How do you navigate Non-Con

[beliefofmine]

I've been thinking about writing several stories, and one of the stories involved a forced/non-con event.

This is undoubtedly a touchy subject in any sphere. I do want the character to ultimately enjoy the the experience in the story at the end. But how should someone write about this without it either seemingly too forced or too consensual that it loses the plot?

If they're consenting from the beginning is it really non-con/forced? And if they're not, are you skirting the rules about forced/non-con?

Let me know your thoughts.

~Beliefofmine

 

[AlinaX]

There's plenty of non-con on this site. Writing the story to make it believable and erotic is the challenge for you as an author.

There's a thread under Story Feedback that you may find educational.

 

[beliefofmine]

There's plenty of non-con on this site. Writing the story to make it believable and erotic is the challenge for you as an author.

There's a thread under Story Feedback that you may find educational.

I think that's part of the problem. I think by its nature it's an uncomfortable situation, which isn't allowed by the rules, and by warping it to be within the rules it's not "realistic".

That being said I feel like there's three camps of people who read and write. Those who want it to be realistic, those who want it to be their fantasy, and those who want it to fall in line with pornography. So you'll never please everyone.

 

[Bamagan]

If you want to write an 'event' that the 'victim' doesn't enjoy, inside the context of a series of events that they do enjoy, I suggest trying to de-sexualize the event in question. Perhaps the character disassociates during it, so you describe it very lightly and clinically, making it (hopefully) unsexy. Perhaps you describe it in a way that makes clear it's an act of violence and not passion. Perhaps the event is described only in flashbacks, and the POV character strongly avers even thinking about the specific moments, like penetration or ejaculation, that make it resemble sex.

 

[gunhilltrain]

I think that's part of the problem. I think by its nature it's an uncomfortable situation, which isn't allowed by the rules, and by warping it to be within the rules it's not "realistic".

That being said I feel like there's three camps of people who read and write. Those who want it to be realistic, those who want it to be their fantasy, and those who want it to fall in line with pornography. So you'll never please everyone.

It's not just a matter of the story being "realistic." I've never understood exactly what the category is supposed to allow and not allow. It's obviously open to interpretation. Another site defines it as: Stories about reluctance in sex are featured here. Subjects which are considered a little risque like blackmail, coercion and hard seduction, belong in this section. To me blackmail and coercion are beyond being merely a little risque. I'm also not sure what a "hard seduction" is.

Since I obviously don't know how to deal with this, I've only tried two non-con stories. One is a comedy, a completely faked role play that is entirely cooked-up by the woman. I suppose it's funny because it's the male who is reluctant to going through with it and completely inept at faking it. In the other, a guy tries a "hard seduction' (a rape?) and the woman punches him in the nuts. That resets his mind quite quickly. I suppose that qualifies as a "happy ending?"

P.S.: Blackmail shows up frequently in the Story Ideas section.

 

[Voboy]

Not that you should be derivative, but there are SCORES of well-written NC stories on this site. Reading them will show you how other writers have threaded this needle in meeting the dual demands of site rules and good storytelling; just as importantly, you'll find other stories that do a shitty job.

Both are instructive.

In the end, your voice is what will make a story worth reading and enjoying. You can find verisimilitude in freeing your characters to feel pleasure from humiliation; it's all in the verbs. Good luck.

 

[AllenWoody]

I write plenty of non-con with mixed results (though mostly favorable). I'd say if you have a hot fantasy in your head that requires reluctance or dubious consent feel free to write it out. These fantasies are quite common and you'll find an audience. The short answer is that everyone has to, by the end, have a hot time. I humbly invite you to read my story Kelli's Decision, which was well received.

 

[SimonDoom]

My advice is not to worry too much about whether it will seem plausible to others. Write so it makes sense to YOU. Do YOU find the story erotic and appealing? If you write it with that aim in mind and you do your best, that's the best way to write the story and you probably will find readers who agree and who like your story. No doubt there will be some who don't agree. It's a touchy subject and you cannot escape that.

