It's probably bad form to start a blog this way, but the main reason I've come back to blogging under the name Zack McNaught is to get shouty at things. If you're reading this, it's probably because you're aware of my work. If you're not, don't go looking, you'll be in for a nasty surprise. NSFW... My first post on the new blog will be to make a serious statement about an issue which is extremely important in the context of intergenerational erotic literature.
I write what most people would consider to be highly unsavoury stories, even if in the darkness of the night they might quite enjoy them. I try to write about loving, non-abusive relationships, but under the generally accepted definitions of 'abuse', my stories by their very nature fall foul of this.
Recent events, on both a national and personal level, have highlighted in clearer terms than ever before the impact which unwanted attention can have on young souls, a devastating impact which can last a lifetime. Even 'wanted' contact can have disturbing long-term effects, when as a child grows up they realise that they've been 'abused' - I'm not even going to begin to get into the ethics of making people feel that they've been abused when previously they were happy with events; that's a discussion for another day.
It's vital, therefore, that we continue to hold to the doctrine that no unwarranted contact should be considered with an underage person, no matter how willing that child may be. The issue of 'consent' should always be considered with the qualifier 'informed' - it is part of the process of becoming an adult, and exploring the strange new realms which are opened to us at puberty with people our own age (and hopefully experience level), which allows us to comprehend and understand this strange new world in our own time. Remove that gradual process of learning and understanding, and you threaten to unduly affect the mind.
This isn't to say that every single intergenerational relationship will end in disaster - there's plenty of anecdotal evidence out there on the web to the contrary - but rather that the risk of things going wrong for the younger participant is extremely, extremely large.
What's the point of all this rambling? After all, I write stories portraying these very acts - why on Earth would I support abstinence? Doesn't that make me a hypocrite?
Well, perhaps it does, but I'm pretty sure my point still stands. My stories are just that - tales, fictions, unrealities. The people in them don't behave as normal people might. The dialogue is strained and too clearly manipulated. The actors never existed. I write these stories for my titillation, and to evoke the same reaction from my readers, and also because I simply enjoy writing, and I especially enjoy writing about subjects which I find interesting, and this certainly falls into that camp. They are a release valve, a mechanism by which I can help to relieve the tension which builds on a daily (even hourly) basis, and threatens to overwhelm common sense. Without this release, I may not be level-headed enough to take my own advice.
And, to counter those who would argue that I offer inspiration, I will say this: perhaps I do. Perhaps I mention something which someone hadn't thought of. But I don't think I turn a non-abuser into an abuser, any more than Agatha Christie novels make murderers out of otherwise placid souls. To accuse me of being the problem is to ignore the real root of the issue, and to excuse the protagonists.
By all means read my stories, but don't blame me if they lead you astray.
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