Thread: A protagonist of the opposite sex

I've got a question for all the members here. I'm genuinely curious to see some of the answers, should I be fortunate enough to get any. Currently, I am working on a project, which is going to be written in first person. Now, I am male, but my protagonist is female. I was wondering if any of the members here have written anything, in which their main character is of the opposite sex. Obviously, men don't know what it's like to be a woman, and women don't know what it's like to be a man. However, if you have ever written as a character of the opposite sex, I'm interesting to see how you found it, do you have any advice, do you think it's a bad idea in general? I'm interested to gain some feedback.

I'm tired, so I won't write tons, but make sure you don't get caught up in stereotypes. It's very easy to take what society projects on to you about women literally (from media like tv, films etc) and end up negatively using that in your book. If you aren't sure how they'd react, even talking to a close female and ask them how they would deal with that situation, or what would be running through their head. It is difficult though, and I sympathise with you!

I've written lots of pieces from the 1st person POV of a woman. I like them. But thinking back now, not one has ever sold (though one did get me a warning here and banned from another workshop). So maybe it's harder than we imagine.

Banned?! What, may I ask, was the reason for the ban?

It was an invite-only "professional writers" forum called "Workhouse" run by Vanessa Gebbie (Vanessa Gebbie). The piece was was an experiment in combining literary stylings with pornographic themes and vernacular. She was REALLY pissed.

That's a shame. It should've been allowed as long as it was serious! I guess some people can become a bit autocratic when they're given power.

First person, opposite sex is fraught with difficulty. You might consider third person with a less-than-omniscient narrator who does not know all of the character's inner thoughts, feelings, emotions, etc or even an unreliable narrator who frequently gets these things wrong.

I am a man currently working on a project in third person with a female protagonist. I'm finding "45 Master Characters" by Victoria Schmidt an invaluable reference. Two samples to get you interested:

1. Never underestimate the power of fear to dictate a woman's behavior. For instance: many women will not go out walking alone after dark.
2. Most women spend most of their time doing things for others rather than for themselves.

There's a lot more in the book. It's worth the investment.

^ I agree with CM. If you aren't a female, doing a 1st person POV with a woman protagonist can be a very tall order. Vice-versa applies, I think. This is because men think they know a lot about women and women, the same. This sometimes leads to inaccurate stereotypes.

And though writing in third person isn't much difference, at least you'll not write as much of the emotions and personal thoughts as with first person, ergo, less chances of error.

Just my two cents, of course.

Never first person, only third. But I've done that a few times with some success, according to readers. (Too bad I can't point you to the stories -- they were all deleted in the Great Purge.) I just don't try too hard -- and try to throw in a few details that give it credibility. I've written from the perspective of a pregnant woman -- using things my wife said and did during her pregnancies. I figure if I can get away with that, I'm doing OK. Sometimes it throws me for a loop when I read it -- because I'm expecting the the POV to be from someone of the author's gender -- but usually just for the first few sentences. I don't write first person often, but I think I could do it and it wouldn't be all that different. Otherwise, you just need to try it and see what people think.

We all have a little of the opposite sex in our psyches. Even the most macho man was raised by a mother and gained some attributes and insights from her. Yes, it can be very difficult but if you get in touch with your inner feminine it will make your characterizations more complete.

I wear a dress and makeup when I'm writing women characters. I think it helps.

I have two male protagonists and a female, but I am writing them in third. The interesting thing is, I find them easier to write much of the time, and more interesting than the female, who I have more trouble with.

Originally Posted by C.M. Aaron

First person, opposite sex is fraught with difficulty. You might consider third person with a less-than-omniscient narrator who does not know all of the character's inner thoughts, feelings, emotions, etc or even an unreliable narrator who frequently gets these things wrong.

I am a man currently working on a project in third person with a female protagonist. I'm finding "45 Master Characters" by Victoria Schmidt an invaluable reference. Two samples to get you interested:

1. Never underestimate the power of fear to dictate a woman's behavior. For instance: many women will not go out walking alone after dark.
2. Most women spend most of their time doing things for others rather than for themselves.

There's a lot more in the book. It's worth the investment.

The bolded I would have to say tends to apply to women that have had children. Before that, not so much. They may be likely to help, but can be very oblivious and selfish too, and not meaning to be inconsiderate, just young.

I am a female writing in the third person as a young male blackbird who wears clothes!! Any advice is helpful! I think it is worth checking certain reactions with someone of opposite sex. I know, my brother read something of mine and said, "he wouldn't say it that way, he's a boy bird!" He went on to tell me what he would say.. I said something softer and his language was more direct. Joking aside, I think the quote you gave above is invaluable Eluixa. I live in a big city, my brother went out walking the other night. Said he said he was going to investigate some pubs around here. It suddenly hit me how lucky he was, I wouldn't dream of walking into a pub on my own, having the luxury of sitting down and buying a glass of wine or beer. A restaurant, yes, but not a pub. I mentioned this to my daughter, she agreed and we are so called fully liberated western women. However, I have heard from others, it is more normal to see women in bars alone. Mabye that is a cultural thing. It is still that, being seen sitting in a bar alone thing.

I've been writing a female character for a while now (first person), and I must say that once you get used to it it's not that bad.

Just don't try too hard, think of her as a character before you think of her as a woman. Women don't cover their pages with little details about their makeup when they write, nor should you (specially if you don't know about makeup, which I assume you don't!)

For example, Ellen (my character) is a rather serious teenager, a child prodigy when it comes to music. She looks a little stern and mighty on the outside, but on the inside she's quite a mess; she's childish and gets carried away easily. When she's upset, then everything's a no, and logical thinking comes second, but she still manages to sound very rational. See that everything I mentioned can be applied to both sexes, and honestly, I just took the more emotional parts of me and made them more obvious, while I took the logical ones down a few notches.

After you have your character, just make her talk like a girl: a little faster, a little more elaborately, a little more adjectives, a little more littles. When you describe her love interest, don't do it as if you were praising your own muscles. As far as I know, girls tend to not even notice the guy unless hes caught her interest with something else, or stands out a lot. That is if they are in the middle of something, if they aren't then I guess it applies the same as males (just don't take it to extremes, both male and female readers would thank you for that).

Girls can get stuck in some trains of thought easily, but they are also quicker to change to another. Their emotions linger for longer, so don't make them forgetful unless that's a specific trait of your character. Buts are your best friend, they are often in denial.

In short, just make their inner dialogue more dynamic and thought-oriented, since a lot goes through their heads. Follow society standards as needed, but keep it to a minimum. Interaction with inanimate objects reflects emotional attachment, use that as much as you can.

And of course, you can always write manly women, that saves you the trouble, and no one can tell you they don't exist.