Late rejection of a story

[MisterReason]

Hello.

While skimming my stories page I happened to notice that a story of mine was rejected. I submitted it in March and it was accepted by Lit and was well received, getting about 15,000 views, six comments and a respectable score. After a few days I stopped checking on the stories for comments since things always slow down after stories go off the new page.

Now it shows as rejected with a reason being an underage character. I know the rules and the kid is in college. Furthermore, it's the second part of a story featuring the same characters and there was no complaints on that initial story.

There's a quote given that I assume sparked the rejection - an incredibly illiterate one mentioning that the story was "discussing" (maybe disgusting was meant) and that children could get a hold of the story.

I have resubmitted with a request for review and even added another redundant mention of the son being of age but I'm curious... Have anyone else gotten a retroactive rejection and even more importantly, how can we as writers police who gets to this site? How can you write this kind of material with that in mind? This is a new one for me, who has 95 stories under this name and about 500 in other aliases here. Thanks for any input.

 

[slyc_willie]

It happens from time to time, usually as a result of someone clicking the "report this story" link at the end of the story.

Sending a PM to Laurel usually clears it up, provided all characters in the story are indeed at least eighteen. Resubmitting it works, too, if you include an explanation (as you did).

 

[HeyAll]

Yeah, I think Laurel has said before that if you've experienced this problem, resubmit, and explain in the Notes section why the story follows the rules.

Another way to be safe is to simply add a note on top saying that all characters are over 18. That always seems to counter-balance any questionable story content, from what I've seen.

 

[sr71plt]

Another way to be safe is to simply add a note on top saying that all characters are over 18. That always seems to counter-balance any questionable story content, from what I've seen.

Well, if a reader thinks that isn't true, they'll be even more prone to push the report button, won't they? Presumably Laurel checks the stories that are challenged and makes her own judgment. Presumably.

 

[MisterReason]

thanks!

 

[slyc_willie]

Well, if a reader thinks that isn't true, they'll be even more prone to push the report button, won't they? Presumably Laurel checks the stories that are challenged and makes her own judgment. Presumably.

I've occasionally wondered, on some particular stories that I won't name, if the "all characters are eighteen or older" disclaimer at the front wasn't an attempt to run and end-game switch around Laurel. Those particular stories often took place in high school settings, with characters acting much younger than any eighteen-year-old I've ever met who wasn't demonstrably mentally challenged.

 

[sr71plt]

I've occasionally wondered, on some particular stories that I won't name, if the "all characters are eighteen or older" disclaimer at the front wasn't an attempt to run and end-game switch around Laurel. Those particular stories often took place in high school settings, with characters acting much younger than any eighteen-year-old I've ever met who wasn't demonstrably mentally challenged.

A note on top of the story is totally superfluous and defensive. There aren't supposed to be any underage stories here. The note could be put in the Notes box, but an editor really should take this as the good possibility that the question is so much on the edge (or the author wouldn't have mentioned it) that the story should get a better-than-average scan for underage.

 

[Madabouthair]

I've occasionally wondered, on some particular stories that I won't name, if the "all characters are eighteen or older" disclaimer at the front wasn't an attempt to run and end-game switch around Laurel. Those particular stories often took place in high school settings, with characters acting much younger than any eighteen-year-old I've ever met who wasn't demonstrably mentally challenged.

That's why I place so many of my stories back in the sixties and seventies, when 18 was a lot younger than it is now, at least in my case. My level of sexual knowledge at 18 in 1969 is probably reached at age 13 these days. Your experiences may vary.

 

[Bramblethorn]

I've occasionally wondered, on some particular stories that I won't name, if the "all characters are eighteen or older" disclaimer at the front wasn't an attempt to run and end-game switch around Laurel. Those particular stories often took place in high school settings, with characters acting much younger than any eighteen-year-old I've ever met who wasn't demonstrably mentally challenged.

I'm damn sure that some authors do this deliberately. I read one that started with "after my eighteenth birthday" but then a few paragraphs later started describing the narrator in terms more appropriate to a ten-year-old girl. Felt like somebody had taken a heavily underage story and slapped on that "eighteenth birthday" to get it through moderation.