I think it's helpful to look at how others have done this, so read other non-con stories of the type you want to write. Don't emulate them, but learn how they did it. Then write the story you want to write.

 

[NotWise]

I have one story (two parts) in NC/R, so I'm not a regular there. It was actually a Romance featuring two fairly messed-up characters. I didn't figure the rapes--they were outright rapes that I didn't eroticize--would sit well with much for Romance readers and most other readers, for that matter, so it went into NC/R. It actually has some of the most intensely emotional scenes I've written.

Anyway, I guess I navigated NC straight on and fairly unapologetically, but set the story so it could resolve with an HEA ending. I think that makes it appealing to a pretty small crowd.

One thing to keep in mind about the NC/R category is that it's a second-class category. Unless the stories are in a contest, they're published at the bottom of the New Story list, I guess they're less embarrassing to the site that way. That's good and bad, because it limits the number of views you get, but the views you do get are probably more positive toward NC/R than most people.

 

[mirafrida]

It can be a tough category to write. Personally I believe it is 'legitimate' as a fantasy - but of course there are some who would say otherwise, so you have to go into it with the conviction of your fantasy preferences. I have decided it's important to me to add the dreaded 'disclaimer' at the front, just to make it unambiguous to any reader that this fantasy should not be in any way confused with real life.

The NC/R readership is pretty positive, by and large. You may get a smattering of "1s" for any story just from people voting against the category on principle (at least that's my impression). And readers there probably comment and vote less than average. But there are a lot of readers, so it balances out.

The OP hit the nail on the head in terms of the basic challenge. This is a fantasy about something that, if real, would be terribly ugly. So these stories have to dabble in the ugliness enough to trigger the fantasy, without becoming so ugly that they ruin the fantasy. Probably that line varies for different people.

As another poster said, various types of non-force based coercion (blackmail, bets, inducements, substance-impairment, etc.) can play a part. The dreaded "they have to enjoy it" rule does serve a role, as it creates a way to muddy the waters, even if it can also be sort of limiting and ridiculous. There is also a wide range of what the "non-consent" can look like in the category, from consensual-nonconsensuality (role-play) to more-or-less reluctance up to unambiguous non-consent. So you can definitely take it in the direction you personally prefer.

From the start, it's probably good to understand that you almost certainly NOT going for "realism" - that would be awful. Rather, you're shooting for what I think of as "a certain sort of plausibility," which will again probably vary in its particulars from person to person.

 

[Katie_Mae]

If they're consenting from the beginning is it really non-con/forced? And if they're not, are you skirting the rules about forced/non-con?

I write/read non con. I have no advice for what you should do, but will share some of my thoughts on this aspect of the question.

I have several stories where the "victim" is fully consenting from before the sex is even a possibility, and in which the "victim" has sought out the sex, remains in control, has all the power, and can stop the sex at any time. And yes, these are non-con stories and in the NCR category. It's clear from the beginning and all the way through that the woman is consenting, and I've had no complaints about them "not being non-con."

Non-con as a kink has nothing to do with actually wanting to be raped, and in a non-con fantasy, no one has to actually be raped either.

That said, I do have a story in which the victim doesn't consent until almost a year after the sex begins, and that sits just fine in the rules too. The victim just has to enjoy some part of it before the end of the story, they don't have to consent at all.

I feel it's worth mentioning, there's a lot of non-con disguised as consensual in conventional romance novels/movies etc. Just because someone consents and enjoys it doesn't mean the sex was actually consensual when you look at it critically. There's many circumstances where a person wants sex, but if they didn't, they might not have been able to say no. Arranged marriages, teacher/student, boss/employer etc.

When you watch a romance movie, if you ask yourself "if this happened irl, would this be sexual harassment?" "What if he was ugly/poor?" "Is there a significant power difference?" "Does she really feel like she can safely say no?" "What if she did say no?" Then you'll find a lot of non-con answers.

