Why Slash? is a question that I have heard many times. What is it about this particular genre of writing that attracts people and makes them want to read and/or write it.

After doing some extensive research, (okay, I asked some fellow slashers!) I came to the conclusion that the reasons people read and/or write slash are as varied as people's reasons for doing anything.

For some it is the freedom that writing about a same-sex couple affords them as writer; able to explore and focus on the emotions and feelings that perhaps aren't present to the same extent in het fics.

For others it is the attraction of slashing two people whom they feel just seem to look so right together in real life; the opportunity to look beyond all those interviews, the sly longing looks and to write about the what ifs behind them.

Then for others it is the pure eroticism and arousing nature of these type of fics; the thought of two beautiful guys together, loving each other. Put simply, some people find slash a turn-on.

So let's look more closely at each one of these in turn and hopefully try and discover just what the fascination is.

Writing het fic is all well and good but sometimes slash provides an extra challenge to a writer. For instance it is very easy to have your main characters walking down the street hand-in-hand if they are a 'straight' couple but writing about two guys doing this requires a bit more thought as to their emotions and the ramifications that having them do so may provoke.

In short, slash presents problems for your characters to overcome that may not be present in het fics. You have to think creatively in order to develop a storyline that involves, what would in any other situation, be a fairly commonplace occurrence. For instance how do the couple's parents, friends, bandmates react to the knowledge that they are together? And what about children? Do they adopt and if so how easy is it for them to do so? Of course one very popular way round this is to set your story in an 'Alternate Universe' (AU) where same sex couples conceiving and raising children is possible and perhaps even the norm.

A good example of this is 'Meant To Be' by Cheeky Savage.

http://www.oocities.org/thestorieshtml/meant.html

 Well despite this being the 21st Century, same sex couples are still unfortunately viewed as being 'outside the norm.' But this could equally apply to a mixed race couple or a couple where one partner is disabled in some way. Again, in general, you would have to put a bit more thought into a storyline as these categories of couples would have additional obstacles to overcome as well as whatever you may wish to throw at them during the course of your fic.

It can also present the writer with a challenge.

The majority, though by no means all, of slash fiction tends to be written by straight female authors so, yes, this particular genre can be a very exciting one to write about. It is something that most of us will never experience either emotionally or sexually so the challenge is use your imagination, to try, as far as is possible, to put yourself in your characters' situations and ask 'how would I react, how would I deal with that?'

And then there is the clandestine nature of most of the scenarios you are going to be writing about especially if you are embarking on a 'friends-to-lovers' fic. Even if your characters are in real life or if you decide to write them as already gay or bi, you will still have plenty of opportunity to write secret glances across the table whilst they are having breakfast with the rest of their group/flight team/jedi squadron.

Of course if neither of them are gay but they fall for each other never-the-less then you have a whole new host of emotions to deal with and have your characters resolve. (or not as the case may be…) Who will make the first move? How will the object of his attraction react? They don't always have to fall straight into each other's arms and declare undying love. Perhaps they are disgusted and reject the advances? Perhaps they are already involved in a relationship with a woman? You get the picture.

As a writer you can explore a whole new areas of writing and have your characters experience a whole range of new difficulties and emotions that they just wouldn't encounter as a het couple.

'…because the pairings I read about DO look cute together…'

This is a common reason for a lot of people being attracted to slash. You have two guys who interact very closely in real life. There are lots of very private looks and it's obvious that they have a solid friendship. But just how close? This is where slash can come in, it can supply the answers to all those what ifs? What did he really mean when he said that in that interview? Why did he stand so close to him during that concert.

'…reason I write slash with some bands/casts isn't necessarily because there's something 'going on' in reality, but because there could be. If there's a situation that seems like fertile ground for a slash relationship…why not?'

Some artistes are well aware of the reactions of their fans if they behave in this manner and play up to it. A prime example would be Placebo. Everybody seen the photo of Brian and Stef snogging? Good. (Though of course Brian and Steve or Stef and Steve slash is a lot more fun. Why? Because Steve is straight and just ripe for being corrupted by either, or both! of his band mates.)

'…depending on who I'm slashing, I usually think that those particular people (same sex) look good together, so I take it upon myself to make it happen, so to speak…'

Fiction writing is all about using your imagination. You, as a writer, can make anything you want happen.

Sometimes a pairings' close real life relationship can make it easier for you, as a writer, to pick up on material to use in your fics.

Something may be said or done that you can elaborate on and extrapolate, use as a basis for a slash fic.

This, of course, is all merely speculation and fiction, it gives you the chance to imagine what your two chosen bois would be like together. (You must remember that unless they themselves have stated it or it is self-evident in the plot of a movie/book, no-one is saying that they are together.)

Lastly we come to the reason that more people write slash than they might readily admit…

Readers in the U.K. might remember the reactions from their male friends and relations when Geri Haliwell and Kylie Minogue kissed on TFI Friday. How many time have you been out and given your female friend a peck on the cheek goodnight only to be greeted by catcalls and wolf whistles from a passing group of guys? Exactly. Yet what might shock a lot of guys is to realize that this works both ways.

For a lot of women the thought of two guys together is a turn-on. It can be incredibly arousing especially if the two guys you are slashing are, as far as anyone knows, straight.

 Nobody knows quite why this is, though I'm sure a psychologist would have a field day trying to analyze it. Everybody has different turn-ons, slash is simply another one. Others quite commonly manifest themselves in some of the kinks that get fostered upon a couple. These can range from the simple use of silk scarves to all out BDSM.

Slash provides a writer with a way to act their own fantasies through the characters. Some writers will often include a female character either solely with one of the boys or as part of a threesome. Though this is dismissed by many authors for fear of it being labeled, rightly or wrongly, as a 'Mary Sue.'

A few final thoughts as to why slash has proved to be such a very popular genre of writing…

Slash can appear to be a bit of a strange genre to choose to write but each writer has their own rationale behind choosing it as a way of expressing their work and I hope this article has gone just a little way to explain what motivates us, as authors, to pick out male characters and write about them in a way that, whilst quite natural, may often seem at first an unusual choice of subject matter.

If anyone has any questions/comments on what I have written or wishes to discuss anything further then please feel free to e-mail me.

A big thank you to everyone who helped contribute to this article by allowing me to use their comments and theories. You all know who you are ;)

BSHs all round.