: Re: Dropping subtle hints about a character's sexuality I have a character who is assumed to be straight, but after a few months reveals herself to be bisexual. I don't want her to just come

@Ravi5107385

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"I don't want her to just come out of nowhere and say that [she's
bisexual] without any kind of hints first because a) it would seem
unnatural that there are no signals being sent at all, and b) it would
feel sloppy and even like you retconned this onto the character after
the fact."

I think there are some assumptions implicit in your question that need to be addressed before you approach the issue of how to reveal new aspects of your character. In particular, let me politely challenge your statement above.

Why do there need to be "hints"? Your statement suggests that deeply personal characteristics like sexual preference cannot be concealed and will become apparent to a keen observer. Yet our experience of reality is that even our best friends and close family can successfully conceal such things.

Your character reveals she is bisexual, but was she always sexually attracted to women (as well as men), or did this come as a surprise to her as well? Did a few drinks with a female friend/colleague at a local bar unexpectedly evolve into something deeper? [Boss is a mongrel. Tears. Comfort & reassurance. Hug that lingers and feels good. Kiss, and the lips linger. Eyes lock, reassess, know this is right. Your place or mine...].

In the scenario I've just given, it would be completely credible if your character spent the next day searching through her own memories for hints on how that scenario might have been foreseen. Alternatively, she might have been entirely relaxed about it all, feeling that the previous night was simply a natural expression of her personality.

So, an important process for you as the author is to "get to know" your character. Is her sexual preference a defining element of her personality, or is it just one (possibly even minor) part of her complex nature?

Consider also the reader's perspective. There's plenty we don't know about your character. If, mid story, she signs a document and another character notes with idle interest that she's left-handed, the reader is highly unlikely to stop reading and start searching back for clues of her left-handedness. Did any of us know that her mother was born in South Africa? That a teenage accident left her unable to fully straighten her right elbow? That she dislikes peas? That she's gained weight this year? That she voted for XXX? How does her private sexual preference rank against these other "unknowns" in defining her? Would the reader be jarringly confronted by any of these details, or would they seamlessly mesh into the reader's growing appreciation of your character's complexity?

Lastly, you seem to have some stereotyped assumptions about sexual preference. Why would "having crushes on male celebrities known for being effeminate" be any indicator of a woman's latent sexuality? If you feel unsure how to approach this element of your character, it might be worth asking yourself whether you personally have enough understanding of the LGBTQ+ community. If it's genuinely important that your character is bisexual, perhaps you need to get to know this area of human behaviour a bit better: get advice from your bisexual friends, do some research...

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