Where would a story like this belong?

[loneeyes]

So, I've been toodling around with another piece, and I'm wondering what section I would submit it to when I'm done. The main action, so to speak, occurs between the narrator and his 'step-cousin,' (the daughter of his step father's brother).

Is that a close enough relationship that it should go in the Incest and Taboo section, or is not forbidden enough for the I&T crowd?

 

[RejectReality]

You're going to lose most of the Incest readership with that coupling. The farther you journey away from full blood relatives living in the same household, the less interested they are.

I honestly don't see that particular coupling as triggering the squick factor of most people for the same reason it won't appeal to the Incest readership.

Sounds like a prime candidate for the Mature category to me. The readership eats up age-difference stories.

Speaking of which, I'm supposed to be doing my first-pass edit of one right now.

Back to work.

 

[sr71plt]

I don't see any age difference implied. The daughter of the stepfather's brother would normally be in the same generation as the narrator, wouldn't she? And I don't see the implication that the narrator is old.

If there isn't anything else in it that indicates another category (not even romance?), it seems destined for Erotic Couple. Maybe we need to know more about what's in it.

 

[RejectReality]

I don't see any age difference implied. The daughter of the stepfather's brother would normally be in the same generation as the narrator, wouldn't she? And I don't see the implication that the narrator is old.

If there isn't anything else in it that indicates another category (not even romance?), it seems destined for Erotic Couple. Maybe we need to know more about what's in it.

Good point I'm half asleep here and lost track of where I was in the family tree.

I'm praying I didn't miss too much stuff in that edit I just finished because of that. Don't want to make any work for my editor than I have to.

 

[NaokoSmith]

Maybe it's a Romance? We could do with more info, although Erotic Couplings is sounding like the one at the moment.

Also, Laurel may re-assign the story if she thinks it will do better in a different category, so don't worry too much. You could put a note in the comments box to her asking her opinion. Obviously she knows a lot about categories and their readership and it's worth letting her make the choice for you.

 

[PayDay]

It's a taboo relationship.

 

[Hypoxia]

It's a taboo relationship.

Depends on the culture. Here, with no 'blood' kinship, it's hardly taboo at all in most Western cultures. It may be taboo in some subcultures if they're of the same clan or moeity. In some cultures, it may be a taboo coupling because they're too DISTANT, not too close. I've mentioned in other threads that blood-cousin marriage is (almost) MANDATORY in some cultures. So, be careful with that TABOO label. It floats.

 

[Sammael Bard]

I'd say that most stories having dilly-dallying between the people in the same family goes into Incest/Taboo

BUT....

Yours sound a bit too far related, and that too not by blood.

Go with Erotic Couplings or Romance, whatever is more prevalent between these two.

 

[PayDay]

Depends on the culture. Here, with no 'blood' kinship, it's hardly taboo at all in most Western cultures. It may be taboo in some subcultures if they're of the same clan or moeity. In some cultures, it may be a taboo coupling because they're too DISTANT, not too close. I've mentioned in other threads that blood-cousin marriage is (almost) MANDATORY in some cultures. So, be careful with that TABOO label. It floats.

Which means it can be used in a miriad of ways, like the OP's story. Splitting hairs internationally doesn't make a sexual relationship between non blood related family members any less taboo in North America, where I'm from, and where I formed this opinion.

Not everyone was OK with the end of Clueless.

 

[Hypoxia]

Which means it can be used in a miriad of ways, like the OP's story. Splitting hairs internationally doesn't make a sexual relationship between non blood related family members any less taboo in North America, where I'm from, and where I formed this opinion.

We needn't go outside the USA to see this. A Cherokee poster here mentioned the same-clan ban, and and moiety bans in other tribes. I have relatives from the Dakotas, blood first cousins of Irish descent, who married without scandalizing family and friends. I know step-siblings from Arizona who married without comment. Taboos differ among social groups, of which the USA has many. From my experience, step-cousin bans are not common in USA. Your mileage may vary.

 

[PayDay]

We needn't go outside the USA to see this. A Cherokee poster here mentioned the same-clan ban, and and moiety bans in other tribes. I have relatives from the Dakotas, blood first cousins of Irish descent, who married without scandalizing family and friends. I know step-siblings from Arizona who married without comment. Taboos differ among social groups, of which the USA has many. From my experience, step-cousin bans are not common in USA. Your mileage may vary.

