# Transformation Story Tropes and Clichés



## ChapterAquila92 (Mar 18, 2018)

As a writer of transformation-themed literature for over a decade, I've made it an occasional habit of looking through what other TF writers have produced and uploaded over the years, in large part to see what I can do to improve my own writing. Suffice to say however, I've become rather critical of what I found to be a lot of cookie-cutter placeholder scenes that didn't quite equate to being full stories, let alone good ones. As such, and in a bit of a joking angst over this, I started compiling a list of tropes and clichés that I found to be used a lot in the genre.

{Link to the original list here}

It is important to note that the formulaic conventions of transformation stories aren't necessarily bad in themselves, just that it takes practice to implement them in such a way that they don't automatically draw the reader out of the story. JP Beaubien of Terrible Writing Advice has more on that regarding literature in general, but the principles he posits apply nonetheless.






With that said, I'm curious as to what your thoughts are when it comes to transformation conventions and how they're implemented.


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## Simo (Mar 18, 2018)

I've always liked to have well developed characters with a somewhat complex relationship, before even getting to the transformation part of any story (or RP, for that matter). It's always been something that's built up to often in tandem with character development, and, the stories tend to continue on well past the transformation. Only once has a mild element of magic been used; generally, things are more or less set in present day reality, with a few sci-fi elements. Also, the transformations are often not permanent, or may shift over time.

It's been hard for me to find a lot of TF fiction I've enjoyed, all in all; there's been a bit, but I can't really name any authors that stand out; really, the best 'fiction' has come about in long format, multiple paragraph RPs I have done with a few close friends. 

It can be a hard genre to keep 'fresh' but not impossible; my main focus has been on having good character development and interaction, and also, to keep a sense of humor. Without a sense of humor, for me, this sort of thing, love it as I do, gets pretty boring


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## ChapterAquila92 (Mar 20, 2018)

Simo said:


> I've always liked to have well developed characters with a somewhat complex relationship, before even getting to the transformation part of any story (or RP, for that matter). It's always been something that's built up to often in tandem with character development, and, the stories tend to continue on well past the transformation.


True enough. As with any other genre, the world your characters inhabit is just as much part of their identity as all the descriptors you can slap on them, if not more so simply on the account that they need to be able to interact with something, whether that be a particularly intimate relationship or just one in relation to their general environment. That alone has its own quirks that can be worked with in a TF story:


			
				Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri said:
			
		

> Once a man has changed the relationship between himself and his environment, he cannot return to the blissful ignorance he left. Motion, of necessity, involves a change in perspective.





Simo said:


> It's been hard for me to find a lot of TF fiction I've enjoyed, all in all; there's been a bit, but I can't really name any authors that stand out; really, the best 'fiction' has come about in long format, multiple paragraph RPs I have done with a few close friends.


Fair enough. There's not much else I can say about such RPs myself, largely because I don't really have much of an interest in it.


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## reptile logic (Mar 20, 2018)

Giving credit where credit is due; OP, you have thoroughly studied the subject. The points made on your list are immediately recognizable and relatable as well.

I'm happy to find out that I hadn't adopted many of those cliche's into my last novel, a novel that I started without a plan or even an idea of what might become of it. Too many for some? I don't know. I suppose that it's up to the readers to decide if the story ultimately works.

Adding to @Simo 's response; I love character development and attention to, sometimes small, environmental details. Small things that, at some point in time, may later connect the reader to what may otherwise seem to be a vague moment in the story. I suppose creating dialog among the characters, and painting a good written picture, are big reasons why I enjoy writing. Enough rambling.

Regarding transformation conventions or convention in general for that matter: On the plus side, they can establish a common knowledge base that the reader/viewer can immediately relate to. Predictability is the potential downside; one never wants the reader viewer to think, "I know where this is going," unless the story then turns to reveal something unexpected.


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## Simo (Mar 20, 2018)

reptile logic said:


> "I know where this is going," unless the story then turns to reveal something unexpected.



Hehe...on that note, the most ferocious dragons make the most adorable, docile Red Pandas


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## KILL.MAIM.KILL (Mar 20, 2018)

Every transformation story or comic goes like this:

_Generic Dumb and Naive caucasian-looking young adult human female accidentally stumbles upon a Generic Enchanted Object!

She touches the object, and oh no, what's this? She's transforming into a latex horse furry! At first she is shocked and appalled, but then the Generic Transformation Magic changes her mindset, and suddenly being a horse with latex skin is giving her 10 orgasms a second!

THE END!
_
I mean, it's fetish stuff, so it's kind of a given.
I'm sure my own erotic fiction has repetitive elements and tropes.
People are using this stuff solely to get off, it's probably not going to have an award-winning plot.


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## Cawdabra (Mar 20, 2018)

KILL.MAIM.KILL said:


> Every transformation story or comic goes like this:
> 
> _Generic Dumb and Naive caucasian-looking young adult human female accidentally stumbles upon a Generic Enchanted Object!
> 
> ...


It actually bothers me when the characters realize how grave their situation is, and they're turned into a mare or something and then it's implied they are going to get raped a shit ton by every other horse on the farm. Like, that's fucked up lol


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## KILL.MAIM.KILL (Mar 20, 2018)

Cawdabra said:


> It actually bothers me when the characters realize how grave their situation is, and they're turned into a mare or something and then it's implied they are going to get raped a shit ton by every other horse on the farm. Like, that's fucked up lol



Ugh, yeah. Even if it's not literal rape, a lot of TF fiction seems to rely on a lack of consent in some way. Kind of gives me the creeps.

You rarely see willing transformations. Like, I don't think I've seen a comic where the subject us like _YAY, I'M GOING TO BECOME AN OCTOPUS GIRL, I CAN'T WAIT TO GET STARTED!_


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## ChapterAquila92 (Mar 20, 2018)

Cawdabra said:


> It actually bothers me when the characters realize how grave their situation is, and they're turned into a mare or something and then it's implied they are going to get raped a shit ton by every other horse on the farm. Like, that's fucked up lol


Oddly enough, a similar comment was brought up by LiimLsan a few years ago.


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## Skychickens (Mar 30, 2018)

I love it when people do a lot of research. It makes me feel less silly for doing so much.

I did a lot of personal study into psychology and biology myself for similar reasons. I love working on character development, and little details of setting and plot that help make things more realistic despite having everything set in high fantasy. Then I have a lot of shapeshifters, so literally transforming there is a fun challenge. 

I also am secretly forever a thirteen-year-old girl obsessed with vampires and werewolves and such like that. I'm a terrible person but it's so much fun to try and work with something so overdone and figure out how to make it actually work. I put a lot of work into the structure of it all if I'm going to do something like that. How do the dynamics work? What is the master>thrall dynamic like? Why were they turned into something else? How is this more than just a convenient plot device? What does this add to the story?!

I ask a lot of questions...The more questions I can ask and answer without telling the better.


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