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ivyblossomWe've been having this discussion on veela inc about ratings, and under aged readers. I'm conflicted about this. I don't really have a problem with kids reading my fics, quite frankly. Even when they get graphic. First, I don't think I write anything too squickeh to start with. And you'd have to be a pretty dumb kid not to have heard of the stuff I write about. At least I write about it in very *loving* situations.
Wait, why is that better?
Wait, why don't we want kids to know about sex? Oh, right, it's a legal question. Sure. I say...heck...my first lemon is stuck at part 8. If you made it through 8 parts and are still reading, clearly you're fairly mature. I mean, really. I guess I should stop advertising it as a lemon, since I've now been told that it's not one. And the second one is part 12 and not called anything suggestive. Well, it is. But you'd have to be smart enough to know what 'meta' means I guess. (Meta-physical metaphysical). And I buried the graphic bits in lots of musing. So if you can read it just for the sex, goody for you. And there are still some things I won't mention because they REALLY shatter my illusion that Harry and Draco as actually girls. And while Adaddon thinks they're girls because I made a butch femme joke (fair enough), it's actually located in other places. As well, perhaps, but other places.
Anyway. So I've been pondering the idea of ratings. I honestly don't like the idea of purposely keeping subject matter away from kids. I think 'NO YOU CAN'T READ THAT' is a more dangerous statement than anything I've written.
And that being said, I just upped Belong to NC-17 on ff.net, because...well, because Libertine thinks I should. I that a good reason? Probably not. She rates everything NC-17. Actually, I think I did it in the end because I realized I was dealing with some brutal topics. Abusive issues and violence. I hadn't thought about this too much before, because, to be honest, it's mostly just hinted at, and even then, not very often. There is about 2 lines of an actual unconcentual act made to look like a concentual act, and beyond that, I just have hints and whispers of things. But I suspect that those hints and whispers are a lot louder than the amount of space they take up. And they motivate one of the main characters a fair lot.
It is strange that writing that thing has forced me to confront a lot of who I am? No, not just writing it. Writing it and experiencing the feedback on it. Trying to create a character who is everything I don't know how to deal with, and everything I want in a person. That was accidental. I'm drawn to the 'bad' ones, what can I say. I can't write him without making him dead sexy and charming. Do I want to by a martyr? The desire to heal and protect is very very seductive. And foolish. Something which was kind of the point. And rather cutting to me. Again, the point.
So it's an NC-17 now. I wonder if that will actually draw more or less hits, to be honest. Since making it NC-17 does nothing except force a new pop-up window to make you lie. Tell me kids don't just go through anyway. Right, but then they can't complain. I have yet to get a complaint. So I'm conflicted. At least if some mother somewhere finds her 14 year old reading the tail end of Belong and getting a bit sniffly, she'll see that i TRIED to keep her child out. Is that the idea?
What the hell does 'Restricted' mean, then? Eeek.
Quite conflicted. Kind of wondering how all these conversations with Belong!Draco will affect me writing him. Will it make it easier or harder? In the end, he is still mine, isn't he? Or.
Wait, why is that better?
Wait, why don't we want kids to know about sex? Oh, right, it's a legal question. Sure. I say...heck...my first lemon is stuck at part 8. If you made it through 8 parts and are still reading, clearly you're fairly mature. I mean, really. I guess I should stop advertising it as a lemon, since I've now been told that it's not one. And the second one is part 12 and not called anything suggestive. Well, it is. But you'd have to be smart enough to know what 'meta' means I guess. (Meta-physical metaphysical). And I buried the graphic bits in lots of musing. So if you can read it just for the sex, goody for you. And there are still some things I won't mention because they REALLY shatter my illusion that Harry and Draco as actually girls. And while Adaddon thinks they're girls because I made a butch femme joke (fair enough), it's actually located in other places. As well, perhaps, but other places.
Anyway. So I've been pondering the idea of ratings. I honestly don't like the idea of purposely keeping subject matter away from kids. I think 'NO YOU CAN'T READ THAT' is a more dangerous statement than anything I've written.
