Avoiding Crossing the Line

DBliss · Jan 1, 2009

One of my goals this year was to work on improving my writing skills by, surprise, actually writing. I've decided to hone my craft by writing erotic stories that span all genres (romance, mysteries, horror etc). I figure this would be a good way to gain experience.

Anyway to get to the point. One of the first stories I've written involves a heroine who has developed a Furry fetish. She was born with a rare medical condition that has left her hairless save for her eyelashes so fur is her thing.

She goes to a Halloween party/Furry convention (I haven't decided which one yet) where she hooks up with a man who she thinks is wearing a really great costume but is actually a furry being from another dimension something she realizes before they hit the sheets.

My question is how do I avoid crossing that sex with animals line. Is it enough that the male character is sentient, has fairly normal male parts and is from another world?

I tried searching for this but didn't come up with anything.

smoothseas · Jan 1, 2009

Not sure, but I don't think that coupling with mythical beasts is considered beastality.

DBliss · Jan 1, 2009

That's what I was thinking but I just wanted to get some second opinions about it. I like to second guess myself

Thomas_Anderson · Jan 1, 2009

Every guideline/taboo list I've ever read says that sapient fantastical beings are fine.

ELMontague · Jan 1, 2009

Agreed, if Captain Kirk could do it, you're fine.

gingerwoman · Jan 2, 2009

Yeah every taboo list I've read says as long as he is sentient it's fine.

DBliss · Jan 2, 2009

Thanks for the input. I really appreciate it.

scarletpeaches · Jan 2, 2009

ELMontague said:
Agreed, if Captain Kirk could do it, you're fine.

What? He and those tribbles were just friends!

Maryn · Jan 2, 2009

Another vote for sentient beings with naughtybits which couple well enough with human anatomy being A-OK.

That said, I think making such a story erotic could be quite the challenge. I'm intrigued, and just the smallest bit put off, by a condition which results in no body hair but which mysteriously spares eyelashes. Is there such a thing?

Maryn, stickler

DBliss · Jan 2, 2009

Maryn said:
Another vote for sentient beings with naughtybits which couple well enough with human anatomy being A-OK.

That said, I think making such a story erotic could be quite the challenge. I'm intrigued, and just the smallest bit put off, by a condition which results in no body hair but which mysteriously spares eyelashes. Is there such a thing?

Maryn, stickler

I'm a stickler for facts too sometimes at the price of writing a good story. The condition is called Alopecia Universalis or more specifically Alopecia Areata Universalis.

Technically, she is supposed to be completely hairless including no eyelashes but I decided to take a little bit of liberty and giving her some. I feel like I can do this because the disease does vary in severity. Some only lose the hair on their head or specific places of the body including beards and pubic hair. The most severe form, which my female character has, strips the afflicted of all of their body hair.

It is a rare disease but it does exist

kuwisdelu · Jan 2, 2009

If it can consent.

veinglory · Jan 2, 2009

I remembered it as no eyelashes and would suggest leaving them off (I remember the condition as one of Maplethorpe's models had it).

GirlWithPoisonPen · Jan 2, 2009

There was a great article in Vanity Fair a few years about a furry convention. It'd be worth tracking down, because it's chock full of details about how the conventions and stuff work. It was, um, an education.

DBliss · Jan 3, 2009

veinglory said:
I remembered it as no eyelashes and would suggest leaving them off (I remember the condition as one of Maplethorpe's models had it).

Is this because you think it might take away from the realness of the disease for her to have them?

There was a great article in Vanity Fair a few years about a furry convention. It'd be worth tracking down, because it's chock full of details about how the conventions and stuff work. It was, um, an education.

I've been surfing around to various furry sites (for research of course) on the net and to say the least it is very interesting stuff. Even within that community there are subgroups of thought on the subject ranging from people who think it's just fun to pretend to be animals to people who believe they animal spirits reborn as humans. I almost wish I were writing a novel instead of short story so I could explore some of the ideas I've come across.

I will see if I can find that article 'cause I seriously doubt that a furry convention will ever come to my town.

Sakamonda · Jan 3, 2009

I don't think this would cross any lines as long as a publisher states that anthropomorphized "animals" are OK.

That said, it's very important to read a publisher's list of stated taboos in their guidelines before submitting. I just had to reject a bunch of stuff for the anthology I'm editing that was otherwise well-written but broke one or more of the publisher's stated taboos. Some taboos are pretty much standard for all pubs (i.e., rape, incest, under-18, all for legal reasons) but others vary by publisher.

Brindle Chase · Jan 7, 2009

DBliss said:
Is this because you think it might take away from the realness of the disease for her to have them?

One aspect is that if you are using a real to life disease, that you try your best to be true to it.... it can be a matter of respect or disrespect to those who are afflicted with it. Does that make sense?

For example, if I wrote a story where my main character had AIDS and I presented the disease as something other than it really was, it could be construed as disrespectful or at the very least, poorly researched... See what I mean?

Stacia Kane · Jan 8, 2009

I know someone with alopecia and she has eyelashes and hair (albeit thin, but not abnormally so); hers affects her in certain circumstances only. When her children were born, frex, she lost her hair (but kept her eyelashes).

There really is, afaik, no way of saying for sure how it's going to affect someone; I'm thinking as long as you put a line in there somewhere about how it has many variations/whatever you'll be fine.

Avoiding Crossing the Line

DBliss

smoothseas

Life sucks... Then ya die...

DBliss

Thomas_Anderson

ELMontague

gingerwoman

DBliss

scarletpeaches

Maryn

I Tried

DBliss

kuwisdelu

Revolutionize the World

veinglory

volitare nequeo

GirlWithPoisonPen

Mata Hari

DBliss

Sakamonda

...

Brindle Chase

Dancing on the edge

Stacia Kane

Girl Detective