Switch stories

[twistedsmile]

In my Sophie & Mark series, most of the chapters are F/m, but one switches to M/f. I'm currently working on another story that does a similar role flip.

I'm a bi switch, so that sort of thing is neither here nor there to me. But I'm curious how other readers approach such stories?

Like, suppose there's a story where chapter 1 is F/m and chapter 2 is M/f:
- For people who are only into F/m, would you read chapter 1 and not continue with chapter 2?
- For people only into M/f, would you read chapter 1 before 2, or skip straight to chapter 2, or just not bother with the story at all?

Along similar lines, one chapter of Sophie & Mark switches to M/m, and I'm interested in how (hetero) readers feel about stuff like that?

[Caras pet]

For me, it's more a question of the overall focus and how a change fits into the story.
In "Sophie and Mark," the change from F/m to M/f was something natural and expected; the two are experimenting, so maybe they'll swap roles for a test, a change of perspective or whatever.

The introduction of a third person as Mark's passive "savior" was also expected, but expanding his role to nc M/m didn't fit the story for me.

To answer your direct questions: I still read the whole part, and the part that followed, but with less motivation. I wouldn't skip a chapter because of "wrong storycodes".

[Eido]

I have a few hard-stop, no-go story codes. If I see one of them in a new story, I don't read any part of the story even if I don't see that code in subsequent posts.

If I see one of my no-codes show up in a chapter or post for a story I've started reading, I just stop.

Sounds harsh, but I have learned what I like and don't like. I've learned the hard way not to push my reading boundaries, and it doesn't bother me that I might miss a story when there are so many other stories I will probably like better.

Eido

[Caras pet]

I have a few hard-stop, no-go story codes. If I see one of them in a new story, I don't read any part of the story even if I don't see that code in subsequent posts.

Same for me.

Conversely, if I have already read several parts of a story and found them to be good, and then a part comes along with a no-go code, then I may continue reading anyway.

[bentbliss]

If a story starts out good enough, the switching back and forth is great if it makes sense. I will usually continue reading for a bit if things start heading in a way I like less to see if it ends up worth. I rarely stop at just one story I like less unless it was the last one. Sometimes seeing the end can be interesting, especially when I often avoid the ends of many things. There are so many TV shows that I have not and problem will never watch last last few or last episode of.

I'm a natural switch so I have less hang ups up things like that. Actually, if the story is done well, I find them fun and refreshing. Through the years, I have gotten better about keeping an open mind as I have missed so much that is far more interesting that I wouldn'thave given a chance..

[SwitchMan]

I am also a switch (hence the name).  Most of my stories reflect my slight preference for M/f with no switching, but my longest work, Leather or Knot, is constantly changing from M/f to F/m and other variations.  When I wrote it, I never really thought about it, and nobody ever complained... but I have no way to know who declined to read it because they didn't like the story codes.

[Zoé Cordelier]

But I'm curious how other readers approach such stories?

As a writer, in How Ethan met Claire, the general setup is M/f. In the to-be-published vignette Claire turns the Tables, it switches to F/m. I tried to write this in a way to make it appealing to people normally read M/f, and hope I succeeded.

"Ethan and Claire" are my goto consensual fun bondage OCs, and the bondage is usually playful, so I hope that worked out even for M/f reader preferences.