And that being said, I just upped Belong to NC-17 on ff.net, because...well, because Libertine thinks I should. I that a good reason? Probably not. She rates everything NC-17. Actually, I think I did it in the end because I realized I was dealing with some brutal topics. Abusive issues and violence. I hadn't thought about this too much before, because, to be honest, it's mostly just hinted at, and even then, not very often. There is about 2 lines of an actual unconcentual act made to look like a concentual act, and beyond that, I just have hints and whispers of things. But I suspect that those hints and whispers are a lot louder than the amount of space they take up. And they motivate one of the main characters a fair lot.
It is strange that writing that thing has forced me to confront a lot of who I am? No, not just writing it. Writing it and experiencing the feedback on it. Trying to create a character who is everything I don't know how to deal with, and everything I want in a person. That was accidental. I'm drawn to the 'bad' ones, what can I say. I can't write him without making him dead sexy and charming. Do I want to by a martyr? The desire to heal and protect is very very seductive. And foolish. Something which was kind of the point. And rather cutting to me. Again, the point.
So it's an NC-17 now. I wonder if that will actually draw more or less hits, to be honest. Since making it NC-17 does nothing except force a new pop-up window to make you lie. Tell me kids don't just go through anyway. Right, but then they can't complain. I have yet to get a complaint. So I'm conflicted. At least if some mother somewhere finds her 14 year old reading the tail end of Belong and getting a bit sniffly, she'll see that i TRIED to keep her child out. Is that the idea?
What the hell does 'Restricted' mean, then? Eeek.
Quite conflicted. Kind of wondering how all these conversations with Belong!Draco will affect me writing him. Will it make it easier or harder? In the end, he is still mine, isn't he? Or.
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Ratings...
Date: 2002-02-07 06:42 pm (UTC)But I totally understand the confusion with the ratings. And personally, I don't see the point in having them unless it's just to say that what you're writing is for mature readers. As for kids reading it...if they read, then aren't they mature enough to handle it? It's like if they ask the question, then they're mature enough to know the answer? I think the whole rating thing is for the hyper-worried-militant parents out there who are under the impression that their children are still at a kindergarden level of innocence when they've already migrated into high school vocab. >.< Which kind of makes you wonder in that situation who exactly is the naive one... *shrugs* I've known some thirteen year olds with more maturity than the college aged kids I see walking around campus.
The only time I really think NC-17 needs to be used is when there are explicit sex scenes. But that's just my opinion. I've seen people who've written these cute kiss-only slash fics and given them a NC-17 rating just because it's slash. *shrugs*
And I haven't read "Belong" but I read your "Haven" and adored it...I loved the reasonings you gave Draco for making the choices he made, and I loved that Voldie made the decision to betray Harry seem so logical to Harry. I just love that entire concept...the idea that even though it *sounds* logical, it doesn't always follow that it's the right thing to do. I just loved the fic, when I get the time, I'm going to have to read "Belong"...
Re: Ratings...
Date: 2002-02-07 07:34 pm (UTC)Belong has some graphic sex in it. Well, it really is graphic, even though everyone says 'it's not really all that graphic'. It doesn't FEEL graphic because it's buried in all this musing and crap like that. But it is just as graphic as, say, daisychain!draco, or something. Yes indeed. So I upped the rating. Bah. I still feel a little sick over it.
I know what you mean, though. Some things SHOULD be highly rated. Like, say, the Hermione/McGonagall/Dumbledore/dildo/Crookshanks fic I saw today. Twincest, I'd say. PWP sex fics. Fics that are extremely violent or disturbing. Things that give people nightmares. But...I'm kinda thinking while we make a distinction between nudity in porn and nudity in art...I think we can make a distinction between...hmmm...well, forms of sex in fic, too. Not that I want to make the formula.
Holy ramble.
Much love,
Ivy
no subject
Date: 2002-02-15 11:31 pm (UTC)Your fic is gentle about it, at least.
Sorry if this is unwelcome or offensive. It was not meant to be.
necroracle@yahoo.com