 

[sr71plt]

This is another case where looking at the "looking for" forum is instructive. What a good many of those looking for a story seem to remember is how underage the characters seemed to be no matter what disclaimers might have been put on the story. (And, yes, Hatecraft, how much of what they are looking for is nonconsent.)

 

[LadyVer]

A common descriptive word used in erotica to describe women and their body parts is "tiny." And it's usually used throughout these stories. I've developed an aversion to the word because what frequently the author is signalling is pedophelia and dominance. This isn't in just Lit stories either.

 

[Carnal_Flower]

Hello! Clearly you dont hang out in Incest. That is a common occurrence. Not even 10.

The mentally challenged 18 year old acting totally underaged. Babbling in baby talk practically.

I'm damn sure that some authors do this deliberately. I read one that started with "after my eighteenth birthday" but then a few paragraphs later started describing the narrator in terms more appropriate to a ten-year-old girl. Felt like somebody had taken a heavily underage story and slapped on that "eighteenth birthday" to get it through moderation.

 

[slyc_willie]

I'm damn sure that some authors do this deliberately. I read one that started with "after my eighteenth birthday" but then a few paragraphs later started describing the narrator in terms more appropriate to a ten-year-old girl. Felt like somebody had taken a heavily underage story and slapped on that "eighteenth birthday" to get it through moderation.

Yeah, it's almost like a code phrase, isn't it? For some stories, anyway, putting that disclaimer at the top is a sort of "nudge, nudge, wink, wink" cue that the story is thinly-veiled pedophilia.

This is another case where looking at the "looking for" forum is instructive. What a good many of those looking for a story seem to remember is how underage the characters seemed to be no matter what disclaimers might have been put on the story. (And, yes, Hatecraft, how much of what they are looking for is nonconsent.)

I've noticed that on some of the "looking for a story" posts.

"I don't remember the details, but it was the teen daughter's eighteenth birthday and her daddy was teaching her how to drive . . . ."

Yeah, right. More like fifteenth birthday . . .

A common descriptive word used in erotica to describe women and their body parts is "tiny." And it's usually used throughout these stories. I've developed an aversion to the word because what frequently the author is signalling is pedophelia and dominance. This isn't in just Lit stories either.

I've had female characters that I described as petite, narrow, maybe even tiny (though none come to mind with that particular adjective), but I've never tried to describe them in a way that would invoke the idea of them being underage. But certain stories here and there have certainly done so. Another word I've seen used is "budding," usually in reference to breasts or sexuality, and to me anyway, always makes me think the author is describing someone in their early teens.

 

[Carnal_Flower]

Oh hell yeah. I f*cking hate that. Tiny boobs, great, but constantly referencing the "tiny" pussy of a "barely legal" girl? The lingo is unmistakeable.

Why, there was a highly acclaimed D/d in the V-day contest that made me vomit for those very reasons.

Add to that giggling and pouting and wiggling on Daddy's lap. Excuse me while I hurl.

A common descriptive word used in erotica to describe women and their body parts is "tiny." And it's usually used throughout these stories. I've developed an aversion to the word because what frequently the author is signalling is pedophelia and dominance. This isn't in just Lit stories either.

 

[lovecraft68]

I've occasionally wondered, on some particular stories that I won't name, if the "all characters are eighteen or older" disclaimer at the front wasn't an attempt to run and end-game switch around Laurel. Those particular stories often took place in high school settings, with characters acting much younger than any eighteen-year-old I've ever met who wasn't demonstrably mentally challenged.

I get what you're saying sort of a big red "nothing to see here folks" beacon.
Well you can be eighteen in HS....unless of course the authors says sophomore or something else suspicious.

As for the acting like they are 12....there are plenty of those on here...I'll repeat my favorite two words when it comes to underage "budding breasts" cuz, you know, they bud at 18...

