How would YOU tell the Ugly Duckling story?

[jaF0]

No, this isn't one of those threads and I don't plan on pursuing the story line, but based on some of the past threads, I got curious how each AH inhabitant might tackle the classic story.

Main character can be male, female or ...

Early in life they are clumsy, unpopular, unattractive, shunned, never chosen first, bullied ... well, you get it. But at some later age, they magically blossom into just the opposite, the graceful swan, the object of admiration and desire. They generally just live their life as the days present themselves, but there is a nagging need to hold some of the bullies of the past accountable.

Now, how do YOU take it from there? Lit rules don't let you go into certain areas of abuse, but perhaps those things happening are part of the resurgent story. Perhaps they're not. Perhaps all they endured was the regular school bullying Lit will let you tell about.

Do you tell it as a routine revenge story, where they use shame and ridicule? Or maybe a business situation where they try to ruin the other persons? Maybe they do it as a task of forgiveness ... 'you did this to me, but we'll be OK'.

Or do you get weird and give the person powers of some sort? Maybe they remember certain traits of the bullies and are able to use some sort of magic to alter the appearance of the bully to enhance that trait. Someone that was always listening in, snooping might get really huge ears for example.

Is there enough variation in possibilities to suggest a story challenge?

 

[AlinaX]

I mean, half the stories on Lit are basically takes on the ugly duckling.

 

[SimonDoom]

I would choose to write a story of this sort that follows the saying, "The best form of revenge is living well." It would be an interesting challenge, because it would avoid pandering to the desire for petty revenge. I would avoid super powers. The most interesting way to explore the story would be to depict the protagonist as making choices that are good AND erotic. The protagonist might find that they have some particular skill or feature that is erotically appealing, and they might become well known and successful as a result of it, to the dismay of their former critics.

 

[AchtungNight]

It would probably involve Natalie Portman or Mila Kunis. Maybe both.

 

[Bamagan]

No, this isn't one of those threads and I don't plan on pursuing the story line, but based on some of the past threads, I got curious how each AH inhabitant might tackle the classic story.

Main character can be male, female or ...

Early in life they are clumsy, unpopular, unattractive, shunned, never chosen first, bullied ... well, you get it. But at some later age, they magically blossom into just the opposite, the graceful swan, the object of admiration and desire. They generally just live their life as the days present themselves, but there is a nagging need to hold some of the bullies of the past accountable.

Now, how do YOU take it from there? Lit rules don't let you go into certain areas of abuse, but perhaps those things happening are part of the resurgent story. Perhaps they're not. Perhaps all they endured was the regular school bullying Lit will let you tell about.

Do you tell it as a routine revenge story, where they use shame and ridicule? Or maybe a business situation where they try to ruin the other persons? Maybe they do it as a task of forgiveness ... 'you did this to me, but we'll be OK'.

Or do you get weird and give the person powers of some sort? Maybe they remember certain traits of the bullies and are able to use some sort of magic to alter the appearance of the bully to enhance that trait. Someone that was always listening in, snooping might get really huge ears for example.

Is there enough variation in possibilities to suggest a story challenge?

I'm with @AlinaX, this theme pops up rather frequently, sometimes more subtly than others.
I don't much care for revenge tales as a rule. If I wrote it, I'd probably do something wacky, like make it a non-human tale where the protag turns out to be a werewolf or something like that. The root fable didn't involve any vengeance, at least that I can recall, just a realization that some communities don't integrate readily.

 

[Djmac1031]

Start with the "Plain Girl" female character wearing glasses, and at some point have a Dramatic Reveal where she takes them off and all of a sudden she's a "Hottie."

That's how Hollywood does it and it's a time honored tradition.

 

[Bamagan]

Start with the "Plain Girl" female character wearing glasses, and at some point have a Dramatic Reveal where she takes them off and all of a sudden she's a "Hottie."

That's how Hollywood does it and it's a time honored tradition.

Or go one further: she takes off her glasses and then... "Superman?! That disguise was surprisingly effective!"

 

[jaF0]

Yes there may have been movies and TV shows, but the question is how would YOU as a Litser write the story for here.

 

[SeraphNocturne]

I'd write it with the FMC as an outcast, a witch with suppressed powers, living in a small rural town. The tormented FMC finds her 'family' in a coven of young witches who move to the location during Senior year, and they nurture her hidden and terrifying power helping her exact revenge by plaguing her bullies with mostly harmless curses... definitely pulling a bit of inspiration with this thought from Carrie, 1976.

Yeah... I'm gonna put a pin in this for later--hell, this might be my Halloween Event submission since I've yet to settle on that. Thanks for the thought cloud, jaF0!

 

[AchtungNight]

Or go one further: she takes off her glasses and then... "Superman?! That disguise was surprisingly effective!”

Batgirl- “You have yet to see the deeper layers of my disguise.”

 

[djrip]

Start with the "Plain Girl" female character wearing glasses, and at some point have a Dramatic Reveal where she takes them off and all of a sudden she's a "Hottie."

That's how Hollywood does it and it's a time honored tradition.

Don't forget she must pull off her hair tie and shake out her hair in slow motion.

