I personally do not like to read fics that "overdo" things. I think that people that write stories like that are poor writers and use that just as fillers for when they cant write. anyone could write a lemon if they wanted to. I think it takes away from the characteristics that the cannon characters were given. I like T because it has a plot, with some romance etc. but is not overdone, like a lemon. Any story that i read needs to have an actual plot, to be concidered good writing. :)

I understand where you're coming from but some MA rated fics can have a very good plot with the sex.

Now, I know there is a difference between M and MA, but how do you read MA? I haven't seen it on the list.

I think they got rid of MA but it's still in their rating guide.

I look at the story lines, I don't really care that much about the ratings I'll read anything if the story line appeals to me.

I've never seen MA, what is it?

It's supposed to mean Mature Adult but I think they've got rid of it now.

I do read M too but mostly no MA. I don't like it when the stories got more sex than anything else

I like the story if it's well written and interesting. And possible. And most of the "possible" stories, are T or M, because... those thing happen :P

I'm a PPJ for a reason (Proud & Pervy Jater)... XD lol

i also read M's but find that T's normally have better plots!

I like T's because K's and K+'s tend to be silly and childish which easily can be out of character, and a lot of M's are plotless sex.

I don't really bother with the ratings...I try to look at all of the stories, and read the ones that are well done, no matter the rating.

Mostly T and up though.

~Skye~

www.skylars-silver-wings.blogspot.com

M's because most romances without a bit of Smut come out weak. But at the same time too much overdoes it and makes it tacky. And it needs to be written by a talented writer. And what the fuck is MA?

'T' because it is usually written by older people. I find the grammar better, the plot thicker, and the characters stay in character. Plus, because I'm fourteen, I don't read 'M's and K/K+ is too childish.

I was 14 and reading Ms. Guess I'm just dirtier than most people lol.

I like angst fics and I find the angst plots are usually better in M-rated fics...

But since you all seem to have experienced plots are equally good in T fics, maybe the difference just isn't that big :)

The only M I really read are dark themed fics, I'm not a big fan of smut. I'm only 13 people. Sometimes I will read a fic with smut in it but only if the story doesn't center around the smut.

Wow, a lot of young people here! I was completely in the dark as far as fanfiction goes when I was a little younger...

Look at you guys getting way ahead of my only-a-few-years-older-generation :)

At least we're not going to be completely naive when it comes to sex. My parents have no problem with me reading M rated stuff. They'd rather I read it than actually do it.

Smut is disgusting. I don't know why people even go near that stuff. It's a bit depressing to think that people as young as 14 are already being pulverized by all that junk... :(

It's not all smut on the M rated section. Some of it's just got dark themes or swearing. You can't spend all your life being sheltered and trying to pretend stuff like that doesn't exist.

It's not a matter of being "sheltered" or pretending it "doesn't exist". Those are lame arguments and have nothing to do with the issue.

Reading fan fiction smut and explicit romance novels is like pornography for girls. Though we may not always be conscious of what it does to us, it damages our hearts, our minds, our view of life. It numbs our sense of Right and Wrong and gives us a fake, shallow idea of what True Love really is. It's so, so easy to get addicted to this stuff, and the slope back up is very slippery. Sugarcoat it all you like, but that's the truth.

Every day, in this second-hand sex culture, girls get into things that scar their hearts and destroy their innocence prematurely...whether it be movies with sex scenes, M-rated fanfics, erotica or explicit music. I refuse to stand by and not speak up for my generation.

No doubt this rant and my "close-mindedness" will make me very unpopular around here, but if that's the price I have to pay for speaking the truth, so be it. And with all due respect, if my standards seem too high to you, maybe it means that yours are too low.

How can reading a bit of FanFiction or a few romance novels damage my view of life? It's nice to be able to just let your imagination run wild for a little while. If people are silly enough to believe that that's what true love really is, then maybe they deserve the heartache that usually accompanies this naivety.

All of these comments are our opinions and no one can claim that only theirs is the truth. Also, when did I ever say your standards were too high for me? I know you said it with respect but it still seemed like an insult to me.

"How can reading a bit of FanFiction or a few romance novels damage my view of life?"

