Desiderius Price

To me, gender bending would be a step toward the characterization skills needed for original characters.  I’d suspect that an older abbreviation “OOC” (out-of-character or out-of-canon) would definitely fit this scenario, as gender bending is a specific modification of that canon character, but it’s still based on a canon character.  Some canon characters are...like a name only, so lots of fanfic writers take one of those and fill in the details.  Obviously, if I hit the random name generator, create all new details, and insert that, it’s an original character (and I’ve done that repeatedly with my fanfic where I need characters).

I would say so personally. I mean, most characters are the gender they are for a reason. Particularly if the character has appeared on screen, like most of mine have.

So I prefer to create an OC rather than gender bend a character. Or I just shift the sexuality of the character. More than a few of the female characters I write about have intense relationships with other women. Though most of them aren’t explicitly lesbians. So occasionally I just give them a broader sexuality, usually bisexual.

My potter fanfic is on AO3, but similar debate.  Voldemort...dies in canon, pretty typical for villains, so I didn’t worry about it there (Ditto for Dumbledore).  However, my main characters do seemingly die for an extended period of time, and that’s what prompted me to simply add in MCD and be done with it.  (And now that I’ve got Harry jumping into alternate realities where those alternates do die, it’s kinda warranted.)  I’d rather err on the side of tagging things, than not.

As an obsessive perfectionist, I find that I'm constantly over thinking things and constantly marring my work, by focusing on things that don't need the extra attention.
In a few days, I'm sure I'll have the free time to finish and post a new story in the archive.
I looked at the story codes and started thinking, (obsessing needlessly), about two tags in particular. GB - the gender bender tag, and OC - the original character tag.
This really made me wonder, wouldn't a gender bender character, also count as an original character?
I'm interested in hearing anyone's thoughts on what makes an 'original character', in the face of such a change. How much can that character change, before that character is considered, a different character?

Suppose another way to view it… list the tag, taunt that characters are about to die (multiple times), leave the reader guessing, and proceed to kill absolutely nobody.  😝

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I’ve used my potter fanfic as an example because it’s always intended to have a low/high road type of feeling, a plot-focused and more sex-infused versions, but with FF.net’s shenanigans regarding explicit material, and a review, I had shifted to plot-focused only.  After my disastrous edit (the one that produced a 107kword CHAPTER), I had dabbled with “smutting it back up”, using styles/colors in libreoffice.  And TBH, that felt tacky, because it was, as the sexual bit is an afterthought, not part of the process.
When I returned to revise and realized it needed to be rewritten, I of course, flexed my programmer hat, created my little utility.  As I rewrite, I can consider the implications of both the sexual and plot sides of the story, together; so in a discussion with Dumbledore over a new breed of bats, it can be an ordinary conversation (well, ordinary for the story) … Harry’s stark naked in the explicit, so comment on his todger, whereas he’s implicitly dressed in the cleaner version.
Explicit’s become more than smut, it also allows for me to go deeper.  So, Harry’s scar, after Voldemort learned of its existence, Harry had trouble keeping Voldemort out… he learned he had the strongest power to repel Voldemort by having gay sex.  After a while, Harry learns to keep it in balance with memories of it, however, in a scene I wrote yesterday, I had Voldemort go stronger than ever; not sure who was more surprised by that scene, myself or Fred Weasley.   I can explore Ash’s (OC) little nudist group, one that arose because of Ash’s insecurities and his steadfast belief in Harry’s innocence.  I can explore Ginny’s fangirl lust for Harry, to the point of schemes to snag him (Ron’s accidentally bitten that bullet more than once for Harry).
I do worry about the cleaner becoming a second class story to the explicit one, given the efforts I put in.  Though I find it easier and less tacky, overall to clean up an explicit scene, versus smutting up a clean scene.

