Age Restriction

[robertreams]

I know the Literotica rules(and the applicable laws) I myself was a virgin until i was 20. However, I am also a recently retired High school teacher. I would estimate that at least 85-90% of my students were sexually active. The sad part for me seemed to be that romance seems to be dead. if all our efforts in the past at sexual liberation and female liberation had any result it sees to have been the depersonalization of sex. Young persons todday seem to have sex as casually as taking a shit. Modern laws and school regulations are farther behaind reality than ever before. e.g. Most schools outlaw cell phones during class. most School boards still seem to think that a teacher's job is to present information. As a result, high school is this Clockwork Orange kind of existence where reality and fantasy seem to converge.

 

[PennLady]

High school students are fine as long as you state in the story that they are 18. It's also believable...there are 18 year old seniors and there were a few in my graduating class.

I think most of the kids in my graduating class were 18 at the time of graduation. I was 17, but I was the exception. I mean, if you start school (kindergarten) at 5, as most do, then it follows that after 13 years of school, most will be 18 at high school graduation.

I think virginity-in-college stories are believable, but I'm biased.

I lost my virginity in college.

FWIW, so did I. I think it probably happens quite a bit.

 

[lovecraft68]

Basically if your birthday falls Jan-May or even early June you will turn 18 in senior year. A student could also have stayed back as well.

The rule here is 18 there is no rule against high school or any other setting as long as the person is 18

I love how even when a rule is followed people have to throw in their personal opinions.

Ala Pilot who never fails to say things like "admit your agenda" when someone wants to use high school as a setting.

If your character is 18 and you state it and keep it believable- i.e-no baby talk or immature child like actions- then you're okay.

And frankly you can tell anyone who says differently to go fuck themselves. because in my eyes anyone who automatically sees underage where there is not any certainly has it on their mind and is most likely the one with the issue.

 

[RichardBacula]

The 18+ rule pushes any coming of age story to the edge of believability. It can be done, but your options are severely limited.

The moment you need to set something in high school, you're dancing on the line, and the story is probably best suited for some other venue. Trying to post it here is going to require sticking to a set of circumstances at the edge of believability, or risking the very real possibility of being rejected or reported after the fact and the story being pulled.

Lit is simply not the place for coming of age stories for the most part.

In what way does it push coming of age stories to the edge of believability?

 

[lovecraft68]

In what way does it push coming of age stories to the edge of believability?

It doesn't.

The post you're replying to is someone pushing a personal opinion.

Again the rule is 18, if they are 18 and act 18 you have no worries.

Actually what pushed the believability of a coming of age or first time story here is that they have to be 18, but that is the rule so if you are following it you have no worries

 

[lovecraft68]

The 18+ rule pushes any coming of age story to the edge of believability. It can be done, but your options are severely limited.

The moment you need to set something in high school, you're dancing on the line, and the story is probably best suited for some other venue. Trying to post it here is going to require sticking to a set of circumstances at the edge of believability, or risking the very real possibility of being rejected or reported after the fact and the story being pulled.

Lit is simply not the place for coming of age stories for the most part.

Believability is in the hands of the author

if you don't feel you could write a plausible High school scenario then that is you rshortcoming or at the least something you personally don't want to do.

as for believability give me a break. Want to see some rule stretching? How about some of the sci fi fantasy people who create different races and beings many of which because they are "not human" push not only under age (well they don't age the same) but bestiality as well?

A good writer can make a reader "buy" into anything.

A hack has to change the rules and make things up to play that game.

 

[RichardBacula]

It doesn't.

The post you're replying to is someone pushing a personal opinion.

Agreed.
I'm attempting to explore that opinion.

 

[lovecraft68]

Agreed.
I'm attempting to explore that opinion.

If your purpose is to get an unending argument from the two better than you posters here you will get what you want

If you are looking for someone to acknowledge a blind spot in their superior thinking process then you're wasting time.

 

[RichardBacula]

If your purpose is to get an unending argument from the two better than you posters here you will get what you want

If you are looking for someone to acknowledge a blind spot in their superior thinking process then you're wasting time.

Understood.

