: 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

@Chiappetta298

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Bisexual woman here. I’d like to ask a question: if you’re straight, how does your orientation manifest itself in your day to day life?

I’ll tell you how it is for me. When I’m out and about I find my gaze drawn to pretty guys and girls. If I’m with someone I’m attracted to, I’ll be instinctively paying more attention to them, noticing things about them, smiling and laughing more and bouncing off the chemistry. They might pop into my thoughts again later. When I was sixteen I’d seen every film Robert Pattinson had ever been in… and last week I went to see Mamma Mia 2 mainly because I’m absolutely infatuated with Lily James (…and Cher, obviously.)

All this stuff is pretty average, but it’s often taken for granted how something like sexual and romantic orientation permeates one’s life. If you have written straight characters, how does it manifest for them and reveal itself? Is it in their interaction with a character of the opposite sex? Is it an offhand comment about a fantasy future partner, or an affinity for a particular celebrity? Is it in their very thoughts, actions, assumptions? If straight wasn’t the default, how much of it is obvious, and how much is just hinted at?

Think about this and you should start understanding how to tweak those hints to make them signal attraction to both women and men.

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