Hi @lisamarlin , have you looked at the guidelines for posting adult content on this forum? It sounds like your WIP might belong there, if it has a scene that is definitely not for young readers.
https://forum.choiceofgames.com/g/adult_readers
For the Adult Readers category
At Choice of Games we know and appreciate that a good story sometimes includes mature themes and content, such as sex and violence. However we are also aware that some people do not wish to, or are unable to, read or view such content. As such, to participate in adult discussions you must make an account and opt in by joining this group.
Please read these rules before posting in adult discussions. These rules apply in addition to the rules for the entire the forum.
First, to be clear, we consider any explicit sex, rape, incest, sexual violence, violence against children or disabled people, torture, or sadistic violence to be mature content. Games which contain these or similar topics should only be posted in the Adult Content categories.
Second, if a game contains implicit sex (and is clearly marked), or contains a clear option to disable any explicit sex in game (and is clearly marked as such), and contains no other Adult Content, or a game is otherwise likely to generate discussion that belongs in the Adult Content category even if it itself does not otherwise belong in the Adult Content category, it is appropriate to make two threads for your game, one that is in the Adult Content category for explicit discussions, and one that is in the normal Work in Progress Category, making certain to link the two of them. (Note that all published games use this rule. If you wish to discuss explicit content in a published game but cannot find a thread about it already, feel free to make one yourself.)
Third, in addition to the above, moderators and forum Leaders may move discussions to these categories if the discussions contain any significant amount of mature content themselves, if they continually linger on discussing mature content, or if they otherwise believe it should be moved. (If your game WiP thread contains people making such posts, it would be prudent to make a second thread yourself as stated above before your thread is moved.)
Note that the adult categories are for discussion about adult content related to Choice of Games—including Heart’s Choice and Hosted Games—interactive fiction, adult writing, and other discussions that are on topic in the forum, but that may not be suitable for all users. The Adult Content categories are not a place to post off-topic adult content.
Discussion about adult content should also be done with the knowledge that our forum is dedicated to creating a positive environment for everyone, and as such you should be courteous not to include any actual explicit content in a post without warning. Even in discussing adult content, we remain a Feminist, Egalitarian, Sex-Positive company. Remember to keep your posts respectful and friendly.
As in the main forum, we reserve the right to censor any objectionable posts and close or remove any thread for any reason. Do not post any deeply offensive material (including games) such as scenes that glorify sexual violence, pedophilia, or racist attitudes. If you believe any such content is on the forum, flag it, or contact the @moderators.
Please make sure to read the forum FAQ and Terms of Service.
Here is also a wonderful breakdown of options by @rose-court for WIPs with adult content:
https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/visibility-options-for-adult-content-wips/93506
Finally, there are other threads on this if you type in “adult” in the search bar–you may have to be a part of the adult readers group to access those threads, though.
Generally, no one here can give you the green light on adult/mature content when it comes to actual publication by Hosted Games or Choice of Games, at least not at this point in time. I’m not totally sure that sending an email would be all that efficient, since I don’t believe that the staff has the spoons to go over and “green light” content that either hasn’t been written yet or hasn’t been submitted for publication; otherwise, they would be inundated with requests to “review” WIPs that may never be completed or finished in the first place, or make calls on content that depends heavily on larger context, etc…
Generally, I think the idea is to just write what you’re planning to write, and upon submission to the publication queue, staff will advise on whether something needs to be changed or tweaked. (I’ve never heard of a game being wholesale rejected on the basis of its adult content, unless the author themselves refused to make the suggested changes to make it suitable for publication.)
The threads above can advise on whether you can host your story on this forum, but they can’t give you the hard “yes/no this will/won’t be published” you might be looking for. Without knowing exactly what the content in question is, I don’t think I can say whether or not if two different scenes are okay or not, but generally, adult content that can be isolated and toggled on/off has worked so far. However, it really depends on a case-by-case basis. Hopefully the guidelines will help clarify things for you!
