How would YOU tell the Ugly Duckling story?

[JaxRhapsody]

I'm cynical and pragmatic.

Oh how did I not see you as a clubmember? I give you the realist salute: deep sigh and eyeroll

 

[Bamagan]

Dennis: Listen. Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of [moderation]. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony.
Arthur: Be quiet!
Dennis: You can't expect to wield supreme power just 'cause some watery tart threw a sword at you!
Arthur: Shut up!
Dennis: I mean, if I went 'round saying I was an emperor just because some moistened bint had lobbed a scimitar at me, they'd put me away!
Arthur: Shut up! Will you shut up?! [Grabs Dennis and shakes him]
Dennis: Ah, now we see the violence inherent in the system!
Arthur: Shut up!
Dennis: Oh! Come and see the violence inherent in the system! Help! Help! I'm being repressed!

 

[YDB95]

A lot of my stories have elements of the Ugly Duckling tale, but probably the most spot-on is Beware the Quiet One.

 

[stickygirl]

Would anybody go the Trans route?

Consider Caroline Cossey, Carmen Carrera, Leyna Bloom or similar. Geeky guys who became internationally known models. How would they interact with bullies from their past Suppose there was a secret crush involved somehow.

I wouldn't. I'm tired of the trans-victim meme and having to justify why trans folk are actually people.

Most of the ideas touted so far seem based on down-trodden waif transformed by the hero dude + flavours of revenge, which are so lame. I'd prefer to flip it to follow a character who doesn't believe in themselves, which means they don't have to be a victim. It would mean a deft touch but maybe an interesting path to unravel.

 

[JaxonHill]

When all you know is comfort you can afford to have a different moral compass. That's fact, not fiction.

I see that in the differences between myself and my wife and our views on things. She was raised in a good family with good support and fortunate enough to avoid seeing the shittier side of life. Being raised that way puts you on a good path, college isn't a pipe dream its a given as is everything that follows.

She's very spiritual, forgiving, has a great heart and wants to see the good in people because she has. She's positive and at times not very grounded. I'm cynical and pragmatic. I keep her in reality and she keeps me from really giving up on there being anything worth a flying fuck in this shitbox we call society.

In the end good for her, good for anyone like her, I'm happy to see people happy and well adjusted. But if you don't think that gives you a better outlook on life than coming from a broken home, addiction, poverty, and other dysfunctions some are raised with, well you showed what side of the coin you're on.

That and your defensiveness.

You like to come across as Literotica Yoda with all your fancy thoughts and deep insights, but end of the day, you're as easy as it gets because you can't resist the bait when people drop it.

People like me know people like you.

That's what pretentiousness sounds like, how do you like it?

I definitely can’t say for sure. But… while I agree with some of what you’re saying, and I understand what you’re getting at, and we likely had a similar experience growing up…

I think you may be over attributing to Euphony specifically.

Even if you happen to be right, it’s not because you know, you just got lucky. A little too much mind reading going on in my opinion.

 

[SimonDoom]

Your opinion/ideal in a perfect world. Being better than the other person, taking the high road and the expression which grates on me to no end "They're not worth it."

My experience is quite the opposite, and I believe that your view is the unrealistic one.

We all enjoy the scenes in the Spiderman movies where Peter Parker acquires superhero powers and beats up or shows up the school bully in the school cafeteria or hallway in front of all the other kids. It's very satisfying to watch those scenes, but in a junk food kind of way, because in the vast majority of cases, for most people, those scenes are phony and have nothing to do with how people really live.

Maybe in your experience, you grew up into a tough guy and a great athlete who could show up the obnoxious cool kids and make them look bad. For most people, that never happens. It's not a "realistic" option.

The reality is that for most people, if you're the shitty athlete who gets made fun of, you'll always be a shitty athlete. If you're a bad fighter, you'll always be a bad fighter. Salvation, for most people, does not lie in figuring out how to beat others at their own game. It comes from learning how to live life playing your own game, by your rules.

In real life, as opposed to fantasy, for most people, the ugly duckling to beautiful swan is a metaphor for self-acceptance. In the real world, the nerdy kid doesn't acquire super powers and beat up the bully at school. The nerdy kid learns to succeed in life on his or her own terms and appreciate himself/herself on that level. That's what true success in life is, not getting pointless revenge against somebody from high school. If 10 years after high school you're still seething about how you were treated, then you really haven't achieved success, have you?

Taking the high road IS the best way to live life, for most people. You're far more likely to live a happy and fulfilling life that way than by scheming about how to get back at people who wronged you when you were a kid.

Everybody is free to interpret this challenge the way they want to, but if I were to do it I would want to focus on a journey of self-growth and self-acceptance rather than a journey of revenge.

 

[Bazzle]

I tend to write the opposite...the pretty girl wrecking her life with nicotine addiction.

Not sure how to spin it around the other way!

