Transgendered Fiction Plots

by Cal Y. Pygia

   

For many writers, plotting a story is the most difficult part of the creative writing process. Fortunately, some help is available. Critics have identified several basic plot formulae for pornographic and erotic fiction. In addition, I have added some others that are especially well suited for transgendered fiction. The first five formulae may be called "situational plots," because they are based upon a particular circumstance. The next fifteen are "motivational plots," which result from the protagonist's reason or purpose. The next set of plot formulae concern lesbian stories, but it may be adapted to fit the transgendered fiction author's needs. Finally, the remaining series of plot formulae, the "transformational plots," are specifically associated with the transformation process that many transsexuals undergo. I invite any author to use any of these plot formulae in the development of his or her transgendered fiction.

 

Situational Plots

These plots were identified by William Rotsler in his 1974 book, Contemporary Erotic Cinema. For further information, refer to the Internet article, "A History of X: 100 Years of Sex in Film" by Luke Ford (http://print.google.com/print/doc?isbn=1573926787).

Plot 1. Reading or handling some phallic-shaped object arouses a woman alone at home. Masturbation follows. A man arrives, is invited inside; sexual play begins.

Plot 2. A farm girl gets excited watching animals copulate. She runs into a farmhand, or a traveling salesman, and sexual play begins.

Plot 3. A doctor begins examining a woman and sexual play begins.

Plot 4. A burglar finds a girl in bed or rapes her or vice versa.

Plot 5. A sunbather or skinny dipper gets caught and seduced.

 

Motivational Plots

Cal Y. Pygia identified these plots:

Plot 1. A woman trades sex for the goods or services she desires. This plot includes hitchhikers who exchange sex for rides.

Plot 2. A woman has sex with a film producer (or boss) to land a part (or a promotion).

Plot 3. A man blackmails a woman into having sex.

Plot 4. A woman has sex with a man to prove that she loves him.

Plot 5. A man or woman has sex to avenge him- or herself.

Plot 6. A man or woman has sex with someone other than his or her spouse to enjoy variety. Interracial and gay sex can be included in this category.

Plot 7. A man has sex with a woman to assert his dominance over her. A woman may also have sex with a man for the same purpose in reverse.

Plot 8. A woman is raped. (A man commits rape.)

Plot 9. A female (or male) prostitute has sex with her (or his) customers. This plot includes forced prostitution, or "white slavery."

Plot 10. A woman (or man) has sex because she (or he) is a porn star, making an X-rated movie.

Plot 11. During a pajama party (or a camping trip), girls (or boys) have sex to satisfy their curiosity about the matter.

Plot 12. A girl has sex to become pregnant (perhaps to "trap" her partner into marrying her).

Plot 13. A transsexual has sex to test her (or his) new (artificial) genitals.

Plot 14. A lonely older woman (or man) seduces a younger boy (or girl).

Plot 15. A man or a woman has sex as part of a religious ritual.

 

Lesbian Plot

This lesbian plot was identified by Ivanova and is quoted from the Internet article "12 Golden Rules for a Lesbian Story" (www.puk.de/ivanova/regeln_eng.html). As noted, the lesbian plot can be adapted to fit the needs of the transgendered fiction author.

The more of these rules you follow, the more surprising and successful your little lesbian interlude will be. Minor deviations are permissible, but departing from the course too much might be too demanding on your intellectual abilities, or it could even shatter your entire view of life.

 

I. Initial position

Don't even dare to think that two single women could simply fall in love with one another, or that two women who have always favored only (or also) women could, or even two single women who happen to prefer women! No, the only possible initial position is the following one: One of the two favors women. The "real" lesbian, you might say. In the following, we shall call her "The Lesbian."

 

II. Constellations

The other woman is heterosexual, and in the history of your soap opera, drama show, or movies, there should have been absolutely no clue at all that she has ever contemplated having a relationship with a woman. Remember: Long-term preparation of a switch of emotional and sexual orientation is utterly unnecessary!

We recommend that the straight woman maintain a long-term, intact relationship (with a man, naturally). The Lesbian, however, is usually single.

 

III. Social Life

Your lesbian protagonist, as well as your short-term lesbian couple, do not entertain friendships with other gay people, nor do they ever feel the need to attend a gay club, or coming-out group, or alternative lifestyle center, or the like, or if they do, this may only be mentioned in dialogue, never ever shown! They live exactly like straight people, except for having sex with women instead of men.

Obviously, exposing viewers to a whole different culture might lead to severe brain damage or spontaneous combustion.

 

IV. The drama may begin

Enter: The Lesbian. The two women get to know one another and become friends.

 

V. The inevitable course of events

The Lesbian falls in love with the straight woman. Watch out: It may never, ever be the other way around, or even mutual! It is The Lesbian who takes the initiative, anything else would be in contradiction to numerous laws of nature.

 

VI. The confession

Please note: You may skip this item and the next two and move straight on to # 9, so that The Lesbian will attack without prior warning.

