How do I deal with young characters?

[Duleigh]

I'm getting ready to post a big story, however the main characters meet in high school, in fact the first 3 chapters deal with the hardships of a broke farmboy and a tiny Asian girl in High School. There's no sex for these two kids, in fact they are virgins when they get married. But will Literotica shut me down for having underage characters? I'd hate to have to re-write a big portion of the story into flash-backs to avoid the Age Police.

 

[ElectricBlue]

No sexual content under eighteen, it's that simple.

Three opening chapters with no sexual content is not going to win any favours on an erotica site, no matter how fabulous the writing.

You'd have the same problem with flashbacks - the rule is so very simple.

 

[NotWise]

Like EB said, if the story rejects on underage content, the flashbacks won't help. You would still have underage content.

Were I you, I'd go ahead and submit the story as-is with a note to the editor that the main characters are underage in the first three chapters, but they don't have a sexual relationship. That might get you through. It might not.

 

[Voboy]

Yeah, I know what it's like to love your characters and immerse yourself in their backstory, and I love long, slow builds... but as a reader, 3 chapters of no sex is just not going to hold my interest here.

 

[gunhilltrain]

I'm getting ready to post a big story, however the main characters meet in high school, in fact the first 3 chapters deal with the hardships of a broke farmboy and a tiny Asian girl in High School. There's no sex for these two kids, in fact they are virgins when they get married. But will Literotica shut me down for having underage characters? I'd hate to have to re-write a big portion of the story into flash-backs to avoid the Age Police.

If you really like your story, don't put it here - go to another site. I can tell you where they are if you wish. The plot is interesting, so consider it.

 

[KeithD]

Being below 18 isn't the issue. Sexual activity under 18 is the issue. And quite often in discussion on the board, failure to understand that the lIt. understanding of what is sexual activity is very broad (thoughts, voyeur, etc.).

 

[TheRedChamber]

I'm not even sure three chapters with under-age characters would get published. I mean theoretically it in within the rules, but you might still have problems. It may be that Literotica is not the site for this story and you need to go somewhere with laxer rules.

 

[KeithD]

I'm not even sure three chapters with under-age characters would get published. I mean theoretically it in within the rules, but you might still have problems. It may be that Literotica is not the site for this story and you need to go somewhere with laxer rules.

Why not? Lit. even has a nonerotic category. I have a story or two posted here under a pen name doing "feel-good" inspirational nonerotic stories that include children. Never had trouble with posting.

 

[TheRedChamber]

Why not? Lit. even has a nonerotic category. I have a story or two posted here under a pen name doing "feel-good" inspirational nonerotic stories that include children. Never had trouble with posting.

Ok, maybe I'm wrong.

 

[Voboy]

I'm not even sure three chapters with under-age characters would get published. I mean theoretically it in within the rules, but you might still have problems. It may be that Literotica is not the site for this story and you need to go somewhere with laxer rules.

It'd get published. I've written some stories with kids doing kid things (rather than adult things) and there's no problem with publication.

Again, though... 3 chapters of underage chastity in high school? The first page or two would get read.

After that? Crapshoot.

 

[KeithD]

Again, though... 3 chapters of underage chastity in high school? The first page or two would get read.

After that? Crapshoot.

The usual issue, though, is that they aren't really just doing high school things. They are showing sexual "feelings," and the authors can't seem to understand that sexual feelings are sexual acts.

 

[Duleigh]

It'd get published. I've written some stories with kids doing kid things (rather than adult things) and there's no problem with publication.

Again, though... 3 chapters of underage chastity in high school? The first page or two would get read.

I understand that point well enough. The main character has an older sister who is over 18 and has an interesting life. She'll be keeping the readers interest until the main characters are old enough.

 

[KeithD]

Sort of just beating around the bush on what this is and whether it's acceptable. Only the sole submissions editor, Laurel, knows, and there's evidence that sometimes that's day and mood specific to Laurel. I suggest you submit it and see how it goes.

 

[SimonDoom]

You can start a story with one or more of the characters under 18, but they cannot have a relationship that is any way sexual before 18, and that includes things like fantasizing, catching glimpses of someone naked, yearnings, etc.

The problem you will have is 3 no-sex chapters. Ask why you want to do that. My recommendation would be to have a long first chapter where they establish a non-sexual relationship under 18, but before the end they are over 18 and sexual feelings at least begin at that point, but no earlier.

