile through the pains of life.