I know. It seems totally harmless, doesn't it? But as I said before, it's not always something you're aware of. It's often a long-term, unconscious thing. So many people act on impulse, wanting the fun and good feelings "right now" without thinking of the long-term consquences. As I said before, M-rated stuff and explicit romance novels are like pornography for girls. Okay, so it might not always damage your view of life, but it definitely will damage your heart and mind. When you play with fire, you will get burned. The more sleaze you get into, the harder it is to get out...regardless of where the sleaze comes from. (And there are statistics to back up this stuff, just so you know. Do your research. I'm not just spouting off stuff because it's "my opinion".)

"It's nice to be able to just let your imagination run wild for a little while."

Does that make it right? Is it healthy for your imagination to be used in that way?

"If people are silly enough to believe that that's what true love really is, then maybe they deserve the heartache that usually accompanies this naivety."

I'm not saying that when they read this stuff they consciously think, "Oh, that's what true love is! Wow!" Again, it's something they aren't always aware of. Everything - literature, movies, music and other media - has a message to tell us. If we get too comfortable with the wrong messages, thinking "oh, it's only a book/movie/song/fill-in-the-blank", eventually they will take hold of us and influence our choices - big and small. It's like the "boiled frog" experiment.

"All of these comments are our opinions and no one can claim that only theirs is the truth."

Alright then. If what I'm saying isn't based on solid facts (which is is,) - if it isn't the Truth - then let's at least call it Common Sense.

"Also, when did I ever say your standards were too high for me? I know you said it with respect but it still seemed like an insult to me."

I'm sorry it sounded insulting; I didn't mean it like that. And you didn't say my standards were too high, I know that. But many other teens like you have, and that tells me that the water's slowly but surely heating up and the other "frogs" aren't aware of it. I'm simply the frog who jumped out of the pot right away while the others laughed at me for being so "uptight".

They say there's nothing to worry about and the water feels great. Maybe it does. But I know what will happen eventually, which is why I try so hard to warn them and get them out before the water boils.

The boiled frog story always makes me laugh (not disrespecting it) and I can really see where you're coming from with all of your arguments.

At the end of the day, I'm gonna end this discussion because the FanFiction spot isn't really the place for it. Feel free to start a forum post about it in the Debate spot though.

You're right, this isn't the greatest place for a debate, lol. And thank you for being so nice about it and for being willing to see all sides of the issue. I'm sorry if I sounded unfriendly or preachy at all; I just feel very passionate about purity and getting my fellow "frogs" out of the pot. ;) (That story made me giggle too when I first heard it.)

Thanks again for being such a good sport. Not everyone is as polite as you (and that includes me sometimes, lol). Have a great day! :)

Thank you as well for being so civil. Normally people get very angry when discussing things they're passionate about. Have a good day too :D

sometimes I slip to M or go up to K+....but T most of the time. =)

I can't stand the other stuff. It is pretty sad... :/

I love pure smut sometimes. But still pure, belivable smut WITH a plot.

Yeah, smut with a plot is fine but I can't stand PWP. I just don't see the point in it. Why would two characters just randomly decide to have spontaneous sex?!

M-rated fics don't necessarily have to have sex in them though. I just read them because generally they have better plot.

I really only read Twilight fics, mostly T and M, I usually skip the lemons though. They are all so OOC it's not even funny. Bella and Edward are not sleazy, AH or not.

i enjoy reading about my favourite pairings are having sex! but i look at the comments first - there must be many of them and positive :)

i'll read anything but mostly M

i'll read anything with a god plot but it mostly seems to be M. most of the best storylines i've read have been M. i think for the most part they seem to be written better

I don't care what the rating is. As long as the story is good. If something like sex pops up it usally is a suprise. But if the story is good it won't scare me away.

You only read stories with many comments? sorry, but some stories who don't have all that many comments are pretty good anyway

Well, DearHeart, you have some opinions. I'd just like to say that I see your point, and I think you put your point very well, too. I'm sorry I can't say I completely agree with you, but I don't totally disagree with you, either. Maybe it's my lack of care for my own mental wellbeing. Or that I'm so cynical about true love anyway, I'm not worried.

Anyway, I see 'M' is winning. Dirty minds out there....

As for me, I rarely check ratings. I'll read almost anything as long as it's well-written. Or funny. I love funny. The majority of the stuff I both read and write, though, is T, usually mild or moderate T. And, with my writing it's not usually because of 'dirty' stuff, more like my terrible language. If there is sex stuff, it's mild. Though I am working on something right now that's going to definetely be 'M' because, well...No, I can't reveal my secrets yet, not even on here...