B

 

[alohadave]

I'd prefer to flip it to follow a character who doesn't believe in themselves, which means they don't have to be a victim. It would mean a deft touch but maybe an interesting path to unravel.

That's my assumption of how ugly duckling works, maybe I'm wrong. To me, the ugly duckling story isn't about being a victim, it's about not fitting in, then finding your place in the world. That seems like a perfect analog for a trans transition story.

 

[jaF0]

That's exactly the point .... not fitting in and suddenly finding your place in the world.

The change can be instant/magical, or take place over time, maybe years. Perhaps the author in their version details that slower experience.

But then how does the character handle it? Kindness and understanding? Or something else?

 

[Comshaw]

That's my assumption of how ugly duckling works, maybe I'm wrong. To me, the ugly duckling story isn't about being a victim, it's about not fitting in, then finding your place in the world. That seems like a perfect analog for a trans transition story.

Yes. For me, the ugly duckling tale is a quintessential caterpillar/butterfly story. A metamorphosis from that which is plain or even unattractive to something beautiful. It's also about discovery. About the duckling discovering what they are; the discovery of those who saw only the ugly duckling in the beginning, but were shocked when the Swan arrived. This isn't limited to physical appearance. It's all about the real or metaphorical blossoming of a person from an ugly bud to a fabulous flower.

TxRad mentioned a pig party. For those who don't know what that is, it's an activity where an unattractive girl (or guy) is taken to a party and the one with the fattest or ugliest companion there wins. It's done expressly to demean and belittle the ones brought to the party. There are few things that make me red-eyed angry. That happens to be one of them.

That said I have a story in the works along those lines. A synopsis: A large girl decides it's time she has sex. She gets invited to a party (a pig party unbeknownst to her) by one of the cool guys and hopes he wants to have sex because she is ready for it. Part of the "winning" for the guy is he has to talk her into sex and be the first to have sex and announce it to the rest at the paarty. Unbeknownst to him she is ready for it, has been practicing for it for months. They have sex. He is totally astounded by how good it is with her. He doesn't win because they spend so much time doing it. But when she finds out why she's there she is devastated and leaves.

Fast forward 5 years. the guy has had her on his mind all that time. He has had sex numerous times with numerous women but just can't duplicate what happened that night. He decides to look her up. When he finds her she is happily married to a well-satisfied husband who adores her and she wants nothing to do with him.

That is how I would, am, doing an ugly duckling story.

Comshaw

 

[alohadave]

Maybe this is a perspectives thing? I see the trans experience as comparable to autism in this respect. It's never 'with one great leap Jack was free' but an ongoing process.

I didn't mean it to be an instant transition. The body changes maybe, just for convenience. But all the other changes would take time to explore.

 

[SimonDoom]

The best revenge movie I can think of is The Shawshank Redemption. Andy Dufresne spends decades in prison for a crime he didn't commit, and the warden keeps him in even though he finds out Andy is innocent. Andy suffers abuse and isolation and cruelty.

Andy eventually DOES get revenge, but not by becoming a phony tough guy in prison and beating people up. He never, ever does that. He never beats people at their game. He slowly, patiently comes up with his own way to get out and get even. He plays by his rules. So when he does succeed, it's especially satisfying. The most satisfying thing isn't seeing the justice that the warden gets, but seeing Andy on a beach on a boat in Mexico, having fulfilled his plan and now living on his own terms, his way.

 

[Bamagan]

The best revenge movie I can think of is The Shawshank Redemption. Andy Dufresne spends decades in prison for a crime he didn't commit, and the warden keeps him in even though he finds out Andy is innocent. Andy suffers abuse and isolation and cruelty.

Andy eventually DOES get revenge, but not by becoming a phony tough guy in prison and beating people up. He never, ever does that. He never beats people at their game. He slowly, patiently comes up with his own way to get out and get even. He plays by his rules. So when he does succeed, it's especially satisfying. The most satisfying thing isn't seeing the justice that the warden gets, but seeing Andy on a beach on a boat in Mexico, having fulfilled his plan and now living on his own terms, his way.

Not disagreeing per se, but for me, the high point of the movie is watching Red walking out of the boarding house and it pans up to the carving he made. If they'd ended the movie right there it'd be just as good, at least for me.

 

[jaF0]

^^^ That font and size is REALLY hard to read.

 

[Bamagan]

^^^ That font and size is REALLY hard to read.

I don't understand why or how that should be the case. The other fonts appear in the same type size as the default for me. I can only guess that your device is doing something weird, as it appears the same size as everything else to me.

 

[MillieDynamite]

I don't mean to be a contrarian, but I agree with jaFo. Whatever point size you're using with Times Roman or New Times Roman appears on your computer isn't how it appears on my computer. It looks like about six or seven point type. It is literally half the size of everyone else's text.

I don't understand why or how that should be the case. The other fonts appear in the same type size as the default for me. I can only guess that your device is doing something weird, as it appears the same size as everything else to me.

