So I've been thinking about the whole tg-fiction thing lately from a structural standpoint. I don't know how many times I've heard people comment in message boards "oh please, why is fiction always feature a character where they're forced to be a girl against their will, they enjoy every minute of it!". And I thought about it, and it didn't really make sense to me. Perhaps we aren't the character, maybe we like imagining a guy who doesn't like any of this being forced to? While that's not a bad fantasy, I don't think that's it at all.
I think the real fantasy is about teasing. I think we like the idea of being threatened of being transformed. This is why often there is a build up. It's not like you start the story, and someone walks in and goes "poof! your a girl!". More importantly, the idea of being stuck, which is something else we don't want, is the other tease/threat. All of us base our fantasy on becoming a girl, getting off, then changing back. In nearly every story, the character is either threatened/blackmailed with being left that way, or the story ends with the device being lost/broken/given away leaving them stuck. That's not to say this is the situation we desire, but it's what makes a story (or fantasy) interesting. Every story needs conflict to be interesting. When you read an action story, you don't wish that your being chased by a futuristic robot, but if the story was "shot the robot, he stopped working", it would be boring an uninteresting.
So then I thought about it a little more, and I realized there is in fact a formula to this storyline. So much in fact that I'm willing to bet someone could easily write a script, chose some attributes, fill in some names of characters, and it would pop up a completely new story. So here goes:
A. Choose the change device: medallion, future lab machine, magical wand, potion, genie lamp, spellbook, etc.
B. Choose the motive: experiment, friend is out of town and we need a clone, low paying co-worker wants to swap rank, girlfriend caught you cheating, wife is bisexual, friend wants to mess with you, same sex friend is horny, younger sibling is tired of being bossed around, Bully on a powertrip, Bullied kid wants revenge, world goes out of whack (great change), etc.
C. Transformation initiates, how quickly? insantenous, it could be a body swap, it could happen while you sleep and it finishes when you awake, it could happen slowly over a few days as you hide the subtle changes (can't explain why your slowly looking different), if it's a device it could be the changer manually making the changes on the fly, etc.
D. What kind of girl is the guy transformed into? slutty, big breasted, horny, clone, skinny/fat, pregnant, younger/older, different race, etc.
E. What is the blackmail/threat? Do it or I won't change you back, do this task or I'll REALLY make you do something embarrasing, if it's a body swap (do what I say, or I'll go out in your body and do embarrasing things), do what I say or I'll use this device to kill you
F. What is the action? Have sex with my friend, clean the house, stand up in wedding because I don't want to, take my test for me, your not the boss of me anymore, go shopping for girly clothes, come with me to a bar so we can pickup some guys
G. How does the character get stuck? device got destroyed, device got stolen, wishes ended, pendant got borrowed, no anidote
E. How does this guy stuck in a girl's body live out the rest of his life? business as usual (just in a diffferent body), he eventually learns to live with it, continues the search for the device or another device that would be just as good, you get revenge back by changing them too before device is gone
I think you are absolutely right. It is about teasing, suspense, thrilling expectations.
ReplyDeleteAs for what the reader wants/don't wants, that might vary. Some readers really want that change to be permanent, even if they do not want to admit it to themselves.
But in this world of fantasy they are relieved of that choice. Someone else make that choice for them. What a wonderful release!
Don't you think, it has also to do with many of us hiding our feelings and needs and that being forced to dress up by an outside influence gives us the opportunity to live our fantasy without having to admit that this is what we wish to most?
ReplyDeleteReally nice insight into the erotic component... I fully agree with your conclusion... It's interesting that the understanding of the process does not reduce the interst...because most of the paraphiliac focus of transvetic fetishism is for self internalized stimulation the story is the imagery needed to float the boat..the format you imply is probably very important to the stimulation...Going down the path is comfortable and the reward is the stimulation
ReplyDeleteAngela: perhaps not feelings, but perhaps a cover to make it acceptable, which is something we certainly don't feel. I don't know how many videos I see on youtube where they makeover a guy, and the girlfriend has to explain that he lost a bet. By not having a choice in the manner, that may very well be comforting
ReplyDeleteSport: The path is predictable, yet somehow the ride is always fun. It's incredible when someone comes up with a new piece of the puzzle, which is often duplicated