Question for the ladies about male to female transformation novella

I'm working on my first long form story, Galatea Unleashed. It's about an older man who's trying to unleash his inner woman, not by dressing or body modification, but by taking on the mindset and small actions of a woman. The first chapter sets up the scenario (you can find it here: https://www.literotica.com/s/galatea-unleashed-ch-01).

As the story progresses, I want Galatea to start behaving like a woman, but a lady, not a sissy or a strumpet. In addition, he faces the challenge of expressing his inner woman in everyday situations and without drawing unwanted attention (no mincing, voice changes or other such tricks). I'm focusing on etiquette, such as letting her man open the door for her, sitting and walking correctly, etc.

I'm asking my female readers for two things: first, please let me know where I'm off base in Galatea's behavior and training. Second, let me know the subtle things that make a woman a woman in terms of behavior. I would like to make this as realistic as possible.

Thank you in advance for your help.

As a transvestite, the TG/CD characters I create have to be believable in terms of not only looking feminine, but acting as well. There are millions of ways I have used to convey that to the reader: batting the eyes, blushing, swaying the hips, crossing the legs ladylike, putting makeup on at a redlight, rummaging through a purse, talking with their hands, putting a hand on the hip, covering their mouth with a hand, never finishing a drink, a distant gaze, excessive time primping, a hint of perfume, wearing jewelry, strutting, flinging their hair to the side, etc. The list can go on forever.

Keep in mind, having a guy act like a woman without the clothes and exaggerating the feminine gestures and manurisms is going to throw the reader off when they read your story. Some will think he has a secret he’s keeping hidden(a cross dresser) or he is flamboyant gay. I speak from experience on this because I do wear guy clothes from time to time and don’t shift my manurisms and acting to male soon enough. I catch people doing a double take on some of the feminine things I do while dressed as a guy. It’s hard to explain why I’m looking at my blue jeans, thinking I just put a run in my pantyhose when I’m put on the spot. Kant

Thank you for your insights...

...and for your observations. I hadn't considered not finishing a drink. I'll be interested in seeing if others concur with that.

At some point in her training, Galatea will have emerged enough to start becoming more feminine in clothing and outward appearance. I've set myself some special challenges with the main characters: both are older men; Galatea is married and works professionally at a real world office (i.e., people don't walk around naked and folks don't have sex in offices and conference rooms). I'm trying to explore how this sort of transformation would occur later in life, especially with a BDSM twist.

Already, the characters are starting to move in a slightly different direction from where I had intended. I take that as a good sign.

Thank you, again, for your feedback.

I may get grief for this but... I really dislike it when a man goes out of his way to do things like opening a door, pulling out my chair, etc. I figure whoever gets to the door first should open it and hold it open for the others. As for the chair, unless it's some super formal restaurant and a paid person pulls chairs out for everyone, then I don't need assistance.

As for acting or being like a woman... I don't think there's any real commonality there. We all act/feel differently. Sure there are stereotypes. But it reminds me of the skit from the Fry and Laurie show where the guy dressed up in old timey women's clothing and announced to people passing by that he was a woman. He used a fake high pitched voice.

I think that I tend to notice things. Like lots of little details and things that other people don't notice. Is this because I'm a female? I don't think so. I know some guys who are the same way. And I know a lot of females who aren't very observant at all.

I also think that some of the stereotypes we think of are just not true. Such as that women are very emotional or that we fall in love easily. Neither is true in my case. I know a heck of a lot of men who fall in love nearly instantly and HARD! I also know plenty of men who are very emotional.

Perhaps in the case of your story, the guy merely wants to be or feel something that he's not. And it would be up to him to decide what that is.

Kantarii said:

As a transvestite, the TG/CD characters I create have to be believable in terms of not only looking feminine, but acting as well. There are millions of ways I have used to convey that to the reader: batting the eyes, blushing, swaying the hips, crossing the legs ladylike, putting makeup on at a redlight, rummaging through a purse, talking with their hands, putting a hand on the hip, covering their mouth with a hand, never finishing a drink, a distant gaze, excessive time primping, a hint of perfume, wearing jewelry, strutting, flinging their hair to the side, etc. The list can go on forever.

