Gender-based grammatical question

[Niceguy]

OK. I thought I just do a poll, but... nah.

So I'm writing a fic about a guy who dresses up as a woman. (See "Strawberry Eggs" blog entry for more info, I don't feel like going into details here.)

So, my question is: When he is dressed up as a she - How do I refer to the charecter in those scenes?

It is "She thought" and "She said" or is it still "He thought" and "he said" ?

If I keep saying "he" will the reader forget that the charecter is dressed like (and really pretending to be) a woman? But still... "She" can't be right... if s/he's really a man? Right?

I know it sounds like a stupid question, but I'm honestly not sure. Please advise.

[_Thread]

I would say "he". While the character is dressed as female, the character is male by nature.

[MyOwnPrivateSFC]

Keeping in mind that I hate reading blogs (sorry)...

It depends on the character's motivation. Is he dressing like a woman because he wants to be one, because he feels he is one inside? Is he dressing like a woman because it feels good to him, even though he's comfortable and happy being a man? Or is he dressing like a woman for a specific, concrete reason (like, for Halloween, or to spy on someone)? Also, how does he feel about pretending to be a woman? Is it just a quick, easy, remember-you're-a-woman thing (like pretending to be a woman to overhear a dressing-room conversation)? Or is it a whole charade (like the early wartime women, who pretended to be men so they could fight alongside their fathers, brothers, and husbands)? Finally, who is narrating the story? Is it in first person? Third person? Third person omnicient? Who's thinking the words would have an impact also. These are all important facets to consider before you--or anyone--can really make an imformed decision about how to address the character in narrative (and, for that matter, otherwise). Hope that helped, even though I didn't actually give you an easy answer of any type.

Abyssinia,

Barrie

[Vetinari]

I'd probably go with he. I guess if he's dressed up for a long time, or if it happens several times and you want to differentiate or indicate say a change in personality when he's dressed you could go with something like (s)he or s/he. (the second is much easier to type LOL)

[doggo]

I would say "He". The fact that he's dressed up as a woman can be slipped in every here and there by mentioning something around those "feminine" garments. I like Vetinari's "(s)he" much though, if it's not overused.

[Niceguy]

Thank you all for your replaies! This really helped out.

In this case he's not cross-dressing for any sexual or emotional motivation. It was just to get a job, from an employer that refused to hire men. So I guess 'he' is the right choice, even when in his feminine guise.

In any case, the fic is done now. If you're interested, check it out: Perfumed Scent of a Woman (I My Me! Strawberry Eggs)