Forum: Story Recommendations

Appreciate the rec but I have read those one, one of my fav authors

I assume you've read them, but if not, try Alwayswantedto: https://storiesonline.net/a/alwayswantedto

Oh wow, all green dots. I'm sure I'll find something to enjoy here. Thanks for the recommendation.

Actually, I'm intrigued by your title: Mom 2.0. Just think of it, the teen son has his mom and then, through some freaky occurrence, he also encounters Mom 2.0, just like him Mom, but physically attracted to him, and eager to explore him with some girls his age too … just to help him learn how to pick up women, like any good mother would do for her son.

Well, there are stories where a (often relatively young) stepmom takes that role.

Incest is usually pretty clear. While some locations allow first cousins to marry—typically back when the birth and survival rates were low—the general rule is that anyone who assumes the role of parent—in any form—and has sex with the person they're parenting, is guilty, due to the power imbalance.

Now, as far as dramatic stories, some forms of incest—typically young, beautiful people who aren't yet aware of their beauty—are more intriguing than others. That's due to the inherent conflict between young, innocent and intrigued and the older, mature and trusted—who're thus seen as a 'trusted' partner, best able to guide them without taking advantage of them—beyond what the advantages they allow.

However, if that mother and son simply flirt and tease, or a man's young daughters purposely tease the father—that's generally seen as 'playful', innocent teasing—until that specific line is crossed.

Though the line between seemingly innocent teasing and taking it beyond that fine line in the sand, is particularly dramatic and intriguing, whether there's any explicit sexual contact or not.

For me, the classic Shakespearian 'boy from the wrong family' no longer means much in today's world, so nowadays, the ONLY really 'illicit' romances are the incestuous ones.

Actually, some of the best incest-related stories were the ones where they didn't realize it was incest until it was already too late. Granted, those were mostly short stories, where it's easier to carry off than it is in a full novel or an 'epic-length' story, yet it's still worth considering.

So the typical 'getting drunk and crawling into the wrong tent on family camping trips, or seducing someone much younger, only belatedly realizing their mother was your one-time, short-term girlfriend tropes are often the most powerful, as the whole "Oh God! Did I just DO that?" makes for more-powerful stories.

Yet those 'surprise story shocks' are hard to carry off in longer stories, as once the realization sinks in, it's really hard carrying on, without losing that shocking revelation surprise.

Well, once the shock wears off, you could have an interesting story where the characters have to figure out what to do next.

Or, you could have a story with adopted child, with both not realizing the link until after they build their relationship into more than a one-night stand.

Wouldn't that be the same as the 'not realizing I had a child in the first place' stories? Though, considering it, with adopted children stories in general (like in Grey Wolf's continuing epic-length Variations on a Theme) where the characters are never quite sure of their actual backgrounds. Yet if those are truly accidental pairings anyway, there's not the same level of shame as there is in a 'I just never thought/cared enough to look at their face' story.

Again, it's more of a longer story theme than a short story with a shocking ending. It's one thing to know in that moment, than it is to eventually find it out later, as how would the 'by the way, who were your parents?' line after a temporary one-night stand?

It's still a great premise, yet it's better as a slightly longer short story, where they accidentally meet up at a family reunion, only then learning they're related. I've actually written a couple of those, yet it was harder pulling it off, effectively. In one, an older man, who's dating two college age girls, is invited home to meet their families, only then, realizing belatedly, that he's actually screwed every member of the family for three generations.

Again, a great premise, yet harder to carry off, convincingly, as after the initial shock, it's hard maintaining the overall story tension though each remaining shocking revelation (the law of diminishing returns). That law doesn't apply equally to all things, as some things inherently have a lesser efficiently by default.

Actually, in that case, they'd be better as a sequel rather a longer continuation, as then both would be short stories with a powerful surprising ending. Otherwise, many have converted their short stories into longer ones, yet those are usually due to the intense popular response, spurring them on.

Still, you either focus on short stories, or you concentrate on the longer, more complex ones. And actually, in both those examples, that's exactly what the authors did. Unfortunately, both were poor imitations of the originals, as it's hard to capture that sort of magic twice without if feeling repetitive.

And in most of mine, I focus not on the initial 'we were carried away, never once considering what we were doing', but on a growing attachment to each other, where much of the story and character development is focused on their hesitation. Plus, it's much easier dealing with poor reactions, especially on KDP publications, is the readers already know the direction the story is heading, so they can bail early on, rather than objecting and trying to ban the story altogether (i.e. it's more about self-preservation than anything).

Or you could have a story of two half siblings where the father donated his DNA. The siblings meet, fall in love, get married and have a kid or two. Only after a 23 and me test do they realize they are half brother and sister.