Casually inserting sexuality
My main character, Eris, in my post-apocalyptic novel is queer. Her first love interest, Caspian, is male, but further on in the story I'm going to introduce a secondary love interest, Marina. As far as the reader knows, Eris is straight, because the only person she has expressed romantic interest in is Caspian, a guy. So how can I believably and casually show that Eris swings both ways without the reader being confused by the time she, Marina, and Caspian are in a love triangle?
creative-writing characters character-development
asked 2 hours ago
weakdnaweakdna
2,94431854
add a comment |
My main character, Eris, in my post-apocalyptic novel is queer. Her first love interest, Caspian, is male, but further on in the story I'm going to introduce a secondary love interest, Marina. As far as the reader knows, Eris is straight, because the only person she has expressed romantic interest in is Caspian, a guy. So how can I believably and casually show that Eris swings both ways without the reader being confused by the time she, Marina, and Caspian are in a love triangle?
creative-writing characters character-development
asked 2 hours ago
weakdnaweakdna
2,94431854
1
if you were yourself is such a situation I imagine you wouldn't immediately understand your feelings as your sexuality shifts. Writing the characters own confusion during the transition seems a straight forward solution
– BKlassen
2 hours ago
1
@BKlassen bisexuality isn't necessarily confusion.
– bruglesco
1 hour ago
@bruglesco no, and my comment refers to the transitory confusion between one sexuality and another not that a sexual preference is confused
– BKlassen
1 hour ago
@BKlassen The reader perhaps being confused is not the same as the character being confused. Sexuality is not binary! Bisexuality (and pansexuality) is not a fringe state of being. It's common and mainstream. The only confusion is from people who don't understand what bisexuality means!
– Cyn
1 hour ago
1
I assume Eris is your POV character. So this is becoming just your choice of how subtle or explicit you want to be in revealing her sexuality.
– Alexander
55 mins ago
add a comment |
My main character, Eris, in my post-apocalyptic novel is queer. Her first love interest, Caspian, is male, but further on in the story I'm going to introduce a secondary love interest, Marina. As far as the reader knows, Eris is straight, because the only person she has expressed romantic interest in is Caspian, a guy. So how can I believably and casually show that Eris swings both ways without the reader being confused by the time she, Marina, and Caspian are in a love triangle?
creative-writing characters character-development
asked 2 hours ago
weakdnaweakdna
2,94431854
My main character, Eris, in my post-apocalyptic novel is queer. Her first love interest, Caspian, is male, but further on in the story I'm going to introduce a secondary love interest, Marina. As far as the reader knows, Eris is straight, because the only person she has expressed romantic interest in is Caspian, a guy. So how can I believably and casually show that Eris swings both ways without the reader being confused by the time she, Marina, and Caspian are in a love triangle?
creative-writing characters character-development
creative-writing characters character-development
asked 2 hours ago
weakdnaweakdna
2,94431854
asked 2 hours ago
weakdnaweakdna
2,94431854
asked 2 hours ago
weakdnaweakdna
2,94431854
asked 2 hours ago
weakdnaweakdna
2,94431854
asked 2 hours ago
weakdnaweakdna
2,94431854
2,94431854
1
if you were yourself is such a situation I imagine you wouldn't immediately understand your feelings as your sexuality shifts. Writing the characters own confusion during the transition seems a straight forward solution
– BKlassen
2 hours ago
1
@BKlassen bisexuality isn't necessarily confusion.
– bruglesco
1 hour ago
@bruglesco no, and my comment refers to the transitory confusion between one sexuality and another not that a sexual preference is confused
– BKlassen
1 hour ago
@BKlassen The reader perhaps being confused is not the same as the character being confused. Sexuality is not binary! Bisexuality (and pansexuality) is not a fringe state of being. It's common and mainstream. The only confusion is from people who don't understand what bisexuality means!
– Cyn
1 hour ago
1
I assume Eris is your POV character. So this is becoming just your choice of how subtle or explicit you want to be in revealing her sexuality.
– Alexander
55 mins ago
add a comment |
1
if you were yourself is such a situation I imagine you wouldn't immediately understand your feelings as your sexuality shifts. Writing the characters own confusion during the transition seems a straight forward solution
– BKlassen
2 hours ago
1
@BKlassen bisexuality isn't necessarily confusion.