Keep in mind, having a guy act like a woman without the clothes and exaggerating the feminine gestures and manurisms is going to throw the reader off when they read your story. Some will think he has a secret he’s keeping hidden(a cross dresser) or he is flamboyant gay. I speak from experience on this because I do wear guy clothes from time to time and don’t shift my manurisms and acting to male soon enough. I catch people doing a double take on some of the feminine things I do while dressed as a guy. It’s hard to explain why I’m looking at my blue jeans, thinking I just put a run in my pantyhose when I’m put on the spot. Kant

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Just curious. Why would women not finish a drink? I've seen plenty of men not finish one. I always figured that was out of laziness. Because if they finished it, they should put the glass in the sink. They seem to think if they don't finish it, somebody else has to deal with it.

As for that other stuff you mention, I do very little of that. I guess I do bat my eyes from time to time. I will sway my hips when dancing. Never cover my mouth with my hand. That to me is rude. I am very low maintenance. Always wear nail polish. Often wear perfume or at least use a scented shower gel. No makeup. May or may not wear jewelry. Try not to cross my legs. Bad for circulation.

I dunno. Maybe I'm the odd one out.

Thank you for your insights, Jada. I appreciate the perspective.

For those of a certain age, there was a set of rules governing male/female behavior. Whether that's a good thing or not isn't the point. It was the reality at the time and, for those of a certain age and upbringing, they are deeply imprinted. For better or worse, certain behavioral traits were associated with being a lady, others with being a gentleman.

The man who is molding Galatea is applying those stereotypes and Galatea is responding to those, as they were raised in that generation. For Galatea, desiring to behave that way is viewed as feminine. The character has grown up with the stereotype of the gentleman as polite, treating women respectfully and being emotionally in control, which means not showing strong emotions and, above all, not crying. Throw in his naturally submissive impulses and high pain tolerance (which, he will learn, is not exactly what it seems) and he is highly conflicted internally. That is going to play a major part in this story. While it will have its sexy moments (after all, this is Literotica), I want it to be a character study as well.

I shall definitely take your insights into account as the story develops. Thank you.

SomaSlave said:

Thank you for your insights, Jada. I appreciate the perspective.

For those of a certain age, there was a set of rules governing male/female behavior. Whether that's a good thing or not isn't the point. It was the reality at the time and, for those of a certain age and upbringing, they are deeply imprinted. For better or worse, certain behavioral traits were associated with being a lady, others with being a gentleman.

The man who is molding Galatea is applying those stereotypes and Galatea is responding to those, as they were raised in that generation. For Galatea, desiring to behave that way is viewed as feminine. The character has grown up with the stereotype of the gentleman as polite, treating women respectfully and being emotionally in control, which means not showing strong emotions and, above all, not crying. Throw in his naturally submissive impulses and high pain tolerance (which, he will learn, is not exactly what it seems) and he is highly conflicted internally. That is going to play a major part in this story. While it will have its sexy moments (after all, this is Literotica), I want it to be a character study as well.

I shall definitely take your insights into account as the story develops. Thank you.

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Maybe it's just my upbringing. I'm 58 so I well remember things like not being able to wear pants to certain places or not being able to go into a bar without being accompanied by a male. But I may be a rebel. These kinds of things just make me unhappy. I was also raised to believe in myself and do what I feel is right for me. Not what society tells me is right.

Jada59 said:

Just curious. Why would women not finish a drink?

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Right? I was raised to never leave a wounded soldier. Food- now that's a different matter. There's always supposed to be way to much for a lady to finish and every dessert is too rich. Much too rich.
They aren't trans, but I know a couple of gay drag queens who, even when dressed like men, are far more feminine than I'll ever be while at the same time seeming very masculine, if that makes sense. Sometimes it's a certain calm inner poise that makes a person "feminine", not how they're styled.

Jada59 said:

Just curious. Why would women not finish a drink? I've seen plenty of men not finish one. I always figured that was out of laziness. Because if they finished it, they should put the glass in the sink. They seem to think if they don't finish it, somebody else has to deal with it.

As for that other stuff you mention, I do very little of that. I guess I do bat my eyes from time to time. I will sway my hips when dancing. Never cover my mouth with my hand. That to me is rude. I am very low maintenance. Always wear nail polish. Often wear perfume or at least use a scented shower gel. No makeup. May or may not wear jewelry. Try not to cross my legs. Bad for circulation.

I dunno. Maybe I'm the odd one out.

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You pretty much hit the nail on the head on why some guys are attracted to me. I idolize women and see them a bit differently than they do themselves. I’m rather observant when I go out whether I’m dressed as a guy or a woman. In this day and age, most women don’t wear makeup and are more gender fluid in thinking and in dressing. It’s a lost art to the things that make a woman feminine and attractive to men. I appreciate those little things some women have abandoned, but that is me.

