Conventions

[ElFewja]

Like, star wars, star trek. Which kind do you guys go to?

This has a lot to do with stale topics or subjects, otherwise known as cliche.

Before the lolcrash, a topic like this already existed.

Really, there isn't much to say about it other than breaking conventions - good. If you want to write about a particular subject, but feel that it is lacking somewhere, take something and break it over your knee, like a basic assumption. For example, the easiest and most common one in tickling fiction that I can think of, is that the ticklee does not like to be tickled based upon natural reactions, etc. We all know this usually isn't the case, really, so it's not a great example.

But yeah this topic needed to be posted, so I put it up. I'd say something not so cool like, in what ways do you think you can break conventions to turn a dry story into a fascinating one, but that's really redundant and silly.

Any part of a story can be redone, from characters to plot, to stereotype, to any basic assumptions about society (millionaire doesn't need to rob a bank, because he has money, which I'm ripping from the other thread.)

I think it would be more interesting to list stereotypical characters, plots, etc. etc. and have other people come up and see if they can change the idea around to make it a fresh one.

I'll start:

Situation: Girl likes being tickled, so she often allows herself to be put in situations where tickling would occur. Shirts that reveal flesh, flip flops, etc., places feet on foot rests/couchs/chairs near people, etc.

One I can think of immediately is that she is captured against her will and tickled, but that's really just a rehash of her putting herself in those situations, and I've done it before. So etc.

Etc.

 

[Sablesword]

One important thing is to make sure that the breaking of the convention flows naturally from the logic of the story & its setting. Avoid at all costs the sense of "Ha ha! I'm a clever, sophisticated, and cynical author, thumbing my nose at convention! Stupid convention! I fart in its general direction!"

Often it's better to alter the convention just enough to justifiy it in the setting. To turn it into something that a genre-savvy character can cleverly take advantage of and still have it come out right. Of course anything goes if you can get the reader to agree with it. If the reader agrees that the convention is bad and stupid, then he'll nod approvingly as you bash it.

Another technique is to take things a step beyond. For example: Young woman likes being tickled, so she arranges to become a "tickle slave" to a wealthy man. And then something happens to create an interesting story.

Maybe her initial application is rejected, so she breaks into his "harem" to gain a second chance of becoming a tickle slave.

Maybe she gains the positon, but then something threatens the rich man's fortune or social position, so she has to help him defend it.

Maybe someone takes her away and tries to "break" her of her fondness for being tickled, and then her "master" rescues her, with the climax of the story being a tickle session to see whether she still likes it.

Etc.

 

[Dave2112]

I agree. Breaking convention just for the sake of doing it is the pitfall of many authors. The story is the spine, the various conventions and motivations are the ribs.