In the past, I know there were readers and authors here that were prepubescent, and that age ranged up to the very old, like me.
It is not likely that I'll be attempting anything of great length any longer, but short stories feel within my capabilities. I've got several things baking in the oven and I have concerns about the maturity of the stories because of the potentially young readers. Some write some really lurid stories, and some of them may be written by young authors, but that is their concern, not mine.
People have all sorts of traits, some perhaps quite seamy, and in one story I am working on I'd like to do real life characterization, and real life can be quite tough at times. What I see around me can be alarming, and trying to portray some of the folk I see seems daunting.
Comments
Cosiderably Less Than Mine
And, I'm older than you.
Portia
My Hunch
Based on many things I've seen over the years, my hunch is that the average age is around 65.
-- Daphne Xu
That
is pretty close to my guess, I'm going to be 62 on the 25th.
Yep!
Turned 65 last month.
At my 'Creating Writing Class' on Wednesday, only 2 people out of 12 were under 50 apart from the tutor. For many people real life just gets in the way of writing until the kids have left the nest so to speak.
It was interesting hearing from the rest of the class why they started writing fiction. There were a some who were in technical jobs who started writing as an antidote to the stress of those jobs.
It takes all sorts to write not just us old wrinklies.
Samantha
Same Here...
Maybe a little higher; seemed to be around 65 a few years back. (I just turned 68, and figure I've been around the median for the past decade.) That'd be for the "regulars", I suppose; I'd guess the casual, occasional readers might skew a bit younger.
Don't know whether it's relevant to this, but the In Memoriam section had twelve names on it in a Wayback screen capture in February 2012. It's triple that size now.
Eric
No really young ones then?
So, you don't think ears will burn if my story gets a little coarse?
Gwen
Anything most people write
will offend someone write to please yourself first.
Exactly!
I struggled with how graphic a story should be and came to the same conclusion as you, Wendy Jean. If you clearly label your story you will not offend anyone... readers can elect to NOT read what they profess to not like.
My last few offerings have been pretty mild... conscientiously mild (for now) as I try a "Less is More" approach; implication and hints rather than full on, detailed, erotica.
Write for yourself.
PS I'd guess average age is early thirty's?
Donna
It's all in the tags
If you tag it for language, sex scenes, etc., much in the same way movies are rated, no one should have room to complain. If I start reading a story that should have had tags and didn't I PM the author. I try to be polite and explain what tag I think should have been added and why. For example, I don't remember the story now, but an interesting sounding story had three F bombs in the first page. Since I prefer the language to be family friendly, I PMed the author and let them know I had quit reading on the first page. I pointed out that many of us have the same desire for G rated language in the stories we read and that they shouldn't alter their style to suit us, but should add tags that inform us like movie ratings. I got a PM back saying that the author hadn't thought of that use of tags and had only thought of them as only ways to attract readers of a certain bent.
So, I'm saying write what you please, just give us a hint as to what we are getting into.
Hugs
Patricia
Happiness is being all dressed up and HAVING some place to go.
Semper in femineo gerunt
Ich bin eine Mann
average age of reader
I have 3 5yr old grandnieces but I do senor what I let them read here, but they have listened to and read Heinlein. so are conversant with some of the thoughts about TG people and know they have third cousin who is a full hermaphrodite.
Have a good day and enjoy life.
Umm...
35yo grandnieces? I hope that they can get around your censorship. I recall a hopeful urban legend about one in his/her thirties, whom the parents still won't let cross the street by himself.
-- Daphne Xu
reply to umm...
They are 5 years old and there are 3 of them all of them red heads they already read and write English and German as for my censorship I limit them to down loaded stories that are not of an x rated or worse level. Have you ever read Heinlein if not you should mainstream classic SF with a TG twist. My own daughter is 38 I gave up censoring her about 25 years ago.
Have a good day and enjoy life.
Whoops, sorry.
Sometimes I just happen to miss something obvious.
-- Daphne Xu
35 year-old grandnieces?!!
That's a lot of one-year-olds!!!!
Are you sure they're not clones?
~ Laika
.
(Sorry, I couldn't resist! I dunno about the average age here
but the mental age of some of us is much lower...)
Well shit, I guess it really CAN happen here..,
.
Under The Norm Apparently
I appear to be under the norm then, just turned 37 in July :D.
Younger
I’m only 28
hugs :)
Michelle SidheElf Amaianna
28 too
feels a little weird being one of the younglings in a place online
Imply rather than graphic
The old adage of 'Its not what you put in, but what you leave out that counts' works I feel. Getting the reader to use their imagination gets them involved in the story. If they can't visualize, then it is likely that even it spelt out and you berating them with a wet kipper, that they still would not appreciate the nuances of your story, hence your creative genius would be wasted on them. Age? Yes.
The Old Rule
You NEVER ask a lady how old she is. If anybody is nerdy enough they can probably work out my approximate age but I'm not telling. I just hope you look at the photo I attach to my posts here and say to yourself "She looks nice!", not "She looks ancient!"
If I had to guess an average age for our readers I would guess at fifty-ish and I have to admit that I'm contributing to the heavy end!
One 80-year-old and one 20-year-old gives an average of 50.
I'll turn 62 at the end of
I'll turn 62 at the end of the year (3 months and counting)
Hugs to all,
Erin G
Age is
Just a number. my self I'm going to be like Jack Benny use to say 39 years young, [ I turn 66 this past Feb]
My Mother was...
My Mother was the same age as Jack Benny. Every year from the time I turned 9 years old we would celebrate her 39th birthday. I think I was 12 years older than her when she died 7 years ago.
We the willing, led by the unsure. Have been doing so much with so little for so long,
We are now qualified to do anything with nothing.
age
im on the upper end, be 79 next month
robert
I'm guessing
Judging from the bolgs I read and the story lines, I'd guess that the active members mostly qualify for the senior discount. I, myself, am a septuagenarian.
Hugs
Patricia
Happiness is being all dressed up and HAVING some place to go.
Semper in femineo gerunt
Ich bin eine Mann
50s is my guess too
Judging from how donations are made, you either have good income or you don’t due to being rather young or you are on a fixed income.
at heart, I'm 16...
... the rest of me is coming up 63
Tanya
There's no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothes!
Average age?
I turned 70 earlier this month. I suspect the average is over 50.