a brief guide to
STORY CODES AND ABBREVIATIONS

___Confused about all those symbols that appear beside story titles on most web sites? You kinda get the M/f thingy, but if I say "M/f nc hard voy" you think I’m nuts? Just read this brief guide and everything will be explained to you!

___ Please remember that these codes apply to spanking stories . BDSM and sex stories may have different symbols or different meanings, and often they do.

PARTICIPANTS

M /f  =  one adult male spanks a young female
FF /m  =  two adult females spank a young male
F /x  =  one adult female spank an undisclosed young recipient
F+M /F   =  one adult male and a number of adult females spank an adult female

Please note that I never use "b" and "g". All minors are treated the same in my classifications (“m” and “f”), be they 7 or 17 or whatnot.

CONSENT

This rating is very important, because not all people want to read all kinds of stories. In general, a non-cons spanking is a punishment, and a consensual spanking is erotic or for fun. The semi-cons territory is hard to define. It usually occurs when the spankee asks for one but is at the same time reluctant to get it.

A rather common theme in stories is “kid doing something on purpose to get a spanking.” That’s still non-consensual, because there exists a punishment relationship between the adult and the kid, and the adult metes out the spanking for disciplinary purposes. That the spankee happens to enjoy it or look for it is irrelevant.

INTENSITY

This is often omitted in story codes, but I like to use it anyway: some readers want to avoid hard spankings, while others seek them. To each their own. Obviously, this is only for general reference. Other adjectives may be used, but one should try and describe the objective intensity of the spanking rather than the spanker’s attitude (harsh, stern, strict, unforgiving, ruthless, etc). Plus, not everyone has the same limits. Also consider that six paddle swats may be "moderate" to an adult but "very hard" to a small child.

I tend to define "mild" a spanking with the hand, maybe not even on the bare; "moderate" and "intense" bring tears but don’t leave marks; any spanking with an implement I consider "hard", and if the implement is the main tool and/or bruises are left, then it is "very hard". Prolonged punishment that causes hysterical crying and leaves severe marks is "edgy", especially if delivered roughly or harshly. Blood spilling, sexual harassment, beating not on the buttocks or thighs, fainting, etc I consider "abusive". I do not write of such spankings, and when I do, it is a drama story where the authors of such beatings are morally condemned (see Tourniquet , Paper Flowers ).

Of course, in real life I consider abusive any kind of nonconsensual spanking inflicted on a minor, of any severity and for any reason.

IMPLEMENTS

Hand, plastic hairbrush, wooden spoon, ping-pong paddle, ruler, slipper, leather paddle, wooden hairbrush, bath brush, wooden paddle, belt, strap, tawse, carpet beater, switch, cane, paddle with holes, birch, riding crop, martinet, flogger, cat-o-nine, Sjambok cane, whip, bullwhip... etc.

Implements aren’t usually mentioned in story codes, also because many stories feature more than one tool and the code would be too long. However, I think it is important to do so. Many people (that I know of) have strong reservations about belts, for example, which are often the weapon of choice of abusive parents in real life, so reading stories with beltings in them might trigger unwelcome memories. As such, I try to mention the implement as often as I can.

POSITION

Generally not indicated, also because "OTK" is really the only code invented for this. If a particularly humiliating posture is a key element to the story, see below.

CONTENT

This list is not meant to be comprehensive.