 |
| 2008-01-08 21:04 |
| Safe sex |
| Public |
| writing |
|
On having a bit of a catch-up on LJ after the enforced break, I find that someone on my flist has a good post about dangerous sex misinformation in fanfic. It applies to profic as well. (ETA: I didn't notice that the post was locked. My apologies to the poster for linking to a locked post [embarrassed], and the rest of you for mentioning something you can't see.)
Yes, it's fantasy, but it's still something a responsible author should think about. Of late I've been seeing a bit of the "but condoms just aren't sexy" excuse. To which I say, "try a bit harder". Yes, it's not always appropriate to the story. It may be set in a time period when no condom is realistic, or the characters may be the type not to use condoms even when it's a good idea. But if you think that it's just not sexy to mention condoms, remember that some of us are of an age and cultural background to find unprotected sex very unsexy indeed. Which can be part of the characterisation in itself, something I used in Lord and Master:
set up of excerpt at my website
Mark pushed his chair back and slid off to kneel on the floor. Steven reached into his pocket. Pulled out his wallet. Pulled out a condom.
Does he need them that often that he carries them around like that? “God, I hate the taste of those.”
Steven put one hand under his chin, forcing him to look up. “Don’t be stupid, child.” He didn’t look like he was going to budge.
“I’m hardly a child!” Yes, Steven was old enough to be his father, but he was twenty-five, more than old enough to make his own decisions. This wasn’t a good time for Steven to get nervous about the age gap.
“From my perspective you are. Listen. Your generation thinks of AIDS as one more scare story. Mine doesn’t. We didn’t grow up with it always there.”
A chill ran down the back of his neck. He’d had this before, the sudden realisation of a yawning chasm between himself and an older man. Someone talking about music, and him realising that the retro camp from before he was born was someone else’s top ten memory. On vinyl. A DVD of an ancient film that someone had seen on its first run in the cinema. But this was different. This mattered to Steven.
“It’s all right; I’m sensible. I just wish they’d make them taste better.”
Steven smiled a little. “At least the fancy flavoured ones taste better than they did when I was your age. Here.” He handed Mark the condom.
Excerpt continues at Loose Id website.
Post A Comment | 9 Comments | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend | Link
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}