Writing without revealing gender. - Writers Forum

Schmetterling · 04-22-2006, 08:32 PM

Anyone have any tips for writing about someone without revealing their gender? My character's gender is supposed to be a surprise. In my fight to avoid using "she" or "he," I've resorted to using a lot of "it"s and this has made my writing bland.

Would it work to make the reader think my character is the opposite sex by using pronouns of the opposite sex, and then surprise them? Somehow, that seems like cheating to me.

Any ideas?

Hodge · 04-22-2006, 08:46 PM

Yeah, that's cheating. It's lying to the reader, which is bad.

is it necessary to keep your character's gender ambiguous? Because if it isn't, you shouldn't do it.

bbcarter · 04-22-2006, 08:54 PM

How bout writing in first person?

_Broken_ · 04-22-2006, 09:02 PM

Well my advice is that by saying "it", the reader might thing you are referring to, not to be immature, a "he-she". I have a few alternatives

Instead of

She shot the gun and killed all of the martians on the planet.

You can put....

I shot the gun and killed all of the martians on the planet.

OR

The soldier shot the gun and killed all of the martians on the planet.

^ I hope you get that one, I couldn't really explain it.

StephenP2003 · 04-22-2006, 09:21 PM

Some people like to withhold demographic information when talking about a character who has some quirks that go against stereotypes.. to prove a point or something.

Like perhaps a story about a person who's the best wrestler in their division, but at the end... She's a GIRL OMGsurprise!!11 (For example, a story from Chris Crutcher's "Athletic Shorts")

I think it's kind of lame and cliche and is a sign of a story-teller who has to rely more on surprise and shock value to be effective.

Schmetterling · 04-22-2006, 09:23 PM

I should've done this before: Here's a clip of the story to show you what I mean. The story is still a rough draft. It's a fanfic of a game, so if it seems a little weird, that's why.

In this scene, my character (the fox) unknowingly sneaks into the compound of an evil scientist, looking for help. Instead, she stumbles upon a bunch of evil guys, who think she's an intruder. (Well, she sorta is.)

(Don't be sad. The fox escaped.

)

Repeating "it" is really tiresome.

Later on, the henchmen catch the fox, thinking she was the intruder because she wore the same clothes and whatnot. But, they're astonished to find the fox is female. (They're the kind of guys who think women can't fight.)

I suppose first person would work... I dunno.

Schmetterling · 04-22-2006, 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by _Broken_

Well my advice is that by saying "it", the reader might thing you are referring to, not to be immature, a "he-she".

I know what you mean.

That's why I don't want to use that approach.

Quote:

Originally Posted by StephenP2003

I think it's kind of lame and cliche and is a sign of a story-teller who has to rely more on surprise and shock value to be effective.

I think suprise and shock are good elements in a story. Why read it if I know what's going to happen?

StephenP2003 · 04-22-2006, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schmetterling

I think suprise and shock are good elements in a story. Why read it if I know what's going to happen?

People read to find out what happens as a plot progresses. That is why murder mysteries that keep readers guessing are so popular. They want to know who the killer is, not that their protagonist is actually a different race or gender than suspected, or that it was all a dream, or that everyone is an alien (got that one straight from R.L. Stine

).

It sounds like you want your readers to assume something different from the truth without actually directly lying to them, but to me, it's the same as lying. But if you're setting it up that your reader is aware that the gender is a secret and the reader is reading with the conscious desire to find out the protag's gender, then I suppose there's nothing wrong with that, though I probably wouldn't want to read something just for that.

edit: I totally missed the explanation of your story above. In that sense, it works, because not a big "OMG twist" aspect of the story, just don't make your story revolve around that one moment, and don't sacrifice good writing to keep something from your readers.

Schmetterling · 04-22-2006, 10:07 PM

Stephen, I'm sorry to hear that you're not too interested in my story, but my original question doesn't concern the plot.

And, no, this little part doesn't constitute the main suspense factor of my story. In fact, the next scene or two reveals her gender. I want to write it in this way to give the readers a good laugh.

StephenP2003 · 04-23-2006, 12:36 AM

I never said I wasn't interested in your story, I was simply voicing my opinion on unnecessary surprises within a plot. Though if it's a fanfic, then we probably won't know what the heck is going on, but that's besides the point. What you're doing seems like it will work. My only advice to is that if it sacrifices good writing, think a little harder on how important that element really is.

I look forward to seeing how you end up doing it.

FinnMacCool · 04-23-2006, 12:39 AM

I would say use a title, like the traveller or the soldier or the like.

Hodge · 04-23-2006, 02:36 AM

I don't think there's a point.

If your villains think only men can break into that place or whatever, then fine, that's their view and they're surprised when you finally reveal the character's gender. The reader will not be. The reader will keep reading and wonder why you haven't revealed the character's gender.

If you really want to keep the reader in suspense, at least make it suspenseful. You'll want to tell it from the villains' perspectives, so their assumptions as to the gender of the intruder will also be what the reader assumes.