Thread: Question regarding protagonist's gender

I am male and I have started writing a novel in which the protagonist is female. That's all well and good so far, but the novel is also written in first-person, and the protagonist gets into a semi-romantic relationship (nothing physical, and it doesn't go very far). I am worried that this might be off-putting to some readers, or perhaps have them make certain assumptions. I am still pretty early-on in writing, so I could still change the protagonist to male or the person to third, but the thing is that the way I'm writing it now feels like it fits with the story. First person will help the reader sympathize with the protagonist more, and a female seems to fit the part. I don't want to change it, but will if I must.

So tell me: are my worries irrational and unfounded, or would it be better to change it? I know society contains many judgmental morons, but it might be bad marketing to just say, "To hell with them!"

Not unfounded, no. I remember reading a thriller a few years back in which the protagonist was a macho male lieutenant in the Marines. I can't remember the author, but I do remember that the name was something like: J.L. Steinberger. Or something like that. I later discovered that the author was female and had chosen to use a pseudonym because she feared that men wouldn't buy her book if they knew it had been written by a woman.

So, yes, you do invite certain criticisms by undertaking such an endeavour, but that's usually the case anyway.

Raymond Carver has written a number of short stories in first person with a female MC. I would go into a story assuming the MC was a man. Then the MC would refer to having curlers in her hair or something her husband said, and I'd have to get my bearings. I got past it immediately, though. I don't think you'd have the same problem with a novel. You're not going into it cold -- you likely would be aware the MC is a woman prior to reading. And even if that wasn't the case, it would probably be something the reader would get over pretty quickly.

I think the only problem you might have is people might give the character extra scrutiny -- as far as what they might consider to be an accurate portrayal based on gender. As in, "a woman would never say or do that." Some prejudice might come into it. Of course some stereotypes are based in truth, so it's a fine line.

My stepmum read a book recently and afterwards said to me "I just don't like it when women write men, or men write women," to which I said "Shh, that's enough out of you." - Because the MC in my novel is male.

And I have thought about the stigma, and often think I'll do the initial thing so as not to alienate a male audience.

I can't imagine anyone judging you for writing a first-person fiction novel from the POV of the opposite sex, or for that matter, a hermaphrodite, a transgendered person, or a science fiction story featuring an alien from another galaxy where they have three genders.

We're all human. Even the alien from another galaxy.

Many major writers have written first-person from the opposite sex's POV. Take Stephen King's Dolores Claiborne for example.

The novel I'm working on (third person limited, with a single intimate "viewpoint" character i each chapter) alternates between the points of view of several characters, both male and female. And yes, there are romantic parts.

Just try to keep your character human, complex and believable, and avoid stereotyping. If there's something you're not sure about, ask someone, and research. If you're having difficulties getting into the mindset of your characters, try to finding some books that have similar viewpoint characters and reading them, just to get the "feel" of how your own character might think or feel. Do your best to "become" your characters while you're writing them. Don't worry, you'll still be you when you're done.

Charlie

A famous example on this is J.K. Rowling. Her publisher told her to go as J. K. instead of Joanne, because they were afraid boys wouldn't be interested in reading a book with a male protagonist written by a female. Rowling has stated that were she in a better position at the time, she would have gone as Joanne.

I thought he was asking about changing the character's gender -- not if he should write under a pseudonym.

Your worries aren't unfounded, certainly. In most cases, the criticism has fallen on women writers of the past who have been forced to change or alter their names to regain the gap caused by bigotry and sexism. In this modern day, however, the impact of such criticism holds less sway. There are many authors who have written stories with protagonists opposite in gender. For example, David Weber's famous space opera series, Honor Harrington, is centered around the journey and progress of a woman captain.

Since you're writing in the first-person perspective, you're going to have to be careful with voice and cliche. Men and women certainly vary when it comes to the gender roles society forces onto them, but each person is individual and unique, regardless of his or her sex.