Story rejected for rule I’m certain I didn’t break

[Voboy]

Pussy or Dick?

Pussy, preferably. Lol.

Laurel likes characters 18 and no younger. That's all there is to it. We can wonder about the whys and wherefores for days on end, and they fundamentally don't matter. Laurel's site, Laurel's rules. That's good enough for me.

 

[Writer61]

Now, how a writer presents their characters relative to any sexual activity can vary, and those who go too far get zinged.

Given the volume of stories it is likely that some rejections are 'false positives'.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

Given the volume of stories it is likely that some rejections are 'false positives'.

Not out of the realm of possibility, and we have heard and seen instances where when that happens, a quick note to Laurel remedies the issue.

I am referring to the true positives that people don't want to believe are in violation of the rules and cry, "Unfair!"

 

[RejectReality]

Given the volume of stories it is likely that some rejections are 'false positives'.

Oh, there absolutely are. I've had a false positive underage rejection myself. Laurel didn't even remember ticking that box when I asked her about it. ( There was another facepalm legitimate rejection reason on top of the false positive. Quickly fixed, but I was at a loss as to why it would get marked underage, so I asked. ) The odds of a false positive for content after a resubmission with a note is pretty slim, though. That's why I told the OP there's probably something small and overlooked because it's only vaguely sexual in nature, which can be easily fixed, assuming that everything is written as described here. Hoping it will get sent along to me so I can track it down and get the story back on the path to publication.

 

[Bazzle]

Any age-based rule is arbitrary. Forget about porn, I grew up in PA. The age of consent is 16 there. What is the difference between a person being 15 years and 364 days and 16? Nothing.

But I fully endorse both the need to protect vulnerable young people IRL and to have rules around the content of porn. I’m not arguing that I should be able to write about 16 yos here. I’m fine with the 18+ rule.

But, if we are to have these age-based cut offs. Then 18 years and zero days is OK to write about. You can’t have it both ways, have an arbitrary, age-based rule and then say “oh but that doesn’t matter, it’s X instead.”

If I come up with a story which needs an 18 yo character, I’ll write it. I have no such stories in mind, most of my characters are mid-twenties to mid-thirties nowadays, but I reserve the right

I actually think it protects the reader from having really bad thoughts.

I am totally with you on older characters. My last two stories were about models aged peeps.
Yes Duchess was about 18 year olds, but that was because it was a coming of age story.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Given how strongly the OP feels, have they taken advantage of any of the offers to read their story? If not, I think we can draw some conclusions.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Given how strongly the OP feels, have they taken advantage of any of the offers to read their story? If not, I think we can draw some conclusions.

@RejectReality @BobbyBrandt @TarnishedPenny @Voboy

I even half offered myself. Can’t see any reason not to take advantage of these generous offers.

 

[KittyOfSteele]

Given how strongly the OP feels, have they taken advantage of any of the offers to read their story? If not, I think we can draw some conclusions.

I got a DM, but OP warned me the story is long. I don't think I can make time for reading long stories at the moment though.

 

[EmilyMiller]

I got a DM, but OP warned me the story is long. I don't think I can make time for reading long stories at the moment though.

Well at least they reached out. Maybe they will again.

 

[EmilyMiller]

@TexasKatie how many words?

 

[Djmac1031]

@TexasKatie how many words?

I mean I suppose I could throw my hat in the ring here. Whoever decides to proof read it wouldn't need to necessarily read the whole thing, just skim for potentially problematic parts.

 

[KittyOfSteele]

I mean I suppose I could throw my hat in the ring here. Whoever decides to proof read it wouldn't need to necessarily read the whole thing, just skim for potentially problematic parts.

Tbf I like to be throughough when it comes to reading someone else's work in order to chase stuff like this. Better safe than sorry.

 

[SkyBubble]

I'm happy to help.

 

[gunhilltrain]

The - all characters are over 18 rule - is not about the legality of 18 yos having sex. That’s legal in every state (and it’s 16 in most places). If this debate was about legality / immorality, then it should be extended to cover the felonies that people write about in other stories.

The issue is rather the site’s legal liability. That - just like porn vids - is that all people partaking in sexual activity are 18+.

Please stop making writing 18 year olds a moral issue unless you want to change the entire paradigm of this place. Hey, I’d even support some paradigm shifts in the uglier, crueler categoiries, but that’s not my call. I can set up my own more restrictive version of Literotica if I want to do that.

So if you set up your own site - how difficult could that be? - the age limit might be 21? I remember the days when I could go into a bar or liquor store at 18 (at least in New York state). They didn't even card you, usually.