Jada59 said:

I may get grief for this but... I really dislike it when a man goes out of his way to do things like opening a door, pulling out my chair, etc. I figure whoever gets to the door first should open it and hold it open for the others. As for the chair, unless it's some super formal restaurant and a paid person pulls chairs out for everyone, then I don't need assistance.

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You might be a product of your generation (which is my generation) where, if a man WAS at the door first, and held it open (out of common courtesy) for a woman to pass through behind him, often as not there'd be a muttered something under her breath. So, not surprisingly, many men responded with, "fuck you, bitch," and for a long while courtesy went out the door with it.

Nowadays, on the other hand, I very often receive genuine and appreciative smiles, especially from younger women, when I hold a door open, because they have no idea that charm still exists, and guess what, they're getting some attention. All the men being engrossed in phones. Some women still like the occasional acknowledgment, I find. I get more spontaneous smiles now than I did fifteen years ago, that's for sure, from all ages. People like being noticed, at least where I live.

SomaSlave said:

Thank you for your insights, Jada. I appreciate the perspective.

For those of a certain age, there was a set of rules governing male/female behavior. Whether that's a good thing or not isn't the point. It was the reality at the time and, for those of a certain age and upbringing, they are deeply imprinted. For better or worse, certain behavioral traits were associated with being a lady, others with being a gentleman.

The man who is molding Galatea is applying those stereotypes and Galatea is responding to those, as they were raised in that generation. For Galatea, desiring to behave that way is viewed as feminine. The character has grown up with the stereotype of the gentleman as polite, treating women respectfully and being emotionally in control, which means not showing strong emotions and, above all, not crying. Throw in his naturally submissive impulses and high pain tolerance (which, he will learn, is not exactly what it seems) and he is highly conflicted internally. That is going to play a major part in this story. While it will have its sexy moments (after all, this is Literotica), I want it to be a character study as well.

I shall definitely take your insights into account as the story develops. Thank you.

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You may want to throw this idea around in the story circle forum.
It may help to generate more ideas for you to use. You are heading in the right direction by taking a hard look at emotions and inner conflict. For me, been there; done that. The next phase you are going to have to look at is important to any guy that crosses the gender lines - Acceptance. There’s no way around that beyond writing fictional stories. I’ve lost more friends than I can count, but they come and go as the circle of friends evolves. Kant

Kantarii said:

It’s a lost art to the things that make a woman feminine and attractive to men. I appreciate those little things some women have abandoned, but that is me.

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And when you see the women who dress to that lost art, they're absolute dynamite, and they know it. Watching a woman like that command a room is magical.

You and I might indeed be like minds, Kant, albeit from completely opposite directions. I blame my daughter - when she was 17, 18, 19 and went clubbing, she was always the darling for the gay couples, both sexes, because of the way she dressed.

Alice_Rosaleen said:

They aren't trans, but I know a couple of gay drag queens who, even when dressed like men, are far more feminine than I'll ever be while at the same time seeming very masculine, if that makes sense. Sometimes it's a certain calm inner poise that makes a person "feminine", not how they're styled.

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That inner poise is one of the key things I want Galatea to develop. I've noticed at work that men tend to sway when standing, swing their legs and swivel in their chairs a lot, while women don't move their bodies unnecessarily (though they do use their hands a lot more for body language).

Correct me if I'm wrong, but part of the secret to women standing without swaying seems to be keeping one foot behind the other. I've been observing the differences in how men and women stand and move. It looks like men stand more often with their feet parallel and legs spread, while women more often stand with one foot behind the other, which makes it harder to sway. I see that much more with women who wear skirts and dresses than those who wear pants. That's one of the things I want to incorporate in the story.

electricblue66 said:

And when you see the women who dress to that lost art, they're absolute dynamite, and they know it. Watching a woman like that command a room is magical.

You and I might indeed be like minds, Kant, albeit from completely opposite directions. I blame my daughter - when she was 17, 18, 19 and went clubbing, she was always the darling for the gay couples, both sexes, because of the way she dressed.

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My daughter is 15 and I’m teaching her how to do makeup among other things since I have to be both mother and father to my two children. Anyway, yeah, you are dead on the money. When a woman walks into a room dressed sexy, with her makeup just right, flaunting her sex appeal it draws desire form guys and jealousy from women. They may not admit it, but people as a whole think things they will never utter from their mouths

SomaSlave said:

Correct me if I'm wrong, but part of the secret to women standing without swaying seems to be keeping one foot behind the other. I've been observing the differences in how men and women stand and move. It looks like men stand more often with their feet parallel and legs spread, while women more often stand with one foot behind the other, which makes it harder to sway. I see that much more with women who wear skirts and dresses than those who wear pants. That's one of the things I want to incorporate in the story.

