Joss Whedon's Dollhouse: Perfect Muscle Growth Setting?

[nicotico]

So I'm a long time lurker, but I've had an idea for a muscle growth story percolating in my head for a while, in the setting of Joss Whedon's Dollhouse. It would have a structure combining episodic storytelling with an arc.

For those of you who haven't seen Dollhouse, here's the basic premise. Young pretty people sign up to a five-year term in "The Dollhouse". These people, called "Actives" or "Dolls", have their memories erased. They are then hired out to various super-wealthy people, with implanted memories appropriate to any situation. The most common hire is romantic, but there's also crime, medical, and so on. At the end of their term, they're given their original memories back, along with enough money to ensure their children's children never have to work again.

In my story, a young, average-looking gay guy would hear about the Dollhouse and try to become and Active. He's initially rejected for not being attractive enough. He eventually offers himself for an extended term, and he is implanted with a hardcore bodybuilder's personality to whip himself into shape.

Each chapter would have two parts. The first starts after he's released from his contract with his new body, but no memory of how he got it. This part would get interrupted eventually by some sort of larger plot involving the Dollhouse's parent company that he get's caught up in.

The second part of each chapter would be a tale from his Active days. A single "episode" involving the protagonist with a new personality on some sort of assignment, be it romantic or otherwise.

What do you think? Is this too ambitious for my first project? Would anyone have any interest at all?

[Proteus]

It's definitely an interesting premise to play around with. I'm not sure if this is possible, having not seen the whole series, but if residual memories can be stuck in his doll and/or original state, you could have some fun with the bodybuilder memories encroaching and taking over his life.

[MonsterMash62]

Pretty ambitious for a first story to me, but so what? Go ahead and write it! Sounds hot, interesting and exciting. And it's not like you have to finish right away. Just post it one story, scene or episode at a time. The important thing is to just start writing.

If you want to run bits of it by anyone, or want proofreading, feel free to send stuff my way.

[hszmv]

I loved Dollhouse, so I'd say go for it. Just be very careful, as it's very complex show.

I would also offer some minor tweaks. First, I would suggest a Dollhouse that's not been featured (NYC or Miami spring to mind). Second, I would also tweak it to where he is attractive enough to be an active (Because the Dollhouse cuts you the deal, you don't offer them one. They would have approached him because he's pretty people.). Finally, I would think that one of his recurring clients is a man who has a fantasy about growing a guy and the pockets deep enough (Rossum Board Member even) to contract long term engagements and would play coach to the budding bodybuilder imprint he requested.

As a side note to all of this, I would also think it would be amusing if he was straight in life but was programmed to be gay by his client OR very closeted and his new body and his client helped him come out.

[helliot]

I love your idea. I can't wait to read it. Please write it!

[howardbeatman]

It's an OK idea for fantasy porn on this or similar websites, but the basic concept of a Dollhouse 'active' is a person who takes on an entirely new personality - the series never showed a permanent physical change to any of the "dolls". I suspect that the application process for an active-wannabe would include an extensive psychological screening which would weed out someone who wants to become a "doll" in order to build his body - they'd say "do it on your own time, not ours". And remember that the temp personality was stripped out after every mission.

On the other hand, if you want to ignore the above & strike out on your own... fine...

[MuscleMage]

That's not true, not only are active's are paid for their time but as part of their contract the house is required to keep the active's body healthy and safe; which is partly because they are more attractive to clients that way. As part of that, the standard 'doll' personality includes a lot of systems that make it easy to encourage the dolls to work-out and stay fit. Its seems likely to me that you could negotiate a smaller cash payment to be worked as a doll to fit what is likely to be certain clients' needs.

I imagine the story would be voiced to appeal to people who feel that they lack a certain drive/commitment to take their body to their level but also combine that with the standard fantasy of "sudden" gains.

[MonsterMash62]

It could be a new type of doll program. And/or it could be for clients that want to see a transformation. I.e. someone is looking for a doll to act as their boyfriend, and they want to see them go from regular joe to he-man.

[Darmani]

If you like MC themed things. Yes. And I watched both seasons and had the comic summarised for me. Personally I'd go AU or say they did more than just return the basic persona, they added some mods and remember the permanent tag and monitoring plus longterm check up Rossum requires.

Is it "too" ambitious. No. Not for an amateur author. but this will likely be more an erotic fanfiction than MSG story, if you understand my meaning so will require a different mindset to its planning and creation.

If you need someone to help you make it you have my pledge and I hope you PM me about beta reading or helping you brainstorm or work out a general written, if n not outline, goals and summaries for what you want and how you want it to be experienced by your audience, as well as determining your audience.

Personally I would rip off the entire Dollhouse setup and idea but not keep to the full plot as there are some... elements I feel don't work for the story BUT you say you want to include thriller/conspiracy stuff so maybe more indepth crafting means you keep it.