Another Book Question

[kriadydragon]

I have an original story idea at the top of my writing list, but a part of me is hesitant because it features a child (around eleven years old) befriending a male adult who's around thirty, and I'm a little worried that some might perceive that as creepy.

Has anyone read stories about a little kid befriending an adult? And I don't mean the usual little kid and his/her elderly mentor/teacher/whatever. I mean male adults between the age of twenty-five and thirty-five.

For the record, what I have in mind I feel will work but I think it will help knowing that other authors have ventured into such territory and made it work as well. In other words, I need something that will shut my paranoia up.

Comments

buddies

[(Anonymous)]

I think it totally depends on how you write the relationship. I think there are wonderful stories written about a man and a young boy becoming friends. It could be seen or written as a friendship bond, a brother bond, a father-son type bond or uncle-type bond. Either way, it can be a very positive thing. Young boys do need positive male role models and usually do look up to someone older. -Diane

Re: buddies

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

The child character in my story is actually a girl. But either way, you hear so much about child molestations and other such atrocities that my biggest concern is that some might go into the story with a tainted mind-set. i.e. Thinking that children and adults are a bad mix and that such friendships will only lead to something horrible... or something. But knowing that it does work, not only in stories but in real life, helps a lot :D

Re: buddies

[obsessed1o1.livejournal.com]

Men being friends with young girls is tricky for obvious reasons (which is a shame), but handled correctly i think most people would go into it thinking of it as friendship and nothing more.

You'd have to be looking for something sinnister in the first place to read it as such and as said above anyone desperate enough will find a way to pervert it.

It is a delicate subject. It's something i think you have to build on slowly. You almost have to spell out their relationship from the very start and keep it out in the open (behind closed doors might be weird to start) and develop it so that later on physical contact (eg. A friendly hug o handhold) is read as friendship and nothing more. If you write it as fatherly figure to young girl i think most people will read it that way.