Friday, February 25, 2011

Shadows & Illusions .. plus a question!


I never seem to find the purveyors of real magic. It is usually just some hack in an old tuxedo! This was a picture that Nadine was offering in a 2 for 1 deal. I had a feeling that no one else would use the photo, since it wasn't one that screamed out for a caption. I have a fondness for orphaned pictures, so I decided I wanted to give it a chance to shine.

The first thing I had thought of was the 2 scenes in Rocky Horror Picture show where Frank seduces both Janet and Brad seperately. It has that same feel in the way it is composed. From there, it turned into a standard magic trick with the instant transformation (usually involving one person tied up and put in a trunk, then the other person holds up a sheet, then when it falls, they've switched positions. (Even Houdini and his wife performed this trick.) This would be the type of fun that someone with REAL magic skills would do to keep himself interested.

As a master of misdirection, he made it so that everyone thought that the trick was the removal of clothing. No one saw THAT coming, huh? Yeah, I know. Everyone saw that coming! But hey, even when you know the secrets, you can still appreciate the artistry behind it! Also want to note that I made this caption at work, so it is one of the few that do not have my distinctive font, since that computer only has a limited amount of fonts to work with.

Formspring sent me this SOFTBALL question which doesn't seem hard to answer at all.

You have an opportunity to be a woman, either a sexy lead singer in a band or an average woman with a very mundane life. You'll be the singer for forever and live a wild life full of experiences and the average woman you'll have to live her life and job

I can only assume that the whole question was cut off. I mean, honestly, the way it is phrased right now, it sounds like, "Well, you have a choice ... you can either eat everything you want and never gain weight .. or you can diet and have a 80 percent chance of staying thin ... which do you choose?"

Since I've been a lead singer in bands throughout many years, I don't see why I wouldn't choose being a sexy lead singer with lots of wild experiences. There would have to be some sort of "but if you were the sexy lead singer, you could never eat dairy products again" which I would have to pass on since I worship all cheese related products.

Unfortunately, Formspring has a character limit (probably 140 like twitter) so that long questions get cut off. Caitlyn also sent me a question about an hour ago that I only got what I assume is a smidgen of what she wanted to say. If you wish to ask me a long question anonymously, make sure you spread it out over a few submissions. If you don't mind being identified, it is probably better to send the question in a PM to me in the Haven.

DISCUSSION QUESTION: Caption often use plots over and over again. It comes with the territory I think, especially in regards to defined standards of femininity. What plot devices and situations are you completely sick of? Are there any particular type of caption you could probably NEVER get enough of, no matter how many you viewed? I will save my answers for later so I don't step on others responses.

6 comments:

  1. About the only cap situation I get stick of is the 'If you get cum in you, this will be permanent'. I've used it, but I'm rarely proud of my effort when I do so. The variations on this are kind of nice, but they lack descriptions as to WHY these limits are there. Like 'if you orgasm in this body, it will be permanent'. The only variation to me that makes sense without further description is 'if you get pregnant, this will be permanent'.

    The other thing that gets under my skin isn't so much a plot devise, or situation, but more of a story type. The 'I want to be a woman. Hey, look at that I'm now a woman. YAY!' I know many people love the idea of being transformed, and would welcome it with open arms, but there just has to be some conflict in the story. Make it something they have to work toward, or earn, or something.

    The theme that I love to see, and think I could see and endless supply of without tiring of is the transformation that goes a little too far. Like 'Oh sure baby I'll let transform me into a woman for your lesbian fantasy... wait, why is there a guy here? Oh shit you meant a three way fantasy with me as a woman!?' or 'I agreed to do this for a day, not a year!'.

    As to the softball you go thrown, I could see that being a difficult question. The choice of a sexy woman with an extroverted job, or a mundane woman with a mundane life might be a frustrating choice for an introvert that wants to be a beautiful woman with a mundane job. If I were to answer that same question, I would choose the lead singer as well. But I figure if I'm going to be a woman, why not have an entirely different life. I already have a mundane life. Hell, throw out the sexy woman part and I'll still take the lead singer position (when I sing now, I get paid to stop!).

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  2. I think the ones I'm most tired of are some of the most established universes. Great Shift in particular hold little interests to me. It holds no value in the fantasy of things for me, so I don't have little interests in it. I also think few who enjoy it truly take into the account of the true chance of it. There are some who consider the possible encounters of change and havoc it can provide or the realistic adjustments required of such an event.

    I think the ones most repetitive are ones are ones of total "sissy" transformation. I can understand submission and it's appeal, but even I'm puzzled by some of the desires. I won't go into it too deeply, but I do feel some of it can go to a level of complete objectification even I'm not comfortable with. It is simply my own personal preference as to where the line goes for my own enjoyment of the fantasy.

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  3. Seems weird that I leave what I think is a great open-ended discussion question, and I end up with only two responses. They are certainly two well written and thought out comments, but they are by regular and valued contributors.

    I am sort of shocked that no one else wanted to vent (or rave) about something you'd think everyone coming here would like to talk about.

    I know that the blogs original intent was to talk about the creation of TG captions, but I also would like those who don't necessarily make them to feel comfy here and exchange ideas. As someone who makes them, I welcome the chance to discuss with those who like reading them what they like, and don't like about the execution of what we create.

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  4. Hi, I am quite new to the scene, although some of my caps in my blog are from my old page at imagefap... I've never been thinking of your interesting question before. But, of course, I have standards, of what is a turn off, rightous annoying, boring, or has appeal for me, even after the thousanth repetition of the theme.
    Until two days ago, I never made a magic caption. I always considered it cheap trick, a cheat. But nonetheless I repeatedly found me enjoying magic captions an that made me think: why rules? Anyway, I made my first magic caption and it uses, perhaps due to my limited familiarity to this genre, exactly the stuck motive that Caitlyn is so tired of.
    Returning to the question: I do like hardcore captions, but I don't like cheap porn imagery. Porn images are okay, just not cheap ones, where the fake lust of the women is too obvious. Aesthetics is important to me. (call me a snob...)
    I am also not into caps with a lot of text. No doubt I'll occasionally lose great caps because of this, but it spares me a lot of boredom and lost time.

    Of course I agree that a good caption is supposed to have an IDEA, and in my own I am trying to be as original as I can (not always successfully, that's sure), but in the end it's about fun, and it happens from time to time that even a silly and all too repeated theme strongly speaks to the girl in me...

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  5. @ Friedonline

    Even fresh ideas will tend to wear down and become cliched over time, especially the more times they are used.

    Familiarity usually implies an easy acceptance, as it falls into the "comfy old shoe" territory.

    Repeated themes can become new again, just by tweaking some of the parameters, or not using parameters altogether.

    Trying to do things you haven't tried before with TG Captions, or even working with ideas you aren't fond of, can break you out of a mold and make you a better writer!

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  6. I have to whole heartedly agree with Dee on "Trying to do things you haven't tried before... can break you out of a mold and make you a better writer!".

    My caps tended to always be dark. Erotic humiliation, sex, and involuntary changes were my favorite themes for the longest time. But I grew tired of it. I felt that I could still be somewhat original with that theme, but it was becoming formulaic: Set up a situation where someone begrudgingly agrees to dress or transform, they get 'caught', sexual hijinks, and humiliation ensue. Fin.

    But lately I've been trying some softer, more accepting transformations. Even loving. The stories may never be my favorites, but it knocks me out of my comfort zone. And when I return to make a deliciously evil cap, I find it new again. and I can write it with ease.

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