Now, I know that ratings are there to warn and protect due to laws and codes and what not. But my only question is, by not being able or old enough to view the M rated stories in this group, are they missing out on something?
Now I'm not yet permitted to read them and frankly I don't want to if it's just erotica. But this is where my question comes into play. Are the stories in the mature folder actually good pieces of creativity and literature or just not worth it?
Sorry if this post seems intrusive, but it's just something that's bugged me.
If there is a story that has non-essential M-rated material, can it be edited into a censored version for younger audiences to read?
Well, I guess it's all up to the author. But I wanna know what y'all have to think and say on this topic.
...I just hope I'm not breaking any codes by bringing up this topic.

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You are probably not missing much. This is a rare paring to begin with, most M fics are going to be clop

4401499

You have good reason to be cautious. Most M fics that I've seen, read, and passed by have all been sex-oriented. Viewer bait. They don't offer much beyond ponyrotica, and it's for that reason that I approach M-rated stories with very low expectations.

However, I can tell you that yes, there are some stories rated M that are absolutely worth reading. Some of my all-time favorites are given such a rating, and yes, a couple of those feature sex as part of their repertoire. Despite that, there exist a few diamonds in the rough; stories that offer so much MORE than clop. Genuine love. Conflict and war. Gruesome realities. Character exploration, expansion, and exploitation. Satire on the fanfiction community itself. Comedy, both tasteful and crude.

The challenge, then, becomes finding these nuggets of gold among the mud. If you choose to activate your M-rating settings, you'll be assaulted by low-brow stories that only serve to gain views. However, if you choose to do so (and I'm not saying you should; it's your choice entirely), there's one story in particular I can recommend. It's one I hold in the highest regard. You can view it with your own opinions, but I hope it will show you what kind of stuff you're missing.

No, there's no "right way" to find the good stories among the multitude of messes. You would either have to view the stories to find out what they contain, or commit that taboo among readers - judge a book by its cover - and simply ignore them.

If there is a story that has non-essential M-rated material, can it be edited into a censored version for younger audiences to read?

You answered your own question here. It's the author's decision to re-release their work in a more viewer-friendly format, and they can either do it themselves or ask another capable writer to censor it. Even so, in my opinion, doing such a thing would greatly injure the story altogether. You might as well close your window while on a plane, or wear headphones at the movies. Yes, you'll read major parts of the story, but you'll also be missing out on so much development and progression. Cutting out a lot of the experience. By the end, the story will be unfulfilling, and you may end up not liking it.

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4401926
For this ship there isn't, but for others? Yep there are some, trick is finding them.

4401499
Considering that Mature-rated stories are often just porn, there's a large percentage you're not missing out on. Some of it at least attempts to be more than porn, but if you accept the general rule that 90% of everything is crap, then only 10% of those are worthwhile.

So you might be missing out on a few stories, but those fics are very rare and you're more likely to run into things that won't hold your interest. You're better off sticking to Teen and Everyone.

Guys, thank you so much for the advice. I feel a lot more confident in my reading choices.

Genuine love. Conflict and war. Gruesome realities. Character exploration, expansion, and exploitation. Satire on the fanfiction community itself. Comedy, both tasteful and crude.

This genuine creativity is what I treasure, and I thank you guys for discussing this topic openly.

"Keep it real dudes."