The problem with acting underage is it requires more then the bare skim the stories get from laurel she scans and looks for blatant clues like someone saying "16"

There are a lot of threads started here where it seems the story was rejected as a knee jerk reaction because someone mentioned something that seemed underage, but if Laurel took a minute to read a little more would see that its not.

Then on the other hand we have the example you gave of "18" year olds acting 11 and they fly right through.

These threads will never end nor will the arguments the pick and choose rejections here cause until more time is invested in screening and that would mean paying a few people and that will never happen.

 

[HandsInTheDark]

Add to that giggling and pouting and wiggling on Daddy's lap. Excuse me while I hurl.

Not that I read or write those kinds of stories, but the 19 year old character who pouts and sucks her finger and giggles isn't as far as I can tell at attempt to invoke underage sex. It's an attempt to combine the sexual desirability of a 19 year old's body with the total trust and total compliance of someone much more innocent. Of course, it's not the only way to portray trust and compliance; it's just much, much easier than successfully writing someone 19 who is mature for her years, and has thoughtfully and carefully chosen to love via deep compliance. The finger sucking, giggling character doesn't generally set off my underage detector but it definitely sets off my lazy writer detector, and I stop reading.

That said, if the author says a character is 19, it's 19. If it acts fourteen, that might be bad writing on the writer's part, a valid attempt to make social commentary, parody, or a twisted authorial wish that all 19 year old girls are going to be 14 next month. Luckily it's Laurel's job to sort that out, and that's convenient too, since only Laurel's opinion matters.

As for keeping underage readers ff the site and what should we as writers do about it... nothing, because there's nothing you can do. And while I consider a certain amount of the writing on Lit to be somewhere between reprehensible and exceedingly vile, I'd still argue that if kids are *reading* to get their erotica fix instead of, say, redtube, snapchat or that tiny little chat site that has a name that Literotica apparently filters out of posted comments, it's upward progress of a sort.

The one suggestion I can make is that if someone contacts an author and admits they are under 18, try to report it to Laurel. But so far no one's ever admitted that to me, though a couple who claimed to be over 18 admitted they'd started reading here earlier than that. That's going to happen; if there's a cure for teens being curious about sex, I don't know what it is.

 

[sr71plt]

Not that I read or write those kinds of stories, but the 19 year old character who pouts and sucks her finger and giggles isn't as far as I can tell at attempt to invoke underage sex. It's an attempt to combine the sexual desirability of a 19 year old's body with the total trust and total compliance of someone much more innocent.

Otherwise known as underage.

 

[Bramblethorn]

"I don't remember the details, but it was the teen daughter's eighteenth birthday and her daddy was teaching her how to drive . . . ."

Yeah, right. More like fifteenth birthday . . .

FWIW, I'd find this one more plausible in non-US settings. Plenty of people in Australia don't learn to drive until after they finish high school, if then; public transport is a bit better than the USA and petrol is significantly more expensive, so a lot of urbanites get by without cars.

I've had female characters that I described as petite, narrow, maybe even tiny (though none come to mind with that particular adjective), but I've never tried to describe them in a way that would invoke the idea of them being underage. But certain stories here and there have certainly done so. Another word I've seen used is "budding," usually in reference to breasts or sexuality, and to me anyway, always makes me think the author is describing someone in their early teens.

The one I mentioned above used stuff like that, and also "prepubescent", which made it pretty blatant. If an 18-year-old has a prepubescent body, she ought to be seeing an endocrinologist.

 

[slyc_willie]

I get what you're saying sort of a big red "nothing to see here folks" beacon.
Well you can be eighteen in HS....unless of course the authors says sophomore or something else suspicious.

I'm reminded of a story I ran across a few years ago that included the age disclaimer, then went on to say something like, "I won't say how old I was when this happened, but I was in high school and I definitely wasn't a senior" or some such. Meaning, unless the narrating character had been held back a year or two, there was no way she could have been eighteen.

These threads will never end nor will the arguments the pick and choose rejections here cause until more time is invested in screening and that would mean paying a few people and that will never happen.

