(Cringe. Is he really going to talk about that one?)

Some have wondered about the challenge of writing the opposite gender. It can be a challenge. A writer generally doesn’t set out to offend his audience. Writing isn’t quite like other forms of entertainment. Actors, for example, look at any sort of publicity as good publicity. When a writer is first starting out, a negative reputation can sink a hoped for career. But in this case, overthinking can be hazardous.

It is generally accepted that you will have characters of both genders in your work. However, a character should be more than his or her gender. In other words, if the only reason for the character is so that you have someone of the opposite gender, it’s a mistake. As with other concerns that have been addressed in this blog, really understanding your character as a person is a key to solving this problem.

If the character comes to life in your imagination, you generally won’t misstep. More important for your character than being true to her gender is being true to herself. We live in a world where social stereotypes have been cast to the winds. Women and men share roles in society, and should interchange roles in literature.

I wanted to make mention of a powerful tool I found some time ago. It is called the Bechdel test. To some, the test is relatively well known. But for those who have never heard of it, the Bechdel test asks a question of whether a work of fiction (book, tv show episode, movie, or otherwise) has at least one scene where two women are talking to one another not about a man. This is a very good test, as it actually shows a depth of character. The same might be said for a work of fiction which predominantly features female characters. Are the men pigs with their minds in the gutter? Whenever men are present, is it so they can shoot things? (And if it is, do the women also shoot things?)

When writing the opposite gender, if the character has depth, even if the character is very different from most of her gender, your audience likely won’t grumble. These subtle differences, if true to your character, may intrigue your audience rather than put them off. So try to think of your character on a deeper level, and then write what comes naturally.

Another secret I have found is to really listen when my audience speaks. I find when we learn from one another, our writing improves greatly. That said, what secrets have you found to become more comfortable writing characters of the opposite gender?