At 16:14 09/23/2002 +0100, curator@discordia.connectfree.co.uk wrote:

Pronouns are wierd things, and are used almost interchangably when
referring to Ranma. Live with it - being both girl and boy for this long
does things to your sense of self...

Most fic authors I've read do it this way. Only a handful of authors whose
material I've read have ever only used the male pronouns. There's no need
for a disclaimer unless you switch around s/he while in the same form. That
would be odd...

Consider though that he may always think of himself in the male form, 
regardless of his current gender, in which case you could use female 
pronouns for references to physical acts, but male pronouns for internal 
dialogue and the like,
eg
"Yadda yadda yadda," she said. 'Well, this is silly,' he thought.

Not the best example, but I can't think of a better one of the top of my head.


Or something...
Don't mind me.

-Alex Timiney

No, no, no.  Absolutely not.

Mixing pronouns like that is _INCREDIBLY_ confusing for the reader and 
makes following the narrative thread almost impossible.  Reading such a 
hash becomes an utter chore.

Pronouns in narrative should be _absolutely_ consistent.  Either stick with 
the true gender or stick with the current gender.  If using the current 
gender as a rule, try to avoid switching pronouns mid-paragraph at all 
costs if the character's gender actually changes.  Make such switches as 
graceful as possible.

When in voice, remain true to that character's point of view.  Get a 
Post-It note, write the name of each character in your story and a 
three-word-or-less synopsis of how they refer to the gender-switcher, and 
stick it on the side of your monitor.  (Taro - Female [insultingly]; Genma 
- Male [except insults]; Nabiki - Male/Mischievous Current; etc...)  Refer 
to it often.



-MFeltmate

"The beatings shall continue until [pronoun usage] improves."



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