Editing Fiction Containing Gender-Neutral Pronouns

Every person has the right to choose the pronouns that align withtheir own sense of self. This has implications for fiction editors.Normative pronoun use centres objective perception, meaningcharacters' pronouns are prescribed. A conscious languageapproach centres subjective identity, meaning those pronounsare revealed.Louise Harnby explores the implications for narrative viewpoint and outlines a workable approach to editing gender-neutral pronouns in fiction. The guide includes:traditional and conscious-language approaches to pronounsdifferent narrative viewpoint styles and why they matterhow single- and multiple-pronoun universes workacknowledging gender identity without pronounsa comprehensive list of third-person gender-neutral pronounshow much explanation writers should give about the pronouns they've used.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.