 

[AchtungNight]

Don't forget she must pull off her hair tie and shake out her hair in slow motion.

And then, if it’s my kind of story, a bad guy’s blaster bolt will singe her hair, causing her to become seriously angry and massacre the idiot stormtroopers daring to interrupt the moment.

God bless Mel Brooks!

 

[Rustyoznail]

One of my early stories was along these lines. The FMC was a tall, solid ex-swimmer who was socially awkward.

She found someone who loved ducks.

 

[Euphony]

Start with the "Plain Girl" female character wearing glasses, and at some point have a Dramatic Reveal where she takes them off and all of a sudden she's a "Hottie."

That's how Hollywood does it and it's a time honored tradition.

Hollywood also suggest setting up fruit stands or moving ginormous panes of glass is best done during rush hour.

 

[MrPixel]

I'd write it with the FMC as an outcast, a witch with suppressed powers, living in a small rural town.

This hits too close to home for me. My primary orchestra is rehearsing a work, The Witch and the Saint, about twins who possess the power to see the future. They are ostracized, etc., etc. I have a key solo on English horn (the exposition, for anybody musically inclined), and since I know the background story (it's a German folk tale, from the 1500s, I believe), it is incredibly difficult to play with the appropriate emotion and not break into tears as I finish.

 

[oneagainst]

Ooh ooh! Pick me! Pick me!

How about this: she (it'd be a she) comes back to the neighbourhood, has business dealings with the (female) bully, but she's hot now, right, so the mean-girls rule means she's allowed into the inner circle. They all become best friends, and then one by one, she picks off the husbands, destroying their marriages. Project: Destructor (now in Dolby Stereo!)

 

[Euphony]

Revenge is meh level motivator for me. Normally not my thing and this moves even more towards "two wrongs not equalling a right."

Add it the kickoff motivation being mostly appearance driven and the usual throughlines don't spark much.

The idea of her newfound beauty "saving" a paramour ugly duck doesn't do it for me. Shadow offshoot of appearance being outsized important to QoL. (having it or bringing it into your life)

I liked Simon's "life lived well" but part of that would be not dwelling on the past, even if her situation is much improved.

I would prob annoy the ish out of everybody and make her part of some "real beauty"/raising other girls up from similar harassment campaign.

Then I would (somewhat rightly) be accused of being too on the nose.

And I'd circle back to my original feeling that it works well for some authors (many?) but just not for me. Oh well.

 

[SeraphNocturne]

This hits too close to home for me. My primary orchestra is rehearsing a work, The Witch and the Saint, about twins who possess the power to see the future. They are ostracized, etc., etc. I have a key solo on English horn (the exposition, for anybody musically inclined), and since I know the background story (it's a German folk tale, from the 1500s, I believe), it is incredibly difficult to play with the appropriate emotion and not break into tears as I finish.

Flautist here… I feel that deep like, my guy. It’s fantastic you can play with such emotion though! I hope my little brainstorm cloud wasn’t too distressing.

 

[MrPixel]

Flautist here… I feel that deep like, my guy. It’s fantastic you can play with such emotion though! I hope my little brainstorm cloud wasn’t too distressing.

Not at all. You're good. The English horn has to be played with emotion, or otherwise it's just a goose squawking out every note for the rest of the ensemble to laugh at.

 

[XerXesXu]

Not at all. You're good. The English horn has to be played with emotion, or otherwise it's just a goose squawking out every note for the rest of the ensemble to laugh at.

And the goose grows into a swan?

 

[Rustyoznail]

Lapsed saxophonist here.

And speaking about swans... Mr P, you're going to have to read my halloween story. Two words - 'Tuonelan joutsen'.

 

[TxRad]

I did something along these lines a long time ago called Wet. A girl invited to a sorority pig party but ends up so much better after getting caught in the rain. I've thought about doing a sequel about the revenge but so far I've resisted the urge.

 

[JaxRhapsody]

I'd write it with the FMC as an outcast, a witch with suppressed powers, living in a small rural town. The tormented FMC finds her 'family' in a coven of young witches who move to the location during Senior year, and they nurture her hidden and terrifying power helping her exact revenge by plaguing her bullies with mostly harmless curses... definitely pulling a bit of inspiration with this thought from Carrie, 1976.

Yeah... I'm gonna put a pin in this for later--hell, this might be my Halloween Event submission since I've yet to settle on that. Thanks for the thought cloud, jaF0!

Sounds more like The Craft.

 

[JaxRhapsody]

I ain't ever thought about something like this. I guess I've written it in a way, but never included the glow up process. I suppose I would do a Grimm twist to it, where by it happens via supernatural means, where if the person wants to be beautiful, then they need act it. And a ugly personality reverts them back to ugly outside. But I don't need anymore ideas right now- my schedule is full.

 

[MajorRewrite]

Why would an ugly duckling story have to include revenge? Seems like an odd take. How about: a plain wife and her dumpy unappreciative husband move in next to an older fit man. The fit neighbor gets the wife in shape and she blossoms into a beauty. Wife and fit neighbor hump, fall in love, and decide to marry. The dumpy husband is happily tossed aside. Tell the story from the perspective of the fit neighbor and you’d have a winner for the LW category.