Bursting in Inflation Stories: How should it be handled?

14 posts / 0 new

Wed, 07/06/2005 - 03:21

Kurg

I hope I haven't posted this in the wrong forum, but this question has been nagging at me for several days now. I was wondering how you fine people think bursting should be handled in inflation stories. I don't mind bursting, personally (an explosive conclusion can be fun sometimes), and I've seen it handled in a number of different ways. Sometimes the explosion comes as a total surprise to the characters, other times it's a slow, gradual buildup to the inevitible, with the character(s) fully aware of what is about to happen to them. Sometimes, the character(s) want to burst, other times they desperately want to avoid it. In some stories, the detonation is described quite explicitly, in others, it's merely implied, with the story ending just as the character feels their body reach the limit of its elasticity. I've even read a few stories where the character reforms after the explosion (though these are fairly rare).

Anyway, I was just wondering what people's feelings were on this subject. How do YOU think bursting should be handled in an inflation story, and of all the techniques that have been used, which is your personal favorite?

"A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men."

Wed, 07/06/2005 - 10:26

Trick

Without that anxiety of bursting, the said inflatee wouldn't behave properly, whether or not the story has bursting.

Long as you don't make the details of what's left over gory and disturbing that's fine I'd imagine. I personally handle it with a comical outlook, especially in some kind of fantasy setting where characters can be revived. Hm, maybe even you could have it so all popping does is revert them back to stage 1 of inflation, and then they simply blow up again, stuck in an eternal cycle. Hahah.

Wed, 07/06/2005 - 10:33

deleted_20091014

I think the main thing that sets anything we write (or draw) in the world of fetish is that everyone has their own preferences (more so than with normal art).

I'm a fan of it, I don't know why and I know people who really aren't. So I'm gonna try and work that into a story (It doesn't matter as much in pictures cos a pic of inflation is just a snapshot that doesn't have to implie a conclusion) maybe have alternate endings or something, or find a new and interesting way to conclude.

In my stories so far, the inflatee has been fully aware that she's gonna blow at some point, and quite often they are aware of the end comng in the last few seconds. I like this as it adds to the feeling of panic I like. This isn't to say I wouldn't like to do one where she is completely taken by surprise by it.

Also I like to try different things with popping. In my last few stories I have been quite experimental and tried:

- The inflatee being able to just hear herself explode before the end.

- Something inside the inflatee that was causing the inflation being left over after the explosion.

- Smoke, Mist left over, I like the idea of there being a reminder of what caused her to inflate.

- Airbourne clothes, jewellry causing damage.

And I'll keep thinking of more.

Thu, 07/07/2005 - 23:23

doubleintegral

I don't think a good inflation story necessarily requires bursting. Examples of good stories not involving bursting might include Balloon Tech (by Sievert) and Donna's New Look Part 2 (by LVK).

However, when done correctly, I think bursting adds an air (no pun intended) of realism to a genre that is, by its very nature, unreal. In my worthless opinion, a good bursting story has the following elements:

- There is some clue to the inflatee that she might be about to burst. It might be a physical clue (pressure, pain, her body beginning to tremble) or a visual cue (stretch marks). I'm not much into her hearing her skin stretch; that is a little too cartoony for my tastes.

- With or without this realization, the inflatee does not consciously hope that she explodes. At least, the reader never finds out (for instance, if she hopes for it but never specifically says it, a reader with a limited third-person point of view would never find out, since they don't know her thoughts). Even for the inflation genre, seems a little unrealistic.

- In contrast to the inflation, where excruciating details are necessary, details of the actual explosion are not described in the story. I've tried it before, and everything I've come up with is inadequate, either by being too goofy or simply too structured and rote. I think the actual event is best left up to the reader's imagination. That said, evidence of the explosion, such as damage to surroundings, clothing items, etc., is good.

- Following the inflatee's explosion, there is nothing left of her. She doesn't come back to life somehow, and there is no evidence of her physical person. Goes back to the realism aspect.

LVK's The Brush is one of the quintessential stories that meets these rather picky criteria. However, even despite all this, there are plenty of bursting stories I enjoy that don't follow this formula exactly. For instance, The Essence of Justice is probably my favorite story of all time. Throughout the better part of her inflation, Jean is not really cognizant of what's happening to her, and that remains true even up until the point of her explosion. In fact, her bursting didn't even have anything to do with her size. But the inflation sequence, which was so well written, was not dragged down by a rigorous description of how it looked when she finally exploded.

Anyway, those are my drawn-out thoughts.

Stories I have written

Fri, 07/08/2005 - 15:58

Kurg

doubleintegral wrote:

- In contrast to the inflation, where excruciating details are necessary, details of the actual explosion are not described in the story. I've tried it before, and everything I've come up with is inadequate, either by being too goofy or simply too structured and rote. I think the actual event is best left up to the reader's imagination. That said, evidence of the explosion, such as damage to surroundings, clothing items, etc., is good.

I know exactly what you mean. Hourglass Lover's "Busty Babe Blows Herself to Pieces" (one of my favorite inflation stories of all time) is an excellent example of this principle in action. Ignoring the title for a second, it's actually rather ambiguous whether or not the girl really does burst at the end of the story, or if it's simply the bubble that pops. That kind of implied (but not excplicitly stated) bursting is quite an effective way to end a story, at least in my opinion. Some of the best inflation stories I've ever read simply end with "Boom", or a description of the character reacher their limits. When used effectively, it's a great way to end a story.

"A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men."