In mainstream media it's just billed as "romance," but here on Lit we have the option to call it "non-con," should we wish to do so.

 

[StillStunned]

If you want the victim to be reluctant but still enjoy the experience, I think you ought to decide first why they're reluctant.

For instance, I could picture a story about a woman who's repressed her sexuality because of her upbringing, or other societal standards and expectations. The non-con event could be what she needs to break free of the shackles and recognise herself as a sexual being. The realisation of "you know what, it's alright for me to experience these feelings."

You'd have to lay down the groundwork. Perhaps begin with her having an erotic dream, but when she wakes up she's disgusted by herself. Show her gaze lingering on the neighbour doing tai chi in his garden, but at the same time she's complaining about how shameless he is to be shirtless where she can see it.

And even then the moment of realisation would have to be done carefully. Not "this cock is making me orgasm, now I can't get enough!" But perhaps a shift from jealousy about others who are more carefree about their sexuality to wondering why she shouldn't be the same.

I can see this as being a story of empowerment. Of course that means that a large proportion of the readers will hate it.

 

[beliefofmine]

Hmmm reading the replies I may reconsider writing a noncon story. My heart isn't truly in it. I had sketched out several different story ideas to have for a character, but I'm realizing that it's such a foreign topic to me, that writing about it in a passionate, honest, realistic way isn't likely going to happen and I think it would show.

 

[VerbalAbuse]

I've been thinking about writing several stories, and one of the stories involved a forced/non-con event.

This is undoubtedly a touchy subject in any sphere. I do want the character to ultimately enjoy the the experience in the story at the end. But how should someone write about this without it either seemingly too forced or too consensual that it loses the plot?

If they're consenting from the beginning is it really non-con/forced? And if they're not, are you skirting the rules about forced/non-con?

Let me know your thoughts.

~Beliefofmine

Simple: I don't read non-con.

 

[VerbalAbuse]

But then there are ways to go around: play within play, for an instance.

 

[gunhilltrain]

My advice is not to worry too much about whether it will seem plausible to others. Write so it makes sense to YOU. Do YOU find the story erotic and appealing? If you write it with that aim in mind and you do your best, that's the best way to write the story and you probably will find readers who agree and who like your story. No doubt there will be some who don't agree. It's a touchy subject and you cannot escape that.

I think it's helpful to look at how others have done this, so read other non-con stories of the type you want to write. Don't emulate them, but learn how they did it. Then write the story you want to write.

Arguably, all fiction, even if allegedly based on true events, are "fantasies" in that the events never happened as described. (Some non-fiction are fantasies too, if you look at some of the stuff people put on blogs and YouTube.)

If I have a scenario that seems too implausible, I might turn it into a fantasy by one the characters. In effect, it's one fantasy (the person's thoughts) inside a larger one (the story itself). I see @VerbalAbuse said the same thing just above.

 

[gunhilltrain]

I write/read non con. I have no advice for what you should do, but will share some of my thoughts on this aspect of the question.

I have several stories where the "victim" is fully consenting from before the sex is even a possibility, and in which the "victim" has sought out the sex, remains in control, has all the power, and can stop the sex at any time. And yes, these are non-con stories and in the NCR category. It's clear from the beginning and all the way through that the woman is consenting, and I've had no complaints about them "not being non-con."

Non-con as a kink has nothing to do with actually wanting to be raped, and in a non-con fantasy, no one has to actually be raped either.

That said, I do have a story in which the victim doesn't consent until almost a year after the sex begins, and that sits just fine in the rules too. The victim just has to enjoy some part of it before the end of the story, they don't have to consent at all.

I feel it's worth mentioning, there's a lot of non-con disguised as consensual in conventional romance novels/movies etc. Just because someone consents and enjoys it doesn't mean the sex was actually consensual when you look at it critically. There's many circumstances where a person wants sex, but if they didn't, they might not have been able to say no. Arranged marriages, teacher/student, boss/employer etc.

