Story Codes Clarifications

[Keltiel]

So, most of the story codes are at least rather self-explanatory, but there are some that I’m having trouble deciding exactly when they should be used. If anyone could help me out with this I’d be extremely grateful.
The codes I’m having trouble with:

Angst – At what “amount” of anguish should this actually be used? Obviously, if the whole story is about someone getting over their grief of a loved one this should apply, but what if it’s only a brief scene(s)?

Contro – I’m assuming that this doesn’t apply to subjects that already have tags such as rape or bestiality.

CR, corruption – What kind of corruption does this refer to? Moral, spiritual, supernatural? Or just anything that could be considered corrupting?

HC, Hurt/Comfort – Obviously someone is hurt and somebody else comforts them but is that it or does “comfort” include sex? Also, how much of the story has to be about HC for the tag to apply (similar question to Angst)?

Herm – What’s the difference between this and FD? Is it the “male equivalent”?

Hum, Humanoid – Does it mean things like elves, orcs, and trolls? And is it a tag you would use for sex with these creatures, or just in general like the Anthro tag?

OC – Does this have to be specified when writing within the Original archives?

Spank – Does this refer to sexual gratification from spanking only?

WAFF – I’m just overall confused by this one.

Thank you in advance for any help on these tags.

Edited March 25, 2021 by Keltiel
Title Spelling Error >>

[DemonGoddess]

I can answer some of the more obvious ones, and I’ll leave it to a mod who deals with this daily to answer the whens

Contro – you got this right.  Controversial topic matter that is not covered by other tags

Corruption – applies to all types of corruption

HC – the comfort doesn’t have to include sex.  One is hurt, the other comforts

Herm – hermaphrodite.  Definitely not the same as a futanari (dick girl)

Humanoid – meaning human in appearance, but not human at all, so yes, one could apply it to elves, orcs and trolls.

OC – original character.  Nope, doesn’t have to specified in the Original archives, as OCs are EXPECTED there.  This is for the fanfiction section.

WAFF – Warm And Fuzzy Feelings

[BronxWench]

Angst: If it’s just a brief scene, it isn’t necessary. It’s for those stories that are non-stop angst, really, or where entire chapters are devoted to it.

HC, Hurt/Comfort, again, if it’s just a small amount, it’s not a required tag.If it’s the predominant theme, yes, we need it.

Herm applies to characters with dual genitalia. Futanari (dickgirls) is a specific trope, and doesn’t quite cover the actual medical condition.

Hum. Humanoid: I wouldn’t insist on this for elves, actually, but definitely for orcs, trolls, and bugbears.

Spank is generally used in relation to sexual gratification, but it’s not meant for use if a character spanks a naughty child, unless the character doing the spanking is getting off. It’s often found in conjunction with Ds or Ms, when those don’t quite reach BDSM levels.

On the whole, we try to be reasonable in our tagging requirements. We’re always happy to let you know if a tag is required, and you can email us at tos_team@adult-fanfiction.org, or PM me.  

[Keltiel]

Thank you very much to the both of you, your answers were incredibly helpful ^^.

[GeorgeGlass]

Two comments:

--Every source I’ve looked at says that “futanari” is the Japanese word for hermaphrodism. (I had to write a futa story for a contest winner a while back, so I looked into it.) So presumably, “futa” and “hermaphrodite” are synonyms.

--Does “Warm And Fuzzy Feelings” have some sort of special meaning in the context of fic writing?

[BronxWench]

Futanari is an anime-specific term, whereas hermaphrodite refers mostly to the medical condition of having genitalia of both genders, although it may or may not be functional, and most are infertile.

Warm and Fuzzy Feelings is the overly happy-ever-after trope, the neatly sewn up, everyone has cake and tea and loves each other sort of thing. Like kittens on the internet, and puppies.

 

[Keltiel]

I did a little research myself and it seems to be that while Futanari is indeed Herm, the vice versa is not true. Futanari seems to be a very specific subset of Herm where otherwise very feminine character have incredibly large penises (and maybe testicles) and seem to be “the man” in an otherwise Yuri situation. In case anyone else finds their way in here and is still confused.

[Keltiel]

Another code that I’m curious about: B-Mod.

Does this only apply to stories where a character has a body modification done during the story? Or does it also apply to any story where a character has a body modification? I’m currently writing a story where a character already has a genital piercing, and I just wanted to make sure that it was tagged correctly.

[BronxWench]

To be honest, I’ve never really thought of piercings as being a body modification, unless it was an extreme piercing. However, my take as an author is to tag conservatively, so I don’t wind up with a reader complaining that I sandbagged them with something unpleasant, so if it’s a genital piercing, even if already present, it probably doesn’t hurt to add a B-Mod tag.

[Keltiel]

Thanks again for answering, and so promptly! ^^

[GeorgeGlass]

Here’s one I should have asked years ago: What’s the difference between the “Dom” and “D/s” story codes?

[BronxWench]

Good question! “Dom” implies dominance outside a consensual relationship, while “D/s” indicates a consensual Dominant/submissive relationship. 

Or at least that’s how I’ve always interpreted it.

[GeorgeGlass]

Ah, that clears it up. Thanks!

[Guest Crangasi]

WIP .. what does this code mean?

[Desiderius Price]

16 minutes ago, Guest Crangasi said:

WIP .. what does this code mean?

“Work in Progress” (ie, the story’s not yet done.)

[JayDee]

Sometimes they just need cleaning up a little, hence the expression “Bring a bucket and a mop for this work in progress.”

[GeorgeGlass]

I’ve never actually used the WIP tag. I always figured that if the story doesn’t have either the COMPLETE tag or the Oneshot tag, then it’s clear the story is still in progress. (Not that the COMPLETE tag actually stops commenters from asking about what will happen in the next chapter.)

[Thundercloud]

I agree with JayDee...WIP signals a story where the author is revising the posted chapters.

I suppose it could also be used by an author that is looking for input how the story should develop...but I really doubt such prompt would work. Getting feedback from users is not very simple in the first place and putting a WIP tag on the story can hardly make it more easy.

[BronxWench]

@Desiderius Price was actually correct. It’s the tag for  Work In Progress, i.e, a story which is not yet complete.

We do have readers who won’t read an unfinished story, and they do appreciate the tag, although it’s not one the moderation staff will insist appear in the story tags.  Like the “COMPLETE” tag, we view it as a discretionary tag.

[JayDee]

Quote

We do have readers who won’t read an unfinished story

They’re over there, shaking their fists at George R R Martin.

[BronxWench]

31 minutes ago, JayDee said:

They’re over there, shaking their fists at George R R Martin.

I’m shaking my fist at George R R Martin.  

[GeorgeGlass]

On 3/25/2021 at 2:57 PM, BronxWench said:

We do have readers who won’t read an unfinished story, and they do appreciate the tag, although it’s not one the moderation staff will insist appear in the story tags.  Like the “COMPLETE” tag, we view it as a discretionary tag.

I thought this was a good point, so I went and added the WIP tag to my in-progress stories.