vague meta: femslash

[lyssie]

One of the common complaints about boyslash is "you can't just have a straight male wake up gay!" In fact, lots of people tend to like fic where it's all explained. How they're really bi, or they're hiding, or whatever.

So the question becomes, when I'm writing femslash, with a canonically-straight woman (I'm sorry, but if I want to be correct, I don't think any woman is supposed to be lesbian until they wave a little flag) do I need to give context? Do I need to justify their becoming suddenly all about the girlparts of their friends?

Or is it ok that I'm too shallow for that?

Comments

[calapine.livejournal.com]

Or is it ok that I'm too shallow for that?

I think so. But then I never explain, I just want to see characters interact in different ways. And I tend to skim explain-y bits in other fic because, um, I just don't have any interest in it. This may be awful, am unsure.

[wishfulaces.livejournal.com]

You know what? For the most part, I really, really dislike it when writers take the time to explain why their canonically-straight characters are suddenly gay. It gets in the way, it's usually jarring, and...yeah. Not so interested in that. (The exception to the rule being, as always, if it's well done.)

So, I say, go for it. Sex without the explanation. Woo.

[samy.livejournal.com]

Depends. If they have canonically shown an interest in men, and you intend to make them lesbian, an explanation should be given. If you only intend to make them bisexual (thus not contradicting the interest in men) no explanation is needed.

[lilacsigil.livejournal.com]

Depends on the story. If it's fluff or PWP, I don't care. If it's not, I like to see a growing attraction and, if it's a canonically-straight character in an environment which has compulsory heterosexuality (or unquestioned heterosexuality), I like to see them at least think about it. Not necessarily in a "OMG! I'm gay!" way, but at least in a "Wow, that person I like has boobs! Great boobs!" way.

I tend to think almost everyone is basically bisexual, though, and actual behaviour is determined by social and personal influences. So it's really that I like to see growing attraction in stories, or at least a "Wow!" moment followed by "Should I act on this?", because it shows more about the character than the sex itself usually does.

[pinkdormouse.livejournal.com]

I think, as with any non-canon relationship, it all depends on the characters. I like established relationship stories, because getting characters together can become a bit same-y especially for the couples that get written most often, but I like to have at least some idea of how the characters got together, or why they're attracted to each other.

Then again I tend to work with minor characters and/or move characters ahead of canon, so it's easy to hand-wave the idea that they had relationships we didn't see, and some of those might have involved persons of the same sex/gender.

And for Sarah Jane Smith there's a whole thirty years in TV canon time when she could have had any number of girlfriends, so I have no worries about her thinking 'Rose... grown up nicely, seems potentially interested, possibly still too young...'

[million-moments.livejournal.com]

No cause all women are bi!

Well, 70% of women will have a lesbian experience in their lifetime. So it is not as necessary to explain/justify.

[meeshy.livejournal.com]

Nah, I never explain it!

[jim-smith.livejournal.com]

If it was me, and if I wrote lots of femslash, I'd write one story about the character realizing she's gay, and then in all future femslash involving the character I'd refer readers back to the first story. Explaining it every single time might be monotonous.

Of course, if you're slashing lots and lots of women, that would mean lots and lots of "lesbian secret origin" stories. Again, if it was me, I'd see it as a challenge to find a way to make each coming-out story unique and different--how many ways can you wake up gay? But that's assuming your main concern is making the story really technically good; if all you're worried about is hot PWP action, then it doesn't matter what critics of slash think.

[havocthecat]

that would mean lots and lots of "lesbian secret origin" stories.

This line, combined with your icon, makes me think that somebody should put out a comic book series called Lesbian Secret Origins.

It really does make me think that.

I might just be kind of sad that way.

[jim-smith.livejournal.com]

And see, I'd be all into such a series, because I'm way more into the "Wow, I'm gay, what happens now?" side of characters turning gay than the "I gay you gay sex now" side of it.

[havocthecat]

Go with it being OK that you're too shallow for it. If the m/m folks can do it, so can we? Besides, in fics like you write, I tend to assume that the woman's bi and it's just never come up before.

(Crap! Speaking of, I owe Meesh beta on Sam/Janet fic. Damn.)

Anyway. Possibly this is due to my very own personal fic prejudices, but so?