That said, I couldn't resist one more pick from our friends at the BondageBank as it wonderfully illustrates an aspect of the life I imagine for the inmates that populate the experimental psychology unit central to the story arc of the INSTITUTIONALISED series; it is an aspect that will be explored in some depth in volumes 2 and 3 - the interrogation. The essential thing about an interrogation, of course, the thing that makes it so interesting in the context of S&M and D&S, is that the subject should have something to hide, something that she'd much rather not speak of. Sexual peccadilloes, deeply held and excruciatingly embarrassing feminine concerns, distasteful toiletry habits - one can easily imagine many corners to be probed that day young lady might rather keep to herself; particularly should her psychological stability be under question. I'm sure that those that have read volume 1 of INSTITUTIONALISED can think of at least one aspect of Susan Stringer’s life that might make her particularly vulnerable to such an approach. A volunteer research subject suffering from certain problems that have already put her under pressure from some to become a self-committed voluntary psychiatric patient she might well construe such interview as an attempt to further pressurise her. Imagine her reluctance to answer questions about aspects of her life that she herself has come to believe may be evidence of her own instability - could her answers be used against her, could they be used to commit her, properly commit her as a psychiatric patient?Wednesday, 17 September 2008
Do Mine Eyes Deceive or Have My Eyeballs Been Resurfaced?
That said, I couldn't resist one more pick from our friends at the BondageBank as it wonderfully illustrates an aspect of the life I imagine for the inmates that populate the experimental psychology unit central to the story arc of the INSTITUTIONALISED series; it is an aspect that will be explored in some depth in volumes 2 and 3 - the interrogation. The essential thing about an interrogation, of course, the thing that makes it so interesting in the context of S&M and D&S, is that the subject should have something to hide, something that she'd much rather not speak of. Sexual peccadilloes, deeply held and excruciatingly embarrassing feminine concerns, distasteful toiletry habits - one can easily imagine many corners to be probed that day young lady might rather keep to herself; particularly should her psychological stability be under question. I'm sure that those that have read volume 1 of INSTITUTIONALISED can think of at least one aspect of Susan Stringer’s life that might make her particularly vulnerable to such an approach. A volunteer research subject suffering from certain problems that have already put her under pressure from some to become a self-committed voluntary psychiatric patient she might well construe such interview as an attempt to further pressurise her. Imagine her reluctance to answer questions about aspects of her life that she herself has come to believe may be evidence of her own instability - could her answers be used against her, could they be used to commit her, properly commit her as a psychiatric patient?Saturday, 13 September 2008
An Exciting Site
context, not to mention involving bondage and asylum incarceration, that by its absence to my satisfaction I was driven to start to write my own stuff, I have finally come across a site that ticks all the boxes. I would ordinarily be loath to recommend a commercial site but I found their asylum-based films (and a nice little movie depicting a hopelessly dominated maid in an imaginative little PVC uniform - not the usually cliched shiny black-and-white thing) stimulating in the extreme - and I'm pretty jaded. Click on either still picture to visit, or see the asylum entry at the top of the resources link list in the side bar.
Friday, 12 September 2008
Penny's Punishments (from Janus - 1980s) and a Bit That Didn't Quite Make it Into INSTITUTIONALISED Volume 1
Whilst running through my old files occurred to me that one or two of you might be interested in having a taste of some of my early work that never quite made it into INSTITUTIONALISED volume 1. I had come across the following piece that I had originally intended to include in a flashback scene but that there was omitted when I decided to change the entire style of the thing. As you can see it involves a young woman called Sandra who doesn't even appear in the book in its present form and although it includes a character called Julia she is not necessarily the same Julia as Susan's ‘aunt’ of the same name - who of course plays a major role and will continue to in volumes 2 and 3.It is written a somewhat dated style that I was following at the time but are now find somewhat ‘stodgy ’- I was trying to recreate the feel and style of certain 19th-century works but chronologically placing the story very much in the present time, or a least the recent past. There is absolutely no mention of corporal punishment in any form in this section but its threat hangs there in the atmosphere somewhere; hopefully, that air of oppression is still present, almost as if we have sat through, stroke by stroke, a lovingly delivered caning.
It is very much unfinished of course; I had a lovingly detailed description of her, that is Sandra's, entire wardrobe in mind as well as the change in her mindset as she is gradually taken through Julia’s stepwise program of progressively more restrictive and humiliating dress.
