Is this even boylove?

[RepresentingWrath]

I need to take my mind off things, so I will elaborate on my point in this thread. If you have a question whether it's "something" or not, it is something. In this case it's BL. In my second feedback thread I got a request. An author asked to give feedback on a novel with BL subplot tag. The thing is, I've missed it. I've missed the tag, but I still understood it's BL. Even though that author said how BL won't matter, only side characters are gay and there won't be any romance, I still could see BL very clearly. Even if there are no sex scenes, it's still BL. Even if you try to be very vague and dance around genders, it's still BL. It's not about certain scenes or how you define things. It's about how you write stuff.

 

[Deleted member 84247]

And I thought I'm having hard time to figure whether the image below is boys love or not

View attachment 19578

This is 100 percent BL. MARTHAAA!

 

[Succubiome]

Asexual isn't the same thing as aromantic, so I don't see why having two asexual characters neccessarily precludes romance.

 

[Deleted member 84247]

I need to take my mind off things, so I will elaborate on my point in this thread. If you have a question whether it's "something" or not, it is something. In this case it's BL. In my second feedback thread I got a request. An author asked to give feedback on a novel with BL subplot tag. The thing is, I've missed it. I've missed the tag, but I still understood it's BL. Even though that author said how BL won't matter, only side characters are gay and there won't be any romance, I still could see BL very clearly. Even if there are no sex scenes, it's still BL. Even if you try to be very vague and dance around genders, it's still BL. It's not about certain scenes or how you define things. It's about how you write stuff.

So you are saying I can't write a GL without having the tags, and submit it to your thread as a secret?

 

[RepresentingWrath]

So you are saying I can't write a GL without having the tags, and submit it to your thread as a secret?

You can. But I won't be happy about it.

 

[Deleted member 84247]

You can. But I won't be happy about it.

I wouldn't actually do that of course
Ironically, @Prince_Azmiran_Myrian reviewed one of my stories with GL tag, and it was the opposite of this current scenario. In his words "For being GL there is a pleasant lack of GL"

 

[RepresentingCaution]

Love can exist without sex, and sex can exist without love. Think of them life peanut butter and jelly. They are often used together, but they can be enjoyed separately and paired with other foods. Have you ever had Thai peanut sauce? I love that stuff.

 

[Nym]

Speak for yourself. I'm sex on a stick.

So you’re fancy Dildo?

 

[Deleted member 113259]

It's always amusing when authors get themselves into these kinds of problems. "I made my MC technically not a boy and technically not a lover but both are ambiguous," Why'd you make it ambiguous then? If they're friends make it crystal clear that's all they are.

 

[Deleted member 84247]

It's always amusing when authors get themselves into these kinds of problems. "I made my MC technically not a boy and technically not a lover but both are ambiguous," Why'd you make it ambiguous then? If they're friends make it crystal clear that's all they are.

Time to make a story where everything is ambiguous. Gods: ambiguous, World: ambiguous, Theme: up for debate, Controversial Opinions: Questionable

 

[Deleted member 113259]

Time to make a story where everything is ambiguous. Gods: ambiguous, World: ambiguous, Theme: up for debate, Controversial Opinions: Questionable

Time to make a story like Blade.

 

[LunaSoltaer]

so it sounds like you have a nullsex Literally Artificial Human falling in love with an abstract entity. This is.... kinda undefined honestly.

I'm going to go a bit against the grain and say that you shouldn't need the BL tag, but it'll spare you a lot of trouble down the line.

Im assuming your articial human isn't feeling any amount of dysphoric about their situation. On a flesh and blood human with a brain, this would make them nullsex and therefore nonbinary (and cis at that). Here, however, you have ventured into quite unusual territory and so get to make up your own rules.

The fun part in all of this, is you have the quintessential pure romance that many people claim to seek but never end up doing. In this context, sexuality is entirely the wrong tool by which to look at it.

Now should you include BL? maybe. People will read what they want, and gender characters even if they have no business having a gender.

You're wading into troublesome ground. Good luck and have fun

 

[Deleted member 84247]

Time to make a story like Blade.

Make sure you tag it with BL

 

[Deleted member 76176]

It's always amusing when authors get themselves into these kinds of problems. "I made my MC technically not a boy and technically not a lover but both are ambiguous," Why'd you make it ambiguous then? If they're friends make it crystal clear that's all they are.

Because they pose good philosophical questions, you know. It doesn't have to always be black and white.

 

[CheertheSecond]

Asexual isn't the same thing as aromantic, so I don't see why having two asexual characters neccessarily precludes romance.

and then I have to identify whether that romantic love is heterosexual or homo to put in the tag and I don’t know.

even if you tell me to not be ambiguous, I have no idea what kinds of interaction are appropriate between friends and not lovers and vice versa.

so it sounds like you have a nullsex Literally Artificial Human falling in love with an abstract entity. This is.... kinda undefined honestly.

