To the readers of Patriot Games

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I apologize for how this story has been received. Marina wrote this story about a man who is forced by the government to go undercover and his wife jumps on the bandwagon.

There have been comments about how cold, unfeeling, and downright mean the tone of the story has been. This was not intended to be how the story was perceived. If the readership of Big Closet would prefer to not see this story here, I will remove it from the website. We value the opinions of everyone.

When the story was originally written (a few years ago), Rose really did not have any sensitivity at all. The original version is still present on Fictionmania. Marina wanted to rewrite the story to make it better and she has tried hard to make Rose less unfeeling. The original ending did not show Rose as really changing much and Marina has been working hard to correct that.

As far as the direction of the story goes, Rose will be leaving the picture in the next couple of chapters. This does not mean that Jack / Daisy's life will get better right away, but you will see that Jack changes as the story progresses and will end the story as a much stronger and confident person.

Again, I am very sorry if this story offended you. I don't like feeling as if I have hurt anyone here. If we do not remove the story, I would very much like to hear your input as to how this story could be made less objectionable?

Thank you for listening,
- Monica Rose.

Comments

My feeling about the story is

My feeling about the story is this. If you don't like it, stop reading it.

I haven't read the story - it's not my cup of tea. There are a lot of stories on here (and elsewhere) that I don't read, and probably will _never_ read, because I'm not fond of 'sissification', the vast bulk of femdom, and general abuse stories. (JulieO is an exception) (No, I'm not suggesting that PG is any of those, it's just a set of genres that I can use for examples)

Just because I don't want to read it doesn't mean that it shouldn't be posted! Post away. If it makes people get upset and comment, then the story is doing what stories are supposed to do - engage the audience. (Otherwise, plays like Death of a Salesman would never be played again)


I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.

My feeling exactly

tmf's picture

and that's what the tags are for, so we can zoom in on what we like and stay clear of the others.

Peace and Love
hugs tmf

Not all...

Patricia Marie Allen's picture

Not all stories are for everyone. As an author you write what story there is in you. You are not responsible for how it is perceived. It's not up to the readers if it is posted here, it's only up to them if they read it or not. If they are turned off by the current installment, they are under no obligation to read the next. They are as free to not read as you are to post the story.

Now, just so you know... I cruise the site at least twice a day, looking for stories to read. I have chosen not to read Patriot Games because after perusing the first chapter because it didn't do anything for me. So I'm not a fan backing you. I'm here speaking for freedom of the press.... OK freedom of the web, but it's the same thing.

Hugs
Patricia

Happiness is being all dressed up and HAVING some place to go.
Semper in femineo gerunt

I'm with Patricia ...

... although when I read the first chapter, I found all of the supposed "good guys" to be so reprehensible, all I could imagine from the story once they got their hands on Jack would be an endless stream of manipulation and humiliation, so I wisely passed.

It wasn't right for me, but there are lots of folks who enjoy reading stories where those elements are the very things that drive the plot (and possibly their fantasies *grin*). So keep posting, and for those of you who have become too attached to Jack, the way I have become about so many characters other authors have tortured and humiliated for kicks in stories, just remember the wisdom that Joel, Mike and the robots gave us on MST3K — "Just repeat to yourself, 'it's just a show, I should really just relax.'"

(I know, I know, sometimes that doesn't work for me either, but at least make an EFFORT! Come on, people!) *grin*

Randalynn

I'll second Randalynn...

I barely got through the first chapter, and then read the second to see if it improved any...nope. Not my cup of tea when, as Randalynn pointed out, the supposed good guys were portrayed as self-centered, self-serving cretins who had no regard for the 'chump' they were going rope into their scheme other than for how he was going to advance their careers.

Not very pleasant people to read about, so I passed on the story.

Randa. If you are still a MST3K fan,

here's a place where MST3K is being streamed 24/7. You have to join, but it's free. There's also a chat there for fans of the show. http://www.deep13.us/synth. There are some great folks there and they are very accepting of me, knowing that I am trans.

Catherine Linda Michel

As a T-woman, I do have a Y chromosome... it's just in cursive, pink script. Y_0.jpg

Comments...

erica jane's picture

Are wonderful. Most of the time.

Just a few days ago, Dorothy Colleen posted this on her blog: Why comments are important

The reason I'm linking Dot's post here is because you got something that I would absolutely love to get. Critical feedback. Telling me what they didn't like about my story and why.

For most writers, our stories are our darlings. And statements about why someone doesn't like our darlings can cut very deep. I read those two comments from your last chapter of Patriot Games. I don't see them as being hateful or negative. They didn't demand you take it down, or anything like that.

They agreed on something they didn't like about your story. That doesn't mean they don't like you or other things that you've written. You are not your writing.

~And so it goes...

I read the original on fictionmania

I enjoyed the story, but I was saving it for a binge read to see the changes. I don't mind the nasties, as long as they get theirs in the end. I suppose though with all the things government is doing lately, or the press somewhat covering a small portion of what they are doing, the government manipulation can be too close to home. I look forward to reading it, if you choose to keep it up.

I probably wanna know, what I don't know

Monica dear....

