Forum: Author Hangout

Including BDSM Rules/Contracts in Stories

Eddie Davidson 🚫

I like BDSM rules/contracts - I sometimes picture the devil unrolling a scroll filled with stipulations and clauses and signing one's life away.

In BDSM stories I've written sometimes the Dominant lays out rules for the submissive. I often like to list them in detail.

Example:
1. You will not wear panties or bras unless you have my permission

2. You will not masturbate without permission and when you are told to play with yourself you must do so no matter who is watching.

3. You will take any cock from any one, anywhere I tell you in any hole.

Etc.

However, I have been told that this is boring and that readers do not want to see the conditions and rules laid out. What are your thoughts?

Replies: bk69 irvmull

joyR 🚫

I'd not be surprised if 'vanilla' readers found the lists boring, those who actually participate in BDSM of that flavour find them laughable in most cases, especially as they spotlight the writer's total ignorance.

Replies: Mushroom

Mushroom 🚫

@joyR

I'd not be surprised if 'vanilla' readers found the lists boring, those who actually participate in BDSM of that flavour find them laughable in most cases, especially as they spotlight the writer's total ignorance.

Oh I know. While not a part of that community, I have skirted the edges one might say for years. And almost all I know find the ignorance of those that pretend to get into it silly.

I have a friend that loves to go into Second Life and mock them openly, she has been banned by many in the "BDSM" community there. It is even more funny because she often does it with her "Master", who she has been with in RL for over 25 years.

Contracts, rules, that is like Shades of Gray silly. Soppy bored housewives ate it up for a short time, but the real communities regularly mock it. But hey, maybe there is a story in that.

Have the Master force his slave to sign such an agreement. And only when she wants out take the contract to a lawyer, and realize that the clauses were worded incorrectly, and now he is legally her slave.

A more overt example of the old "topping from the bottom" theme.

Replies: Darian Wolfe

Darian Wolfe 🚫

@Mushroom

With The Learning Together series there is a Master/Slave relationship throughout. The master and slave had a discussion about what was acceptable or unacceptable before formalizing a relationship.

An example is that the slave intentionally excluded her 16 daughter from the slave/master aspects of the relationship entirely. She told the master that if he raised his hand to her daughter or tried to rape her She (the slave) would kill him.

Another topic was alcohol use. In other words, I tried to address real world issues and not things like panties/no panties.

I think it's important to set rules that reflect the spirit of the agreement rather than a mile long list of mostly trivial rules. Example: all short dresses or shorts must be cut so that the material does not go lower than 1 1/4th inches above the top center line of the actual kneecap.

Replies: Eddie Davidson

Eddie Davidson 🚫

@Darian Wolfe

Sometimes the precise little details can be what fascinate me and flesh out the spirit of the agreement.

Some of the feedback I get is from architects, analysts etc and I think it is precisely because I write from a very analytic POV. They will comment on the range of motion in a particular sex chair or the rules I used.

richardshagrin 🚫

What are your thoughts?

Lets make sure these rules apply to female slaves. If they are male slaves I don't want to read your story.

bk69 🚫

@Eddie Davidson

It varies.

If you're writing a BDSM story only for diehard members of the scene, go for it. I'm pretty sure it's one of those hot button cheat codes to ramp up interest (if it's well done) for those who are very much into that.

For people who don't object, but are strictly tourists visiting? Any negotiation and contracts should be mentioned in passing (to show the characters are SSR) but not dwelt on.

Many kinks have 'literary' short-cuts to boost the arousal of those who have that kink. The problem is, those are often counter-productive when encountered by those who are tolerant of, but not committed to, the kink.

In your specific example, personally if there's something really creative I would find it interesting... but you need to decide who you want as readers... the few, the perved.... or the general population of SOL?

irvmull 🚫
Updated:

@Eddie Davidson

However, I have been told that this is boring and that readers do not want to see the conditions and rules laid out. What are your thoughts?

When I see such a list it's time to find something else to read.

It's the same thing as a long paragraph describing physical attributes. Granted, I haven't been on a first date in a long time, but is it now acceptable for a guy to "whip out his 25' Craftsman self-locking tape measure" right off the bat?

If an author can't work those details into the story more gracefully and interestingly (using, perhaps, dialog) then the story probably isn't going to be interesting either.

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Forum: Author Hangout

Including BDSM Rules/Contracts in Stories

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