Just because?

[TheMM]

Something I've wanted to see for awhile is this:

What if someone was growing (or had grown) without any reason? They simply were growing and that was it? No science or magic stuff, no 'cum and grow' scenarios, nothing, simply a guy growing.

As for an actual plot, that I'm not sure about, though in many ways you can consider it an opposite to "The Shrinking Bodybuilder." So instead of a super-muscular fellow shrinking, it could be the opposite with a really short scrawny guy slowly growing into his dream body, if not even more. (Nothing wrong with that story of course, but it was the only comparison I could think of.)

[howardbeatman]

Sounds fine to me. It's not REQUIRED to define a cause for muscle growth. When Hitchcock made the film version of "The Birds", he deliberately did not include a reason for the birds attacking humans. They just did - and that made the attacks scarier.

[Otaru_grower]

I actually thought of doing something like this...a meek little guy at an office starts to grow taller as well as bulk out...science can't explain it...

I thought the plot could eventually take a turn when he discovers that there is maybe something divine happening...in order for him to complete some kind of Joan of Arcadia like mission...spreading good and becoming a sort of mini superhero who helps people make their lives better...in return he gets more respect and easily wins over the man of his dreams.

It could be cheesy but it's just a thought. I have tons of story ideas that I haven't even touched yet.

[CeeBee]

Well...I understand you want a story that gets right to the point. Sometimes reading a lot of the plot just takes time away from what you're reading the story in the first place for. However, there is something called the mantel of disbelief, in which the author has to provide a reason for what's happening. In real life, a skinny scrawny little man cannot just suddenly start growing muscles. Wouldn't the reader just be left asking "why??"
I don't know, maybe it's just me.

[TheMM]

Originally Posted by CeeBee

Well...I understand you want a story that gets right to the point. Sometimes reading a lot of the plot just takes time away from what you're reading the story in the first place for. However, there is something called the mantel of disbelief, in which the author has to provide a reason for what's happening. In real life, a skinny scrawny little man cannot just suddenly start growing muscles. Wouldn't the reader just be left asking "why??"
I don't know, maybe it's just me.

Oh I wouldn't say it got right to the point, as there could possibly be quite a bit of regular plot before the muscle growth started. Yes I do understand your point, but the whole idea is that the "Why?" and the "How?" is ignored. In some people's eyes that might be a bad thing, but if this story were written, it would certainly be unique.

I liked what you said Howard, that's an excellent way of putting it. I'm still scared of watching "The Birds" even to this day.

Otaru, while that's an excellent idea for a story, that still gives a reason as to why the guy is growing. What I've suggested is that he grows for no reason whatsoever, no matter how slight.

[nypup2train]

There have been examples of this, in the past -- as you said in your setup, the character is usually growing "without any reason", and thus the lack of explanation presented for the growth is the qualifying feature. So, for the most part, stories in this category don't stand out as such, precisely because they didn't make a big deal out of (not) explaining the growing character's transformation.

I'll give one random example. (A poorly-chosen one, perhaps, since the story in question isn't available on the site, should anyone be unfamiliar with it.) In Rowan's incomparable "Flow", no concrete explanation is ever provided for Jake's "growth spurts". They're just presented as an accepted, already-established part of his character.

[growingbigger]

There was actually a story done on Metabods that did not give a cause for the growth. I believe the story was called, "My Friend Larry," or something like that. This guy starts to grow taller and bigger, although not super hugely muscled, and there is no explanation for it. The characters have no idea why it's happening. I love that story, so it would be cool to read another like it, only have some muscle growth along with it, too.

[Mad Dog]

Arpeejay's stories are generally in this vein. No particular reason why massive, 350+ lb. behemoths sprout up, just because!

[ForgeAus]

I agree its better to work on the strengths of the plot than necessarily have a plot device for the growth catalyst... I mean it is a musclegrowth forum so whats wrong with letting the readers simply assume its going to happen?...

[Geek2Jock]

Not as an attempt to offer a plot-satisfying reason for the post, but for those of you who are like me and probably would be asking yourself 'why' take this into consideration: some of our more recent 'scientific oddities' like Liam Hoekstra are medically explained but put that same situation back a century ago and medical science hadn't the capacity to comprehend why a toddler would be so physically developed without provocation. It would have been science fiction to them, not science fact. All the author is seeking to do in NOT offering an explanation or catalyst for unexpected growth is to suggest that some unknown or otherwise unexplained catalyst is promoting the growth and even if the plot includes the most thorough medical examination it concludes nothing simply because it is nothing that can (at the time of the setting) be explained.