When you watch a romance movie, if you ask yourself "if this happened irl, would this be sexual harassment?" "What if he was ugly/poor?" "Is there a significant power difference?" "Does she really feel like she can safely say no?" "What if she did say no?" Then you'll find a lot of non-con answers.

In mainstream media it's just billed as "romance," but here on Lit we have the option to call it "non-con," should we wish to do so.

In the role play I mentioned above, the guy uses the analogy that he has imagined being a soldier in combat. He admits that this was inspired by the various war movies he saw while growing up. But he also know that the movies usually pull their punches and don't depict what true combat is like. He enjoys the scenarios, but be he admits he doesn't want to experience the horrors of war. His girlfriend, who invented the rape plot, understands what he is talking about.

Also, her plot is rather complicated and difficult to recreate - it takes place outdoors, at night, on a college campus. She actually overthought it in an attempt to be "realistic" but it's almost beyond his abilities to do it. "I had no idea how to coordinate all of this. The first problem was that I didn't know what to do with the knife while I tied her up. Hold it in my mouth, maybe? What do you think you are, a fucking pirate? Maybe Jean Lafitte had known how to do it without slicing his own gums, but I didn't."

 

[gunhilltrain]

There's plenty of non-con on this site. Writing the story to make it believable and erotic is the challenge for you as an author.

There's a thread under Story Feedback that you may find educational.

That info about the Contagious Diseases Act is a bit, ah, esoteric. But it does bring up another point: to what degree are prostitutes coerced or tricked into it (by pimps, grooming gangs, etc.) and to what degree is it their choice? That depends on many circumstances and it varies a lot. Certainly trickery and force are often used.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iceberg_Slim

 

[soflabbwlvr]

I have written a number of stories in the Non-consent/Reluctance category. I do not write stories that involve forcible rape. Rather, my stories are in the "reluctance" lane. The characters have consensual sex, but in circumstances involving other persons with whom they may prefer not to have sexual relations. Sex is one option, and the other option is probably something worse. Coercion is the proper term here.

 

[beliefofmine]

I have written a number of stories in the Non-consent/Reluctance category. I do not write stories that involve forcible rape. Rather, my stories are in the "reluctance" lane. The characters have consensual sex, but in circumstances involving other persons with whom they may prefer not to have sexual relations. Sex is one option, and the other option is probably something worse. Coercion is the proper term here.

Thank you. You bring up a good point that I haven't been able to put my finger on, identifying the different between full outright rape vs reluctance. Legally I don't think they make any distinction, but for literary purposes it matters.

However I think some could make an argument that it's in the eye of the beholder. Someone doing the forcing might think of the other as just being reluctant.

 

[soflabbwlvr]

Thank you. You bring up a good point that I haven't been able to put my finger on, identifying the different between full outright rape vs reluctance. Legally I don't think they make any distinction, but for literary purposes it matters.

However I think some could make an argument that it's in the eye of the beholder. Someone doing the forcing might think of the other as just being reluctant.

From a legal standpoint, there is not much of a difference. I used to think there was a difference morally, but I no longer hold that view. My opinion changed when I read about a cop in Oklahoma who was arrested for raping prostitutes. He would pick them up and threaten to arrest them if they did not have sex with him. So they consented. Or, sometimes he would show up at their homes and demand sex. The women were traumatized. They did not enjoy it at any point, and were psychologically damaged by him. I kind of lost my interest in writing those stories after that.

 

[Pabiporffor]

I recently published my first attempt at the genre https://www.literotica.com/s/permission-granted-2
Like others say I found it challenging to stick to lits rules while still making it non con. Rather than have the girl forced via threats I went down the peer pressure route exploring the idea women want sex with strangers but just need an excuse or permission from those closest to them.

 

[Cagivagurl]

I've been thinking about writing several stories, and one of the stories involved a forced/non-con event.

