In a project of mine, a female character disguises herself as a man in order to be able to attempt to tame a dragon. Dragon taming is basically a military event, and those who succeed are elevated to a high status (second only to the Emperor). My question is, how should I reveal her gender to the other characters? I’m at a loss as to how to write this scene.
Third Person Multiple. The audience already knows she’s a girl, but I’m trying to think of how to reveal it to the other protagonists.
I would consider it being revealed by mistake at absolutely the most inconvenient time imaginable for your character. Okay, maybe not so inconvenient it kills the rest of the plot, but it should be seriously derailing. The end of Act I is probably best, if you follow a three act structure. - MC
It depends on region, but the character in question comes from a mountain village where arranged marriage is the norm. Her ‘husband’ isn’t bad, per say, he’s just not the guy she likes. As girls are discouraged from going to tame dragons due to how dangerous it is, she needs to crossdress in order to get where she needs to be. I agree. I’m also trying to figure out how, exactly, to do it while avoiding being too fanservicey. I could always go for the classic ‘skinny dipping, and she doesn’t want to’, but I’d rather not.
Maybe she gets injured in the chest, knocked unconscious, and someone takes off clothing for first aid? Caught peeing squatting? Mystic with a premonition, dropping a "she" bomb?
The first one sounds absolutely perfect. I can already imagine the dialogue: “That guy’s chest is all swollen!” “That’s... not a guy."
I'm sure you've had her develop a relationship with this men. Maybe she tries to save one of them and gets hurt herself. Arrow in the chest, hurt by one of the dragons...something. She's taken off to see a doctor and when he examines her wound there's a few things he notices that shouldn't be there.
She gets into a fight with the other trainers, gets grabbed by the throat and the other person notices she doesn't have an Adam's apple.
the dragon blows its flames and burns the top off the MC to reveal her breasts. A group of men screams in unison "a woman!". She covers herself with her arms and tries to hide ashamed because she feels exposed both physically and mentally. WOW sometimes my mind goes to places that as a writer should be forbidden for how stupid they are. Realistically speaking, one of them (other men) might try to save "him" by grabbing him to prevent a fall, in holding his chest like (you would one of a guy), and then realize he is a she. It is fairly realistic situation, and at that point you have the option of having this man reveal the true identity of the MC or hold it to build a partnership of some sort. It is a trope, but I always thought it works well.
That's how it was done in the movie Dragonslayer, though the cross-dressed woman isn't the main character, she's the love interest for him. She's already in the pond and he jumps in, against her strong protests. Just be aware that you're getting somewhat close to an already existing movie, though it's about dragonslaying, not taming.
Unlikely that she would fool everyone unless she already has an unusually masculine voice and features (she very well could). A disguise can only do so much. It's good chance to demonstrate which of your characters is the more observant as well as add tension. He could slowly apply pressure, testing her wit as she squirms out of group bathing and using the washroom/whorehouse in front others. Perhaps a heated accusation of abnormally good hygiene could climax with someone forcibly exposing her forearm to show quite the lack of hair. "He's either twelve Summers old, or a he's she." I don't know. 'Thar be breasts' just seems like the unimaginative route, but it really depends on the book's tone.
Good points. I was thinking she’d fool most of them, because the vast majority of people willing to risk their lives chasing a fire-breathing beast aren’t the brightest bulbs. And I’m not planning on ‘that be breasts,’ although that’s a great line. Mind if I steal it?
That could be even funnier if it's a groin injury. "Nothing's been cut, has it?" "Let me check. Oh no, it's all been sliced clean off! Wait a minute..."
Anything but an explosive device that starts one of the largest wildfires of the decade and leaves millions homeless.
Where has it been done better than in The Return of the King? When Eowyn is challenged by the King of the Ringwraiths, who taunts her with "No man may hinder me!" and she takes off her helmet and says, "I am no man!" Okay, that was actually Peter Jackson (and Philippa and Fran, of course) that wrote that line, condensing Tolkien's longer version. I actually liked the film script better.
Huh, some good ideas upthread. I was just thinking of "him" riding a bucking dragon, taking a fall and getting wardrobe malfunctioned in the fall. Perhaps instead of "bare be breasts" you could go with "Duuude, you rode that dragon with a heavily bandaged chest wound? Badass!" (my dragon-taming academy is run by neighbors of Bill and Ted, just so you know.)
Maybe do it really subtly. Like, women walk differently because the hip muscles are attached sideways in comparison to male muscles, so you could have someone suspect her immediately because of that. Maybe have her comment on some nice female clothes that she wants for herself, forgetting for a moment she's supposed to be disguised. Maybe have her husband look for her, and she tries and fails to get him to leave. Or maybe while she (in male form) and her husband are looking for her, she can feel bad and confess to a friend and ask for advice. Maybe she can reveal herself as a woman after doing well, saying being female doesn't stop her. Perhaps one of the guys around her sees immediately through her disguise, but says nothing because he wants to see what happens. Or maybe there's a magic spell that women are immune to, or vulnerable to while men are not. Also...maybe you could have her fall in love with her husband? You don't have to, this is just my feelings, but it's a pretty big cliche to have a character attached to a husband she doesn't want and very obviously "isn't supposed" to be with. It happens so often it's boring, and oftentimes the narrative for the husband character is basically just convincing the audience that he's not right for her. So it would be interesting if they learned to love or at least respect another. Or at least give the husband something to do besides being a husband. But hey, I'm just thinking out loud and it's your story.
She doesn’t hate her husband-to-be, they’re on good terms. She just doesn’t want to marry him, and there’s only one surefire way to avoid it.