While we rail against stories that slip in under the radar, there really aren't that many of them when you consider how many thousands of stories are uploaded every year on this site. Most of the obvious pedophilial writers post on other sites which have no scruples. Those that do sneak one in are often -- admittedly not always -- shot down by vigilant readers and the stories eventually go away. I see the ones that remain as an unfortunate evil. For an erotic story site that is edited and run by a very small group, Lit does an admirable job of striving to remain classy.

But no person, and no site, is perfect. I'm happy to post here because I consider myself to be in better company than I would be in on any other site on the Internet, period.

 

[slyc_willie]

Not that I read or write those kinds of stories, but the 19 year old character who pouts and sucks her finger and giggles isn't as far as I can tell at attempt to invoke underage sex. It's an attempt to combine the sexual desirability of a 19 year old's body with the total trust and total compliance of someone much more innocent. Of course, it's not the only way to portray trust and compliance; it's just much, much easier than successfully writing someone 19 who is mature for her years, and has thoughtfully and carefully chosen to love via deep compliance. The finger sucking, giggling character doesn't generally set off my underage detector but it definitely sets off my lazy writer detector, and I stop reading.

That said, if the author says a character is 19, it's 19. If it acts fourteen, that might be bad writing on the writer's part, a valid attempt to make social commentary, parody, or a twisted authorial wish that all 19 year old girls are going to be 14 next month. Luckily it's Laurel's job to sort that out, and that's convenient too, since only Laurel's opinion matters.

I'm not buying this.

There are characters described as playful and youthful, with dialogue to match the image. I did that in my story "I Believe." But the line is drawn when the character is apparently (and I use that word to denote my personal perceptions) continuously portrayed as acting like a child throughout the entirety of the story, sex and all. A character acting naive and innocent for purposes of seduction is one thing; but when they continue the behavior, and the author includes other descriptions, thoughts, and dialogue that to me seems clearly intended to portray a character that is markedly under the age of consent, then I am no longer reading a story about a woman of the age of consent who is acting a part, but a story about a child described in such a way as to intentionally arouse the reader through the character's youth.

As for keeping underage readers ff the site and what should we as writers do about it... nothing, because there's nothing you can do. And while I consider a certain amount of the writing on Lit to be somewhere between reprehensible and exceedingly vile, I'd still argue that if kids are *reading* to get their erotica fix instead of, say, redtube, snapchat or that tiny little chat site that has a name that Literotica apparently filters out of posted comments, it's upward progress of a sort.

The one suggestion I can make is that if someone contacts an author and admits they are under 18, try to report it to Laurel. But so far no one's ever admitted that to me, though a couple who claimed to be over 18 admitted they'd started reading here earlier than that. That's going to happen; if there's a cure for teens being curious about sex, I don't know what it is.

I don't think there was any mention in this discussion about underage readers; the argument about that seems pretty useless and banal to me. But I would think, if any underage reader whose parents weren't alert enough to keep their child's computer from accessing sites with adult content, and who managed to read stories on Lit . . . hell, I'd rather they read them here than on SOL or XNXX.

Otherwise known as underage.

Or, more to the point, age-play, which would still probably get a rejection from Laurel (I'm reminded of one of Boxlicker's threads several years ago in which he advertised a new story about a gang-bang for a girl on her sixth birthday . . . revealing later that she had been born on February 29th during a leap year and was thus actually twenty-four; still, the implication of the story practically had me heaving). I don't understand the appeal of age play, because it seems to me to be a "safe" alternative to actually having sex with an underaged boy or girl, but doesn't erase the intent behind the action.

 

[slyc_willie]

FWIW, I'd find this one more plausible in non-US settings. Plenty of people in Australia don't learn to drive until after they finish high school, if then; public transport is a bit better than the USA and petrol is significantly more expensive, so a lot of urbanites get by without cars.

I get what you're saying, but since the majority of Lit stories are US-based, the passage I wrote above is an example of what would cast up a red flag concerning a potential underage story.

Granted, if the story was set in Perth or Sydney, and the characters were depicted as appropriately adult, I wouldn't be bothered. I'd accept the fact that there are different laws, different rules for things outside the USA.

