So, I identify as a cis female, but I have a friend who identifies as nonbinary. It's almost their birthday, so I've been writing them a short story from the first person perspective of the main character. Since I knew it would make them really happy to receive a story with an agender protagonist, I decided to just not include any pronouns when referring to the main character, since I didn't want to be totally inaccurate and the internet wasn't much help. But I'm rereading the finished parts of the story rn and I'm worried it sounds weak, so I want to try rewriting it using they/them pronouns as opposed to not mentioning gender at all.
Could any of you give me tips on writing nonbinary characters? Would it be the same as writing cis characters just with different pronouns and tendencies towards less gendered clothing, etc.? I know that it's different for everyone, and I don't want to make any generalizations or mistakes, but I really want to make this friend happy.
well i know nb people who love feminine clothing, or masculine, so there's that. try and base it a bit off what your friend wears. personally, i wear whatever i have in my closet that isnt a dress. as for pronouns, they/them/theirs works, and some people use xe/xer/xers, or things along those lines
Thanks!
I know my friend uses they/them pronouns, and I don't know much about other pronouns or neopronouns, so I decided to just go with that
yeah, no, the they/them is more common. if you have any other specific questions, just ask!
thanks!
Mostly, I just needed to know the major differences between writing from the perspective of a cis character and a nonbinary/agender one. How often would I write in dysphoria, and how should I write it?
Like, if I was writing from the third-person perspective of a cis girl, I could write this, for example:
Abigail straightened her back as the teacher had instructed, trying her best to follow along with exercises that left her hopelessly lost and left behind. She always seemed to be forgetting something, whether it was to keep her legs turned out, or to make sure that her core muscles were engaged in a grand plié.
If I wanted to write that from the perspective of a nonbinary character, would I just switch out the pronouns (and possibly name), or would that not be enough?
Example:
Kennedy straightened their back as the teacher had instructed, trying their best to follow along with exercises that left them hopelessly lost and left behind. They always seemed to be forgetting something, whether it was to keep their legs turned out, or to make sure that their core muscles were engaged in a grand plié.
well yeah, you would swap to preferred pronouns and chose name. when it comes to dysphoria, i'm sorry to say that you really shouldn't try writing it(unless your friend has described it in detail). it's hard to write about things you haven't faced, like a writer writing racism and homophobia etc., because it can sometimes come across as insensitive or like they don't quite understand it, if that makes sense?
That makes total sense, thank you! Yeah, I really want to avoid being insensitive and disrespectful, thanks for your help and input :)
