Question. I have a character who choses the personal pronouns of ze/hir to fit a certain profile.
As I am going through revisions I feel like I'm in the La Brea tarpits having all other characters respect her choices whenever they mention her.
"Is ze coming?"
As opposed to: "Is she coming?"
Would to be reasonable to limit the use of ze/hir to being in her presence or in official communications?
That would probably vary by individual.
@mcfate re: hir/her? If someone is not there, how would they know?
Granted, if the speakers always use that term it's easier to remember. It's an inclusive environment. The problem is the critique group who want it all torn out.
I do find that if it's everywhere it's hard for even me to read without slowing down. So I'm starting to understand the objections.
@J_Windrow @mcfate If, otoh, your char has "chosen" those pronouns to fit a profile--ie, they're perceiving it as trendy, etc-- and those pronouns are not actually correct, then you've got a lot more leeway to use other pronouns and to subtly reflect that subterfuge in the narrative.
@VenessaG @mcfate in this particular universe There is a different sense of what is important. Gender orientation isn’t particularly important. It’s just something that is.
What makes this somewhat challenging is what I’m going to have to look is that a person who is trans can go to a very powerful magic worker and literally become another gender. And she’s not the only person in this particular novel it happens to you if you think about the transmogrification of Jack Chalker.
@VenessaG @mcfate like I said transmogrification, it’s going to be a part of the series going forward. And it’s more of an issue for a woman that becomes a male Bogert who didn’t really want to become one.
I don’t know if you’ve read Jack Chalker’s work when he was still alive, but he did a lot of transmogrification. And basically people just were. And so I think that maybe I need to remove the pronouns.
@J_Windrow @mcfate Are you writing it for your crit group or are you writing it to foster inclusivity? If the character uses ze/hir and you're wanting NB people to identify and see themselves in your work, then you'll want to use ze/hir in the narrative as well as in the dialogue. Otherwise, it can come across as tokenization, in that the correct pronouns are used only when it's convenient, but ditched when it's not.
If their pronouns are ze/hir, then using she/her or he/him is just wrong.