The whole section, really, was inspired by the letters to the Janus magazine as to read in the 1980s regarding the subject of punishment-dress and the various suggestions people made in the correspondence at the time. It is one of the projects I have under way at the moment, to rewrite and remodel it; this piece, and another similar but more detailed piece that I don't want to air publicly at the moment as it is too close to events occurring in volumes 2 and 3 (and far more overtly corporal punishment orientated) will become the template for a couple of sections of both new volumes, but written in the more up-to-date style that I now Favour.
Speaking of Janus magazine: while searching around I came across some scans from a classic Janus story called ‘Penny’s Punishments (see the pictures scattered amongst this posting - I will be happy to post more if there is any interest). This is one of those pieces that I guess could be categorised under the ‘unfair punishment’ banner in that it is clear that the punishers very much have an agenda beyond merely correcting their charge’s errant behaviour.
The basic premise is that too well of folks have chosen to foster this character, not because of her record of good behaviour but rather the complete opposite - they have chosen her specifically because she has built up a reputation for being difficult. The cane is in use frequently, is delivered hard and for the tiniest of infractions. I seem to remember the point being made that the girl is around years of age (the model, in reality, is probably older) which is above the age of consent here in Britain and so I guess is fine, but the storyline does still sound a little dodgy to the modern ear.
The only concern voiced in the letters pages at the time, though, was that her school skirt was somewhat too long; the consensus of opinion seemed to be that it should only just cover her knickers when standing still. This, though, was a period when Janus and other Spanking magazines could still publish photos of models dressed in what they would describe as school uniform, later the heavy-hand of censorship cracked down (even though often the very point of the story was that it was an adult being made to wear school uniform for the purposes of discipline and humiliation). Magazines such as Strictly Uniforms that came along later tended to get around any potential infractions by describing what were quite obviously various variations on the school uniform theme as ‘college uniforms’ (schoolgirls often became college girls or, alternatively, reformatory girls).
Overseen by the authoritative Julia she had hurriedly buttoned the blouse. There had been no bra to be found in the collection; Julia had apologetically informed her that her housekeeper had somehow erroneously included all of Sandra's underwear when parcelling her things for dispatch to her guardian and that, for the time being, she would have to do without. This had been much to Sandra's chagrin; she was bountifully blessed of bosom, some might say overly so, even melon breasted. .....
that concern had rushed another legacy of the past; the constriction of the ironically termed liberty bodice had proved to respond well to the combined complaints of over-tight waistbands and overstretched, straining, bodices. Notwithstanding the additional requirement for stockings - the despondently hanging suspenders demanding employment, an obligation Julia had been more than happy to fulfil - she had nevertheless been more than satisfied with the solution.Enwrapped and suitably mortified in gymslip, knickers, blouse, tie and hat, Julia considering the latter straw boater particularly attractive set against the gloss of the girl’s jet black hair, Sandra had squirmed in disconcerted bashfulness, her discomfiture complete and obvious to all: Julia would have had no less.
In all the gymslip had fitted well enough in that with the aid of the restrictive underlying liberty bodice – at least the skirt now fastened neatly at its waistband.
The gymslip's bodice, now benefiting both from the underpinning foundation and its own especially elongated shoulder straps, was able to encompass the girls flattened and artificially reduced bust line.
Copyright (c) 2008 Garth. P. ToynTanen
Wednesday, 10 September 2008
Hairstyle Discipline
As any who have read this blog in the past will know, I tend to do much of my writing in various houses of public refreshment. Yesterday's temporary office was the historic Spaniards Inn, in London's Hampstead Heath. The 'other half' had gone shopping in Hampstead proper and was then planning to tour Kenwood house, a nearby historic country house, leaving me free to indulge my passion for real ale. The pew-like seating and dark wood panelling are conducive enough to writing, far more so than my usual venue, but somehow I just seemed to lack that drive. I guess in my mind's eye I had had the idea of a pleasant afternoon sat in a sunny pub garden - the reality was somewhat different, my dream scuppered by freezing temperatures and the idiotic choice of a cap-sleeved top and shorts (I should really know better by now what the word summer actually means here in Britain). Having dragged myself back inside a settled myself down to drag him away for a passport renewal form and reading and out of date copy of New Scientist (something or other about the Large Hadron Collider). Anyway, enough rambling, let's get down to business and some more thoughts that occurred to me (after a good few beers) concerning the wonderful subject of forced haircutting - a subject that I would much rather refer to as hairstyle discipline, from the point of view of its context so far within the pages of volume 1 of INSTITUTIONALISED and the plans I have for its inclusion within the pages of the subsequent volumes. Out of the blue (and the beer glass) it came to me that there are at least three distinct categories of writing on the subject to be seen on sites such as the haircutting story archive et al.
