Concerning Content



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Due to some recent contestation of the meaning of Flipside's rules concerning content, the rules are being expanded and made more specific. This is a common and necessary function of a growing endeavor, though, as new troubles arise new solutions must be found. If you think that your contest or entry might cross the line of what is mentioned in the Flipside Guide, please read these guidelines. If you are still unsure, message [Mister Saint].



Definitions

Teenager: A person whose age is between thirteen and nineteen years.

Profanity: The use of words deemed by society in general to be unclean or unacceptable for public utterance.

Erotica: Writing with a specifically sexual nature, not necessarily the graphic depiction of sexual acts. Writing that is created with the intent to cause physical arousal.



Issues

Profanity: The use of profanity should be limited to what is useful to your story or contest. The way to decide is to read through it, and decide if the obscenity can safely be omitted without troubling the story. If it can be, then it should be. It is okay to use it in moderation, but make sure it is used to a reason and not just randomly. We all know what words are profane, and if you don't believe a particular swear word is profane, assume that Flipside does.

Erotica: The inclusion of erotica is expressly forbidden. Contests and entries displaying erotic themes will be removed from Flipside, and the owner will be allowed a single appeal to explain hir position on the matter to the administration. However, this does not mean that writing containing intimate scenes is illegal here. It is a matter of glossing over the details. See the following.

1. Intimate scenes must go easy on the description. Private body parts must not be named or described during the scene. Sexual acts must not be named or described. Look up Classical Decorum if you don't know what it is, and employ it instead if you can.

2. Consider the most well known of authors, and the generally accepted take on sexual content (excluding Piers Anthony, he's a perv). This is the bar that sexual content should strive to achieve.

3. Content should remain clean enough for thirteen year olds to read. 

4. If you feel that your entry or contest might walk the line, get [Mister Saint] to give you the okay and place a mature content warning at the top of your contest.

5. Use your common sense. "Well, you didn't expressly forbid oral sex," or something similar is not an excuse to allow it.

Note: [Mister Saint] does not like a lot of rules. Please do not challenge Flipside's rules in such a way that he has to create more of them.

Violence: Since violence, fighting, and war are staples of most published fiction, the rules on them are very lenient. Simply don't go into more detail than is necessary to achieve your desired effect. Torture scenes should be kept minimal, and the details glossed over as best you can. Common sense, again.



That is all, for now. This list may grow and change based on need, however.