Anyway, if there was anything in the fic that I thought was 'more than I need to know' I'd just stop reading it. End of story.

Ok, I'll shut up now, since I doubt anyone cares anymore, if they even did to begin with.

-Saint

More of a T person sometimes i read M (plot line only if i think the plot connects to it)

I don't have problems with sex as long as it fits with the plot, the problem is that most M rated fanfics are just sex and I feel like I'm reading porn instead of a story.

T to mild M ^^

Some of the stories I write are rated M but for violence (related to the storyline) not for smut. I'll read any rating just as long as it's well written. Anyway even if there is sex like in a M story, if it's for a couple I like I don't mind because well for couples there's sex to be had. Just as long as it's not too wild or to frequent. Anyway, my main couple doesn't really have any stories below a T rating and that would be just kind of lame if they did, I mean all ratings are nice but some ratings of stories just won't work for some programs/ pairings and I don't think I'd see my favorite couple doing something totally sweet and K rated like baking cookies.

I suppose I rarely actually LOOK at the ratings, because I usually just find out what it's about.
Yea, guess I end up reading a lot of smut - I DO prefer those with a plot, though. However, sometimes the humour/romance PWP stories can be hysterical! XD
But it depends on the pairing, really. I don't read much het smut, and think that sometimes the longer fics just get way too sweet and fluffy. I read slash the most now, but I think that those which are thorough and have some sort of purpose are way better than those completely without plots. And it's not all that bad if there are some smutty scenes in between :b

I like the blood, death, and swearing- and I'm only 12!

wow that's really pathetic woowie

I've read all the ratings; I really don't look at the rating, but mostly what I do read is T. I don't read slash, though. And Kinky stuff I can't really read-it just bothers me.

Prefer it but i like reading all ratings as long as the story's good. :D

I read all ratings, as long as the story's good. But I don't read slash. I'm not really "supposed" to read M cause I'm only 14, but I can handle swearing and... you know... that stuff. I don't love it, and I don't really like stories that have lemons like every chapter.

Yeah, I'll read all ratings...some smut I can't if it's kinky or it's a pairing that revolts me in the first place. But I can't WRITE smut...nope.

Mostly I read T because M is usually just lemons, and the fics I read need to have a plot for me to enjoy it. The things in the rated M section I read are mostly dark, involving violent themes or swearing.

Or the author got worried that T wasn't strong enough, so they put it in M. I sometimes get worried K+ isn't enough so I bump it up to T. I'm fine with lemons as long as they're in fanfics with a plot. But not lemons in every chapter.

I don't care about the rating I can handle it XD
as long as the story is good :D

usually the things I read are mature and M is the only thing allowed for them
but I like to check out other things

I pretty much read all ratings, and M rated fanfics aren't always nothing but sex, though I'm supposed to be to young to read them O_O

I have to...it's awesome!

I think there are bad stories (quality wise) in every rating. I'll read any rating, but the ones I read the most usually happen to be T.

Lol, the gutter x3

i'm eleven so i won't go into the M but i do sometimes if my fave authors write a story that's M.

K-T

K+ - T
Most of time, I read Penguins of Madagascar fanfics, and it's kinda hard to imagine the characters being..."Mature". It's very out of character.
I don't like K Fanfics, however.

The majority of M-rated fanfics I would avoid with a 10-foot pole. And the single one that I have ever been a fan of, in my opinion, probably only required a "T" rating, but its author was apparently being cautious.

I find myself reading T a lot, but i browse through the M stories and if the writing and storyline is good, why not?

Looking through my favourites, the majority are T's and K+'s with only 2 M's

Here are the most funny and interesting ones, and the well made fics.
The K and K+ is full with very short stories with not much meaning.
M is full with adult themes -not like i have anything against it, its just sometimes too much.
Usually staying in the range of T.

I just read whatever appeals.

There were ratings?

Anyways, I'd NEVER go below T because the majority of stories that belong in the K/+ section are boring, well, for me anyway. We are all humans, aren't we? Don't flame please.

Mostly Ms, but also Ts occasionally. I don't think I've read something lower rated than that. I don't really pay attention to ratings once I've altered the filter though.

The T-M rated fics usually have better vocabulary, grammar and plots than the ones that are lower in ratings. That's the main reason why I prefer them.

I don't really check the ratings, but I suspect that the majority I read are Ts or Ms, since I think the fandoms themselves would be rated as Ts.