- Consensual (not my thing at all)
- Punishment haircutting / shaving
- Procedural haircutting / styling.
Few initiations can have so great an impact as the imposition of some standardised, regulation hairstyle - and in that requirement to conform, perhaps in colour as well as in actual styling, one has succeeded in disrupting part of the very framework of her personality. Put her in the uniform of your choice, one suitably diminishing of status, and the effect is completed - a thorough demolition job carried out on both her self-esteem and confidence. Such a definition, that of procedural hair styling, I would say could be most aptly applied to the scenes depicted within the pages of INSTITUTIONALISED volume 1 but nevertheless I imagine a more diverse approach evolving as the series progresses, and to punishment generally. And as I have in volume 1, I intend to reach further afield than the mere physical in terms of curbing those hapless wenches unfortunate enough to have found themselves incarcerated within the unit. I also have ideas to extend this approach into the more domestic scene and as in volume 1 not all the action is going to be restricted to institutionalised environment of the research centre. Various sources have informed this approach, not least of which the aforementioned haircutting story sites, but in going beyond the usual head cropping, buzz-cut and head shaving scenario (or not as far, depending on your viewpoint) once again those wonderful spanking magazines of the 1970s and 1980s have had their part to play. Tuesday, 9 September 2008
A Follow Up to the Strict Governess: More Scans from Janus
and come up with more from that strict governess photo story that was published in Janus all those years ago and that started me off down the whole strict governess story route in my approach to writing.
I sketched out several storylines based around these images most of which had been long lost in the mists of time but the bare bones have survived to be incorporated within the INSTITUTIONALISED series in one form or another. For example I have plans for one of the characters from volume 1 and a new character introduced in volume 2 to be placed, together, in the hands of a rather special governess for a period of time and at least part of that particular story arc is based around one of the vignettes that I spun around this photo series. (Quite what is so special about her is all tied up in how she goes about handling recalcitrant charges and the somewhat unorthodox techniques she brings into play - beyond that I can say no more without giving too much away except, perhaps, to say that her charges tend to have a somewhat dreamlike air about them).
Another inspirational spanking photo set published in Janus at around the same period was that featuring the delicious Sarah Jane in a wondrous school uniform set piece. I long ago sold that particular edition and stupidly neglected to scan it but I have just come across it on Richard Windsor's most excellent spanking photo' site. (Click on Sarah's name or pic to view the set or select link from the resource list on sidebar).
She has just the look to bring out that cruel side of me; I can't think of a better candidate for the kind of psychological study outlined within the pages of volume 1, take a look...what do you think, what would you do with her??? Lets not just stop at a caning - You could find your suggestion used within the pages of the next volume of INSTITUTIONALISED.
Sunday, 7 September 2008
Some Feedback from Inspired by a Strict Governess: Janus (mid-1980s)
'Anonymous' goes on to say that “some of my favourite photos from that story have not been included here”. I tend to post those images and writing segments that have most inspired the ideas and plot arcs that form the foundation of my writing but I’m always happy to oblige any requests if I can and while I can’t promise that I have scanned the full story in this case (I am not at my desk at the moment and don’t have access to all my files – normal service resumes tomorrow) I will post any other pictures that I did not include at a later date. If ‘anonymous’ would write in and describe his / her faves from that story it would be most helpful – even if I can’t find them the feedback would be invaluable in identifying the kind of thing that most appeals to my readership, allowing me to more closely tailor the future direction of this blog and perhaps influencing the story development as the INSTITUTIONALISED series develops.
It’s a sort of ‘hands-up-who-wants-to-see…’ kind of a thing ('you can't always get what you want - but if you try sometimes'...).
Saturday, 6 September 2008
I'm Back
I'm back!!!
Best wishes to everyone
Garth (Now suntanned and healthy – ish)




