Task At Hand

SFCityDom © 2008

Many dominants enjoy giving tasks to submissives and many submissives thrive on performing work items for their dominant.   

What makes a good task?

This is only from my experience and I can’t speak to others’ approaches. Not even sure I have read much on tasks in the BDSM realm. I know domme’s give sissy boys tasks all the time and it is very much part of their dynamic.

I like writing tasks.

When I first started to give writing tasks I wasn’t as clear about my expectations as I should have been. The submissive would fail my expectation. Unexpressed or vague, it isn’t fair or reasonable to hold someone accountable for something they were not aware of or if there is so much wiggle room you could drive a van thought it. They should succeedor fail based on the requirements of the task. Not some unexpressed notion I may have in my head.

Being capricious or imprecise is not an attractive feature in a dominant. Unless failure is the intent to deliver a nice spanking.

One should be exacting when defining a task. The objective and constraints should be delineated completely along with any time constraints and method of delivery.

For me the task has to have value beyond just doing the task. Moving a cubic yard of sand from one spot to another with a teaspoon really doesn’t enhance either the dominant’s or the submissive’s life and it really is much more of a punishment.

Tasks  should force someone to think differently about something. To view something from another’s prospective. Tasks also serve to force the submissive to focus on the details of direction, to determine what the objectives of the task are and to work within the defined constraints.

Here are  two examples of assigning a writing task:

Explain why you enjoy sucking cock.

The reply could be a lengthy treatise on the socio-economic conditions of women in the 19th century and the rise of her submission.

or simply:

It feels good in my mouth and it makes master happy.

Or you may never get a reply. There is no time specified for completion.

Here is a much better alternative:

Please explain why you enjoy sucking cock. In your essay you may not use phrases such as “I love it” “He loves it” “It makes him happy” “It makes me happy”, “it brings pleasure” or variances thereof. It is more than apparent that we enjoy it.

The essay must be between 250 and 500 words. I will count the words. Hyphenated words count as one word. Don’t repeat words or phrases to pad out your writing.

The essay is due Thursday, June 2 3:30 PM PST.  Method of delivery is email to sfcitydom@yahoo.com.

Do you agree with the above request?

The results will most likely be much better with the second task than the first. In the second the objective and constraints are well defined and the complete time and method of delivery are specified.

Also she must acknowledge that she agrees with the task.

Anyone enjoy tasks? Any interesting tasks out there? Any comments?

-Matthew

Comments

[Lady Neurotica]

i absolutely love tasks. i agree that they should be very specific and well defined. Nothing is more frustrating than knowing something is expected of me but not knowing exactly what it is, or thinking that i have done a really good job and then finding out that i have disappointed instead. On the other hand, there is no thrill like the one i get when i have completed a task and exceeded expectations. Nothing like hearing "What a good girl you are!" i especially enjoy research tasks and domestic tasks, which is strange because i normally hate housework of almost any kind.

[moonheart]

I had a task when i was on my holiday, and wrote about it. But your post is very clear, it puts a smile on my face. Your so right about it; the second task for sure gives a better result. It's daring, it makes that you wanna do all the best you can to please your Dom(me) At least that does it for me.
Nice post. :-)

Sweet greetings from Holland, mo