 

[EmilyMiller]

So if you set up your own site - how difficult could that be? - the age limit might be 21? I remember the days when I could go into a bar or liquor store at 18 (at least in New York state). They didn't even card you, usually.

I was thinking more of having highly consensual porn, without it being based on damaging other humans, idealistic and naive as I am.

 

[Britva415]

Given how strongly the OP feels, have they taken advantage of any of the offers to read their story? If not, I think we can draw some conclusions.

Only if the thing were to never get published at all and never get shown to any volunteer beta readers.

Otherwise, I don't think we can draw any conclusions. They got enough advice that maybe they're fully prepared to just review the story theirself, looking for bits which might have (mistakenly, but still) triggered the rejection.

I think that they could re-submit it with very mild changes, if any at all, and with a comment to Laurel in the Notes field stating that it was a false positive in the first place, with very very good chances of succeeding this time.

And so concluding anything from them not seeking even more help at this time would be very iffy.

 

[NotWise]

Y'all realize, right? that this thread is on page five and @TexasKatie hasn't responded since the middle of page three?

 

[EmilyMiller]

Y'all realize, right? that this thread is on page five and @TexasKatie hasn't responded since the middle of page three?

My point

 

[EmilyMiller]

Only if the thing were to never get published at all and never get shown to any volunteer beta readers.

Otherwise, I don't think we can draw any conclusions. They got enough advice that maybe they're fully prepared to just review the story theirself, looking for bits which might have (mistakenly, but still) triggered the rejection.

I think that they could re-submit it with very mild changes, if any at all, and with a comment to Laurel in the Notes field stating that it was a false positive in the first place, with very very good chances of succeeding this time.

And so concluding anything from them not seeking even more help at this time would be very iffy.

If I had five or six good authors wanting to read my stuff, I’d be like, where do I sign?

 

[gunhilltrain]

I was thinking more of not having highly consensual porn, without being based on damaging other humans, idealistic and naive as I am.

A site without highly consensual porn? Like ASSTR.org used to be? I get that you're being sarcastic, I think. (I'm a bit literal-minded, as everyone already knows.) Anyway, I thought Lit was supposed to be only consensual (it's in those guidelines somewhere).

 

[EmilyMiller]

A site without highly consensual porn? Like ASSTR.org used to be? I get that you're being sarcastic, I think. (I'm a bit literal-minded, as everyone already knows.) Anyway, I thought Lit was supposed to be only consensual (it's in those guidelines somewhere).

Too many negatives - my bad - will fix

Better now

 

[TheLobster]

Y'all realize, right? that this thread is on page five and @TexasKatie hasn't responded since the middle of page three?

Considering that seemingly half of those two pages is @EmilyMiller repeatedly and intrusively putting a blinding spotlight on OP, all but demanding that they answer in detail how they're rectifying their grave sins -- yeah, it is not very surprising to me in the slightest they scurried away from such inquisition, perhaps never to be seen again.

 

[Small_Island]

the assistant principal and he and other male teachers alter the orders for the hot senior girls once they turn 18.

The OP has left, but if he comes back, I see the answer right here.
In this school, teachers and administrators are targeting the students to see who has become hot when she hits 18. That's built-in grooming and selection of underage girls in preparation for when they're 'legal'.
I see this as one of those cases where he'd be better off finding a secondary site for publishing that doesn't have a bright line restriction on underage.

As for high school stories, I've written and edited them and they can get through just fine if you give the students a chance to age and explore on their own. One thing I often point out to writers is that they haven't given the character enough time to develop the experience they're showing. If you have to say they missed a year due to living overseas so that they can already be 18 before their senior year starts, then do that. Don't just turn on the slut switch on their 18th and pretend they had no sexual nature up until then.

 

[OddLove]

I'm perfectly fine with Lit rejecting high school stories, in fact, I prefer it.

'Barely 18' only thrives because 'Barely 15' isn't allowed to.

 

[Voboy]

I'm perfectly fine with Lit rejecting high school stories, in fact, I prefer it.

'Barely 18' only thrives because 'Barely 15' isn't allowed to.

Well, but if the cutoff was at 15, you'd be here posting "'Barely 15' only thrives because 'Barely 12' isn't allowed to." You'd be able to move the goalposts wherever you want to support your bias, which is that sex in high school shouldn't be written about.

Laurel has to establish a cutoff somewhere, and she has done so. 18 is her cutoff. Some 18-year-olds are in high school. So it's perfectly legitimate to set stories in high schools, as this site can attest; there are thousands of high school stories posted here.

If you believe they don't belong here, there's a simple solution: choose not to read them. Problem solved.