Don't get your wand_in_a_knot

[birdsofshore]

I am SO EXCITED about the new Harry Potter 24 hour porn challenge!wand_in_a_knot is a multi-shipping comm, inspired by similar challenges in other fandoms and I'm so glad that the fabulous writcraft and vaysh are holding one for HP. Participants get tagged on a random day during the month and have 24 hours to create an R or NC-17 rated fanwork. If you can't manage to complete the challenge in 24 hours, the baton just passes to another participant and there are no penalties, so although it's fast and exciting, it's also hopefully low-stress. And will provide the fandom with lots of super-speedy smut. ♥


(don't get your) wand_in_a_knot –
the 24 Hours Harry Potter Porn Tag Challenge!
– Sign-ups start Sunday, May 1 –



I'm really hoping to get a spot when sign ups open tomorrow. Will you be signing up? Considering it? Nervous? Excited? Please join up anyway! Most of us are entirely new to this sort of challenge, so we can all muddle through in a big flail of nerves and squee together!

Even if you're not signing up, please watch the comm so you can enjoy the fun during May. \o/

I also saw some discussion on kerrilee75's LJ about ratings, and I thought it might be interesting to talk about, both in general, and specifically for wand_in_a_knot where all submissions have to be R or NC-17.

The MPAA ratings wiki has some clear guidance on content for different ratings.

The thing I find hardest to rate is when there is sex but it isn't very explicit. However, my simplest answer to this is to ONLY write explicit sex, heh. But in general, I think if it's clear sex is taking place but there's only some undressing or light groping with a fade to black or a sort of euphemistic description such as "they found release together", I would think that was probably a PG-13. I would say in art this was the equivalent of bodies under the bedclothes. If the sex is described more clearly, eg some mention of what act occurred, some mention of hard cocks, etc, I would say it's an R. In art I would imagine the bedcovers are now off, and you can tell what's occurring, but not explicitly see erect cocks or vaginas or arseholes or a blow job or cunnilingus or whatever is happening. If however there's a description of a cock or a vagina (rather than a brief mention), a description of ejaculation, a description of penetration, or rimming, or oral sex, or whatever sex act, and these contain any details, I would say that's a NC-17. In art, if you can SEE erect penises, or vaginas, or penetration, or ejaculation, or oral sex, etc, and it's not obscured by a hand or a body position or artful hair placement etc, I think that's NC-17.

So, to give an example using wanking (I wrote these examples for this purpose, please don't point and laugh :D):

Harry felt quite hot and bothered after seeing Malfoy's pale arse in the showers. When he got into bed that night, he didn't keep his hands above the covers.

In my opinion, that is PG-13. We all know what's happening, but nothing is explicitly described. Draco is naked, but it's not described in detail and he's showering, not in a sexual situation. However:

Harry's trousers suddenly seemed far too tight as he watched Malfoy smooth soap lovingly over the curves of his arse. Back in the dorm, Harry Summoned lube and quickly brought himself off.

I would say that's an R. There's an erection now, Malfoy's nudity is more sexually-oriented, and there's no doubt that Harry masturbates.

PURELY FOR SCIENCE, I wrote an NC-17 version as well.

Harry's cock throbbed, trapped against the zip of his jeans as he watched Malfoy run a soapy finger along the cleft of his arse. That night, lights out couldn't come soon enough. Harry let out a low groan of pleasure as his slick hand grasped the hot length of his cock, stroking slow and firm until he came to a juddering climax all over the sheets.

I feel FAIRLY SURE that's NC-17. But maybe I should continue? Just to be sure. ;)

Those are my opinions. What do you think? Is the MPAA guide useful? And what on earth should happen if there's a kink or other taboo acts involved? Does that change the rating? I look forward to hearing your thoughts, even if you don't agree with me.

Comments

[themightyflynn]

Yes, please do continue. For science! *nods*

Honestly, being Australian, the American ratings system confused the hell out of me the first time I saw it! The age ranges seem like such a random selection to someone who grew up with: G (general), PG (parental guidance recommended for those under 15), M (not recommended for those under 15), MA (restricted, 15+), R (restricted, 18+), and X (strictly adults only and only available in two territories these days.) I much prefer the Ao3 ratings, because it's a little hard to mistake an explicit rating for anything but what it says on the box. But yes, I tend to do what you do and only write explicit sex scenes so I know what to rate it.

The new comm sounds like so much fun, but I may sit this one out and see how it goes the first time. I know for a fact that there's others out there who are much better than me at coming up with random smut in a 24 hour period!

[torino10154]

Butting in, my apologies in advance, but the way I look at it, AO3 ratings are basically parallel to the American ones. General Audience=G/PG, Teen=PG-13, Mature=R, and Explicit=N-17.

For movies themselves I actually look at IMDB where you can see what a film is rated in other countries. That's where the difference between sex and violence is usually the most apparent.

I must say I think it's interesting that 15 is sort of the big cut-off age for Australia and that any age under that is somewhat equal.

[themightyflynn]

Eh, butt away! I saw them the same way as the Australian ones. Gen=G/PG, Teen=M, Mature=MA, Explicit=R. The X rating isn't in my state, so I don't count it. Also, the PG rating tends to get lumped in with G most of the time. "Frozen" was rated PG. The way I see it now, the only real difference between Australian and American ratings is the ages themselves. Everything else seems to line up, we just use 15 instead of 13 and a teenager.

Thanks for the tip on IMDB, it honestly never occurred to me to do that!

Yeah, it's odd, but I figure that that's what comes from a country that is so majorly influenced by both America and Britain. When we try to make our own laws, sometimes they come out strange :)

[birdsofshore]

I don't know if anyone IS better at random speed smut! I bet you'd be great at it!

The ratings systems are definitely confusing... Here in the UK, we have U, PG, PG-12 (I think??), 15 and 18. But even within that system, there are things that IMO make no sense. You can see multiple people getting their heads blown off, but not two naked people being loving and sensual together.

[themightyflynn]

I'll give it a proper look today. At least there's no penalties in this one :)

Lol, our system was overhauled in the 90's, I think. I remember being a kid in the 80's and watching something that was supposed to be the old M rating (just a step up from what PG is now) and seeing a man go through a bloody tree shredder!
And yeah, you can see someone's insides flying all over the street, but god forbid you see them naked. The horror!