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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/q/47826
License name: CC BY-SA 4.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

I have three variations of the same storyline and cannot decide which one I want to write:

1. erotic story turning dark and dangerous

2. erotic story turning into a spy thriller

3. love story turning into a spy thriller

I like all three variations of the story and would be equally exited to write them all. My question is which variation would be more attractive to agents, publishers, and the reading public? That is, which variations would sell best? The erotic novel, the erotic spy thriller, or the YA love thriller?

I have been struggling with this decision for weeks while outlining all three plots in parallel. How can I decide?

* * *

I found two related questions on this site that don't answer my question. [The first questions](https://writing.stackexchange.com/questions/28094/variations-of-the-same-story) asks about writing and publishing all variations, which is not what I want to do. I do want to decide and write only one. And the answers to that question do not deal with how to decide between variations so they apply to my present problem.

[The second question](https://writing.stackexchange.com/questions/21884/what-are-some-techniques-for-deciding-which-of-two-or-more-plot-directions-to-go) does deal with how to decide, but the answers don't help me because I have done what the accepted answer suggests and not been able to come to a decision.

But thinking about those related questions made me realize that my question is less about deciding between _equal_ variations than about deciding between **_variations with more or less sex_**.

So very likely the true questions behind my difficulty to decide are: How much sex can I write if I'm after mainstream success?

Original score: 1