Message Board Topic For 8/6

[Comsie]

By now, you've probably read hundreds, if not thousands of pages of online text, from a wild variety of different authors from around the globe. Each and every single story, whether it's a stand alone story or a series, a short one or a long one, a good one or...well, you know, (Hehehe!) has been trying to tell their own story. From a different perspective, a different angle, a different voice. Everyone has a story.

 

But not everybody writes that story down to share with others. Which still leaves a very big library worth of stuff for you guys to read...but I'm sure there are a few things that you'd LIKE to see in a story, but haven't come across yet.

 

So my question to you guys this week is....'what's missing'? What is it that YOU want to see that you haven't seen yet? What do you think is lacking in the themes and characters and content of the stories you read online? Maybe there's a personal issue that you relate to, and nobody has really dealt with realistically. Or maybe it's something that people seem to 'touch' on, but never go in depth like you want them to. Maybe there's a particular character that you're looking to see or to read about, and nobody seems to really develop anyone like that. Or perhaps there are entire genres of storytelling that you would love to see adopted into gay erotica. Whatever it is, let us know! What's missing, and how can we get those stories made?

[JamesSavik]

Gay online fiction comes in several forms and all of them have some drawbacks. I will discuss two:

 

The first one, I will call the coming out/coming of age story: it typically goes like this: scared closet kid/good family/cool friends, finds boy friend, come outs- everything is hunkie-dorie. This strikes me as at best wishful thinking or at worse pro-gay propaganda. I don't personally know anyone who came out without some resistance or blow-back and writing stories that make kids think that is typical is setting them up for a huge disappointment. In those situations where people tell you that it was painless, I will kindly suggest that their memory is selective.

 

The second big theme seems to be first love/sex: we have already covered a number of weaknesses in this story form. Inexperienced middle schoolers having sex is not exactly astonishing but the way it is often written is remarkably and embarrassingly bad. They may be curious about a number of practices but very rarely will they go past the mutual wank and/or oral. The idea of anal sex to this age group is something terrifying that happens in prison.

 

 

Another area that I am critical of: Protagonists in a great deal of gay fiction are perfect. They are All-American, all-As, well adjusted, popular, wouldn't dare drink or smoke pot and have perfect teeth. Gay fiction gives the rich preppies plenty of attention because they are cute and unthreatening, it gives little or no attention to their oppisite.

 

Gay kids are often identified as rebels or delienquents- especially masculine affect gay adolescents. They get in fights, and are prone toward the dark side: drinking/drugs, are involved in petty crime, do poorly or drop out of school. Their behavior often overcompensates for expected gender norms. Gay kids in this group are labeled as criminal, delenquents and thugs. They are often dealt with harshly by law enforcement. Many times their home life is a mess with missing, neglectful or abusive parents. They are the hustler that kicks the John in the balls and steals his wallet.

 

These people are not easy to read or write about. Sometimes they don't even make very sympathetic characters. Their stories aren't very pretty and are sometimes quite short and tragic.

 

This is who I was. These are the people I knew. I write their stories because I am the last. Every word is a hot branding-iron on my soul because I would really rather forget.

 

I don't think that I have ever met any of orthodox gay fiction's "perfect preppies". They would annoy the hell out of me if I did.

[Irony]

I agree. The most annoying thing to read about, for me, is the perfect boy with his perfect life and his perfect boyfriend who gives him perfect sex. Life doesn't work like that. People make mistakes, and it doesn't always turn out good in the end. Don't get me wrong; I sometimes enjoy reading the 'Perfect Kid' stories. But sometimes, the downside is always good to read about too.

I've also read many stories where the kid finds his guy, THEN comes out. I rarely read a story just about the guy's 'coming out' process. It's not just a small issue that's only worth a paragraph or so. It's an important (and sometimes very hard) step in a guy's life.

And more stuff like GFD. Because it r teh own.

 

 

I can't be bothered to write more as it's late and I'm sleepy.

Night.

 

p.s. James, you think too much.

[Krytan]

I am a fantasy freak. I love stories about Elves, Dragons, Wizards and magic. I have made attempts at writing stories in this genre but am very unsuccessful. I just don't have what it takes to envision an original saga. I can write, not very good, a short story, but epics, no way. But in my mind I see all kinds of possiblities in this genre. A boy who is sold to elves, who through love of a young elf, finds a peculair magic that is more powerful than any the elves themsleves possess. A boy is sent into a dragons lair to care for the young dragons needs and discovers the dragon through its magic can change into the human form of a youngling boy. An urchin boy with no way of support apprentices himself with an old wizard that has lived the hermit life way to long. Together they find what each has missed out in their lives. And lastly, boys with magic. Magic to do whatever they desire. Invisibility to spy on friends. Potions that make people do stupid stuff.

 

You just don't find much along this line of story telling. "The Kandric Saga, is one of my online favorite stories in this genre, but unfortunately, episodes are few and very far between.

 

So this is what I would like to see more of in stories.

[Whatsifsowhatsit2]

The first one, I will call the coming out/coming of age story: it typically goes like this: scared closet kid/good family/cool friends, finds boy friend, come outs- everything is hunkie-dorie. This strikes me as at best wishful thinking or at worse pro-gay propaganda. I don't personally know anyone who came out without some resistance or blow-back and writing stories that make kids think that is typical is setting them up for a huge disappointment. In those situations where people tell you that it was painless, I will kindly suggest that their memory is selective.

 

May I suggest this isn't quite true, as far as I'm concerned? When I came out, I dealt with good family and cool friends and didn't really face any resistance at all, and this is me remembering clearly, unselectively

Sure, I was never scared in the first place about it, and I didn't find a boyfriend for much later, but still...

 

The second big theme seems to be first love/sex: we have already covered a number of weaknesses in this story form. Inexperienced middle schoolers having sex is not exactly astonishing but the way it is often written is remarkably and embarrassingly bad. They may be curious about a number of practices but very rarely will they go past the mutual wank and/or oral. The idea of anal sex to this age group is something terrifying that happens in prison.

 

Well, I don't completely agree here either I'm afraid... it wasn't a terrifying prison activity to me but I do also believe that this age group would indeed often be hesitant.

 

*~*~*~*~*

 

Myself, I often look for the stories where the struggles the protagonist goes through have to do with a lack of mental strength, eg motivational problems. I should say, especially things like motivational problems (can't really think of anything else at the moment). Most of the stories I read have the main character working their asses off for school and jobs and such things, and then either just getting by (most of the time) or just not getting by... or of course they have no problem with it at all and make straight As... anyway - I would like stories where the main character doesn't do these things like he should and doesn't work as hard as he could on this, but gives in to the temptation to not do anything, even at critical moments. I don't see enough characters in stories with that as a serious weakness.

 

By the way Krytan, I really liked some of those ideas for fantasy stories