Raven Gold & A Serious Question

I couldn’t agree more, with this and also with what you wrote in the post first!

Ella Cherry

I definitely prefer it when the character remembers it. As fun as Batman is just being a giggly schoolgirl , it's much more interesting if Batman remembers who he used to be and either has to cope with the fact that this is the new him. That said, I have also enjoyed some ones where the character doesn't remember it. If the transformation pushes enough of my buttons, and then I can find it fun enough when I at least remember that Archie originally wasn't that horny MILF trying to steal away Mr. Lodge, even if she doesn't. But yeah, remembering and reacting to it is best.

Anzaleth

The interesting thing about Mantra was that by the time the series ended, Lukasz had basically accepted that not only was he going to be female, but that he was going to be Eden, and felt an obligation to stick around for the benefit of Eden's kids. But deciding to walk the path isn't the same as walking the path, so it's a shame the series ended when it did since she would have to deal with the consequences of that decision. To me, stories are more interesting when the character has to deal with consequences, and WAY more interesting when they have to deal with the consequences of their own decisions or actions. TG stories are funny in that the change is often foisted upon the main character in some way, but all too often I feel like authors use that as an excuse to take their hands off the steering wheel and allow the character to just go wherever the wind blows them. So, yeah, it's always good for the protagonist to have agency and to be challenged. As a writer I feel like there's a special place in hell for writers who allow their protagonists to remain unchallenged. :)

Jenny North

On the other hand, My Clarissa series makes clear to my hero right up front that there's no way back. Thus, the new Clarissa is in no way cowed by her new sister (or anyone else). Her decision is "the only way out is through". And she embraces that. Those who've been reading Clarissa know that her default emotion (after the initial shock) is anger. She is not going to take anything from Samantha, as Samantha has no real hold over her.

Now this is similar to Mike Barr's Mantra, a series I always felt squandered its potential on a similar premise. In Mantra, Lucaz never had to truly embrace his new feminine life as there was always the possibility of becoming a man again. I ever liked that, as the character had an excuse not to commit & was forever in a "holding pattern". That's why in Arianna, "she" will eventually move forward with being Arianna as making that choice is preferable to an endless limbo of existence.

Relating to that, I don't mind a little "mental effects" occasionally. However, for an in depth story, I want my characters clear headed. I've taken characters in different directions as well. In my Arianna story, the poor protagonist is brutalized and abused by the girl who is swapping their bodies until he's ready to do whatever she says and is almost catatonic. This comes because the real Arianna can swap them back & forth whenever she wants. She holds this over his head, promising to restore him if he'll just do what she wants. And he does because he's desperate.

Exactly! In a similar line, I've read so many stories that involve literally 6 pages of lovingly detailed transformation description, covering every reconfiguring muscle and bone. After which, the story either quickly ends or the character moves to an equally lovingly detailed sex scene. All of these bore me. Many a time in my work, the transformation scene is over quickly. I'm not real interested in HOW it happens. My true interest is in how my character deals with their transformed life. Thus, I certainly want them to be the same person.

Oh, the whole identity death thing. I know what you mean, I generally really dislike those. For me, the fun of reading stories is about getting to know the characters and seeing how they deal with change and adversity, so stories like that are fundamentally unsatisfying because they've just replaced one character with a different character. Because the character never have to deal with the consequences of the change, they go unchallenged, which is dead boring.

Jenny North

Same, transformation in general is almost pointless if they can't remember who they were before.

Mr. Blight

I would read it

BB

You could play with memory as a plot device. Make Fox Bat's prior history part of the story and have Raven have to either contend with it or that part of the conflict.

Robert Louis Stoll