Age's Role

Well I think it would be fine, the age could give them more to debate over. Or more to set good differences, each generation has differing morals, education and ways. Anyway the most important thing is the story, make sure you have that smooth and everything should eventually fall into place. Good luck and good writing to you..

it depends on what you want them to do. I have an easier time buying a 19 year old doing certain things or holding certain views than a 45 year old.

Is it necessary to give them an age at all? Can you write teh story and they see how old they feel?

Why should a 19 year old man and a 32 year old woman team be a problem? I deal with that in real life so why not in a story? The 19 year old would bring to the table all the confidence of youth and the 32 year old would bring all the confidence of experience. Not to mention all the prejudices that both ages have.

dirtsider said:

Why should a 19 year old man and a 32 year old woman team be a problem? I deal with that in real life so why not in a story? The 19 year old would bring to the table all the confidence of youth and the 32 year old would bring all the confidence of experience. Not to mention all the prejudices that both ages have.

Click to expand...

QFT.

After high school, we are rarely segregated into neat age categories.

Besides that, age is far less a factor in personality than life experiences are. There are 32 year old women who have been burnt in love and have no hope for romance just as there are 19 year old women who have been burnt by love and see no hope for romance. There are 19 year old guys who think more often with the little head than they do with the big one, but there are also 19 year old guys who are the most chivalrous and polite men you could ever meet, of any age.

I know 30 somethings who have a lust for adventure, as they realize they are "settling down" and are afraid of becoming "old" or "boring." I know 30-somethhings who have dug themselves into a rut and are quite content never, ever coming out again.

I know young people who are more responsible than people twice their age.

I know people who think that love is love, regardless of age. I know some people who think men and women should never be alone in the same room because "something might happen." And there are people who think that men and women can be friends without any sexual overtones.

Write your characters as people and don't worry about age-- worry about how you portray them on the page.

That's funny, the MCs in my most active WIP are 19 and 32. IMO, age is just a number, and not often even relevant to the story (as in, I can't remember the last time I felt it necessary to give a character's exact age in the MS). Differences of culture, experience, and personality can result in a young person being much more mature than an older person. I know I was more mature than my ex-boyfriend's mother, lol.

So, basically, I think age is irrelevant. Just come up with interesting characters and don't worry about their ages.

Do you want tension or do you want smooth sailing? If the latter, make them all the same-aged vanilla. Or you can push the reader with things that may be unexpected or that may seem a strange. And so what if there are some weird feelings between pairs of unmatched ages. I can think of all kinds of ways that can play out to the benefit of a story.

jillianburks said:

In one of the groups I wanted a younger man- 19 years old- and an older female- 32 years old; then I ran into the opinion that this would be awkard at times because of their age difference.

Click to expand...

Awkwardness is good for your story. It creates conflict, which creates awkwardness, which creates conflict.

Dale

jillianburks said:

I'm writing an adventure about three groups that have to battle to a finish line. In my story, I wanted a diversity in ages. I got all the beginnings nailed down but got stuck when I came to the age column. In the groups there is a male and a female. In one of the groups I wanted a younger man- 19 years old- and an older female- 32 years old; then I ran into the opinion that this would be awkard at times because of their age difference. Ther will be NO sexual content between the two, but I worry that some may make it look wrong.

Click to expand...

If they take it wrong let it be THEIR problem. Have we come to the point where we now see pedophilia around every corner? Now we can't have anybody over 21 do anything at all with anybody under 21 without being suspected of illicit sexual contact? My God, get a grip. (not you - the people who told you that it would be awkward. )

I would go for the mix of ages. While I don't think it's necessary to have different ages I think it would make for a more interesting story.

misa101 said:

Is it necessary to give them an age at all? Can you write teh story and they see how old they feel?

Click to expand...

I think this is an interesting point.

In many circumstances it's fair to give a character's specific age (eg, if they're about to retire/graduate) but I don't think it's essential.

You should have an appreciation of where your character's are in life -their aspirations, experiences, ideals, outlook- and by and large that will locate them in an age group, but I wouldn't feel compelled to ever say this character IS 27.

The way you write them will dictate how old they feel to the reader, and placing a definitive label on them will not inherently change that.

I agree with all the above posters. The age differences give you tons of options while you write. I for one would enjoy reading it. Good luck

jane

jillianburks said:

I'm writing an adventure about three groups that have to battle to a finish line. In my story, I wanted a diversity in ages. I got all the beginnings nailed down but got stuck when I came to the age column. In the groups there is a male and a female. In one of the groups I wanted a younger man- 19 years old- and an older female- 32 years old; then I ran into the opinion that this would be awkard at times because of their age difference. Ther will be NO sexual content between the two, but I worry that some may make it look wrong.

So my question is, would having three men and three women from the ages of 22-27 be too... boring? Would an age diversity really shake things up or should I just concentraite on my story?

How imortant of a role does age play?

Click to expand...

If I was 19, I would be glad to have sex with a 32 year-old. I did as a matter of fact, and older at every opportunity. Well, actually, at 17 with a 37 YO divorced women. Yip Yip. It was great fun and paid off later.

So, you're wrong in that opinion.

Age will show up in challenges and obsticals faced, knowledge and experience in situations that youth may not have encountered.
Physically, until one gets into their mid-forties you can pretty much do anything a 20 YO can do.

Put an old guy and a young girl together, or vice-versa, and he can tell her what they need to do to get over the mountain. She can be his crutch and help him physically get over the mountain.

Ken Schneider said:

So, you're wrong in that opinion.

Click to expand...

It's not wrong. It's an opinion.