 

[jaF0]

Looks like you're using Book Antiqua which is this.

This is Verdana

This is Georgia

This is Arial


I did not change the font size, but you can see the first appears smaller than the others and the fancier letters make it harder to read.

 

[NoTalentHack]

I don't understand why or how that should be the case. The other fonts appear in the same type size as the default for me. I can only guess that your device is doing something weird, as it appears the same size as everything else to me.

It’s the combination of font size and font. On an iPhone, it’s noticeably different. Not
enough to really bother me, but enough that I can see why it would bother others.



For comparison.

 

[Comshaw]

The best revenge movie I can think of is The Shawshank Redemption. Andy Dufresne spends decades in prison for a crime he didn't commit, and the warden keeps him in even though he finds out Andy is innocent. Andy suffers abuse and isolation and cruelty.

Andy eventually DOES get revenge, but not by becoming a phony tough guy in prison and beating people up. He never, ever does that. He never beats people at their game. He slowly, patiently comes up with his own way to get out and get even. He plays by his rules. So when he does succeed, it's especially satisfying. The most satisfying thing isn't seeing the justice that the warden gets, but seeing Andy on a beach on a boat in Mexico, having fulfilled his plan and now living on his own terms, his way.

I have to disagree. Andy knew exactly what would transpire when he mailed those documents from the bank. Had his revenge only been to live the rest of his life in comfort and freedom knowing he got away he wouldn't have mailed them. Instead, he set it up so that he not only escaped, but got all the ill-gotten gains and made sure all those involved with the nefarious stuff in the prison would be caught and punished. That was all part of his revenge: get out and cause those who tormented him to pay dearly. Definitely a "beat them at their own game" revenge scenario.

Comshaw

 

[Bamagan]

View attachment 2275893

Looks like you're using Book Antiqua which is this.

This is Verdana

This is Georgia

This is Arial


I did not change the font size, but you can see the first appears smaller than the others and the fancier letters make it harder to read.

They all appear virtually identical sizes on my machine, aside from the kerning (and Verdana, which always looks bloated). Sorry that it bothers folks, but maybe it's some technical issue with the site making it render incorrectly at certain scales. If it's any consolation, I hate having to read san serif texts like the default.

 

[SimonDoom]

I have to disagree. Andy knew exactly what would transpire when he mailed those documents from the bank. Had his revenge only been to live the rest of his life in comfort and freedom knowing he got away he wouldn't have mailed them. Instead, he set it up so that he not only escaped, but got all the ill-gotten gains and made sure all those involved with the nefarious stuff in the prison would be caught and punished. That was all part of his revenge: get out and cause those who tormented him to pay dearly. Definitely a "beat them at their own game" revenge scenario.

Comshaw

It's a fair point, but he did so through his wits rather than with his fists. What he did wasn't morally perfect, but he relied upon his own preexisting skills and abilities rather than transforming into a bully like those who tormented him.

 

[AlexBailey]

I had an ugly duckling story IRL in my senior year of high school.

As a “soft” and insecure closet CD and chess club nerd, mostly ignored but sometimes harassed by jocks and tough guys, when the varsity captain of the cheer squad asked me to the prom and became my GF it turned my social status around.

Suddenly lots of girls and the alpha males were being friendly to me, even when I came to school in my GF’s uniform for a school event.

 

[Bamagan]

In the old days, fonts were adjusted in the browser. Not sure how tablets and phones handle it

Not very capably, from the sound of things.

 

[MillieDynamite]

Well, he served Justice as well as revenge. That makes the vengeance less about him and more about Justice.

I have to disagree. Andy knew exactly what would transpire when he mailed those documents from the bank. Had his revenge only been to live the rest of his life in comfort and freedom knowing he got away he wouldn't have mailed them. Instead, he set it up so that he not only escaped, but got all the ill-gotten gains and made sure all those involved with the nefarious stuff in the prison would be caught and punished. That was all part of his revenge: get out and cause those who tormented him to pay dearly. Definitely a "beat them at their own game" revenge scenario.

Comshaw

 

[NoTalentHack]

They all appear virtually identical sizes on my machine, aside from the kerning (and Verdana, which always looks bloated). Sorry that it bothers folks, but maybe it's some technical issue with the site making it render incorrectly at certain scales. If it's any consolation, I hate having to read san serif texts like the default.

I mean, it’s your call, but i’ll be honest: my eyes tend to just bounce past your posts, and it’s pretty much entirely down to the font. There’s a reason sans serif fonts are the default online, and it’s because they ARE more readable for more people on screens. They tend to have thicker lines, since they devote none of the space for an individual character to the extra bits. I get that you prefer serif fonts; that’s fine. But it might be better to post in Arial and then use a browser extension (assuming you’re on PC or Mac) to convert everyone’s Arial to the font of your choice on your end.