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Using it as a pronoun...

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arianne:
I'm writing a story about a shapeshifter who is genderless but can take on the shapes of men and women as he/she/it chooses. I've been using the pronoun it to refer to the shapeshifter, but I was wondering if this is a good idea? Should I stick to it, or use he and she  as the shapeshifter's outer shape changes?

Shecky:
Stick with "it" until/unless the shapeshifter starts self-identifying as one gender. I mean, your first sentence does say, "a shapeshifter who is genderless." Alternately, if you're using third-person or a narrator who is observing the shapeshifter and not aware of its nature, you could use the visually obvious gender.

meg_evonne:

--- Quote from: Shecky on December 14, 2011, 06:03:38 PM ---Stick with "it" until/unless the shapeshifter starts self-identifying as one gender. I mean, your first sentence does say, "a shapeshifter who is genderless." Alternately, if you're using third-person or a narrator who is observing the shapeshifter and not aware of its nature, you could use the visually obvious gender.

--- End quote ---
OR, create a new pronoun of your own creation for your new world  for this genderless shapeshifter. It always implies an inaniment object to me. SHapeSHift - shsh? LOL  Anyone seen this done in something?

Shecky:

--- Quote from: meg_evonne on December 15, 2011, 07:29:30 PM --- OR, create a new pronoun of your own creation for your new world  for this genderless shapeshifter. It always implies an inaniment object to me. SHapeSHift - shsh? LOL  Anyone seen this done in something?

--- End quote ---

Joe Haldeman created multi/nongendered pronouns/articles for a particular time's society in The Forever War. To me, that's a real stumbling block to reading; I'd still stick to "it" until the shifter self-identifies as a gender.

Dina:
I agree with Shecky. Most Shapeshifters I came across in reading or playing consider themselves male or female, so if the shapeshifter is telling "its" story, I would use "he" or "she" regardless of the visual look. But if it is truly genderless, "it" woud be accurate.
Also, think. The shapeshifter create all the aspects of the thing "it" is representing? Or really become a fully functional "he" or "she"?

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