Minors in erotic literature?

[Torbjornson]

I have a story that is sexual in nature and a few characters that are minors but are not involved in the sex scenes in any way. Will my story be rejected because I mention children in the story in a non sexual manner. I only ask because a previous story was rejected for a characters backstory mentioning the individual in a non sexual manner.

 

[KeithD]

Maybe, maybe not. Quite often the writer doesn't agree with the site editor on what sexual activity is. Rethink why you have someone in the story not of age at all and what connection in any way that character has to the sex in the story--then if you're confident there's no connection, submit and take your chances. Without having the text to look at, there's no further help you can get from those on the discussion board--just a lot of anecdotes that may/may not have anything to do with your example and most likely will just muddy the whole issue up.

 

[oggbashan]

It might be useful to add a note that the minors are not involved in sex.

 

[KeithD]

It might be useful to add a note that the minors are not involved in sex.

That's pretty meaningless. It would be no less based on a misunderstanding of what the site editor considers sex than what was originally written did. I think such disclaimers only raise a red flag of "maybe there's something wrong here."

 

[oggbashan]

It has worked for me in the past when I had minors in a story...

 

[SimonDoom]

A story will not be rejected by Literotica just because it has sex in it and because it has minors in it.

This is Literotica's rule on the subject:

The following is prohibited: "sexual activity involving characters under the age of 18 (including but not limited to explicit sexual discussion, voyeurism, exhibitionism, fantasizing, masturbation, and graphic sexualized descriptions, in addition to actual sexual intercourse)."

Source: https://www.literotica.com/faq/publishing/publishing-guidelines.

Problems arise in the following situations:

1. Authors refuse to acknowledge what "sexual activity" is at Literotica. A narrator recalling his sexual feelings about his sister or mother or someone else at the age of 16 can be "sexual activity." It's broad. Steer clear of everything like this, and you'll probably be OK.

2. Getting cute about a character being over/under 18. If you say a character is over 18 but you describe the character in every meaningful substantive way as being immature and under 18, then you may run afoul of the rule. If the character is a high school senior or junior and you say nothing about the character's age, then you may run afoul of the rule.

 

[NewOldGuy77]

I often mention minor children in a non-sexual way, never had a problem with it. The one time I had a story sent back, it was because of an adult's childhood recollection, witnessing his grandparents having sex. I had to rewrite the scene and delete that reference.

 

[KeithD]

It has worked for me in the past when I had minors in a story...

That's wonderful for you, but irrelevant. Putting a disclaimer doesn't change anything about what was actually put in the text or the writer's understanding of the issue when doing so. All it really does is suggest there may be a problem.

 

[oggbashan]

There is perceived to be a problem when children are mentioned in any story. I suspect it is scanned by bots and flagged up for closer attention.

 

[Trionyx]

I've written a few stories where the main characters well over the age of 18 have children who play a part in the story but are in no way a part of the sexual lives of the adults. They're just kids going trick-or-treating or going to school, etc. No problems with that depiction at all.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

Kids being in a story is fine as long as they're well away from the sex. I recently posted a story set in a kids' summer camp. The adults' tents were specified as being out of earshot of the children. No problem.

When authors are rejected, it's almost always because minors thinking about sex or finding someone attractive is deemed 'sex' on Lit and not allowed.

 

[tenyari]

Was thinking about this recently.

In the epilogue of a story I'm editing, the 3 year old toddler of one character finds another in a supermarket and gets them all into a hug. The mother of the toddler is a human-like "alien" (Star Trek alien and not realistic alien) with a species wide condition that prevents her from wearing clothes on Earth (because that's the hook of the whole CMNF story) - while I studiously avoided mentioning that in this scene, which is written to give the character 'family closure', I lightly touched on it's impact.

Ora was always an inquisitive; sort getting away from me anytime I so much as looked away. I knew she was safe, even as a Chromatic with a different skin color every few hours, a three year old Alien child with bright violet hair stood out, and her nanites meant I always knew where she was and if she was OK. But I didn't know who she had found.

"Mamá, your painting!" she called out. I looked up and there he was; Silverio.

She was holding him by the pant leg as he fumbled with a tomato he had been trying to examine. He was looking at her with a very curious look, but when he turned to look at me, his smile spoke of endless regret. Ora handed him her Octopus plushy and said "don't be sad Mr. Painting." The nanites had given her an easier time with language than your typical three year old.

