Edit, 3/28/09 – I’m attempting to organize my thoughts on trans fiction here. That page contains links to all of the blog posts I’ve written on the subject, as well as a (growing) collection of links to sites focusing on trans fiction, and particular trans-themed authors/stories I like.

As I’ve mentioned once or twice, I have a tendency to read trans fiction when I’m feeling down. (And, apparently, a meta-tendency to write about said tendency…) I’ve been feeling down lately, and reading more trans fiction, and wanted to share some thoughts. (I’ll write another post to share some links, which I know is what you’re really after…)

I said in a previous post that, “…for me, forced-feminization stories are feeding a desire to have someone else take control of my transition and do it for me.” I still think that’s true, but I’m also realizing that there’s an aspect of sympathizing with characters who feel horribly awkward as women. I’ve wondered why I don’t feel more drawn to fiction involving involuntary female-to-male transformations. Wouldn’t that allow me to feel more sympathy with the protagonist? She would be trapped in the body of a man, and struggling to get back into her rightful body as a woman. (Many forced-feminization stories follow the reverse plot.)

But I don’t really care to read about a character who needs to learn how to pee standing up, or play football, or discover the joys of the male orgasm. I want to read about someone who is struggling to remember to pee sitting down, and how to dress appropriately, and female sexuality. Because all of those things are sure as hell confusing to me.

And I do think it’s unfortunate that so many trans fiction stories involve involuntary transformations, because I do enjoy reading about characters who are actually trans, and not just thrust into a trans-themed universe for the purposes of the plot. (I’m realizing I need to do another ‘trans fiction’ list (and non-fiction, I suppose, to add a nested parentheses) and divide it in that sense – trans characters, and forced-femme characters, but I don’t have the energy to do it tonight.)

So yes, as I said before, I do enjoy fantasizing about having someone step in and take over the transition. That’s definitely part of what I’m getting out of forced-feminization stories. But I hadn’t realized I’m also connecting with characters who don’t really have the first clue about what being a woman means. And I think there’s a hope that, if I read enough pieces where the protagonist figures that out, I might too.

-R