I've been puzzling over my own shipping preferences ever since I noticed that slash ticked me off, but femslash didn't. And from there, I can only bring myself to read femslash, not write it. Interesting double standards, aye?

I think it's because females feel more comfortable with their own bodies. So when they read femslash, they understand what the author might be going at in the writing. But hey, I don't know...I'm no sexuality expert.

I was talking about both average-rated romance femslash and pure smut stories, as I'm really no judge of slashfic quality.

I suppose it's worth stating here that, after reading those forty different interviews, many of them from you lovely PPCrs (*hugs*), it's easy to conclude that I am (once again) something of the odd one out. I just can't bring myself to read slash that's beyond what can be talked off as friednship; I don't know why. I'm just traditional, I guess, and I always - in any subject - tend to stick with what I know. My own sexuality has a huge impact on what I read and write, and "fun pairings" have never appealed to me.

Maybe that's the problem? My lack of imagination? Or simple squickiness. I've got nothing against it, of course, but I just... I still don't get it. Intellectually, I agree with every point you guys have made

... I could start a long rant now on What's Wrong With Friendship?, but that's probably not a good idea. I tend to get dramatic. And I'm rambling far enough off-topic anyway.

But if nothing else, at least this makes the theoretical side of things clearer, and that's mainly what I need for my essay. I do feel a bit blind, though.


(And Lycaenion, to be honest, I haven't read Wicked yet, either; I'm talking mainly about the musical adaptation and all the fanfic for that.)

It could be them writing what they know. After all, for all that we've taken sex ed, we do know our own bodies better than those of the opposite gender. It may be easier for females (regardless of sexual preference) to visualize what two women would do than what two men (or even a man and a woman) would do.
That said, it could easily be for one of the reasons listed below.

I'd imagine similar reasons apply to writing f/f as writing m/m. Not having the appropriate manly bits, I can't really appreciate an m/m fic by identifying hugely with one or other character, but they're still interesting to read and write about, because we're not talking about pr0n here, we're talking about stories about people. You might as well ask why authors who happen to be lesbians write straight couples. The author's sexuality should have no more bearing on characters or plot or anything else than, for example, their skin colour or nationality.

Of course, if we are talking blatant pr0n, that's another matter entirely, and I doubt you'd get many wholly and comfortably heterosexual women writing PWP femmeslash. If you're writing or reading for the sex, after all, it's pretty pointless reading or writing about sex that really doesn't do anything for you.

... that they find interesting. I can't really comment, even though I like slash and femslash, because I'm bi. I have a straight friend who quite likes m/m but gets squicked at f/f. Maybe the straight women who write femslash just see a specific pairing and think "Oh, they are so together." Then they write it, not because it's hot, but because it's a romantic pairing that they find interesting. You don't have to find something "hot" to enjoy writing it. I mean, look at all the SyaoSaku fans. I doubt many of them see their relation as anything other than "omg so cute".

Most likely though is that they're just open-minded and mature enough to not let something like sexuality get in the way of writing a fun pairing.

Hmmm... while it is most likely true that lesbian/bi women might do a better job of writing femslash, it's perfectly possible that a straight woman could see two female characters as 'meant for each other,' and want to write this.

Or perhaps they feel that part of a certain female character's pysche is due to them pining for another female, and want to make this part of their story.

(N.B: I have not yet read Wicked, and the above are generalizations that probably don't support your example.)

However, if you're talking about bad or PWP fanfiction, I think you're right in saying that "omg they're so hawt!" isn't the correct reason.
But if f/f romance is an interesting plot point rather than just vapid porn, I don't think women have to be straight to write it.

For me, writing any relationship is a progression from what potential I can see for it in canon. If I see potential for a f/f sexual relationship, then that's what I'll write. If I feel up to writing smut for it, then why shouldn't I? It has nothing to do with my own personal sexuality.

Hope this helps you.