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

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

I think unfortunately, with the way that the word is today and the types of people out there that do take advantage of young children, it's very difficult to write male adults being friends with children (especially girls), when we wouldn't think any differently about a female adult becoming friends with a child.

This is exactly what's been holding me back. Were the adult character a woman I probably wouldn't think anything of it. But because he's male it's made me dither a bit, first over how to handle the friendship between man and girl (which I have since figured out and feel confident about) then over how others might view it and whether or not some might try to talk me out of the idea (it wouldn't be the first time). Knowing that such friendships have been done and do work has helped my confidence to write this story quite a bit.

[obsessed1o1.livejournal.com]

I think you have to give the readers credit too and assume that they will read it as friendship. The way i got around it in my story was to have the kid pursuing the adult rather than the other way around and kept their friendship out in the open. Eg, I felt uncomfortable writing the man and the boy alone in his house until i had established that it was purely friendship.

Sad times when you can't just sit down and write and you have to worry about peoples warped perceptions. Oh well, it's a challenge but a fun one.

Good luck with the writing! ((hugs)) And i'm glad this has given you confidence to write it! I'm sure it will, as always, be excellent :o)