The Lesbian declares her love. This confession may also be expressed nonverbally. The preferred method is so dominant that it deserves a rule of its own:

 

VII. The surprise kiss

Especially strict rules apply here. The surprise kiss is initiated by The Lesbian. It is strategically placed at the end of an episode, and it is followed by a reaction on the part of the straight woman that ranges between astonished embarrassment, complete surprise and all—out horror.

We can distinguish two major forms of the surprise kiss:

(a) S. k. light: i. e., a short version, usually with lips closed, and gentle to rigorous.

(b) S. k., sugar-added: passionate, mostly extended smooching (rendering the straight woman's reaction afterwards especially convincing).

 

VIII. Limits

The object of her desires is shocked, naturally. She explains convincingly that she never, ever thought of another woman THAT WAY, that she wants to be "just friends," and that she loves her boyfriend, respectively her husband, deeply.

IX. By all means

Now there are two possibilities:

(a) The Lesbian tries to forget the straight woman, and she wants to be "sensible," but of course her emotions are too strong for that, and she can't get her mind off her. – But why be so subtle?

b) The Lesbian keeps on making passes. In order to pull the stubborn heterosexual woman to her side, she will do anything: She will lie, connive, cheat, and most certainly make use of drugs and aphrodisiacs. Without the influence of such substances, mutual desire among women is simply unthinkable.

 

X. Tender prey

The poor straight girl being thus harassed, IT happens in a moment of weakness. Depicting woman-to-woman short-lived desire is inspiring to male imagination, so you may want to put some effort in the love scenes. But you don't have to.

 

XI. A ladies' double spells trouble

Don't bother to allot your protagonists the usual romantic bliss of new lovers. After all, there are children and teenagers watching! No, simply let the ride on the emotional rollercoaster begin. Be it that the straight chick is immediately struck by feelings of regret – a good opportunity, btw, to use the classic line "It was a mistake" (variation: "Yes, it was nice, but somehow it felt wrong") – a case in which The Lesbian must resort to new tricks, or otherwise the straight chick just cannot make up her mind.

Additional feelings of guilt may be helpful. Don't hold back – it is not unusual for the heterosexual to change her mind several times a day, finally doing the exact opposite of what she was supposedly going to. Women are hysterical creatures, aren't they?

One of the newer variations is trying out a ménage à trois, which, of course, was suggested by The Lesbian, and which does not work out

 

XII. Living unhappily ever after

It goes without saying that at the end of a lesbian plot somebody has to live unhappily ever after. Now guess who! Maybe the woman that was turned around turns straight again returning to her place in the man's world, or The Lesbian is such a butterfly that she cheats on her, or gets tired of her soon afterwards – be creative!

In case you are actually considering granting the women a happy ending (why that?), you must take care to spare your audience the sight of a happy lesbian couple for more than a short period of time. Actually, you have no choice: The couple has to leave town – and thus, the show – in order to make a new start somewhere else.

In case you are the unlucky writer of a permanent show and the actresses refuse to leave, be sure to let your lesbian couple get together only at the end of their contracts. That way, you will be rid of them, and they won't show up again until the first problems in their relationship arise.

 

Transgendered Plots

Cal Y. Pygia identified these transgendered plots. Although they are written with the male-to-female transsexual in mind, they could, in general, with appropriate adaptations, also be used to write about female-to-male transformations:

1. A man experiences "gender dysphoria," feeling "trapped" inside the body of the wrong sex. He may become disenchanted, or even disgusted, with his male body.

2. A man considers living as a woman.

3. A man undergoes a psychological examination to verify his gender dysphoria.

4. A man undergoes hormone therapy to facilitate the development of female secondary sex characteristics.

5. A man undergoes electrolysis to remove unwanted facial and body hair associated with masculinity.

6. A man undergoes the "real-life test," living as a woman twenty-four hours a day.

7. A man, having undergone the "real life test," decides whether to retain his male genitals or to have them surgically removed so that artificial female genitals can be surgically substituted for the male genitals.

8. If the man opts to undergo sex-reassignment surgery, he has an orchidectomy, during which his male sex organs are surgically removed and he receives implants or breast augmentation and other non-genital sex reassignment operations.

9. The man undergoes a final psychological evaluation before sex-reassignment surgery proceeds.

10. The man undergoes the sex-reassignment surgical procedures identified in plot 8.

11. The male-to-female transsexual undergoes post-operative follow-up care for psychological and social reconditioning.

 

The use of these transsexual plots can lead to the adoption of other plots. For example, plot 6 can be the occasion for the protagonist to visit women's clothing stores or, better yet, Glamour Boutique, to select, try on, and purchase various articles and accessories of women's clothing, makeup, and other feminine accoutrements. Likewise, plot 8 could lead to the protagonist's study of an album of various female breast shapes and sizes as he selects the pair that he wants his plastic surgeon to create for him. Plot 10 could result in the protagonist's failure to receive permission to undergo sex-reassignment surgery and his resulting decision to live as a transvestite. During plot 11, the protagonist could face all kinds of readjustment problems as he seeks to adapt to his new life as a woman.

  

  

  

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