[... clipped a few paragraphs of dialogue and events...]

I lost all sense of self control and ran over and into Silverio, hugging him as I lightly punched him in the chest with both hands, then hugging him again and crying into his shoulder. "I... um... are you OK?" he asked me. His clothing itched against my skin to no end, but I was beyond caring.​

- That last sentence is a nod to her condition.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Keep the children at least five hundred words away from the adult sexual content, and make it explicit that they're not present when you do get to sex; and leave a note for Laurel.

I have several stories with babies and new-borns, a toddler in a pram (later, off with grandma), a premenarche girl who experiences her first period. None of which are even remotely sexualised, none of which caused any problems with Laurel - a Note to the Editor letting her know the underage presence, stories passed without a glitch.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Keep the children at least five hundred words away from the adult sexual content, and make it explicit that they're not present when you do get to sex; and leave a note for Laurel.

I have several stories with babies and new-borns, a toddler in a pram (later, off with grandma), a premenarche girl who experiences her first period. None of which are even remotely sexualised, none of which caused any problems with Laurel - a Note to the Editor letting her know the underage presence, stories passed without a glitch.

This

 

[Jmanchu]

... If the character is a high school senior or junior and you say nothing about the character's age, then you may run afoul of the rule.

Oh. I've got a story in the works revolving a high school senior and his teacher(currently under beta reading). So that means I should clearly indicate the male character's age inside the story? Aside from him being in high school, I kind of described him in a way to make him seem a man or manly, not really a kid or a boy at all. Would a simple "disclaimer: All characters involved in any sexual situation are adults 18+ of age. No kiddies here" right at the start be fine?

 

[SimonDoom]

Oh. I've got a story in the works revolving a high school senior and his teacher(currently under beta reading). So that means I should clearly indicate the male character's age inside the story? Aside from him being in high school, I kind of described him in a way to make him seem a man or manly, not really a kid or a boy at all. Would a simple "disclaimer: All characters involved in any sexual situation are adults 18+ of age. No kiddies here" right at the start be fine?

You can do that, and it may work. Many authors use such disclaimers. I don't.

I prefer to deal with the issue within the body of the story, because it seems like a more legitimate and authentic way to deal with it (to me). If my character is young, such as a senior in high school or a young college student, I'll usually mention at some point what their age is. And I usually will try to describe the character in a way that they seem plausibly over 18. That's all you really have to do.

 

[Jmanchu]

You can do that, and it may work. Many authors use such disclaimers. I don't.

I prefer to deal with the issue within the body of the story, because it seems like a more legitimate and authentic way to deal with it (to me). If my character is young, such as a senior in high school or a young college student, I'll usually mention at some point what their age is. And I usually will try to describe the character in a way that they seem plausibly over 18. That's all you really have to do.

Aight, good to know. Might do the disclaimer for this one since I've already written and edited it.

But if I ever have any characters in future stories that tap dance on that fine line of 18+ I'll definitely write their age in the story. I Appreciate the tips.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Aight, good to know. Might do the disclaimer for this one since I've already written and edited it.

But if I ever have any characters in future stories that tap dance on that fine line of 18+ I'll definitely write their age in the story. I Appreciate the tips.

Disclaimers are meaningless. It's how you write the characters that's the thing.

There are plenty of disclaimers at the top of stories featuring "age written down" characters that fool no-one: eighteen year olds acting as if they're fourteen (or at a stretch, fifteen), or delicate male gymnasts that are described as twenty-two, but read as fifteen year old twinks, five foot four with tight little buns. Sure, you can read twenty-two, but yeah, right, wink wink.

We've all graduated high school, who cares? Don't tap dance. Write adults doing adult sexual things, problem solved.

 

[Jmanchu]

Disclaimers are meaningless. It's how you write the characters that's the thing.

There are plenty of disclaimers at the top of stories featuring "age written down" characters that fool no-one: eighteen year olds acting as if they're fourteen (or at a stretch, fifteen), or delicate male gymnasts that are described as twenty-two, but read as fifteen year old twinks, five foot four with tight little buns. Sure, you can read twenty-two, but yeah, right, wink wink.

We've all graduated high school, who cares? Don't tap dance. Write adults doing adult sexual things, problem solved.