 

[DeYaKen]

I know the reason is that the site owners want to protect their own backsides and I can live with that. However it does create a very distorted view of the US. Well I assume it's distorted since I've never been there to find out if all people under 18 are virgins. Didn't Jerry Lee lewis marry his 13 year old cousin?

In the UK the age of consent is 16, many kids will have experimented with sex before that age. While I can't say that 18 year old virgins are a rarity here, few boys would admit to it.

Still them's the rules and I'm happy to go along with it. All my characters are adults, can't always say the same about those that leave comments though.

 

[lovecraft68]

I know the reason is that the site owners want to protect their own backsides and I can live with that. However it does create a very distorted view of the US. Well I assume it's distorted since I've never been there to find out if all people under 18 are virgins. Didn't Jerry Lee lewis marry his 13 year old cousin?

In the UK the age of consent is 16, many kids will have experimented with sex before that age. While I can't say that 18 year old virgins are a rarity here, few boys would admit to it.

Still them's the rules and I'm happy to go along with it. All my characters are adults, can't always say the same about those that leave comments though.

Age of consent in many states within the US is 16 as well. But not all of them and I think the site goes with 18 as a rule of thumb because if they went to 16 some people would say "what about 15 etc..."

For the record there is nothing illegal about writing underage sex this is just the preference of the site.

I don;t have an issue with it, it may be a little hard to swallow every first time everyone is 18, but seeing we all have to obey the same rule it's an across the board thing.

What has always upset me about it is, like every other rule here, it is not enforced properly.

If you mention "I was sixteen when I met Joe" there is a chance you could get the boot. Even if that was all that happened and there was no sexual reference.

However authors who are out for under age titillation will use terms like "budding breasts." Breasts "bud" well before the age of 18 and everyone knows that. Those are obviously under age descriptions but the site has many of them, one author in particular has gotten themselves pretty high up on the all time author list by using that crap over and over again.

 

[Darkniciad]

In what way does it push coming of age stories to the edge of believability?

For the most part, people are already exploring their sexuality before 18 - extensively.

So, when they see a story about an 18 or 19 yr. old virgin, the first reaction is an eye-roll. At that point, you have to provide a reason. Many of those reasons are overdone on Lit ( because the options are limited ) and aren't going to get a much better reaction than a virgin without an explanation.

There are always some who can overcome this and take the story as-is, so long as it's engaging. But commentary on stories demonstrates that a significant number of readers can't, and they tend to be vocal about it.

When you explore a broader definition of "coming of age" that applies more to relationships than sex, you have many more options, and most readers won't bat an eyelash.

But, as this thread demonstrates, many people define "coming of age" as losing virginity. That doesn't really matter in a story unless you use that term in the title or description. In the text of the story, you can already have overruled that notion with the narrative.

With respect to high-school, this thread again demonstrates the pitfall that people will take it for underage with "18" inserted as nothing more than a false disclaimer to get approved.

It's also a rejection trigger. Laurel only skim stories, so you're much more likely to get rejected with a story set in high-school on the assumption that it's underage. Immature quirks that would otherwise pass without issue in another setting will throw up red flags that can get the story tossed back to you, regardless of whether a more careful reading would have revealed them for what they are.

Rejection probability is what I'm talking about with "dancing the line".

So, if "coming of age" is about maturing with regards to relationships, then I don't see an issue with suspension of disbelief. If it's in regards to virginity, then I do.

 

[stranger92]

All right everyone, let's calm down a bit.

From what I have read and seen, I infer that I will not have any problem IF I state all characters are above 18, which they are, and avoid baby talk.

It's a fantasy series. Probably the age of the hero may not be a big deal, but I chose him to be 18, because I am 20.

I chose the high school theme, because he still living with his guardian. I know many of the college students live with their parents, and I don't have anything against that. I am the type of guy who loves to keep his family close by, but I also like to spend four years of my college life far from my parents, if possible, so as to avoid some awkward conversations.

Lastly, the entire story is not set in high school. To be exact, only three fourth of the first chapter is set in high school.

Here's the brief intro: John Heart is a high school student with magical powers. He knows that he is different from others, and accepts the magic as a part of him. What he didn't know is that he is being trained by his uncle (guardian) to face something/someone which/who killed his parents. After the death of his uncle, he is transported to another dimension filled with magic, and that marks the beginning of his adventure filled with love, loss and revenge.