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I don't know about all women, but when I did a lot of dancing/athletics I had to see a physical therapist for a while and he told me that many women have one leg that's a little longer than the other because their hips are misaligned. He pointed out some of my own habits which can contribute to that misalignment, from the way I sit down with one leg tucked up to the way I stand with one foot crossed in front of the other when I'm in line. Even how you hold your purse can affect your overall posture.
Also, as far as dressing and style goes, I'm usually very low maintenance so when I do wear jewelry or makeup or floral dresses, I feel a very different kind of attention. It can be empowering and frightening, and a little strange sometimes to notice how it seems to change people's opinion of me and the type of woman I am, even though that's never changed.

Alice, I'm curious: when you wear a dress, do you find yourself walking or acting differently than when you're dressed as you normally do? Do you find yourself viewing yourself slightly differently? I know how men view women is affected (for better or worse) by how they dress ("Why, Miss Faversham, without your glasses you're beautiful!" or, as the Firesign Theater so memorably skewered it, "Why, Miss Faversham, without your clothes on, you're naked!").

SomaSlave said:

Alice, I'm curious: when you wear a dress, do you find yourself walking or acting differently than when you're dressed as you normally do? Do you find yourself viewing yourself slightly differently? I know how men view women is affected (for better or worse) by how they dress ("Why, Miss Faversham, without your glasses you're beautiful!" or, as the Firesign Theater so memorably skewered it, "Why, Miss Faversham, without your clothes on, you're naked!").

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I certainly have different mannerisms because if I'm "dressed up" it's usually for a more or less stressful public occasion. My self-consciousness is ramped up and I make my movements as small and inconspicuous as possible. I'm never one to strut or sashay no matter what I'm wearing, unless it's to tease a specific person. If I'm dressed to please that person, any extra sensuality to my demeanor stays on after the clothes come off.

Alice_Rosaleen said:

I certainly have different mannerisms because if I'm "dressed up" it's usually for a more or less stressful public occasion. My self-consciousness is ramped up and I make my movements as small and inconspicuous as possible. I'm never one to strut or sashay no matter what I'm wearing, unless it's to tease a specific person. If I'm dressed to please that person, any extra sensuality to my demeanor stays on after the clothes come off.

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That corresponds to what I've noticed: that women tend to make smaller gestures than men. And Galatea will soon discover that consciously adopting certain mannerisms will slow him down and force him to become more aware of his body and its responses. It's those sorts of things that Galatea can adopt that won't attract undue notice and still enforce the feminine mindset on him. I want this to be a slow and subtle transformation, as those tend to be the most long lasting.

And if you see some pronoun confusion in my comments, it's because I want to continue to refer to Galatea as him until the transformation has surfaced enough of his inner woman to shift the pronoun.

The overall theme of this work is transformation: not just Galatea's, but Sir Stephen's and, possibly, some supporting characters. The mental and emotional aspects of transformation are just as interesting to me (more so, actually) than the physical and sexual parts (but worry not: there will be plenty of those, as well).

Kantarii said:

As a transvestite, the TG/CD characters I create have to be believable in terms of not only looking feminine, but acting as well. There are millions of ways I have used to convey that to the reader: batting the eyes, blushing, swaying the hips, crossing the legs ladylike, putting makeup on at a redlight, rummaging through a purse, talking with their hands, putting a hand on the hip, covering their mouth with a hand, never finishing a drink, a distant gaze, excessive time primping, a hint of perfume, wearing jewelry, strutting, flinging their hair to the side, etc. The list can go on forever.

Keep in mind, having a guy act like a woman without the clothes and exaggerating the feminine gestures and manurisms is going to throw the reader off when they read your story. Some will think he has a secret he’s keeping hidden(a cross dresser) or he is flamboyant gay. I speak from experience on this because I do wear guy clothes from time to time and don’t shift my manurisms and acting to male soon enough. I catch people doing a double take on some of the feminine things I do while dressed as a guy. It’s hard to explain why I’m looking at my blue jeans, thinking I just put a run in my pantyhose when I’m put on the spot. Kant

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Great advice Kantarii. I need to pay more attention to these details.