Hello there.
Well, it's fair to say that there's been a fair amount of thinking and perhaps not as much writing as I might like here in the past month or so. I've been tapping away at something new, which may or may not pan out, but has kept me interested. I've stalled on a couple of other things.
What I'm here for now, though, is a bit of research. Call it professional curiosity. On the right you should see a poll (unless you're looking at this post over a week from now; greetings, time traveller). Can you do me a favour and answer it? And leave any additional thoughts or comments you have under this post.
Oh, and just for the time travellers, here's the question: "In mask fiction, what sort of transformation do you prefer to read about?" Options being 'male to female', 'male to male', 'female to female', 'female to male', 'any, if it's right for the story' or 'all if at all possible'. So now even you can answer.
Let me know... vote today!
UPDATE: I moved the poll up top, as that way, you can see the results properly.
Thanks to those who voted so far!
Most definately male to female, especially when it's a specific impersonation. As to why? I don't know. I guess if I did know or any of us did, we would...Well, I'm not ever sure what we would do.
ReplyDeleteA large part of it for me, though, has to do with the superficiality of it; the thin veneer between fake identity and discovery. Most of the time, body suits or masks are used as just another plot device for a perfect transformation. Where's the fun in that? There needs to be tension, dramatic tension in the danger of discovery and of a razor thin impersonation barely holding together; the details just heighten the eroticism Don't see enough of that in mask fiction, but of course, a large part of that has to do with nature of erotic fantasy. Why would you put up obstacles in fullfilling a fantasy?
I think that's why I'm drawn towards the transformation process and always a little sad when that section gets passed over. There's also an eroticism in that, in the creation and transformation process itself. Oy...Exploring this, I'm all over the map. Need to do more thinking...
Hey 'Remixed'. I didn't really expect people to soul-search over this, it's just an interesting question. :)
ReplyDeleteYou raise some interesting points though. You're right, most writers use masks/suits as a 'magic device' and the idea of a 'razor thin impersonation' isn't explored too much. I guess it's because if you don't allow your characters to be able to plausibly impersonate someone, well, you haven't got much of a story.
I know what you mean about the transformation process, too; it's often the most exciting part of any story. However, speaking from experience, it can get very boring to write (when you've done it a lot), to say nothing of difficult. After all most of us haven't done what our characters do.
That said, I think the better writers understand the thrill in describing the impersonation process, and will work hard to make that as detailed as they can. My favourites certainly do.
I'd be interested in knowing what are your favourite stories, and whether they're the ones I expect.
I was torn between "male to female" and "female to female", but only pick one.
ReplyDeleteI understand what you mean how writing about the transformation process can get boring for yourself, after doing it so many times. That's one of the things that I like about your stories. You've gone beyond that. Rather than going through yet another transformation description and expecting that to be the money-shot, you subtly play with the unconscious feelings that it creates in the transformed...and in turn, on us the reader. You've figured out how to say something, without actually "saying" it.
...at least...that's what I get out of them. ;)
Hey CM. I figured most people's tastes would be for either 'M2F' or 'F2F' but wanted to force you to pick your favourite. Or be like me and frankly, not care if it's well written. :)
ReplyDeleteI don't think I consciously started writing more about the emotions of transformation, really, but I know I started to get bored of saying the same stuff over and over, so I think it evolved naturally.
I do understand the immediate, exciting feeling of reading a good transformation scene (I've read enough!) but when it comes down to it, they're often the exact same sequence of events. That's partially why I try to come up with new twists on it - including the 'conversation with yourself' stuff that I've now used so many times in Spider-Girl issues it might itself become cliche, for me anyway, before too long. :)
Regardless of my own self-criticism, thanks for the compliment - I do try. ;)
I think there's great dramatic tension in somebody not quite pulling off an impersonation. In our regular lives, when something is off about a person, we don't normally cry out, "She a man wearing a mask!" Then again, where does that story go? Erotic fiction isn't really the realm of dramatic tension, it's about actually fulfilling fantasies.
ReplyDeleteIn doing so, though, mask fiction does tend to fall into a formula. Unavoidable, some say, because much of the plot structure is built in. A story is usually building towards the reveal of the masking or the culminiation of the transformation process. And in terms of the transformation process, it's hard to liven up a rote lists of actions. After all, a process of logistics doesn't get people off.
What I'm looking for are those specific details that create a fully realized transformation. Holly Fairfa wrote a story called "Spy Tales," about a male CIA agent impersonating a female neighbour for fun. It's a story that luxuriates in the transformation process, conveying the thrill the character is experiencing. There's a particular detail that stands out, when the agent removes a tampon from the unconcious neighbour and places it in his artificial vagina.
Then there's Zaj Nezdal's stories "Sauna Weapon" and "Border Cross-Over." In both stories, Zaj shifts perspectives in a way that makes the reader very aware of the impersonation process. "Sauna Weapon" shifts the point of view from the crime lord enjoying this vision of a seductive model to the assassin attempting the impersonation of the seductive model. There's a dramatic tension in how that shifting plays out that's also very erotic for me.
My fascination with this, and also the transformation process, comes from peeking behind the curtain so to speak. There's a level of work and detail people want to see, because it's such a foreign experience. It's why people become so fascinated with shows like Entourage and the Sopranos. It's not the intricate plotting that draws people but a chance to be inside the inside through the shows' attention to those specific details only an insider would know.
As for my all time favourite stories, I'll have to go with the works of Valerie. Much of Valerie's work doesn't directly speak to the above points, but what can I say, they're fucking hot! It's amazing to me how Valerie's stories tie character and the so intimately with the masking; it's not the fact that somebody is fucking the perfect simulation of a woman, but how easily that simulation falls away.
Let's also not forget to praise you, Ghostwriter. This whole erotic mask fiction scene wouldn't exist without your writing. The first time I read Beneth the Veil it blew me away. It was your ability to draw me into this completely alien world, that you were able to fuse so many of my fetishes into one potent narrative. You, sir, are a pioneer and trailblazer. Take a bow.