: Re: Making a female character sound more boyish/masculine There are two characters in the following dialogue. One of them (Yuki) is a tomboy. She has short hair, dresses like a man, and likes girls.

@BetL639

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Another question to consider is whether your character self-consciously tries to act more masculine (that is, puts on a bit of an act, perhaps through insecurity), or whether she's just naturally less feminine than most women.

If she's deliberately taking on the mannerisms of a male, she might overdo it (mock other people's emotions, boast about her own prowess in "masculine" tasks, use only short, incomplete sentences, speak with an overly harsh/low pitched voice, treat the wait staff aggressively, burp, slouch exaggeratedly, etc.).

If instead you are simply trying to signal "tomboyish" behavior, she might appear less attuned to /aware of the emotional connotations of the conversation, less inclined to plan ahead with the detail/fussiness of a woman (I know, that's a stereotype, but women love details), readier to "rough it" on her trip, etc. She might dress very plainly rather than fuss about clothes (her companion could notice or comment on how Yuki always seems to wear the same outfit, and Yuki could defend it in a way that signals her attitude toward clothing-- "I hate shopping," "This is comfortable," "I want to be able to run if I feel like it," etc.). She could also feel more free to stretch/scratch/rumple her hair, etc., than most women do in public. Tomboys in books are usually either very athletic or very clumsy, so she could be either.

Presumably you don't need to establish all of this in one, dialogue filled scene, but if you do, a little bit of conflict between the characters could help-- either one could comment on what they see as the overly feminine/masculine behavior of the other (whether in relation to clothes, trip planning, manners, or something else).

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