– bruglesco
1 hour ago
@bruglesco no, and my comment refers to the transitory confusion between one sexuality and another not that a sexual preference is confused
– BKlassen
1 hour ago
@BKlassen The reader perhaps being confused is not the same as the character being confused. Sexuality is not binary! Bisexuality (and pansexuality) is not a fringe state of being. It's common and mainstream. The only confusion is from people who don't understand what bisexuality means!
– Cyn
1 hour ago
1
I assume Eris is your POV character. So this is becoming just your choice of how subtle or explicit you want to be in revealing her sexuality.
– Alexander
55 mins ago
1
1
if you were yourself is such a situation I imagine you wouldn't immediately understand your feelings as your sexuality shifts. Writing the characters own confusion during the transition seems a straight forward solution
– BKlassen
2 hours ago
if you were yourself is such a situation I imagine you wouldn't immediately understand your feelings as your sexuality shifts. Writing the characters own confusion during the transition seems a straight forward solution
– BKlassen
2 hours ago
1
1
@BKlassen bisexuality isn't necessarily confusion.
– bruglesco
1 hour ago
@BKlassen bisexuality isn't necessarily confusion.
– bruglesco
1 hour ago
@bruglesco no, and my comment refers to the transitory confusion between one sexuality and another not that a sexual preference is confused
– BKlassen
1 hour ago
@bruglesco no, and my comment refers to the transitory confusion between one sexuality and another not that a sexual preference is confused
– BKlassen
1 hour ago
@BKlassen The reader perhaps being confused is not the same as the character being confused. Sexuality is not binary! Bisexuality (and pansexuality) is not a fringe state of being. It's common and mainstream. The only confusion is from people who don't understand what bisexuality means!
– Cyn
1 hour ago
@BKlassen The reader perhaps being confused is not the same as the character being confused. Sexuality is not binary! Bisexuality (and pansexuality) is not a fringe state of being. It's common and mainstream. The only confusion is from people who don't understand what bisexuality means!
– Cyn
1 hour ago
1
1
I assume Eris is your POV character. So this is becoming just your choice of how subtle or explicit you want to be in revealing her sexuality.
– Alexander
55 mins ago
I assume Eris is your POV character. So this is becoming just your choice of how subtle or explicit you want to be in revealing her sexuality.
– Alexander
55 mins ago
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
So how can I believably and casually show that Eris swings both ways ...
Casually! Have a conversation between Eris and Caspian, perhaps in bed, talking about sex.
An Example:
Caspian asked, "When was your first time? Like, full on?"
"With a girl, I guess full on means oral, so I was fifteen, I had this thing with a friend at school. Then she got religion and dumped me. Not with a guy until I was seventeen. I mean, I was willing, but no good candidates. And you?"
"When I was eighteen, with Elly. You know her?"
"Know her?" Eris laughed. "I would totally fuck that girl. Was she any good?"
"Yeah, I mean, we didn't know anything, but yeah. Very ... energetic."
Eris saw him grinning, and laughed again.
The conversation is casual pillow talk, Caspian is not surprised Eris is bisexual, Eris doesn't hesitate to reveal it.
answered 1 hour ago
AmadeusAmadeus
52.9k467172
This is a book for teenagers and Eris has been isolated her whole life, she hasn't had any romantic experience besides her crush on Caspian. Eris is sixteen.
– weakdna
1 hour ago
2
@weakdna "This is a book for teenagers" - I'm afraid we are misinterpreting the meaning of "casually" in your question :)
– Alexander
59 mins ago
add a comment |
I don't think you need to show anything special at all.
Lots of people have multiple love interests (or hookups) over the course of a novel. In some novels, it's the premise.
If a character's first relationship in the novel was to a tall blond German runner, you wouldn't think your readers would be confused when the next relationship is with a short bald Nigerian physics professor.
Let your reader be confused. Most readers will figure it out pretty quickly. The few that don't, well, they're the readers that wouldn't really get it after you explained it either.
answered 1 hour ago
CynCyn
12.8k12763
add a comment |
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2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
So how can I believably and casually show that Eris swings both ways ...
Casually! Have a conversation between Eris and Caspian, perhaps in bed, talking about sex.
An Example:
Caspian asked, "When was your first time? Like, full on?"