I’ve used my potter fanfic as an example because it’s always intended to have a low/high road type of feeling, a plot-focused and more sex-infused versions, but with FF.net’s shenanigans regarding explicit material, and a review, I had shifted to plot-focused only.  After my disastrous edit (the one that produced a 107kword CHAPTER), I had dabbled with “smutting it back up”, using styles/colors in libreoffice.  And TBH, that felt tacky, because it was, as the sexual bit is an afterthought, not part of the process.
When I returned to revise and realized it needed to be rewritten, I of course, flexed my programmer hat, created my little utility.  As I rewrite, I can consider the implications of both the sexual and plot sides of the story, together; so in a discussion with Dumbledore over a new breed of bats, it can be an ordinary conversation (well, ordinary for the story) … Harry’s stark naked in the explicit, so comment on his todger, whereas he’s implicitly dressed in the cleaner version.
Explicit’s become more than smut, it also allows for me to go deeper.  So, Harry’s scar, after Voldemort learned of its existence, Harry had trouble keeping Voldemort out… he learned he had the strongest power to repel Voldemort by having gay sex.  After a while, Harry learns to keep it in balance with memories of it, however, in a scene I wrote yesterday, I had Voldemort go stronger than ever; not sure who was more surprised by that scene, myself or Fred Weasley.   I can explore Ash’s (OC) little nudist group, one that arose because of Ash’s insecurities and his steadfast belief in Harry’s innocence.  I can explore Ginny’s fangirl lust for Harry, to the point of schemes to snag him (Ron’s accidentally bitten that bullet more than once for Harry).
I do worry about the cleaner becoming a second class story to the explicit one, given the efforts I put in.  Though I find it easier and less tacky, overall to clean up an explicit scene, versus smutting up a clean scene.

Lets reshape the debate, as talking about it as “non-sex” vs “sex” stuff feels a bit wrong.  In my originals, I’m sprinkling the sexual stuff throughout the story; sure, some sections are steamier than others.  In my potter fanfic… the explicit one does the same, sprinkles in the sexual material within the “cleaner” scenes.  In explicit, I’d have two male characters continue their conversation into the lavatory and their dicks hang out; in clean, I’d skip the restroom.  In explicit, I’d be describing some of the dirt and grime to underwear, perhaps a hole or two; in clean, maybe mention the underwear, or try to write it out of the scene.  In more compromising situations, I’d have explicit make them naked; cleaner would keep their underwear in.  Sex… when needed, it’s fade to black for cleaner (unless plot requires it shown, at which point, details are kept as brief/light as possible).
One fun way that shows the differences, I’ve got Ron and Hermione going on a date to London.  In the explicit, its full details.  In the clean, it’s Harry reading/commenting on the citations for lewd/indecent behavior the morning after.

Lets reshape the debate, as talking about it as “non-sex” vs “sex” stuff feels a bit wrong.  In my originals, I’m sprinkling the sexual stuff throughout the story; sure, some sections are steamier than others.  In my potter fanfic… the explicit one does the same, sprinkles in the sexual material within the “cleaner” scenes.  In explicit, I’d have two male characters continue their conversation into the lavatory and their dicks hang out; in clean, I’d skip the restroom.  In explicit, I’d be describing some of the dirt and grime to underwear, perhaps a hole or two; in clean, maybe mention the underwear, or try to write it out of the scene.  In more compromising situations, I’d have explicit make them naked; cleaner would keep their underwear in.  Sex… when needed, it’s fade to black for cleaner (unless plot requires it shown, at which point, details are kept as brief/light as possible).
One fun way that shows the differences, I’ve got Ron and Hermione going on a date to London.  In the explicit, its full details.  In the clean, it’s Harry reading/commenting on the citations for lewd/indecent behavior the morning after.

I appreciate it for sure.

For details, most of my stuff here involve at least 5-15 pages of story before the sex actually happens in the story.

However, for this story it would probably by 20-30 pages and either will have sex around page 25. Or I could just have 20-30 pages of non story, then chapter 2 will be the sex stuff.
 

I remember playing games with fonts/margins back in school (when you’re given a minimum page count).

I remember playing games with fonts/margins back in school (when you’re given a minimum page count).

I combine… usually the other way, since I try to keep it reasonable on length (4-9k), but there’s some deviations.  To the same plot point, clean is 110 chapters, while it’s 263 on the explicit.  (Note, I use kwords because the “page” metric is highly subjective to font choices, layout, etc.) 

I tried writing a smut fairly plotless oneshot once, it led to my brain rebelling, and now I’ve got a bunch of original universe stories whose eventual goal is to justify the environment/setup of that PWP!

Well… first, you don’ t have to have sex in the first chapter, especially if it’s got a strong plot. 
And with how I’m doing this rewrite… frequently scenes that were penned under “clean” tend to not get too smutty even when they go to explicit, might have an odd remark to nipples, pubic hairs, todgers, clits, that sort to remind the audience the characters are starkers.   Whereas the differences are more pronounced when I write a scene to be explicit, only to realize I kinda need it in the clean too (thus starts a “clean up” where I mark off the explicit bits).
When I view my own stories, the first chapters very rarely have any real sex scenes...nudity or skimpy wear being more common.  Actual sex usually comes in later chapters.