 

[lovecraft68]

Not that I read or write those kinds of stories, but the 19 year old character who pouts and sucks her finger and giggles isn't as far as I can tell at attempt to invoke underage sex. It's an attempt to combine the sexual desirability of a 19 year old's body with the total trust and total compliance of someone much more innocent.

Good point especially considering my wife is thirty eight and will pout for effect on occasions and of course the effect of that pout is to give the impression of being a young girl

Let's face it, where does the 'naughty school girl' rank in men's fantasies....pretty high. Now what age is that school girl in our minds? Coed? Doubtful. But depends on the guy.

She'll giggle as well, again for that little extra turn on.

So pouting and giggling does not automatically make me think the 19 year old in the story is really 13 it just means the author is using what turns men on about younger women.

The language and physical description for me is the give away of the under age.

 

[lovecraft68]

I'm not buying this.

There are characters described as playful and youthful, with dialogue to match the image. I did that in my story "I Believe." But the line is drawn when the character is apparently (and I use that word to denote my personal perceptions) continuously portrayed as acting like a child throughout the entirety of the story, sex and all. A character acting naive and innocent for purposes of seduction is one thing; but when they continue the behavior, and the author includes other descriptions, thoughts, and dialogue that to me seems clearly intended to portray a character that is markedly under the age of consent, then I am no longer reading a story about a woman of the age of consent who is acting a part, but a story about a child described in such a way as to intentionally arouse the reader through the character's youth.



I don't think there was any mention in this discussion about underage readers; the argument about that seems pretty useless and banal to me. But I would think, if any underage reader whose parents weren't alert enough to keep their child's computer from accessing sites with adult content, and who managed to read stories on Lit . . . hell, I'd rather they read them here than on SOL or XNXX.



Or, more to the point, age-play, which would still probably get a rejection from Laurel (I'm reminded of one of Boxlicker's threads several years ago in which he advertised a new story about a gang-bang for a girl on her sixth birthday . . . revealing later that she had been born on February 29th during a leap year and was thus actually twenty-four; still, the implication of the story practically had me heaving). I don't understand the appeal of age play, because it seems to me to be a "safe" alternative to actually having sex with an underaged boy or girl, but doesn't erase the intent behind the action.

Then send this post to Laurel

Because thing is all the stuff you describe as being underage end arounds are only here for you to talk about because she let's them through.

The way I see it is if a person makes the rules that person should be diligent with enforcing them...or don't bother.

What we have on lit is the equivalent to someone driving 70 in a 65 and being past by dozens of cars doing 90, but then the person doing 70 gets pulled over. Because that car was the one the cop felt like looking at.

That's what we have here, again to crack down on characters said to be 18-20 or whatever and obviously acting like they are fourteen would involve taking a closer look at a story it takes more than a two minute skim to tell if a story is breaking the rule.

We will never get that. People say "give her a break she looks at eighty stories a night."

Whose fault is that? The site makes enough to pay someone or ask for a couple of trust worthy volunteers.

Or...drop the pretense that there are rules and let the site be a free for all...at least at that point its fair for all writing and reading....you can't complain you found an underage/rape beastie story if there are no rules. You also eliminate the endless "my story was rejected for xyz and there are hundreds like it here" arguments and threads.

Whatever the rule, underage, rape, beastie, bad grammar, snuff....you hand find not a handful, not a dozens, but hundreds of violations here. Too many to tell me there is a serious effort made to enforce them.

Know who enforces the rules here? We do, we and the readers. Readers report stories, authors report stories and sometimes there are times stories are reported, nothing happens and it takes a shaming thread to get them pulled.

Carnal Flower did that with a story about a under age girl telling a story in great detail of how she was raped at eleven. Under age + rape and no effort to hide it, the author was right up front and could not have been more "here it is"

When a story like that gets through I question how serious the rules are taken by the one that created the rules.

There is a rape rule, but a non consent section...that will invite rape stories, people will say "oh, non consent, I can put rape stories here"

No beastie but a non human section....I don't give a shit if you put a horn on a horse and call it a unicorn the character is sucking a horse cock. If its furry and its fucking and people are stroking it is because they have a beastie fetish.