This is undoubtedly a touchy subject in any sphere. I do want the character to ultimately enjoy the the experience in the story at the end. But how should someone write about this without it either seemingly too forced or too consensual that it loses the plot?

If they're consenting from the beginning is it really non-con/forced? And if they're not, are you skirting the rules about forced/non-con?

Let me know your thoughts.

~Beliefofmine

OK... Warning first.
I tried to stay out of this particular thread... But....
Most people realise this is a trigger subject for me... Guess I've made that pretty obvious, within this forum.
How do you make it believable, Plausible???
You can't.
Non consent is rape, and for something like 99% of the population, that's where it starts and finishes... (The 99% is me just throwing a figure out.) I don't know what the exact figure is. Let's just say most people find it unacceptable. Not just taboo, but totally unacceptable.

For those that have survived rape and lived to tell the story. A happy ending Non con is impossible.
Rape doesn't suddenly become enjoyable for the victims. It is a brutal vicious forced event that will stay with the victim forever.
Non consensual sex is not enjoyable for the victim. Regardless of who the perpetrator is, it is beyond acceptable. There is no lubrication for a female victim... The sex is unpleasant and awful.
How do you make it appear wonderful??? You can't, not for the 99%... Maybe for those who have that fetish, then maybe you can... I can only speak for myself....

Non con is rape...

Remember these are my thoughts and my thoughts only...

Cagivagurl

 

[MillieDynamite]

You're not alone. However, if someone rights a non-con rape story, it shouldn't be portrayed the way the rules require it. I wrote some non-con, which isn't here, as therapy. (Has anyone noticed that a therapist is the rapist.) Anyway, rape is demeaning, dehumanizing, degrading, and painful. Those who experience physical orgasm are even more traumatized than those who don't. My inability to write it as it must be presented here, means I can't write it for publication here. No one falls in love with their rapist and wants to have his child.

OK... Warning first.
I tried to stay out of this particular thread... But....
Most people realise this is a trigger subject for me... Guess I've made that pretty obvious, within this forum.
How do you make it believable, Plausible???
You can't.
Non consent is rape, and for something like 99% of the population, that's where it starts and finishes... (The 99% is me just throwing a figure out.) I don't know what the exact figure is. Let's just say most people find it unacceptable. Not just taboo, but totally unacceptable.

For those that have survived rape and lived to tell the story. A happy ending Non con is impossible.
Rape doesn't suddenly become enjoyable for the victims. It is a brutal vicious forced event that will stay with the victim forever.
Non consensual sex is not enjoyable for the victim. Regardless of who the perpetrator is, it is beyond acceptable. There is no lubrication for a female victim... The sex is unpleasant and awful.
How do you make it appear wonderful??? You can't, not for the 99%... Maybe for those who have that fetish, then maybe you can... I can only speak for myself....

Non con is rape...

Remember these are my thoughts and my thoughts only...

Cagivagurl

 

[RoperTrace]

I've been thinking about writing several stories, and one of the stories involved a forced/non-con event.

This is undoubtedly a touchy subject in any sphere. I do want the character to ultimately enjoy the the experience in the story at the end. But how should someone write about this without it either seemingly too forced or too consensual that it loses the plot?

If they're consenting from the beginning is it really non-con/forced? And if they're not, are you skirting the rules about forced/non-con?

Let me know your thoughts.

~Beliefofmine

I've used a friend's idea on one of my non-cons. She was in a Dom/sub relationship with her b.f. and wanted him to surprise her with a forced/non-cons. He wouldn't do it because she wanted it to be pretty physical, and I had to agree with him.

But I modified her idea for a story where he would only do it as a form of theater-art, if that's the proper term. She was what I'd describe as highly intelligent, and a strong-minded submissive. In my story, she told her best friend, another school teacher about what she'd requested, and the friend after thinking about the idea, called her friend and asked if the boyfriend would consider adding her to theater-art. The boyfriend had them both sign an agreement that they wanted to participate in the re-enactment, which would be done by masked men, and no harm would come to them.