No, you can't. I have a rape scene that I wanted to have reviewed once I've met the requirements and I was told under no circumstances was I to ask solicit anyone to review it through pm or e-mail. Here it is.... in this thread https://www.writingforums.org/showthread.php?t=39338
One possible approach would be to lock to to both adults-only and supporters-only. It would certainly be more restrictive, but it would also offer much better protection against children seeing any inappropriate material. If I had more sexually explicit material I wanted reviewed, I'd be fine paying for it as a "premium perk". Alternatively, having the mods somehow confirm who is actually an adult by request to add them to the group that can access the forum could work too, but that might be too much work up front.
Ok, I understand. They don't want it turning into a bunch of want ads. Makes sense. Still, you might be able to convince some friends you meet through the site to take a look. I'd say your main problem would be that people are generally uncomfortable reading/reviewing graphic rape scenes.
I understand that, but I was told that I wasn't allowed to ask.... AT ALL....unless I'm understanding wrong, and that seems unfair to me. It's not some gratuitous rape scene that I put in for fun. This is a very painful and deep story and the scene is from the woman's perspective. Why don't I get the option of just having people say no? Some things that are on this site make me uncomfortable, some of the poetry in particular, actually one of yours did, Sidewinder, lol, but I didn't throw a hissy fit and think you should be censored. You know what I mean? Am I talking crazy?
Haha -- uh, yeah. I think I know the one you're talking about. I can understand where the mods are coming from in prohibiting something like this, though. It's a really tough position to be in, but you have to draw the line somewhere. Especially in terms of soliciting. Maybe you could start a thread to talk about rape in fiction? I don't know. Seems like there should be some kind of compromise to work out here. Have you posted other parts of the same story?
No, I can't post yet The only thing I've been able to post was a short story (no racey scenes, I promise!) Hasn't been 2 weeks since I joined. I will though, of course. And I have other things I will post. I have no issue with mature material having to be posted in a special area ( I know from experience it is possible to make part of the forum 18 or 21 and up) or even if it's only allowed in the supporter's forum. I'm already a supporter and I've only been here for a few days. I just think there should be some compromise.
The rules say you're not allowed to ask for reviews on the site at all, regardless of the type of story. Of course, if you e-mail someone you happened to get to know through the site, it has nothing to do with the site.
That's not what I meant...I'm sorry. I worded that wrong. What I meant was that I couldn't even post it and mark it as a mature or if I had a friend on the site that I regularly pm'd I couldn't mention it. I don't mean that I wanted to advertise it. That was someone elses suggestion, not mine.
Why post it here? There is a million places you can post written material with sexual content and get a lot of feedback?
I see no reason to make the exceptuion. Yes, some people will always grumble about content limits, but I still believe that the points I made earlier in the thread remain valid. Furthermore, there is certainly an element that sticking to this rule keeps away. We have gotten some members who took particularly strong exception to our content limit rules, and I can tell you, they were very unpleasant individuals! You might feel they were only reacting to having their work removed, but their behavioral issues were not limited to yelling at the mods.
Okay, I suppose I see your point, but I have to say that also sounds mildly insulting. Like people who could write something like that are aggressive or rude or bad? I think I've gone out of my way to make absolutely sure I am following the rules and I think I'm a fairly pleasant and helpful person. That just sounds discriminating. The family site excuse was fine, the "bad element people"? That's just wrong, Cog.
No, he was just talking about the people who take a particularly strong exception to the rule, which you clearly do not. And I think I'd agree, if being able to post things like that is so incredibly important to someone that they'd lash out over it, there's something not right.
Yes. Sorry if it seemed I was painting everyone who writes very adult literature with the same brush. I only meant that there is a type of very disagreeable person who writes to shock and offend. We don't need them here, and our content rules don't make this site attractive to them (at least not for very long). It isn't a reason for the content limits, but it is a strong side benefit.
I see your point, but what even qualifies as too graphic? (As far as the rules here are concerned, I mean.) I just feel that writing a sexual element to a piece is a challenge for a lot of writers. A few may even find it awkward. But sometimes it's a necessary aspect of the story, and there are plenty of adult writers who would like that aspect of their work critiqued. And sure, we could go elsewhere. But frankly, this is my favorite writing forum. I get far more input and help here than I do anywhere else, so I'd rather stay here where I'll get some real insight. One of the other writing forums I belong to has an adult section, but you have to actually apply to view that forum through a mod. So perhaps that could weed out those members that write simply to offend? I think an adult section would be a helpful addition to a lot of members. But I'll still love this site without one.
Thank you, Bay, for saying what I was trying to say better. There normally are not graphic scenes like the one I've been blathering about in my writing, but my entire book hinges on what happens after MC is raped. Since it changes her so much, my readers have to feel it the same way she does, which is why I feel I need input. I understand the reasoning, I just don't agree with it. @ Cog
I have a question concerning the rule that incest cannot be posted. One of my stories has an incestrous relationship between a brother and a sister, but one that is, firstly, consensual, and secondly, acceptable in its culture because of certain conditions. Therefore it's not like a rape kind of incest or any kind of sexual abuse, i.e. nothing graphic per se, and the relationship between the two is more or less mundane (relatively). I am not saying that I will post up suggestive scenes between the two, but there may be some mundane scenes or mundane parts of scenes between the two (like maybe just two of them talking about the day, or walking around somewhere, for instance) where their romantic relationship might be mentioned or discussed. Would this be considered inappropriate for here, then, to even mention the fact that the two are in a relationship? Thanks in adavance.
do you need to post those parts?... since you shouldn't be posting an entire work anyway, why not just post excerpts from it that don't deal with the incest issue?
They're the main characters. I wouldn't call the story a romance, but for argument's sake you can think of it as a slice-of-life-esque romance, so, yeah. Alright, no problem. Just wanted to make sure. Thanks again.
