Hey there. I just began writing a new story set in the imagined world of X-Change pills on the idea I put in 1001 quick story ideas a little while ago of an X-Change hungergames. Mulling the choice of putting a brief explanation of X-Change and the games as a prologue or alternatively launch straight into the story and provide this information narratively early on? Which do you think would be best? The story will be third person with no main protagonist, but switching from scene to scene and character to character more like a movie.
Also, do you think I should include a scene where a contestant is feminised, but then gets cold feet and triggers their escape clause to stress that it is reluctance rather than non consensual? I was thinking the incentive not to back out wiould be mostly financial.
If it's got X-Change in the title, I'd suggest launching straight into the narrative, and maybe having a side-chapter deal with "What is X-Change?" It wouldn't be a bad scene. Especially because it gives the option for the protagonist to try their own escape clause at some point - whether or not it would work, well...
I was thinking of using a hand gesture instead of a safeword. Two fingers together raised, similar to the gesture made in the hungergames or by gladiators in the Roman world asking for mercy. The contestant, or tribute could make this even if they were gagged, had a dick in their mouth or were handcuffed. It might be harder if they get hogtied for example, but if the fingers are still free not impossible. If they quit immediately after transformation however they earn nothing but the cab fare home. The bigger money comes if they get railed and increases if they accept anal or bondage etc. The largest single payment still goes to the last tribute unfucked.
In general authors overestimate how much info the readers need. These pills change gender and these guys are in some rape battle royale scenario. I feel like this is all the information that is really needed to convey and that can easily be done via the narrative. If the rape games have any sort of intricate rules, I second Zeebop notion of just adding a side chapter to go over them. Some readers are all over that shit while others just want to get to the sex, best way to make both happy.
Authors should resist the urge to instantly share all that beautiful stuff they already have in their heads. It is tempting but, usually, detrimental to the story.
