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.

[twistedsmile]

Thanks for the responses! I appreciate the insight.

To give some more colour from my perspective as writer:

I wrote the chapter where Sophie and Mark switch because it was a story I wanted to write. And at that point, I didn't even consider that readers might not be into it.

The threesome chapter that Caras Pet called out - I knew that it was going to be controversial. And unlike the switch chapter, it wasn't one I 'enjoyed' writing. But doing it felt necessary for the larger narrative (for reasons I will explain when I do the commentary). My hope was that anyone who had stuck with the series up to chapter 13 would be invested enough to go along with it (or at least tolerate it). But I can't begrudge anyone that was completely put off by it.

When I wrote my second series, Brett & Darren, I was well aware that probably most fans of Sophie & Mark wouldn't be interested in an M/m series. I did wonder if there might be people who liked my writing enough to give it a try anyway (but that's just ego).

As for why I asked this question, and without spoiling anything, the non- Sophie & Mark story I'm currently writing is working towards a particular climax, and for that to make sense (to me at least) the characters had to switch. But I had this sudden thought of - if M/f fans don't read F/m (and vice versa) then is anyone actually going to stick around for that climax?

To be clear, the story is what it is, and I don't plan on changing it. Even if that does mean that no-one reads it