Writing gags in stories?

[Beaumains]

In the comment sections of one of my stories, I got in a discussion about gags in TUG stories. They are a little paradoxical. Hear me out:

On one hand, they are aesthetically pleasing and achieve an essential part of being helpless, namely, unable to cry for help. Additionally, the rigger does not have to listen to complaints, or the victim simply likes gags. Under many photo posts with an ungagged bound person, “he/she needs a gag!” is commented. So, for photos, there is a clear preference, and for many fantasies, the same holds.

But, for me, writing is sometimes different. Sometimes I intentionally don’t gag my victim to create more exciting scenes. Dialogue is an important part and much stronger than only describing someone’s emotions and makes things more attractive. If there is only one rigger or riggers without compelling action (conflict) between them, scenes are only action-based. Descriptions of what happens and their feelings.

Gag talk is the third option. This either gives the impression of an improper gag, or the sentences are no joy to decipher. Long scenes with gag talk are far from my favorite to write and read.

I’m not claiming you should not write/read any stories involving gags, but I’m curious what your opinion is about them.

[DeeperThanRed]

I agree that dialogue is an important part of writing but I don't think it's necessary to write a compelling story. You can always have internal monologues, characters interpreting each others' expressions, flashbacks, etc.

Granted, a lot of bondage stories do end up being purely action-based but that seems like a result of preference on the author's part or simply a lack of effort. I also think it's harder to include gags in RPs than regular stories.

Or you can take a third option and gag the victim later down the line, as a way to conclude the discourse between the captor and the captive. It works quite well and I see it done a lot.

In the end, I'll almost always prefer gags. Sometimes I may omit it for aesthetic reasons but I don't think they take away from my enjoyment of TUG stories.

[Kyle]

Like a lot of things, it depends on the story. A gag very early on makes sense in a kidnapping scene. It doesn't always make sense, but I like a little bit of talking at first, then using a gag to shut up the mouthy captive.

Gag talk can be done well, but typically is just annoying to read more than once or twice. People that use it tend to go overboard and insert it every few sentences. Limit it to times when you have a specific reason to show how what they're saying sounds to someone else.

I'm pretty much convinced a lot of people are more into gags than bondage. The bondage is just to keep the person from easily being able to remove the gag. I could actually go without a gag at times. It just depends on the context.

[OldTUGger]

My personal philosophy toward bondage is, "If she ain't gagged, it ain't bondage."

That said, I like to incorporate a fair amount of dialogue into my stories, which can help with character development. So usually I try to strike a balance between real verbal dialogue and MMMPHing, with real dialogue getting the lion's share of space.

[MaxRoper]

I am in the minority, but I agree with the OP. For me, gags are not a necessary part of a good bondage story. Sometimes it's important or desired but I'm not disappointed if the captive remains ungagged . I'm usually surprised and annoyed with negative comments about bondage art, photos, or stories, especially the "s/he needs a gag" sort. If you don't like the way it's done, do it yourself.

[LK3869]

Interesting question, leading to interesting comments...
It possibly goes down to whether you like stories with more dialogues than descriptions and thoughts. TUG stories aren't the best material for dialogues, but they surely don't lack human interaction. Bondage is a dialogue between bodies.
And yes, bondage without gag can be damn 'effective' too! (provided the ungagged caracters have something interesting to say...)

[Detective-Gag]

Personally, I do enjoy adding a gag into a good kidnapping story, though I do agree that it should be incorporated sensibly.

I like adding dialogue / banter between a kidnapper and abductee, for instance, so often when I am writing there are "stages" of writing the "gag" into the story...

1. Initial Capture - usually, this either involves banter between the kidnapper or abductee, followed by the victim being tied up, and the gag being added only after substantial dialogue has been written. Other times, the victim will be gagged immediately, usually if taken by surprise.

2. Getting Un-Gagged - this often happens if the victim has managed to struggle enough to loosen a gag, or the kidnapper removes the gag themselves. These brief reprieves allow for further dialogue, and in my case, the victim getting gagged again once all has been said.

This can happen several times over the course of a story, even.

3. Gag-Talk - I personally enjoy the "vocalization" of a victim struggling to speak through their gag...that's your standard "Mmph!" or "Hlmph!" mumbles that serves to emphasize the dire situation.

Interestingly, you could have the "gag talk" be understood by the kidnapper, even if what is written is "somewhat" unintelligible.

For example: "Lmph mmph gmph!" can be interpreted as "Let me go!", and the kidnapper can acknowledge that they understand this, just by saying, "No can do." or something to that effect.

Personally, though, I often provide the translation of "gag-talk" in parenthesis beneath the statement, to provide both the "vocalization" AND the "meaning".

Example:

"Whmph dm ymph wmph frm mmph?" she mumbled to her captor.

(What do you want from me?")

This is an easy way to integrate gag-talk into the story, while avoiding confusion.