I'm still following it and you know my feelings about it as previously discussed. I have never read the previously version and don't care to! I think Marina's genuinely trying to make it better and am willing to see it through to the end. Please prove me right sweetie! Keep it going! Loving Hugs Talia

I will gladly add my name to those

who support the right of this story to be here. While it isn't my cup of tea, it is a trans story and, as such, has a place here. No, I am not following the story, but that is a personal choice and not one I would dream of expecting others to agree with. There is room in the Big Closet for virtually any story which deals with being trans, for WHATEVER reasons.

There is a famous quote which exactly deals with this. "I may not agree with your words, but I will defend TO THE DEATH your right to say them." I know that is a paraphrase, but it proves my point that, just because one doesn't like a story, it doesn't mean that it should be removed or censored.

AND... in the long run, it's up to Erin, who OWNS this site, what stories are or aren't acceptable. I say, FWIW, leave the story here.

Respectfully,
Catherine Linda Michel

As a T-woman, I do have a Y chromosome... it's just in cursive, pink script. Y_0.jpg

Not all stories are nice and sweet.

Personally I don't care for the stories where everything goes right for the protagonist. That doesn't mean they're bad stories, just they aren't something I enjoy reading. Personal choices are colored by what we do or don't like, which is normal. But as has been said earlier, there is room here for all kinds of stories and if Erin doesn't find them objectionable enough to pull they have a right to be here, too. I had some people stop reading my 'Maiden by Decree' because of a simple spanking that was meant to be funny. So if the story is not your thing, don't say so in comments or forums, just stop reading it.

I've been following Patriot Games and yes a lot of the characters are reprehensible, but it is a well written story so also deserves to be shown here. So my vote is to continue the story here with the caveat that you're never going to please everyone and often, those who do like it don't comment.

Having written stories that have upset some people, I can tell you to just shrug it off and keep going unless the comments and/or PMs are particulary vitriolic. Which, I hasten to add the comments on PG haven't been. You have a story in you. Get it out so those who have been following it can reach the conclusion along with you.

Maggie

All stories are welcome here

Frank's picture

Just because some people don't like a certain subsets of the LBTG fiction world, it is up to the individual to read or not read a story. The policy of BC is to welcome ALL types of stories, even non-TG stories from existing authors.

The general rule of thumb is if you don't like a story, don't attack the author or the genre. Stop reading the story and find another one more to your liking. There is more than enough on this site for all the visitors to find something to their liking.

Rule #1 Keep it FRIENDLY. Don't make someone posting a story here feel bad about it, they're fine posting whatever story they have written. Its not THEIR problem. Just because you don't like it doesn't mean no one else likes it. Since most readers don't comment, attack comments might sting that much more.

{{Hugs}}

Frank

Hugs

Frank

We seem to be having a lot of issues like this on the site,

at least at the moment, where people are expressing their opinions on stories in such a way to make the authors feel like their stories aren't welcome.

With one notable exception (and one that has a VERY good justification,) there is almost no TG-related content that is against the rules or "inappropriate" for BC.

Having said that, there ARE certain types of content that receive a very different response here than they would just about anywhere else. I was recently PMing with the author of Joey's Joy after she was upset for a lot of the same reasons, and I'll paraphrase here I told her: a lot of the audience here at BC is a lot more white bread than the audiences at a lot of other TG fiction sites, and the stories that get the most positive response here bear that out. A lot of people come here for a different kind of story than they find elsewhere, but that doesn't mean that a well-written story of any TG subject matter will ever be told it doesn't have a place. I may not read most of what comes out here myself, having even more picky tastes than most, but I fully believe that, whether a story is to my tastes or not, it has every right to exist.

I DO have a tendency to strongly recommend accurate tagging for the same reason, but it's less to protect the audience than it is to protect the authors. We have a lot of members of our community here who are good people, but can overreact when they have a bad emotional response to a story. By adequately tagging things, it helps to warn them ahead of time that they might not want to read, so it's a CYOA method that's well worth engaging in.

Like others, I haven't read Patriot Games. I have no intention to do so, either. I am not the target audience for the story, though, so what my tastes are have no bearing on whether the story is worth having here: what matters is that YOU feel it is worth sharing. In the long fun, the community will support you: you just may have to deal with a few emotional outbursts on the way.

Melanie E.

Story comments

I'm not upset about the comments that appear on the story chapters. I believe that everyone is entitled to tell me what they think and feel about a story that I post.

I am far more concerned about offending the people I respect by posting a story that does not belong here.

Thank you.

Of course it belongs here!

Never even entertain the idea that it doesn't! We welcome any and all stories; we just get a little more pissy about some than others :)

Melanie E.

Tagging a story at the beginning

Rhona McCloud's picture

The early parts of many stories are tame enough not to warrant warning tags for their content but a reader might well be annoyed if, having read over several postings 20,000 or more words into a story, it then shows tags that would have deterred if seen at the beginning.

I haven't read this story but might have started as a femdom tag doesn't appear until the 4th posting. Perhaps the unwanted comments came from readers too trusting of the initial tags.

Rhona McCloud

I've read quite a lot of the story

And I don't have a problem with it. Sure the people aren't the nicest in the world but then the story wouldn't be what it is. I had complaints about Stan/ Ashley in Assassin, she wasn't well liked, well what person who kills other people is? Write the story the way you like and don't worry what other people say, it's your story, Arecee