Question about age of characters

[epiphany65]

First of all, if I've posted this in the wrong forum, I apologize...

I'm planning on writing a story where the protagonist is a single mom. Her child will be a character in the story, but under 18. Now, I in no way intend to have the child involved in anything even remotely sexual or even hint at it, but -- I'm wondering if simply having a character who's a minor still contravenes the rule about everyone being 18+ -- even if they're not sexualized. Thanks.

 

[3113]

First of all, if I've posted this in the wrong forum, I apologize...

I'm planning on writing a story where the protagonist is a single mom. Her child will be a character in the story, but under 18. Now, I in no way intend to have the child involved in anything even remotely sexual or even hint at it, but -- I'm wondering if simply having a character who's a minor still contravenes the rule about everyone being 18+ -- even if they're not sexualized. Thanks.

Perfectly okay. There are lots of stories on this site with mothers and fathers and their children featured. So long as the child is off stage when the sex occurs and has nothing to do with it, that's fine.

The only thing I'd warn you is that it might take a little extra time as references to a child might "flag" the story and get it read over more carefully. If it does get rejected, and you fear it might have been rejected for having a child in it, let us know and we'll give you info on who to talk to. Sometimes the readers, in their caution, make mistakes.

 

[epiphany65]

Thanks, 3113. I completely understand the abundance of caution when minors are mentioned and would rather it be that way then not. I sort of thought that the spirit of the rule was to prevent underage sex, but wanted to be sure the rule wasn't to be taken too literally.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

ROMEO & JULIET has the same problem. Underage sex. Dont want trash like THAT on a porn site.

 

[rgraham666]

I've had characters under 18 in my stories, as children of other characters. Lit put them up no problem.

An editor dinged me about having the male character having one of the children, a six year old girl, on his lap and cuddling her. We really a hypersensitive about some things. I'm not sure if that's good or bad.

 

[Selena_Kitt]

An editor dinged me about having the male character having one of the children, a six year old girl, on his lap and cuddling her. We really a hypersensitive about some things. I'm not sure if that's good or bad.

Christ. This world has gone crazy.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

It will get to the point where parents are afraid to even give their child a hug in sight of other people. We will become a society of people who, either don't want to be touched or crave the touch of others no matter who they are.

 

[NoJo]

I've had characters under 18 in my stories, as children of other characters. Lit put them up no problem.

An editor dinged me about having the male character having one of the children, a six year old girl, on his lap and cuddling her. We really a hypersensitive about some things. I'm not sure if that's good or bad.

I think that's a rare example of you being a little disingenuous, Rob. It's sometimes fine to cuddle a six-year-old child in real life. But when writing a porn story the context, and therefore the rules and expectations are slightly different. Plus what you wrote read as though the 6-y/o wasnt the child of the cuddler, which makes it slightly more suspect