Ireth
Myth Weaver
I have a WIP that features an intergender MC who uses the pronoun "they". In getting critique on a preliminary query letter I wrote (mostly for the purpose of helping nail down the plot and conflict), I've noticed a lot of people are confused about the "they" pronoun (understandable, since it is also a plural pronoun), and very often misgender my MC as either male or female (less understandable, since their gender identity is spelled out in the first sentence of the query). I deliberately chose their first name, Loren, because it is not specifically masculine or feminine.
So what can I do? I will not make Loren either male or female, because that would defeat the whole purpose of their emotional conflict and coming to terms with their own identity as intergender. Plus I really want to see more non-binary characters in fiction, even if I get flak for writing one when I'm a cisgender/binary female and don't have a lot of life experience with non-binary people. I also don't want to use made-up pronouns like "xe/xir" or "ze/zir", because that not only looks awkward, it also isn't true to Loren as a character. They chose the "they" pronoun on their own.
So what can I do? I will not make Loren either male or female, because that would defeat the whole purpose of their emotional conflict and coming to terms with their own identity as intergender. Plus I really want to see more non-binary characters in fiction, even if I get flak for writing one when I'm a cisgender/binary female and don't have a lot of life experience with non-binary people. I also don't want to use made-up pronouns like "xe/xir" or "ze/zir", because that not only looks awkward, it also isn't true to Loren as a character. They chose the "they" pronoun on their own.