I think the "golden center" rule applies here. Pesonaly I don't like Too long "mainstream" with just a hint of tickling. That's a tickling community. If I want to read some general fiction I'd go elsewhere - a writers' community forum or just to the library. I open the tickle story to find TICKLING here in the bigger amount that in the mainstream media. Something that fulfills my fantasy. Like in my M-i-L stories. I have an attractive (for me at least), ticklish mother-in-law I'd gladly tie up and tickle the crap out of. But that's not gonna happen unless I go insane and run around with a chainsaw, not caring about consequences of my actions. So I wouldn't write a fictional story about how I visited my m-i-l, hugged her while greeting so I could feel her tits on my torso, kissed her cheek, peeked down her blouse later when she leaned to pour me some tea and during goodbyes I poked her ribs and she jumped slighltly. That simply happened and was a fuel for some daring fantasies. I would describe (or read) about something that couldn't happen IRL, like her being blackmailed to endure as much tickling as I want both from me and from starngers. [A PRODUCT PLACEMENT]
On the other hand I want SOME setup and introduction. If I want just the tickle action I turn on one of the tk clips. Here I usually have a bound girl approached by a tickler who starts teasing her verbally and jumps right into tickling. Sometimes it's justified by one or two scenes of plot, or just a few lines like "tell me the code!" or"where is the safe!" and we go straight into tickling, mostly because time is money here and you don't want to pay for some crappy acting, just want to see a pretty girl tickle tortured and maybe imagine your dream girlfriend in her place.
For me tickling story is to present you with a "bleievable" (or make-believe) scenario in which an attractive woman seen on the street/a hot celebrity/your crush/your wife/your sexy workmate etc. found herself transferred from her "normal" life to a situation when she is mercilessly or erotically tickle tortured (willingly or unwillingly). To achieve that you MUST build a setup, taht would lead to a culmination point - the tickling.