In Defense of PWPs
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| Title: | In Defense of PWPs |
| Creator: | Thamiris |
| Date(s): | January 23, 2000 |
| Medium: | online |
| Fandom: | |
| Topic: | Fanfiction, PWP |
| External Links: | In Defense of PWPs/WebCite |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
In Defense of PWPs is an essay by Thamiris.
It is part of the Fanfic Symposium series.
Excerpt
I've always tripped over the PWP label, although not for the reasons you might think. I like sex in my fic, as both reader and writer, if it's provocative, complex and relevant. But that's the same criteria by which I evaluate all narrative. No, the label irritates me, like some prickly hair shirt, because it's often used to impose a false binary between plot and sex, uncritically privileging the former. We're supposed to assume the inate superiority of sexless stories. After all, how could poor sex possibly compete with the revered sir Plot? The answer is simple: it shouldn't have to. Sex and plot are unfairly polarized,which becomes apparent when we consider even a basic definition of the latter. And I think we should: too often discussions of plot limit its vague perimeters; instead, personal taste and bias masquerade as legitimate critique. I'd like to return to the basics here and briefly examine this broad and elusive term before examining the implications for PWP.