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meridian_roseWhile there are plenty of "head canon" asexuals in fiction, there are very few confirmed asexual characters (there is a short list here)
Steven Moffat said he wasn't interested in an asexual Sherlock; celibacy is interesting but asexuality is boring. (He also said he doesn't include bisexual characters because they're too busy having fun (ie sex) to watch his shows, and lesbian character Irene Adler fell for Sherlock, so he fails on multiple levels). As if there are no characters that exist beyond their (preferably hetero) sexuality, or plots that do not rely solely on romantic attraction. Perhaps he needs to read Plot Ideas For Stories With Asexual Characters.
It's true that there are people who claim to only read fiction with a sexual component, and some even decry any fanfic that isn't outright porn. Some genres lead themselves to romantic and/or sexual themes more than others – Regency novels are often centred around a romance between two characters, while science fiction might not deal with relationships at all. There's certainly no reason that those on the asexual spectrum cannot enjoy fiction that includes romantic and/or sexual themes, and it would be a hard task to only try to consume media that made no reference to romance at all.
However there's also no reason asexual and aromantic characters cannot exist, nor that non-sexual but deep partnerships cannot be shown. To give one example, "Motive" features Detective Angie Flynn and her partner, Detective Oscar Vega. Most fanfic is ship related, and that's fine, people will ship what they want to; however in canonI'd rather their relationship stay deeply affectionate (she's his "date" to his father's remarriage as one example of how close they are off the job) but non-sexual. It's important to me for several reasons that we have some canon male/female relationships that remain platonic but unquestionably close and intimate in other ways.
I read and write romance, erotica, background relationships, and so forth. I do however also touch on asexuality in the fiction I write.
(Note: Because I tend not to write to an outline, especially in the early stages of a work, themes and events may shift and change during the writing in a particular 'verse, and so earlier works in a series may have a slightly different tone to later instalments.)
Call Me Mistress is a 'verse rooted in sensuality and kinks. It's not explicit however, because the focus in on exploring kinks and arousal rather than outright plot-what-plot sex. The "Mistress" is a woman has recently taken the post at house filled with rooms to roleplay various scenarios, and while it is her job to fulfil fantasies, it is always on her terms. Furthermore she herself identities on the asexual spectrum and the series is also meant as an exploration of her sexuality, personal kinks, and limitations.
My novel (currently languishing in the latest draft) is a fantasy heterosexual romance but it also features a f/f (bisexual/lesbian) pairing and a background m/m relationship. One of the characters is also asexual. It's directly mentioned in the text on a few occasions. In one scene, the character, a cleric, explains to a novice that he isn't celibate but rather does not experience arousal. In another scene, one character is frustrated that there isn't a word to describe her sexuality (bisexual) nor her uncle's (asexuality). I wanted it to be as unambiguous as possible that this character is not abstaining out of choice but out of a lack of desire.
He's also very close to the female protagonist, a male/female friendship without sex to muddy the waters. They consider each other to be family, just as he feels a kinship to the community in his role as cleric. He's not cold or unfeeling, and that is important to me, given the Sherlock/Sheldon Cooper fanon stereotype of asexuality, and that a study found that asexuals were seen as relatively cold and emotionless and unrestrained, impulsive, and less sophisticated. - x
I wrote a pre-series (bonus/promo material) piece for the novel, "Different Does Not Mean Changed", in which his asexuality is the subject of discussion between the female protagonist (who is accepting) and her fiancé (who is not). It allowed me to explore some of the "bingos" thrown at asexual people, and the difficulty of being asexual in a world where sexuality, particularly heterosexuality, is lauded above all else.
There's a minor character in the Kat series who is on the asexual spectrum. It hasn't been directly addressed yet, but I have her backstory planned out. Again, there are gay/lesbian/bisexual characters within the story.
I still tend, then, towards hetero and gay romance over asexuality, and there are a lot of reasons for that which would take a long time to unpack. I do try, however, to include asexuality as a theme, just as I try to include masturbation, being childfree, and some of my favourite kinks. Writing lets me explore the things that are important to me, and hopefully other people can enjoy them, even where they can't directly relate to them.