Tue, 07/12/2005 - 07:11

AlecDeluxe

I confess that I most prefer stories in which one character basically says up front, "I'm going to blow you up till you pop and there's nothing you can do about it." I personally like it more when the person doesn't want to be popped (tho I hasten to add that I've loved stories that have taken very different approaches).

As for the explosions themselves... Well, I generally either just say "POP!" and let the reader decide what that would look like. Or that "the victim burst into pieces," and, again, allow readers to imagine WHAT kind of pieces (I usually picture balloon fragments, tho I realize it's the least believable). Bursting into nothingness is also fun.

Bursting and then reforming, for me, holds little interest. To me, there has to be real consequences to being popped, or what's the point? Where's the threat, the danger, the suspense?

The "suspended pop" is good too. I'm not a big BE fan particularly, but I've always liked "Eating Light" by Inflate123 with its ending: "When will she pop? When will she burst?" It still works for me. An oldie but goodie.

I want to pop so much I could burst!

Tue, 07/12/2005 - 08:37

Inflate123

I definitely think the RISK of popping is very powerful, but the popping itself can be left up to the reader to determine. I have done some stories where I leave it open ended and others where I go to the brink and back off. I think the ones with open ends are more effective. (And thanks for the kind words Alec--that was my very first story, and it's more a fragment than anything!)

Twitter | DeviantArt

Tue, 07/12/2005 - 10:14

deleted_20091014

I usually describe the pop, I like descriptions that include things the inflatee exploding into shreds of clothing, and the effect the explosion has of the bystanders, things like shock horror expressions, getting covered in clothing and jewellry and feeling a blast of air.

Tue, 07/12/2005 - 16:31

Kurg

Personally, I've always liked it when the explosion comes as something of a surprise; that is to say, when the reader doesn't know for certain (until the bang) if the character is really going to keep blowing up until they burst or not. Hence, stories where the inflatee's fate is determined from the outset don't appeal to me to the same degree, though as with all things, there are expections (I've read a few "predestination" stories that were great).

I'm also a big fan of what I like to call "Aesop's Fable" style inflations; where the character's inflation and subsequent bursting are the result of an act of pride, jealousy, or competetiveness that is taken to extremes. "Balloon Race" by Alec Deluxe (one of the first inflation stories I ever read, as well as one of my top 10 favorites) is an excellent example of this; a contest of one-upsmanship between rivals that ultimately goes too far. "Jealousy" by Hourglass Lover (another of my top 10 favorites), and "Jessica's Jealousy", again by Alec Deluxe are two more good examples of this. In both stories, the female protagonists inflate themselves in an effort to impress, but don't have the good sense to know when to quite, and ultimately suffer the consequences. I think this idea of bursting because the character can't/won't admit their own limitations works because: a)It inspires a sense of humility (the prideful being laid low), and b) because it creates some sense that the burstees deserved what they got (they brought it upon themselves).

Another scenario that really resonates with me is the idea of someone inflating for fun (perhaps to test their limits and see how far they can go), but eventually getting so big that they lose control of it and ultimately burst. There's actually a lovely sketch by DwarPreist (can't remember the name unfortunately) which, for me, really embodies this theme. It depicts a girl with a hugely-inflated belly, hooked up to an air tank. Her expression shows that she's under a LOT of strain, and her belly doesn't look like it can hold much more. Unfortunately, she's so big now that she can't reach the air tank to shut it off, and thus save herself from bursting.

All in all, I think that the buildup to the explosion is much more important than the explosion itself. Creating an impression of tremendous strain, and the sensation of a body as it is pushed to its absolute limit, and then a little bit beyond, it vital to creating an atmosphere of tension and suspense, which is what makes the scenario believable. As far as the explosion itself is concerned, so long as it isn't gory, anything goes really. Implied bursting is great, but sometimes a simple "BANG!" works wonders as well, serving as a kind of punctuation mark at the end of the story.

Anyway, that's my senseless ramble. Hope I didn't go on too long there.

"A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men."

Tue, 07/12/2005 - 18:34

#10

Fukureru-Shogun

I've done a handful of different stories, under a couple of names, and just about any bursting I did was off-screen, I just wasn't sure what else to do with it. So all this advice is actually fairly helpful!

Tue, 07/12/2005 - 20:00

#11

Hercmech

In my own opinion, I love the stories where it's implied. You don't actually 'see' it (in print anyway), so the writer leaves it up to your own imagination as to how the story plays out.

Tue, 07/12/2005 - 20:56

#12

DwarfPriest

Hey, Kurg, you mean this one?
http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/7653956/
Yeah, I like the way her expression turned out. This was just a quick gift I made for a friend, but seens like her preference for poppings ended reflecting here... hehe...

Wed, 07/13/2005 - 00:25

#13

Kurg

Yup, that's the picture. :) I practically fell in love with that sketch (figuratively speaking) the second I laid eyes on it. There just aren't enough "at the brink" inflation images like that on the net.

PS: Thanks for posting the link to it. I've been trying to find it again for a while now. :)

"A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men."

Fri, 07/15/2005 - 12:05

#14

DwarfPriest

Yup, I should finish that one sometime. It was probably hard to find because its in the scraps, not the main gallery. Maybe a sequel on that would be fun (I know my friend will love it)

As for what DoubleIntegral said: "I don't think a good inflation story necessarily requires bursting". Very true, but depends on the style of story. When you just stuff a popping in a inflation story that dosent look good for it, it turns out weird, as it does stories where it could have a pop, but it dosen't even hint at that.
It's all a matter of preference really. I remember talking to a friend about a furry story, where if you took out the "furry" part, the main theme of the story would work fine, but the author made it a furry story just because he wanted to.

Bursting in Inflation Stories: How should it be handled?

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