How would you prefer me to handle condoms in my harem story?

[JohnSm123]

Suppose I write such a harem story: one main male character (preferably a prince in historical/fantasy settings), a main wife, and a bunch of concubines. Suppose condoms are a thing in that universe despite the historical/fantasy settings. How would you prefer it?

1. He uses condoms with all of them.
2. He uses condoms with everyone except the main wife.
3. He doesn't use a condom with anyone, but still only the main wife bears him children.
4. He doesn't use a condom with anyone, and he gets a bunch of children from various women.
5. He doesn't use a condom with anyone and is still child free.
6. Other.

 

[alohadave]

How would you prefer it?

I'd prefer that you write something. Anything that isn't a forum post.

 

[Rob_Royale]

I'd prefer that you write something. Anything that isn't a forum post.

Can I get an "amen" from the congregation, brothers and sisters!

 

[JohnSm123]

I'd prefer that you write something. Anything that isn't a forum post.

Am I annoying? Do you want me to leave the forum until I have written something?

 

[TheRedChamber]

Am I annoying? Do you want me to leave the forum until I have written something?

I think the issue is that you're appoaching the forums a bit wrong. Instead of asking what we'd prefer for your story (which we dont know anything about and which not everyone is necessarily going to want to read anyway), you could ask how we approach condoms in our own stories and then see what points match your own writing and proclivities best.

 

[joy_of_cooking]

Maybe you'd get a better reception in the Story Ideas forum?

 

[Euphony]

Am I annoying? Do you want me to leave the forum until I have written something?

As I've not been around as much (so less taxed by your repetitive posts) knowing both posters to be almost always congenial, they aren't gatekeepers, you are stuck in a loop.

Writing by committee is fraught enough but writing by public forum post would be nightmarish for quality output.

You write the story. It may be thoughtful to think of the readers but regular polling of further and further minutia is procrastination hiding under a trench coat.

Write whatever condom usage makes sense to you and supports the personality/nature of your characters and their relationships. What works for readers IRL or what they want in their fiction has little to do with who your characters are and their decisions.

Just write. Stop overthinking.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Am I annoying? Do you want me to leave the forum until I have written something?

You need to write something, anything, but you don't need us to endorse any of it. We're all writers here, we engage amongst one another, but we're not your writing committee. These posts are really odd - you don't need us to write your story. It's not our story, we're most likely not your target readers.

We get it, you're uncertain, you're not sure, but seriously - just knuckle down and write something. Then you can ask questions, ask for suggestions, but until then...

 

[Britva415]

Write your own story.

 

[Euphony]

You need to write something, anything, but you don't need us to endorse any of it. We're all writers here, we engage amongst one another, but we're not your writing committee. These posts are really odd - you don't need us to write your story. It's not our story, we're most likely not your target readers.

We get it, you're uncertain, you're not sure, but seriously - just knuckle down and write something. Then you can ask questions, ask for suggestions, but until then...

EB, how should I write my response to your thought provoking post ?

Would it be best to:

• Confirm my similar thinking​
• Inject some lighthearted comedy to lighten the mood​
• Feign indignation b/c this is teh webs and Imma have my pound o' flesh golly gosh darn it​
• Make a sandwich​

I await your thoughtful response so that I may finally get on to the business of doing the work.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

I get the impression you are trying to suss out the audience sweet spot or something, find out what is most popular and write to that. That way leads to frustration, ‘cause you cannot please everybody. It also, taken to its logical end, leads to mediocrity, literary unsalted oatmeal.

From where I sit, you seem to have some good ideas. Let yourself go, truly! There is no universally-appealing plot; everybody is different and in the end you should try to please yourself. Have a shot at it and, sincerely, good luck.

 

[SimonDoom]

No, you are not annoying. New writers ask questions like these all the time. And those of us who have been around for a while tend to respond the same way, not to be antagonistic but because we think this is true: just write the story. There's no right answer. You'll learn more by doing than you will by trying to probe the minds of a bunch of crotchety, biased AH authors.

 

[Euphony]

No, you are not annoying. New writers ask questions like these all the time. And those of us who have been around for a while tend to respond the same way, not to be antagonistic but because we think this is true: just write the story. There's no right answer. You'll learn more by doing than you will by trying to probe the minds of a bunch of crotchety, biased AH authors.

The AH:

CrotcheTY: Bad

CrotcheRY: Good. So good.

 

[AchtungNight]

Go read my stories. I deal with this issue several times. Compensation and Loose Ends have the coupling characters hand each other condoms before penetration. Beijing Streakers has a security officer pass out condoms at an orgy. The God of War story features magical birth control if you want to go that far.

As far as childbirth, I hope the children in your story are just background and not sexual beings. This site has laws against the opposite of that, as does the world in general. If you want to use the pregnancy kink, be careful with it. I’ve used it for comedy in two stories but it was not the main focus either time. My advice- don’t bring it in. Have the main male character in your story get whichever wife you prefer pregnant at times to maintain realism and then shuffle her offstage until she’s ready to come back in. Ie not pregnant or on maternity leave. Or do #5 and keep kids out of the story entirely. Include condoms if you want to maintain realism. Other forms of birth control work also- Impotency, vasectomy, handjobs, oral or anal sex, whatever.

There’s an excellent series that explores a modern day Harem like you propose called An Ordinary Sex Life by Bluedragon, but it’s not posted on this site. A good similar Harem story on this site without kids is the Keyes Lodge stories in the Celebrity section. I think Anya Taylor Joy is the main female protagonist there and other women feature as side characters. My own stories are similar with a different actress as lead female character.

Ultimately as other people have said, write what you enjoy. Thx.

 

[djrip]

3, 4, or 5, bro. I think where you went wrong is right here: "Suppose condoms are a thing in that universe despite the historical/fantasy settings." I mean unless you find condoms sexy, then go for it. But usually if they are included it's for realism, and with the fantasy setting they aren't needed for that realism at least.

 

[AchtungNight]

Yeah, the above post works. But the main character can chase pleasure and his wives remind him to be responsible in doing that. They remind him to use birth control. That’s how I did birth control in Compensation and Loose Ends. Or you can have the man take responsibility for his own birth control and get a vasectomy- my story Debrief has the lead character do just that. He can also stop the action to put on a condom if he keeps control of his urges- many writers have done this effectively. Or maybe he gets lucky and never has to deal with childbirth. That may be easiest for you.

 

[Djmac1031]

Can I get an "amen" from the congregation, brothers and sisters!

R'amen.

 

[JohnSm123]

Maybe introduces some sort of birth control that the secondary wives use perhaps without their knowledge…..

How exactly does that happen?

 

[MillieDynamite]

I never handle condoms. They have men's stuff in them, EEEWWWW!