Fanfiction For Grownups-from the main list

[Simon Branford]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at y..., puddlemereunited at y... wrote:
> Dear Saitaina,

If you are after sending a message to directly to a list member then 
please do so.



> I do not think it necessary to deal with sex in a fanfiction.  You
> say  that all teenagers think about sex and want to have sex. I    
> disagree.  
> Most children the age of Harry and co. would rather spend the night 
> with a warm PlayStation than a member of the opposite sex.
> J.K. Rowling herself has done an admirable job in getting through
> four 
> books without belaboring the romance angle; in fact, the most she 
> shows in her books are what could be considered "ambivalent        
> crushes".

Most children of Harry's age? By the end of GoF Harry would be 15. It 
is worth noting that 'One in four teenagers have had sexual 
intercourse before they are 16 and some have lost their virginity as 
early as 13.' (source - BBC NewsOnline report 'Teenagers losing their 
virginity at 15' - 23/06/00 - 
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_801000/801872.stm). 
So, if the wizarding population mirrors the current UK Muggle one, 
then we would expect two of Harry's year Gryffindor housemates to 
have had sex before the end of their fifth year (not necessarily with 
each other).



> The day book five is released with a picture of Fabio with a 
> lightening bolt scar on his forehead is the day I will feel romance
> is necessary in writing HP fanfiction.

So instead we get left we a situation like the Famous Five children 
never growing up? Or Bart Simpson - the boy who never gets older? 
Romance may not be a central part in Harry's life now. It may stay 
this way. He may decide to ignore the advances of admirers, but it 
does not mean that all his classmates will not. A large volume of 
fanfic does not centre on Harry and romance is going to be happening 
with some students in that castle.



> As for sex, even when dealt with "delicately", come on, who are you 
> trying to kid?  Writing naughty stories about underage children is 
> Pervy.  Ask yourself this:  Is this something Michael Jackson might 
> do?  If the answer is yes, then it is Pervy.

Under current UK law during their fifth year students can legally 
have sex (I cannot comment on magical law - we do not know enough 
about it). So anyone writing a fic set only a little in the future 
will have the children at an age where they could be having sex. 
Before any sex you would expect some attempts at romance to happen. I 
doubt that many people jump in and have sex first, before trying 
anything else romantically related.



> Slash themes also seem to be at odds with writing within the 
> boundaries of the HP world as well.  None of the characters have 
> exhibited any sort of sexual preference besides heterosexual in the 
> books.  I fear the whole point of Slash is to help writers who     
> can't decide whether they would rather see Harry or Draco naked    
> satisfy both desires.

Rarely in the books is someones skin colour mentioned. Similarly 
sexual preference has yet to really figure, but now the characters 
are coming to an age where sex may figure then sexual preference may 
become an issue as well.

We have not seen any couples that we can be certain contain same sex 
partners, but that does not mean that there hve not been any. At the 
Yule Ball several pairs are mentioned. We do not know the sex of many 
of those mentioned and one of these pairings could easily have been 
same sex.

Seeing the Wizarding reaction to people like Rebeus (half-giant) and 
Remus (werewolf) it may easily be the case that anyone who is openly 
homosexual is similarly treated. If so then such people would be 
possibly be keeping their feelings hidden.


 
Simon

PS: Apologies if this double posts. My computer is doing silly things.