Should have specified: By tap dancing means the character being that literal age of being 18 or near it in technical terms, not so much the "age written down" or the character being a literal kids in mini adult age bodies and manbuns. That sounds like tap dancing a little past that line and doing a jig before hopping back, not near the line.

Story I'm writing is about a frustrated senior with school issues who is crushing on a hot lady teacher. Him being in highschool is the "tap dance" that made me worried when I read this thread. Aside from the being in highschool part, the male character is written to be like a young adult in description. There is no real hint or confusion to suggest he seems underage.

And I don't care for twink or "delicate male" or any kind of homosexual or homoerotic stuff for that matter so none of that would ever be in any of my works but I digress. And I don't really care for the lolita or creepily underage girl stuff since we're on the topic of "age written down." Although I do mess with that schoolgirl stuff(that's the only line I tap dance there). Ya boi is a freak that way. I don't think I'm going to have any characters that act like technically legal age lolis or any dude equivalent of that. So I guess I'm safe?

P.S. Manbuns look ridiculous.

Edit: I just realized just now, this whole time, by "tight buns," you didn't mean manbuns the hairstyle, at all.

 

[Smuttyandfun]

Several stories that I've written have children in them, some fairly young. Like: Mating Season, Taste of Temptation and most recently, That Little Spark. As one would probably do in real life, I don't let the kids see the couple doing anything that might confuse them. So, no long lingering kisses, no fondling, and obviously nothing sexy if the kids are nearby. I never had a problem getting them published, even without a disclaimer.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Should have specified: By tap dancing means the character being that literal age of being 18 or near it in technical terms, not so much the "age written down" or the character being a literal kids in mini adult age bodies and manbuns. That sounds like tap dancing a little past that line and doing a jig before hopping back, not near the line.

I know what you meant.

We've had plenty wander through here who put Fred Astaire and Maurice Chevalier to shame with their dancing the line. It's like the Winter Olympics at times, to be honest - they don't just skate the thin ice, they crash through it.

 

[Jmanchu]

I know what you meant.

We've had plenty wander through here who put Fred Astaire and Maurice Chevalier to shame with their dancing the line. It's like the Winter Olympics at times, to be honest - they don't just skate the thin ice, they crash through it.

Ahh it's a case of the "Since Ya boi over there Jay said 'tap dancing on that line' Just gonna take this as the perfect moment to make an FYI, a public service announcement for no one in particular... -looks at the random forum lurking neckbearded reader sporting a manbun who is perusing this thread while taking time off writing his spicy *1000 year old animu dragon loli girl* fanfiction- No lolis or delicate little men in manbuns"

 

[KeithD]

Anything you write that needs the dynamics of high school can be written to a junior college scenario, which can have the same dynamics at an acceptable age. If you have to write high school, you are flashing the age consideration

 

[Jmanchu]

Anything you write that needs the dynamics of high school can be written to a junior college scenario, which can have the same dynamics at an acceptable age. If you have to write high school, you are flashing the age consideration

Exceeept... The story includes a setting of afterschool detention. I'd have to rewrite it a little bit including the dialogue. Which seems like a bit of a pain. Welp. All I can say is I'll have to see how the mods feel about it, hope they don't mind, but the story isn't a kid or a naive inexperience student with a more mature lady teacher.

In fact, the student is the sexually experienced one(strongly hinted by his behavior that he knows what he's doin once things get busy. There's no backstory on his sexual resume.) taking charge in the situation, and the teacher the virgin.

Anyways, one way to find out right? If they do reject, I'm not going to be sour. I'll just figure it out as I go along. Like I always do.

 

[KeithD]

There are no MODs selecting stories here. The MODs deal with the discussion board. The story file is entirely separate. There is only one selection editor at Literotica. That's Laurel, who also owns the place. That makes her view of what gets posted here doubly and totally her call. A writer can play all of the "Exceeept, it's got to be high school," they want to. If it looks high school to her she won't pass it. That's the bottom line. If you want to post stories on this particular Web site, just drop all of gaming of getting around the age restriction of this story site, which is based on what the editor actually sees in the story--only Laurel's perception valid--not any disclaimers or cute bypass attempts.

You can require a junior college student stay after class if they don't want to be bounced out of school just as well as a high school student. If you have to cling to high school you are clinging to underage signaling and you should be posting your story to another site.