Update and Character Motivations

Hello!

I am currently working hard at the revisions for HitM 4. It’s taking me longer than usual because this time I am including more rewrites and added content than a usual edit. There are already 15 new pages of content in this draft (!). In addition, the outline of Cross Contamination 12 is completed, and I have started the rough draft. If anyone is interested in giving feedback on the Cross Contamination 12 outline, drop me a line at grogstoopid32@gmail.com! Feedback can be especially useful at this early stage. 

One thing I want to talk about quickly. It has become fairly obvious that some people are gaming the vote system to make sure that their preferred option wins on the story selection polls. While I’m flattered that people care enough to resort to this kind of thing, it’s just not fair to the other people voting. 

Please don’t try to circumvent the principle of “one person, one vote”.  Thank you.

Today, I wanted to talk a little about character motivations. I was having an interesting conversation by email with a reader the other day who was kind enough to help me toss around some ideas for a potential new feminization story. 

He commented that he didn't enjoy it when feminization stories use blackmail as a plot device. I agreed with him: blackmail can be a really tricky plot device to use, and I think some authors reach for it too often. But I also said that I could see why authors use blackmail. It provides a clean, simple explanation for why someone would submit to extreme sexual acts. 

It’s not just an issue in feminization stories. Every story in which the main character is corrupted has to come up with an answer to the big, looming question: why didn’t they just say “no”? This is especially crucial in the first big step, when the Main Character does something obviously crossing a line.

For instance, every cuckold story has people in the comments questioning why the MC doesn’t just divorce his wife and beat up the bull. 

As a thought exercise, I’m going to go over some of the common motivating factors that I and/or other writers use to explain the unrealistic, wacky scenarios in corruption stories:

Hypnosis: This is a plot device I use an awful lot, and I will cheerfully admit that it is total bullshit. Hypnosis is more or less a magical plot wand that can be waved to explain extreme actions. I tend to think that corruption plots without hypnosis are more satisfying, but I do think hypnosis plots have their place. I think that hypnosis allows for fun, unrealistic plots that take things to the extreme. My freelancer series makes frequent use of hypnosis as a main motivator. I will include magic, miracle drugs, and sci-fi devices in this category as well, because I think they all fill the same role, plot-wise: a magic motivation that can explain anything. 

Blackmail: The problem with blackmail, especially in a longer plot, is that your character has to sort of be an idiot. It’s fairly obvious to both the audience and a savvy character that a blackmailer won’t stop with one sexual favor. I think blackmail works better when combined with other motivations that help to explain why the MC is ignoring how stupid they are being by playing into their blackmailer's hands. Right now “The Cool Mom” is my main blackmail story, and I combined the blackmail with a complex blend of other motivations to try to make it feel more realistic. 

Competitive Spirit/Pursuit of Gain: Bets. Challenges. Games. Sometimes, the MC is drawn into corruption because they believe they can outsmart the corruptor and get something they want. I’m a huge fan of this motivation. It tends to go with very confident MCs, so it can feel even more satisfying when they are defeated and corrupted. Gina from Cross Contamination has this as her main motivation. 

 Physical Threats: Not erotic to me. I’ve seen other authors use this as a plot device, but I have no interest in writing this kind of story. Included for completeness. 

Trickery: The corrupter outsmarts, outfoxes, or confuses the MC into the first step of their corruption. I like this motivation, as it can help make the the corruptor feel powerful and dominant, while explaining why the MC keeps going down the path of corruption despite their reluctance. Wet Witch of the West made significant use of this trope. 

Inherent flaws/Natural Submissiveness: Sometimes the corrupting force knows the MC better than they know themselves, and exploits that knowledge of hidden weaknesses to corrupt the MC. Often this is expressed as a natural sluttiness hidden beneath the surface that  the corruptor sniffs out, or a natural tendency toward submission, but it can be more complex than that. I like this motivation as well, and I tend to use it a lot throughout my stories. 

Arousal: This, I think, is the key. Any of the above motivations can be enough to start a MC out on their journey, but it is important to me that they keep going because being corupted turns them on, even if they don’t want to admit it. Stories that focus too hard on external motivations and don’t make the MC at least a somewhat a willing participant in their own corruption are just sort of grim and unsexy to me. 

I think most stories are a blend of several of the above motivations. 

Which type of corruptionmotivation do you find most compelling? Vote below! 

Did I miss any motivations (Probably, lol)? If so, let me know in the comments!