 

[glanglais]

I don't see anything in that short excerpt that recommends a high-school setting over a first-year college setting.

 

[RichardBacula]

For the most part, people are already exploring their sexuality before 18 - extensively.

So, when they see a story about an 18 or 19 yr. old virgin, the first reaction is an eye-roll. At that point, you have to provide a reason. Many of those reasons are overdone on Lit ( because the options are limited ) and aren't going to get a much better reaction than a virgin without an explanation.

There are always some who can overcome this and take the story as-is, so long as it's engaging. But commentary on stories demonstrates that a significant number of readers can't, and they tend to be vocal about it.

When you explore a broader definition of "coming of age" that applies more to relationships than sex, you have many more options, and most readers won't bat an eyelash.

But, as this thread demonstrates, many people define "coming of age" as losing virginity. That doesn't really matter in a story unless you use that term in the title or description. In the text of the story, you can already have overruled that notion with the narrative.

With respect to high-school, this thread again demonstrates the pitfall that people will take it for underage with "18" inserted as nothing more than a false disclaimer to get approved.

It's also a rejection trigger. Laurel only skim stories, so you're much more likely to get rejected with a story set in high-school on the assumption that it's underage. Immature quirks that would otherwise pass without issue in another setting will throw up red flags that can get the story tossed back to you, regardless of whether a more careful reading would have revealed them for what they are.

Rejection probability is what I'm talking about with "dancing the line".

So, if "coming of age" is about maturing with regards to relationships, then I don't see an issue with suspension of disbelief. If it's in regards to virginity, then I do.

Thank you for your thorough answer!

I don't entirely agree with all of your points, but I do enjoy a better understanding of where you're coming from.
Statistically, the average age for guys to lose their virginity is 16.9. The average age for girls is 17.4.
So I don't think that 18 should be much of a stretch: roughly half the people will lose their virginity before the listed ages, and half will lose their virginity afterward.
That should give an 18 year-old virgin a fair amount of credibility.

I say "should," though, because there's often a difference between how the world IS and how the world is perceived. You are quite correct that just the content of this thread illustrates that it would be an issue for at least some readers, and therefore is something that a writer should take into consideration.

 

[patientlee]

Just had to buy training bras for my slim ten year old. Nothing's budding at 18.

Age of consent in many states within the US is 16 as well. But not all of them and I think the site goes with 18 as a rule of thumb because if they went to 16 some people would say "what about 15 etc..."

For the record there is nothing illegal about writing underage sex this is just the preference of the site.

I don;t have an issue with it, it may be a little hard to swallow every first time everyone is 18, but seeing we all have to obey the same rule it's an across the board thing.

What has always upset me about it is, like every other rule here, it is not enforced properly.

If you mention "I was sixteen when I met Joe" there is a chance you could get the boot. Even if that was all that happened and there was no sexual reference.

However authors who are out for under age titillation will use terms like "budding breasts." Breasts "bud" well before the age of 18 and everyone knows that. Those are obviously under age descriptions but the site has many of them, one author in particular has gotten themselves pretty high up on the all time author list by using that crap over and over again.

 

[DwellerDark]

If you mention "I was sixteen when I met Joe" there is a chance you could get the boot. Even if that was all that happened and there was no sexual reference.

And that's what's bullshit about this site and the culture in general. I can understand their qualms with having underage sex and stuff like that in the stories they post, but to reject stories that reference being underage at all puts limits on our creativity that I simply refuse to deal with. I had a story rejected because many of the flashbacks took place in high school and junior high, and there was a scene of sexual curiosity but nothing anyone would fap over and nothing that I feel violated any laws, moral or otherwise. I understand they need to cover their butts, but this kind of thing limits what we can do with our stories.

I feel so disillusioned with this that I think effective immediately I'm retiring from writing this kind of fiction. I'm not going to attempt to submit anything else (I have a few finished stories that I was going to post if my latest submission was well-accepted) and I'm not going to jump through hoops for people.

