: 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.

@Cooney417

Vote Up Vote Down

It's not just the topics that are stereotypically masculine or feminine. It is also the way they are discussed.

Women tend to discuss more about relationships and feelings and men tend to talk about accomplishments and personal worth. (I'm searching for a citation for this; I know I've read an article about it.)

For instance, a woman might talk to her friend about how she went shopping with her sister so they could pick out a wedding dress together. The focus of the conversation would be on her relationship with her sister and how important it was to her that her sister valued her input and how the experience made her feel closer to her sister. The story would be a vehicle to describe the woman's emotional connection to her sister, and the listener would be expected to reflect and validate those feelings.

A man might describe a similar situation to his friend about how he went shopping with his brother to buy a tux, but the focus would be completely different. He would be more likely to focus on the facts of the trip, how the task was accomplished, and the satisfaction that he derived from helping his brother. He would be more likely to tell the story in order to increase his status or increase the listener's respect for him.

So what strikes me most as feminine in your dialogue is that Yuki breaks from a practical examination of her trip to discuss her friend's personal relationship. She initiates the relationship discussion and her view is almost romantic—exciting and magical has girl written all over it—and although she is admittedly jaded, her view still seems very feminine to me.

The rest of the conversation is suitably tomboyish, though I think.

(0)

Login to post a comment!