I'm going to go a bit against the grain and say that you shouldn't need the BL tag, but it'll spare you a lot of trouble down the line.

Im assuming your articial human isn't feeling any amount of dysphoric about their situation. On a flesh and blood human with a brain, this would make them nullsex and therefore nonbinary (and cis at that). Here, however, you have ventured into quite unusual territory and so get to make up your own rules.

The fun part in all of this, is you have the quintessential pure romance that many people claim to seek but never end up doing. In this context, sexuality is entirely the wrong tool by which to look at it.

Now should you include BL? maybe. People will read what they want, and gender characters even if they have no business having a gender.

You're wading into troublesome ground. Good luck and have fun

This is like writing about two character being so close that you yourself have no idea if they are friends or lovers, if their interaction is flirty or not, if their bonding activities are sexual to themselves and to the readers or not, and if the tag like boylove, girllove, or straight couple even makes sense in the context.

At the end, you have no fricking clue how to tag to avoid pissing off a portion of your audience while still attract some potential readers. This is the issue of having no idea which kind of readers will be
in your stuff.

 

[LunaSoltaer]

At the end, you have no fricking clue how to tag to avoid pissing off a portion of your audience while still attract some potential readers. This is the issue of having no idea which kind of readers will be
in your stuff.

Im going to make this simple:

You WILL piss people off no matter what you do if you truly write from the heart.

Using tags does help, but ultimately you use the ones you feel fit.

I have read a very powerful book that has a woman whose body was transformed to include male primary genitalia. The book did NOT use the Futanari tag. I saw someone ragequit because of it, and I got a surprise dysphoria kick, but it was a solid read and I came out of it ever so slightly stronger and surer.

And by far the best genderbend (read: magic poof transition) I have ever read has no trace of the GB tag anywhere on the book.

If you dont feel in your core that what you're writing is BL, then it's not.

You will get fewer readers, sure, but the ones you do get can be incredibly loyal.

 

[Deleted member 113259]

Because they pose good philosophical questions, you know. It doesn't have to always be black and white.

Except that's not what's happening. Guy said that they're friends that really love each other. They aren't actually lovers.

Side note: What philosophical question is there about not knowing if these two characters are friends or gay for each other? All not knowing the actual dynamics and relationships between characters does is confuse the reader. Maybe it's true that not everything has to be black and white but this is a scenario that requires it.

 

[Deleted member 76176]

This is like writing about two character being so close that you yourself have no idea if they are friends or lovers, if their interaction is flirty or not, if their bonding activities are sexual to themselves and to the readers or not, and if the tag like boylove, girllove, or straight couple even makes sense in the context.

At the end, you have no fricking clue how to tag to avoid pissing off a portion of your audience while still attract some potential readers. This is the issue of having no idea which kind of readers will be
in your stuff.

It's something for you to decide, I think. If you have come to the conclusion that their relationship is neither romantic nor sexual, if it is strictly platonic, or if you want to keep it undefined as per subjective interpretation, I'd advise against using the BL tag. Because the moment you do, it gives validation to the reader that indeed the author has given confirmation.
It also depends on your writing, I suppose. Dangling in the middle may annoy both the BL and regular audiences, but that'll happen regardless. However, putting BL in the subtag may be a wise choice if you want to play it safe, but if you pick the first, maybe "ambiguous relationship" or "undefined relationship" in the description will do.

 

[CheertheSecond]

It's always amusing when authors get themselves into these kinds of problems. "I made my MC technically not a boy and technically not a lover but both are ambiguous," Why'd you make it ambiguous then? If they're friends make it crystal clear that's all they are.

They are not humans. Behaviours that are considered romantic/sexual/flirting only exist because of the understanding of humans, not from these characters. Should I sacrifice their characterisation and only use friend-only behaviours to bar readers from thinking they are lovers? Yes, it’s safe to do so, but it is also weird. They don’t find it wrong to do certain stuffs to each other but they are not doing it for sexual reason, and even if it does, neither of them is identified as male.

They don’t even consider love and friendship the way humans do.

Sure, they sleep with each other arm in arm. Sure, they hold each other hands walking on the wasteland away from the pursuit of their enemies. Sure, the AI used his heat to warm the blob during cold weather. Sure, they would act in opposite to what their logic gates dictate when it involves the other’s safety.

However, does it possible to use a human system to define their relationship?

 

[Deleted member 76176]

Except that's not what's happening. Guy said that they're friends that really love each other. They aren't actually lovers.

Side note: What philosophical question is there about not knowing if these two characters are friends or gay for each other? All not knowing the actual dynamics and relationships between characters does is confuse the reader. Maybe it's true that not everything has to be black and white but this is a scenario that requires it.

Oh dearie, I'll not argue here.