riptoryx wrote:Generally I've found it causes most TF stories to be derivative. Like it's rare I'm surprised by a TF premise.
Most of the time TF stories have a main character that's a cheer leader or some bratty person in a position of privilege who has to eat a slice of humble pie by someone she's scorned. It feels like 50 or 60% of TF stories are like this.
I agree that weight gain or other transformation-themed stories are, generally speaking, not very fertile ground if you're hoping to come across a groundbreaking new premise. By and large, such stories tend to gravitate towards patterns that are somewhat predictable in their broad strokes. But, I think this is at least in part a byproduct of the reality that weight gain tends to manifest from a relatively limited universe of scenarios, and that folks who are turned on by this kinda stuff often have a particular fondness for one or several of those specific scenarios.
Where I think I may disagree with you is that I don't think a surprising premise is necessary for a story to be enjoyable, or even objectively "good," whatever that might mean. While an
intriguing premise can certainly pique curiosity, equally if not more important for reading enjoyment is the quality of
good storytelling--i.e., the distinction between having an unusual idea, and telling a captivating story about that idea. Consider, for example, writers like Michael Crichton and George R.R. Martin. Crichton's novels stood out in that they often revolved around some fresh, intriguing premise--"The Andromeda Strain," "Jurassic Park," "Sphere." But in terms of storytelling, Crichton's novels usually weren't all that great. Dialogue, character development, descriptive world-building--these were not Crichton's strengths. Martin, on the other hand, has recently gained a great deal of fame and success for spilling a lot of ink about a medieval sword-and-sorcery fantasy prominently featuring dragons. There is nothing much groundbreaking about that premise in this day and age. But people like his writing anyway. Why? Because he writes in a way that leads readers to become personally invested in the characters and setting. Character relationships and richly immersive world-building description are Martin's strengths, much moreso than the sheer novelty of his ideas.
Certainly, it is possible both to have a new idea and to tell a good story about that idea. That can be a great combination. But, in the realm of weight gain (or other transformation) erotica, it's probably pretty difficult to come up with unexplored premises that still hit all the necessary and very particular buttons to accomplish the primary erotica objective. Indeed, far from looking for a surprise, I think people often read these stories looking for a specific, predetermined outcome based on what turns them on. To both predictably satisfy such exacting demands and yet also somehow be "surprising" in core concept? That's asking a lot. Perhaps especially so regarding stuff that I'm guessing you're getting for free. For that reason, when looking for "good" fetish fiction of this sort, I think the more fruitful approach lies in trying to create (or find) stories that, while perhaps not "surprising" in premise, are surprisingly well-told. Weave an engaging yarn, with vivid descriptions, compelling characters, dynamic relationships, believably meaningful consequences, and overall rigorous attention to detail, all within the well-worn plot tropes of what I know turns me on--do that, and I'll probably think the story is amazing...even if it's about a bratty cheerleader getting comeuppance.