[edit - not sure what happened, I titled the poll and somehow that became the thread title, and the first poll option is 23-27 and not 18-22 like it should be]
So - at these different ages characters tend to go through similar moments in life. 18 - 22 is often graduating highschool / college.
23 - 27 is usually establishing a career, maybe moving to a new city.
28 - 32 is often having children and dealing with an established lifestyle that might ht a rutt (divorce, for example)
33 - 37 usually comes to having older children, shifting careers, older parents become a factor.
38 - 42 some no longer have children living at home, travel more often and experience more issues related to a new, freer life.
43 - 47 . . . and 48 - 52 (and up) deal with much older children, possibly the death of a spouse and starting new, early retirement for some, etc.
What age-range and / or story concept do you enjoy the most? (Obviously the story concepts don't always follow this loose guideline.)
Generally 23-27 - post-college but pre-marriage. All my characters are typically mid-to-late twenty'ish. They're either living on their own, with roommates or with a BF/GF and basically establishing themselves and exploring. I think these things can create interesting conflict for characters. I like the mix of relationships vs. the single life and monogamy vs sexual adventure. It's also what I can relate to best in my own life.
Perhaps because I'm older, my characters tend to be older. I prefer to write about people over 40 ... the men are generally experienced and the women a little less. I have written about "young adults" (in their 20's), but I'm more comfortable with the older set and believe there are a lot of readers that belong in that older set that are more comfortable reading stories about people that have to shave daily.
The female characters in my first few stories have been fresh out of the box 18-22 year olds. If I'm honest, I think I'm just being lazy. That nubile innocence taps into some primal, almost predatory urge to grunt and fuck things.
At the risk of sounding naff, I find the journey of sexual exploration of a woman in her 20s the most interesting, and arousing. She's striking out on her own, trying things for herself, and the possibilities are endless. It's everything from waiting for that one, perfect love, to waiting at the docks for the fleet to come in. Although, that Gen Y arrogance does shit me so.
But hold a gun to my head, it's women in their 30s that I enjoy the most. Being around 40 myself, I can obviously relate better. They're still physically beautiful, if not at their peak, but it's the emotional maturity that gets me. Generally, they know who they are, they know what they want, and they're comfortable with themselves. That's what makes them the sexiest, at least for me.
My latest story is a racy little piece about what happens when someone cute from work invites you over to watch Netflix and Chill. Hehe. I find 18 - 20 something's to be wholly unrealistic. I was married, had two kids, and divorced by the age of 20. I've read a lot of books with the in mind, but I find they lack so many real-people qualities. Or maybe I'm a freak. LOL