Also, declaring that any event or occurrence will automatically be believable in fiction, on the basis that it's something that happened in real life is a mistake (if that's what you're saying).

Plenty of things happen in real life that wouldn't work in fiction; different rules apply.

Ken Schneider said:

Physically, until one gets into their mid-forties you can pretty much do anything a 20 YO can do.

Click to expand...

To clear up a common misconception of the young, a person's physical capabilities don't fall off a cliff when that person gets into his/her 40s or even 50s. Yes, professional athletes reach their peaks before the 40s and typically aren't able to compete into their 40s, but we're talking about average people here. And we're talking about the kind of physical activities that are involved in adult relationships. If 40-yard dash times are important for sex or any other aspect of personal interrelationships, then I'll concede to this opinion. Oh, and a 50-something may not be able to hold a keg-handstand as long as a 20-something, unless that 50-something is heavy into Yoga, in which case he/she could put all of the 20-somethings to shame. I think today's young 'uns are going to be pleasantly surprised when they get into their 40s and 50s. And they'll be equally dismayed when the then-20-somethings make statements like the one quoted above.

And if anyone thinks quality sex is all about athleticism, they have a hell of a lot to learn about it, particularly since it doesn't require great strength, great agility or Olympic endurance. Chances are, if one HAS to rely on these things, he/she is missing the boat (and likely the little man in the boat).

I'd go with the age difference. Mainly because of the following anectode.

I just finished a book (The Book Thief) where a 13yo girl has a very special relationship with a man in his mid-twenties, yet it's never sexual. In fact, it was very clever, because the narrator did at one point provide a scene that would suggest there was something going on between them. I was really shocked — not because of the age difference, but because the story had never hinted at that before. And then, when the narrator described the events leading up to the scene, the innocence was restored.

This all seemed rather impressive to me when I read the book (and now too).

john barnes on toast said:

It's not wrong. It's an opinion.

Also, declaring that any event or occurrence will automatically be believable in fiction, on the basis that it's something that happened in real life is a mistake (if that's what you're saying).

Plenty of things happen in real life that wouldn't work in fiction; different rules apply.

Click to expand...

I believe that any 19 YO male would be glad to do a 32 YO woman.

I don't see where you think real life wouldn't be believeable fiction?

If one 19 YO male would do it, then it's not opinion. I believe you'd find more than one.

As to the age thing and doing what a 20 YO could do. You will get sore in your mid-forties doing things that you wouldn't get sore doing in your twenties.

I suppose those who did little or nothing most of their lives in the way of hard labor or didn't play softball for 20 years thrice a week, it is possible that your body would hold up better in you mid-forties.

I know at my age of 48, I can't jump, run, walk forever, or do flips and not feel some pain the next day. When I was 20 that wasn't the case.

I'll admit that I've worked like a rented mule my whole life, and played softball for a long time. I can take the blame for wearing myself out. I knew it was time to quit softball when I didn't heal up after the spring practices in my last season playing at the age of 42. I stayed sore the whole season, unlike season's past.

As for sex, no I haven't seen the drop off yet. And, it is natural for your metabolism to slow down. Beer bellies and wide hips tend to grow on those in thier 40's.

Now, there are those people who are work out nuts who can keep themselves in tip-top shape. In my line of work, I'm lucky to be walking after the day is over. To excercise I'd need an outside source of energy and a interchangeable set of legs.

I see no problem with a 19 YO and a 32 YO having a relationship, sexual or otherwise.

Ken Schneider said:

I don't see where you think real life wouldn't be believeable fiction?

Click to expand...

That's not what I said, or meant.

I was just responding to your post, in which you cited a personal experience in order to clarify whether an event or scenario would work in a fictional context, and I just wanted to say that is not automatically true.

We've all experienced improbable things in our lives, but just because they really did happen it won't have any bearing on whether they'll be acceptable to a reader.

john barnes on toast said:

That's not what I said, or meant.

I was just responding to your post, in which you cited a personal experience in order to clarify whether an event or scenario would work in a fictional context, and I just wanted to say that is not automatically true.

We've all experienced improbable things in our lives, but just because they really did happen it won't have any bearing on whether they'll be acceptable to a reader.

Click to expand...

I don't feel that a 19 YO and a 32 YO having sex is an improbable. Rather common I'd wager. I don't understand your thinking here. Is that an improbable happening in your corner of the world?

With the way the youth of the world act/conduct themselves today; I don't think you could write a story that would be out of the ordinary.

Lastly, the writer doesn't write to make the work acceptable to a reader.
If you are trying to please everyone who picks up your book, you'll never succeed.
If you want to put shit, damn, hell, bastard, rape scenes, etc, in your book and it belongs in the writers opinion, and the character is established as a person who would use this type of language/action, then you do it.

There are no real boundries. Surpise and improbability are good things, if you establish/build them by character interaction.

I'm 34 and can hang with the kids because I understand them and relate to them so well. Age doesn't have to be the same but their experiences should blend somehow. Does that make sense??

ccarver30 said:

I'm 34 and can hang with the kids because I understand them and relate to them so well. Age doesn't have to be the same but their experiences should blend somehow. Does that make sense??

Click to expand...

Yes, you have to establish a relationship just like with any other two characters. As writers we have to make the situation work.

I'm 48 and my son's college friends call me coolod.

Cool old dude. I suppose because I don't judge them for their actions. Why would I, I did everything they're doing, and more in my youth. There are no new (things). It's all recycled and I've seen it before. I roll with them, have fun with them. They think I'm cool. They accept me.

Why? See bolding.