"With a girl, I guess full on means oral, so I was fifteen, I had this thing with a friend at school. Then she got religion and dumped me. Not with a guy until I was seventeen. I mean, I was willing, but no good candidates. And you?"
"When I was eighteen, with Elly. You know her?"
"Know her?" Eris laughed. "I would totally fuck that girl. Was she any good?"
"Yeah, I mean, we didn't know anything, but yeah. Very ... energetic."
Eris saw him grinning, and laughed again.
The conversation is casual pillow talk, Caspian is not surprised Eris is bisexual, Eris doesn't hesitate to reveal it.
answered 1 hour ago
AmadeusAmadeus
52.9k467172
This is a book for teenagers and Eris has been isolated her whole life, she hasn't had any romantic experience besides her crush on Caspian. Eris is sixteen.
– weakdna
1 hour ago
2
@weakdna "This is a book for teenagers" - I'm afraid we are misinterpreting the meaning of "casually" in your question :)
– Alexander
59 mins ago
add a comment |
So how can I believably and casually show that Eris swings both ways ...
Casually! Have a conversation between Eris and Caspian, perhaps in bed, talking about sex.
An Example:
Caspian asked, "When was your first time? Like, full on?"
"With a girl, I guess full on means oral, so I was fifteen, I had this thing with a friend at school. Then she got religion and dumped me. Not with a guy until I was seventeen. I mean, I was willing, but no good candidates. And you?"
"When I was eighteen, with Elly. You know her?"
"Know her?" Eris laughed. "I would totally fuck that girl. Was she any good?"
"Yeah, I mean, we didn't know anything, but yeah. Very ... energetic."
Eris saw him grinning, and laughed again.
The conversation is casual pillow talk, Caspian is not surprised Eris is bisexual, Eris doesn't hesitate to reveal it.
answered 1 hour ago
AmadeusAmadeus
52.9k467172
This is a book for teenagers and Eris has been isolated her whole life, she hasn't had any romantic experience besides her crush on Caspian. Eris is sixteen.
– weakdna
1 hour ago
2
@weakdna "This is a book for teenagers" - I'm afraid we are misinterpreting the meaning of "casually" in your question :)
– Alexander
59 mins ago
add a comment |
So how can I believably and casually show that Eris swings both ways ...
Casually! Have a conversation between Eris and Caspian, perhaps in bed, talking about sex.
An Example:
Caspian asked, "When was your first time? Like, full on?"
"With a girl, I guess full on means oral, so I was fifteen, I had this thing with a friend at school. Then she got religion and dumped me. Not with a guy until I was seventeen. I mean, I was willing, but no good candidates. And you?"
"When I was eighteen, with Elly. You know her?"
"Know her?" Eris laughed. "I would totally fuck that girl. Was she any good?"
"Yeah, I mean, we didn't know anything, but yeah. Very ... energetic."
Eris saw him grinning, and laughed again.
The conversation is casual pillow talk, Caspian is not surprised Eris is bisexual, Eris doesn't hesitate to reveal it.
answered 1 hour ago
AmadeusAmadeus
52.9k467172
So how can I believably and casually show that Eris swings both ways ...
Casually! Have a conversation between Eris and Caspian, perhaps in bed, talking about sex.
An Example:
Caspian asked, "When was your first time? Like, full on?"
"With a girl, I guess full on means oral, so I was fifteen, I had this thing with a friend at school. Then she got religion and dumped me. Not with a guy until I was seventeen. I mean, I was willing, but no good candidates. And you?"
"When I was eighteen, with Elly. You know her?"
"Know her?" Eris laughed. "I would totally fuck that girl. Was she any good?"
"Yeah, I mean, we didn't know anything, but yeah. Very ... energetic."
Eris saw him grinning, and laughed again.
The conversation is casual pillow talk, Caspian is not surprised Eris is bisexual, Eris doesn't hesitate to reveal it.
answered 1 hour ago
AmadeusAmadeus
52.9k467172
answered 1 hour ago
AmadeusAmadeus
52.9k467172
answered 1 hour ago
AmadeusAmadeus
52.9k467172
answered 1 hour ago
AmadeusAmadeus
52.9k467172
52.9k467172
This is a book for teenagers and Eris has been isolated her whole life, she hasn't had any romantic experience besides her crush on Caspian. Eris is sixteen.