 

[sr71plt]

Gee, this must really be damaging your entitlements. I guess you and Lovecraft68 and a few others on this thread need to create your own story sites on your own specifications.

 

[sr71plt]

As already noted, this perennial ranting is tiresome. The issue isn't whether or not people under 18 have sex. Nor is it whether or not it's legal to write about people under 18 having sex (you can). It's about whether this private Web site officially permits descriptions of sex acts including people under 18 in stories posted here. (It doesn't--it's also not about whether some stories with this in them get published here--they inadvertently do).

If you have a beef about that, it's with the Web site administrators directly and is tiresome when ineffectually posted on this forum rather than taken up with the Web site administrators directly via the Private Message system. The users of this forum can't do a damn thing for you, the Web site administrators have the right to set the posting rules on this privately owned Web site, and there's no indication that the Web site administrators either follow these forum discussions or that they give a rat's ass what you think about their posting rules.

 

[oggbashan]

Whether or not sex before the age of 18 is legal, or is widely practised, is irrelevant. This site's rule is NO SEX BEFORE THE AGE OF 18.

If you want to write or read stories about teenage sex, there are other sites.

If you search for moral crusading sites, particularly in the US, you will find many that would want to shut down any site that has sex in it, even sex between consenting adults. Having a rule that says 18 years old is a sensible precaution against those who would attack this site.

 

[mikoli5763]

Why mention age at all?

I read the "Zero to Hero" series in Group section and the majority of the characters were in high school. No ages were mentioned that I can remember so the reader could imagine they were any age from 16 to 18.
In my own first series of stories the female character is a "teenager" when she is introduced to sex. Again no specific age is mentioned and the story was accepted.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

In the state where I was born, the cut off for enrollment in kindergarten was December 1. As a result, around 50% of my class was 18 at graduation, the other 50% was 17.

I now live in Florida, where the cut off is August 1. That means around 75% are 18 at graduation.

And there are always a few unfortunate 19 year olds.

True.

3 of my kids were 18 or 19 when they graduated. Birthdates snag many, retentions snag others.

PILOT's OCD with teen sex reminds me of Mark Twains tale about the old maid who climbed atop her roof with a spyglass looking for naked boys swimming in the river.

 

[patientlee]

And that's what's bullshit about this site and the culture in general. I can understand their qualms with having underage sex and stuff like that in the stories they post, but to reject stories that reference being underage at all puts limits on our creativity that I simply refuse to deal with. I had a story rejected because many of the flashbacks took place in high school and junior high, and there was a scene of sexual curiosity but nothing anyone would fap over and nothing that I feel violated any laws, moral or otherwise. I understand they need to cover their butts, but this kind of thing limits what we can do with our stories.

I feel so disillusioned with this that I think effective immediately I'm retiring from writing this kind of fiction. I'm not going to attempt to submit anything else (I have a few finished stories that I was going to post if my latest submission was well-accepted) and I'm not going to jump through hoops for people.

Get over yourself.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

And that's what's bullshit about this site and the culture in general. I can understand their qualms with having underage sex and stuff like that in the stories they post, but to reject stories that reference being underage at all puts limits on our creativity that I simply refuse to deal with. I had a story rejected because many of the flashbacks took place in high school and junior high, and there was a scene of sexual curiosity but nothing anyone would fap over and nothing that I feel violated any laws, moral or otherwise. I understand they need to cover their butts, but this kind of thing limits what we can do with our stories.

I feel so disillusioned with this that I think effective immediately I'm retiring from writing this kind of fiction. I'm not going to attempt to submit anything else (I have a few finished stories that I was going to post if my latest submission was well-accepted) and I'm not going to jump through hoops for people.

The sheriff in this county buys stuff online then arrests people, even when theyre out of state. He can do it, and other states allow extradition. So no one in their right mind wants to risk all the trouble underage invites.

 

[Cruel2BKind]

I understand they need to cover their butts, but this kind of thing limits what we can do with our stories.

I feel so disillusioned with this that I think effective immediately I'm retiring from writing this kind of fiction.

To them, their butts are more important than your creative freedom.

This site has provided an outlet for so many, that I don't think anyone is going to be too broken up by your temper tantrum.