Your 3 examples hardly qualify to rate the opinion of 350 million citizens, or all of Western Culture:
Which you did type----v

Depends on the culture. Here, with no 'blood' kinship, it's hardly taboo at all in most Western cultures.

I understand your POV, but a relationship between non blood related relatives IS a Taboo relationship.

Non-blood related second cousins might be a valid arguing point for EC, and it may be legal to marry since there is no blood relation, but: If the Author posts this story in EC, then people may flak comment on how it should be in I/T, whereas if the author posts it in I/T they'll hit the readership they may be looking for and may only catch flak for not being Incesty enough, which it isn't anyway since it's Taboo.

 

[nosliwec]

Just my two-cents, but the incest nature of step-anythings depends on how close of a relationship they had prior to their sexual one.

A few examples:

- Two college students meet at college and start dating. Realizing they came from the same city, they travel home together for Christmas. Both of your parents are single, either dead or divorced, you are going to be meeting their respective others only to discover your parents are dating each other. Based on irony are you now in an incestual relationship, but before you weren't?

- It's your wedding day. During your reception, you notice your mom and her dad are missing. Turns out they found a closet and were having sex. Now, that might be taboo and would fit in, but would hardly be construed as incest.

- My dad has married two other women besides my mom. These marriages happened when I was closing in on 30 and out of the house. Both women had daughters near my age. I had no previous relationship with them except they were my dad's wives' daughters. I don't even recognize these women as mothers since they did nothing to raise me. How would sex with either be construed as incest?

- As for the above example, had my dad married one of these women during my childhood and thus brought with her daughter. I'd admit this would be incest as I would now be raised with a step-sister and would have a brother-sister relationship.

Now as far as the OP is concerned, how close of a relationship did the narrator have with his step-cousin? Did they go on family vacations together? Did he watch her grow up and mature? Or were their lives spent fairly isolated?

Personally, I think he might get flak on both sides. E/C for having any kind of relationship. I/T for being too watered down.

 

[NaokoSmith]

Not everyone was OK with the end of Clueless.

Shut up and get out of here!

We used to love to watch Clueless but sadly now Piglet is just old enough to understand the innuendos - and repeat them at school! so we are eagerly looking forward to when she hits 12 and we can watch it again.

 

[loneeyes]

Shut up and get out of here!

We used to love to watch Clueless but sadly now Piglet is just old enough to understand the innuendos - and repeat them at school! so we are eagerly looking forward to when she hits 12 and we can watch it again.

I think the Clueless thing cinches it for me. Not everyone was okay with it, but most people were. Probably not going to send it to I&T.

 

[PayDay]

Shut up and get out of here!

We used to love to watch Clueless but sadly now Piglet is just old enough to understand the innuendos - and repeat them at school! so we are eagerly looking forward to when she hits 12 and we can watch it again.

...

I totally paused.

 

[PayDay]

I think the Clueless thing cinches it for me. Not everyone was okay with it, but most people were.

That's a bold claim.

 

[Hypoxia]

Is this 'Clueless' thang on television, or what?

 

[Sammael Bard]

Is this 'Clueless' thang on television, or what?

Clueless is a 1995 American comedy film loosely based on Jane Austen's 1815 novel Emma .

I think Naoko and others are talking about that.

 

[lovecraft68]

It's a taboo relationship.

In real life to a degree(although step cousin is a pretty weak taboo connection) it can be seen as taboo

But by lit standards-and lit is where it will be-it is not remotely taboo enough.

The age difference will make it perfect for mature. Its a pretty good size readership and they are generally pretty kind.

 

[sr71plt]

The age difference will make it perfect for mature. Its a pretty good size readership and they are generally pretty kind.

Once again, where's the implied age difference? They are in the same generation (the protagonist and the daughter of the protagonist's step-father's brother--his step-father and her father are same generation, so so are they) and the OP doesn't give an age category for the protagonist.

 

[lovecraft68]

Once again, where's the implied age difference? They are in the same generation (the protagonist and the daughter of the protagonist's step-father's brother--his step-father and her father are same generation, so so are they) and the OP doesn't give an age category for the protagonist.

Hmmm....I think I read another person's post about an age gap and thought I missed it in the OP.

Ah well, Erotic couplings then.

they will not respond well to it in incest and I can't see how a "step cousin" could squick anyone.

 

[Sammael Bard]

Is there a limit to the votes that can be cast in a poll?