– weakdna
1 hour ago
2
@weakdna "This is a book for teenagers" - I'm afraid we are misinterpreting the meaning of "casually" in your question :)
– Alexander
59 mins ago
add a comment |
This is a book for teenagers and Eris has been isolated her whole life, she hasn't had any romantic experience besides her crush on Caspian. Eris is sixteen.
– weakdna
1 hour ago
2
@weakdna "This is a book for teenagers" - I'm afraid we are misinterpreting the meaning of "casually" in your question :)
– Alexander
59 mins ago
This is a book for teenagers and Eris has been isolated her whole life, she hasn't had any romantic experience besides her crush on Caspian. Eris is sixteen.
– weakdna
1 hour ago
This is a book for teenagers and Eris has been isolated her whole life, she hasn't had any romantic experience besides her crush on Caspian. Eris is sixteen.
– weakdna
1 hour ago
2
2
@weakdna "This is a book for teenagers" - I'm afraid we are misinterpreting the meaning of "casually" in your question :)
– Alexander
59 mins ago
@weakdna "This is a book for teenagers" - I'm afraid we are misinterpreting the meaning of "casually" in your question :)
– Alexander
59 mins ago
add a comment |
I don't think you need to show anything special at all.
Lots of people have multiple love interests (or hookups) over the course of a novel. In some novels, it's the premise.
If a character's first relationship in the novel was to a tall blond German runner, you wouldn't think your readers would be confused when the next relationship is with a short bald Nigerian physics professor.
Let your reader be confused. Most readers will figure it out pretty quickly. The few that don't, well, they're the readers that wouldn't really get it after you explained it either.
answered 1 hour ago
CynCyn
12.8k12763
add a comment |
I don't think you need to show anything special at all.
Lots of people have multiple love interests (or hookups) over the course of a novel. In some novels, it's the premise.
If a character's first relationship in the novel was to a tall blond German runner, you wouldn't think your readers would be confused when the next relationship is with a short bald Nigerian physics professor.
Let your reader be confused. Most readers will figure it out pretty quickly. The few that don't, well, they're the readers that wouldn't really get it after you explained it either.
answered 1 hour ago
CynCyn
12.8k12763
add a comment |
I don't think you need to show anything special at all.
Lots of people have multiple love interests (or hookups) over the course of a novel. In some novels, it's the premise.
If a character's first relationship in the novel was to a tall blond German runner, you wouldn't think your readers would be confused when the next relationship is with a short bald Nigerian physics professor.
Let your reader be confused. Most readers will figure it out pretty quickly. The few that don't, well, they're the readers that wouldn't really get it after you explained it either.
answered 1 hour ago
CynCyn
12.8k12763
I don't think you need to show anything special at all.
Lots of people have multiple love interests (or hookups) over the course of a novel. In some novels, it's the premise.
If a character's first relationship in the novel was to a tall blond German runner, you wouldn't think your readers would be confused when the next relationship is with a short bald Nigerian physics professor.
Let your reader be confused. Most readers will figure it out pretty quickly. The few that don't, well, they're the readers that wouldn't really get it after you explained it either.
answered 1 hour ago
CynCyn
12.8k12763
answered 1 hour ago
CynCyn
12.8k12763
answered 1 hour ago
CynCyn
12.8k12763
answered 1 hour ago
CynCyn
12.8k12763
12.8k12763
add a comment |
add a comment |
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1
if you were yourself is such a situation I imagine you wouldn't immediately understand your feelings as your sexuality shifts. Writing the characters own confusion during the transition seems a straight forward solution
– BKlassen
2 hours ago
1
@BKlassen bisexuality isn't necessarily confusion.
– bruglesco
1 hour ago
@bruglesco no, and my comment refers to the transitory confusion between one sexuality and another not that a sexual preference is confused
– BKlassen
1 hour ago
@BKlassen The reader perhaps being confused is not the same as the character being confused. Sexuality is not binary! Bisexuality (and pansexuality) is not a fringe state of being. It's common and mainstream. The only confusion is from people who don't understand what bisexuality means!
– Cyn
1 hour ago
1
I assume Eris is your POV character. So this is becoming just your choice of how subtle or explicit you want to be in revealing her sexuality.
– Alexander
55 mins ago