I combine… usually the other way, since I try to keep it reasonable on length (4-9k), but there’s some deviations.  To the same plot point, clean is 110 chapters, while it’s 263 on the explicit.  (Note, I use kwords because the “page” metric is highly subjective to font choices, layout, etc.) 

It started similarly for me on the potter fanfic rewrite.  I’d have them starkers in the explicit, clothed in the clean, fade to black, etc.  Sometimes it’d be easier to exclude a scene entirely from the clean too, like Ginny sneakily pleasuring herself to a naked Harry in the Burrow in the first chapter (because the story’s Harry/Muggle not Ginny, and Ginny’s a tad jealous with a sense of entitlement).  During Harry’s summer holiday trip across Europe with muggle, Ron, & Hermione; the explicit showed them starkers practically the whole time, after Harry & Ron make sure the girls’ prank backfires to that.
However, the biggest contributor to the differences is a particular first year OC – Ash.  I’d created him with problems as a foil to Harry assisting Oliver Wood in teaching the first year’s flying lesson (Wood replaced Madam Hooch), thus Harry spent the entire lesson focusing on helping Ash, to Wood’s ire, including having Ash ride on the broom with Harry.  In the explicit, I wanted to make it super-awkward for Harry, so I loosened his Quidditch Robes, and when Ash grabbed around Harry to hold the broom handle between Harry’s legs, Ash accidentally holds Harry’s stiffy instead.  After that, Ash simply became fun to write, as a shy character that required genitalia contact in order to trust enough to talk, have confidence, function normally with another person.  This invoked a strong little/big brother type of relationship between Harry & Ash (non-sexual).  Thus, the related antics basically gets Ash banished to the explicit version only… him going permanently nudist in protest of the frame-up job being done against Harry.  Ash’s a “happy little accident”
I did praise my way because it’s resulted in the two versions that feel organic in writing – though I do worry a bit that there may be a sense of “missing something” in the clean, given how much I’ve been writing on the explicit side only (it’s around a 3:1 ratio on words).

I tried writing a smut fairly plotless oneshot once, it led to my brain rebelling, and now I’ve got a bunch of original universe stories whose eventual goal is to justify the environment/setup of that PWP!

No problems, I’m guessing that everybody else does it your way.  I got a bit excited that perhaps I could hook somebody on doing it my way. 

This is one spot my software shines, the ability to merge/manage chapters…  So, for instance, my “clean” chapter 111, covers Easter weekend & a bit more, it’s 5.7k (approx).  However, for explicit, I’ve got five chapters #264-#268 with 42.2k (approx).

I figured as much, but almost everything that I read on AFF usually has sex in the first chapter. I know at least a couple I’ve been interested in had no sex in it but the story didn’t make me want to read the rest. So I’m wondering if I’m an outlier or other people do bail on stories.

Basically, the first 3 chapters of the “clean” version would end up as the first chapter of the AFF version. The fourth chapter has a sex scene which I could add to the first three.
 

Well… first, you don’ t have to have sex in the first chapter, especially if it’s got a strong plot. 
And with how I’m doing this rewrite… frequently scenes that were penned under “clean” tend to not get too smutty even when they go to explicit, might have an odd remark to nipples, pubic hairs, todgers, clits, that sort to remind the audience the characters are starkers.   Whereas the differences are more pronounced when I write a scene to be explicit, only to realize I kinda need it in the clean too (thus starts a “clean up” where I mark off the explicit bits).
When I view my own stories, the first chapters very rarely have any real sex scenes...nudity or skimpy wear being more common.  Actual sex usually comes in later chapters.

I’m not worried. I’ve already finished with one without sex in it. So I don’t have to worry about mixing them up or anything like that. It’s more about how people on the site will likely want to read it.

Whether people will read the first chapter expecting a sex scene but don’t get one. If that will stop people from reading chapter 2.
 

How good are you at compiling & running software from source, and using something similar conceptually to LaTeX in usage?  I’m serious here, because I am writing two versions of my potter fanfic story within the same set of text files simultaneously, and I manage this with a custom bit of C++ code that I wrote.  (The fanfic is on AO3 under two separate “story” entries, and the word counts are almost a 3:1 ratio between them.)
As an example of the markup you’d be writing….
{They|Harry's soft todger dripped as they} continued. A sharp bend to the right, they stopped. In this case, the clean (which is the first “slot”) would read (after processing)
While the explicit (second “slot”) would read (after processing)
And yes, with the right marking, you can do whole sections as one or the other.  I’ll typically write multiple chapters of explicit to a single clean chapter a lot of the time. 
I put my source code up on github a while ago, so it’s available for playing around with.