Bramblethorn did something like this with her series Anjali's Red Scarf, and it was approved. You might read her first chapter to see how she did it.

 

[oggbashan]

For that scenario, I would start with sex and then flashbacks to the childhood friendship that led to this. Whatever you do could be awkward. I have several stories that refer to childhood before the characters become adults.

I was always careful to make a clear distinction between the children and adults but I suspect some might be seen as dubious now.

 

[Bramblethorn]

You can start a story with one or more of the characters under 18, but they cannot have a relationship that is any way sexual before 18, and that includes things like fantasizing, catching glimpses of someone naked, yearnings, etc.

The problem you will have is 3 no-sex chapters. Ask why you want to do that. My recommendation would be to have a long first chapter where they establish a non-sexual relationship under 18, but before the end they are over 18 and sexual feelings at least begin at that point, but no earlier.

Bramblethorn did something like this with her series Anjali's Red Scarf, and it was approved. You might read her first chapter to see how she did it.

FWIW, what I did was:

• Open with brief teaser from a conversation when Anjali's 23-ish, talking about her prospective sex life.
• Skip back to their first meeting, when Anjali's 16, and then spend most of Chapter 1 showing how their friendship developed over those seven years.
• Use the Notes field to state that this story discusses A's childhood but has no sexual activity before she turns 18. (To avoid accidental rejections; without something like this, Laurel and/or her screening tools may have seen mention of a sixteen-year-old and assumed there was under-age sex.)

I agree that opening with three no-sex chapters may be a lot for most readers. If you do go this road, I'd suggest finding a way to signal to readers that this is eventually going to be a sexy story about grown-ups, whether that's an explicit author's note or something like the teaser/flashback structure. I also think Simon might be right about merging these three chapters into one long chapter.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

No sexual content under eighteen, it's that simple.

Three opening chapters with no sexual content is not going to win any favours on an erotica site, no matter how fabulous the writing.

You'd have the same problem with flashbacks - the rule is so very simple.

It depends on how long the chapters are, doesn't it?

I have a story where the first lit page is about how a young kid starts to notice girls. No sex, of any kind, until he's 18, but he does notice the difference.

I had just read on the forums about someone's story getting rejected for underage sex. So, to avoid that I included a note in the Note to Admin text box exactly where in the story the first sex is depicted and how old everyone was.

Laurel published it without question.

 

[SimonDoom]

No sexual content under eighteen, it's that simple.

Three opening chapters with no sexual content is not going to win any favours on an erotica site, no matter how fabulous the writing.

You'd have the same problem with flashbacks - the rule is so very simple.

I think Bramblethorn figured out a way to do this that works. Start with the present day, indicate there's an erotic relationship. Then go back in time, where one of the characters is under 18, and there's no sexual content at all. It's a different kind of relationship. Then move forward to a point where both characters are over 18, and things start to get sexy. If you can wrap all that in one initial chapter, as Bramblethorn did in her Anjali story, I think it will pass muster by Lit's rules and can work as far as Lit's readers are concerned. The two key elements are 1) no under 18 hanky panky and 2) some hanky panky by the end of the first chapter after they're 18+.

 

[Comshaw]

I'm getting ready to post a big story, however the main characters meet in high school, in fact the first 3 chapters deal with the hardships of a broke farmboy and a tiny Asian girl in High School. There's no sex for these two kids, in fact they are virgins when they get married. But will Literotica shut me down for having underage characters? I'd hate to have to re-write a big portion of the story into flash-backs to avoid the Age Police.

I understand that point well enough. The main character has an older sister who is over 18 and has an interesting life. She'll be keeping the readers interest until the main characters are old enough.

Underage characters can be included in a story, but as noted by NW there can be NO, NADA, NONE sexual interaction by them until they are clearly 18 or older. From your second post above it appears the older sister, who is over 18, will be carrying the sexual part of the story in the first three chapters while you build the backstory for the two younger characters. I think it will pass, but you are going to have to include some notes for the powers that be and convince them of no sexual content for the younger characters. It might take some back and forth, but I think it will fly. You will never know until you try.

Comshaw

 

[ElectricBlue]

I think Bramblethorn figured out a way to do this that works. Start with the present day, indicate there's an erotic relationship.