Steven Moffat said he wasn't interested in an asexual Sherlock; celibacy is interesting but asexuality is boring. (He also said he doesn't include bisexual characters because they're too busy having fun (ie sex) to watch his shows, and lesbian character Irene Adler fell for Sherlock, so he fails on multiple levels). As if there are no characters that exist beyond their (preferably hetero) sexuality, or plots that do not rely solely on romantic attraction. Perhaps he needs to read Plot Ideas For Stories With Asexual Characters.
It's true that there are people who claim to only read fiction with a sexual component, and some even decry any fanfic that isn't outright porn. Some genres lead themselves to romantic and/or sexual themes more than others – Regency novels are often centred around a romance between two characters, while science fiction might not deal with relationships at all. There's certainly no reason that those on the asexual spectrum cannot enjoy fiction that includes romantic and/or sexual themes, and it would be a hard task to only try to consume media that made no reference to romance at all.
However there's also no reason asexual and aromantic characters cannot exist, nor that non-sexual but deep partnerships cannot be shown. To give one example, "Motive" features Detective Angie Flynn and her partner, Detective Oscar Vega. Most fanfic is ship related, and that's fine, people will ship what they want to; however in canonI'd rather their relationship stay deeply affectionate (she's his "date" to his father's remarriage as one example of how close they are off the job) but non-sexual. It's important to me for several reasons that we have some canon male/female relationships that remain platonic but unquestionably close and intimate in other ways.
I read and write romance, erotica, background relationships, and so forth. I do however also touch on asexuality in the fiction I write.
(Note: Because I tend not to write to an outline, especially in the early stages of a work, themes and events may shift and change during the writing in a particular 'verse, and so earlier works in a series may have a slightly different tone to later instalments.)
Call Me Mistress is a 'verse rooted in sensuality and kinks. It's not explicit however, because the focus in on exploring kinks and arousal rather than outright plot-what-plot sex. The "Mistress" is a woman has recently taken the post at house filled with rooms to roleplay various scenarios, and while it is her job to fulfil fantasies, it is always on her terms. Furthermore she herself identities on the asexual spectrum and the series is also meant as an exploration of her sexuality, personal kinks, and limitations.
My novel (currently languishing in the latest draft) is a fantasy heterosexual romance but it also features a f/f (bisexual/lesbian) pairing and a background m/m relationship. One of the characters is also asexual. It's directly mentioned in the text on a few occasions. In one scene, the character, a cleric, explains to a novice that he isn't celibate but rather does not experience arousal. In another scene, one character is frustrated that there isn't a word to describe her sexuality (bisexual) nor her uncle's (asexuality). I wanted it to be as unambiguous as possible that this character is not abstaining out of choice but out of a lack of desire.
He's also very close to the female protagonist, a male/female friendship without sex to muddy the waters. They consider each other to be family, just as he feels a kinship to the community in his role as cleric. He's not cold or unfeeling, and that is important to me, given the Sherlock/Sheldon Cooper fanon stereotype of asexuality, and that a study found that asexuals were seen as relatively cold and emotionless and unrestrained, impulsive, and less sophisticated. - x
I wrote a pre-series (bonus/promo material) piece for the novel, "Different Does Not Mean Changed", in which his asexuality is the subject of discussion between the female protagonist (who is accepting) and her fiancé (who is not). It allowed me to explore some of the "bingos" thrown at asexual people, and the difficulty of being asexual in a world where sexuality, particularly heterosexuality, is lauded above all else.
There's a minor character in the Kat series who is on the asexual spectrum. It hasn't been directly addressed yet, but I have her backstory planned out. Again, there are gay/lesbian/bisexual characters within the story.
I still tend, then, towards hetero and gay romance over asexuality, and there are a lot of reasons for that which would take a long time to unpack. I do try, however, to include asexuality as a theme, just as I try to include masturbation, being childfree, and some of my favourite kinks. Writing lets me explore the things that are important to me, and hopefully other people can enjoy them, even where they can't directly relate to them.