Underage? That rule is the only reason that makes the incest stories here different from what incest is in real life which of course is the rape, abuse, molestation of underage relatives. if the stories follow the rules here you have two 18+ consensual adult relatives playing around, it takes away the crime aspect.

That rule saves lits biggest draw from looking like asstr... if it is enforced.

Meanwhile the crime of rape is not watered down here, but glorified and drawn out and worse than real life. That and sexual trafficking which is one of the biggest crimes world wide is treated as sexy in the non consent category and well, no consent is given there they should all be rule breakers, but....

So the conclusion I have come to-and its mine I am not looking for others to agree with me-is the rules here are a damn joke. The innumerable rule breaking stories here are either the product of

1-A total "whatever" approach as in Laurel does not want to back up the story file by taking a longer time to approve stories and does not want help. or

2- the rules are wink wink and CYA to put on an air of having more standards than other sites do.

Either one? Fine, its her site, we're all guests here. Personally I play by the rules as do many here because I don't see the thrill in breaking them.

The only time it annoys me is during discussions like this where some authors start rising up in indignation about the games authors play here and how they break the rules and who are they kidding.....

when that should be directed at the person in charge of not allowing it because all examples being mentioned above could only be here if they were passed through.

There are way to many "does daddy waddy want to touch his widdle girls budding breasts" to make me think any effort is made to prevent any under age story that does not mention an age so in other words my impression is "write it, but don't be stupid and say 12, just let them act that way"

And for anyone thinking I am being an ass about that? Well I couldn't come up with that thought if those stories weren't everywhere on this site, a few through the cracks is one thing, but the number of 'acting underage" stories is ridiculous here.

It's pointless to argue our opinions when only one person is in control and this is how they want it.

 

[Carnal_Flower]

True, a giggle and.pout alone doesnt make it underage. Its that behavior combined with the tiny body combined with an 18 year old sitting on Daddy's lap.

Then there's role play,.which is a different thing. Consensual rp by adults that is self-conscious and wink wink at each other. Then a lot more is perfectly fine.

 

[DeYaKen]

Hello.

While skimming my stories page I happened to notice that a story of mine was rejected. I submitted it in March and it was accepted by Lit and was well received, getting about 15,000 views, six comments and a respectable score. After a few days I stopped checking on the stories for comments since things always slow down after stories go off the new page.

Now it shows as rejected with a reason being an underage character. I know the rules and the kid is in college. Furthermore, it's the second part of a story featuring the same characters and there was no complaints on that initial story.

There's a quote given that I assume sparked the rejection - an incredibly illiterate one mentioning that the story was "discussing" (maybe disgusting was meant) and that children could get a hold of the story.

I have resubmitted with a request for review and even added another redundant mention of the son being of age but I'm curious... Have anyone else gotten a retroactive rejection and even more importantly, how can we as writers police who gets to this site? How can you write this kind of material with that in mind? This is a new one for me, who has 95 stories under this name and about 500 in other aliases here. Thanks for any input.

Join the club. You have obviously fallen foul of the malicious reporters, There are a number of them who look upon themselves as policing their favourite categories. They report stories as either contravening the guidelines or being in the wrong category. I have my own personal malicious reporter who tries to get everything I write taken down. She was successful in getting two taken down. The first she claimed was a snuff story, it wasn't. The second she alleged was plagiarised from a book on Amazon. None of the stories in the book bore any relation to my story.

Laurel knows these people exist and does her best to recognise them. Sometimes, when she refuses to bend to their demands they will use these boards to criticise her and Lit in general. We recently saw a thread in story feedback in which the OP was whining about the fact that her report had not been taken seriously.

Sounds Like you did the right thing and I'm sure Laurel will reinstate it. The only thing I would like to see change is that I would like to see an automated PM telling the author that the story has been retrospectively rejected or moved. We don't all keep track of how many stories should be shown or check our view page everyday.

When your story gets reinstated you will probably get a few nasty anonymous comments when the reporter finds they have been unsuccessful.