Yes, but that's not three opening chapters is it? Even short ones (Zeb).

Mind you, I extended a 750 Word Anthology story out over five more increasingly longer chapters before a sexual encounter, just to see how long readers would go without full on sexual content. The answer in my case was the five shorter chapters, but I wasn't covering off a pre-eighteen relationship.

My long Arthurian thing has a no sexual content prologue with a fifteen year old girl (and a wandering magician), but I gave readers a massive volcanic eruption and huge tidal waves as an alternative to sex. And a note to Laurel, to assist publication.

So yes, of course you can do it, but for most yarns here on Lit, I wouldn't expect readers to stick around for three chapters with no sexual content. It's Literotica, not Firegoneoutica.

 

[Duleigh]

Underage characters can be included in a story, but as noted by NW there can be NO, NADA, NONE sexual interaction by them until they are clearly 18 or older. From your second post above it appears the older sister, who is over 18, will be carrying the sexual part of the story in the first three chapters while you build the backstory for the two younger characters. I think it will pass, but you are going to have to include some notes for the powers that be and convince them of no sexual content for the younger characters. It might take some back and forth, but I think it will fly. You will never know until you try.

I guess I'm going to give it a try, it will be part of the lead up to my Winter Holiday story, but I have an idea that will get the sexless chapters down to 1.

 

[stickygirl]

Please keep in mind it isn't 'Age Police' as you put it. The rules are there to keep Literotica out of court and there are armies of evangelical hypocrites ready to pursue litigation.
The other point is moral: children and underage kids are exploited for sex in the home, in the community, in religious settings, online. It's one thing to mention that your protagonists attended high school, quite another to flash back to a school setting while they are legally having sex in a later chapter because it might encourage the reader to conjure an underage act.

I guess I'm going to give it a try, it will be part of the lead up to my Winter Holiday story, but I have an idea that will get the sexless chapters down to 1.

Good luck. We can only speculate as to your content and provide some anecdotal advice

 

[BobbyBrandt]

I respectfully disagree with others who feel that chapters with no sex is frowned upon here. It depends upon the category and the content of your story. My first story posted on Literotica (https://literotica.com/s/his-daddys-car) has the main characters meeting as underage high school kids and not having sex until they turned 18, and the sexual activity was more implied than graphically depicted.

Still one of my highest rated and most viewed stories, but I posted it in Novels and Novellas rather than one of the strictly erotic categories.

 

[Duleigh]

Please keep in mind it isn't 'Age Police' as you put it. The rules are there to keep Literotica out of court and there are armies of evangelical hypocrites ready to pursue litigation.
The other point is moral: children and underage kids are exploited for sex in the home, in the community, in religious settings, online. It's one thing to mention that your protagonists attended high school, quite another to flash back to a school setting while they are legally having sex in a later chapter because it might encourage the reader to conjure an underage act.

I completely understand. There's few out there who is more protective of our children then this old dog. I would hate to take out anything from the first couple of chapters because someone misread the intentions, this is where my characters learn to love.

I respectfully disagree with others who feel that chapters with no sex is frowned upon here. It depends upon the category and the content of your story. My first story posted on Literotica (https://literotica.com/s/his-daddys-car) has the main characters meeting as underage high school kids and not having sex until they turned 18, and the sexual activity was more implied than graphically depicted.

Good to know! Thanks.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Yes, but that's not three opening chapters is it? Even short ones (Zeb).

Mind you, I extended a 750 Word Anthology story out over five more increasingly longer chapters before a sexual encounter, just to see how long readers would go without full on sexual content. The answer in my case was the five shorter chapters, but I wasn't covering off a pre-eighteen relationship.

My long Arthurian thing has a no sexual content prologue with a fifteen year old girl (and a wandering magician), but I gave readers a massive volcanic eruption and huge tidal waves as an alternative to sex. And a note to Laurel, to assist publication.

So yes, of course you can do it, but for most yarns here on Lit, I wouldn't expect readers to stick around for three chapters with no sexual content. It's Literotica, not Firegoneoutica.

Mmmm... I have a couple of stories where there isn't any sex until the very last chapter and the story is 7 lit pages long or 26,000 words long. No complaints about it not having sex until then. And they are both rated over 4.5.