Every person has the right to choose the pronouns that align with
their own sense of self. This has implications for fiction editors.
Normative pronoun use centres objective perception, meaning
characters' pronouns are prescribed. A conscious‑language
approach centres subjective identity, meaning those pronouns
are revealed.
Louise Harnby explores the implications for narrative viewpoint and outlines a workable approach to editing gender-neutral pronouns in fiction. The guide includes:
Basing its examples on real works of fiction, the guide offers a wealth of options for working with gender-neutral pronouns. This essential resource should be a part of every mindful fiction editor's toolkit.