Fantasy Foretold Forum Character Gender

Hello Forum

I was just wondering if anyone could give me tips on how to establish things like gender and appearance of a main character through first person narration.  I know there's always the cliche looks-in-the-mirror-and-describes-what-it-sees scene, but I thought doing that would make the character seem conceited/focused on physical appearance.  As for gender, I've had some confusion regarding the main character of my current story.  The character is male, but some people think he is female while others say he is (I didn't know this could happen) genderless.  Any advice on how I can better establish his gender?

Thanks in advance

W#00

Hello W00. ^^ I'm also writing a first person narrated story and the way I estabalished gender originally was by leaving obvious hints to it. Such as at the beginning my protagonist, Dante, is found by a mysterious man named Lecs. When they make it back to his village Lecs says to another man " I have brought the boy." To indicate not only is he male but he is young. Try using the environment and character interaction to not only hint at but indicate your main characters sex. 

I suppose you could use the mirror cliche and avoid making the character seem conceited if you point out some minor flaws or things the character isn't happy about. It could be natural, like looking in the mirror and noticing for example blue eye color, well-defined cheekbones and having a bad-hair day as usual or upturned nose.

About the gender-confusion of your character, you got me confused there. Did you mean that the reviewers hed doubts about your character's gender?

Hmmm, that's good advice, thank you.  How many pages do you think I could get away with a vague gender before the reader will have difficulty adjusting to his actual intended gender?

Thanks, you gave me an idea.  I could add a scene where he's shaving facial hair which would knock both gender and appearance out in one fell swoop.  I'll keep the flaws bit in mind, thanks again.

People aren't doubting the character's gender, as a matter of fact, one of my reviewers gave me a very helpful review to better the mechanics of the story and even strengthen the beginning, but the entire time the reviewer referred to my character as 'she'.  And I think the person who thought he was genderless meant that his narration isn't specifically masculine or specifically feminine, which I didn't think would be a problem because I am of the male variety.

That's definitely trickier with the first person.

So, a lot of times you just need subtle hints. I'm going to just make up some random examples and throw them out there. They may or may not be absolutely, unbearably abbhorent, but hopefully they'll give you some ideas. I'll use carrots ('<' and '>') to indicate the context:

<Using your facial hair idea as he wakes up> "I stretched, turning my head to the side as I did. My face brushed across my shoulder, day-old whiskers scraping across my skin like velcro. It must have been time for a shave." <Here, you wouldn't have to add a whole new scene for the shaving thing>
<wakes up with a dry throat> "I swallowed hard to get the saliva flowing again, my adam's apple dropping and rising like a piece of driftwood." Only dudes have giant adam's apples.
<Muscle is a good one too; maybe he's playing rugby... or whatever they would call it in your novel> "I focused in on the one with the ball. He was well-built, stocky even, but I was pretty fit myself. I tensed up, the sinewy muscles in my forearms rippling as I prepared to make my move."

Anyolewho, you get my drift. Good luck!

Thanks Arutha, that's very helpful.  I added an adaptation of the facial hair bit you suggested to my first chapter.  : )

I often find it easier for other characters to describe the narrator... It's not as if we, on a day to day basis, have a constant monologue going that catalogues all our physical traits, they're simply part of who we are and not worth remarking on. For others, though, it's often the first thing they notice. 

I agree with you in terms of appearance, and I'd actually had someone remark on his hair three chapters in (is that too late to establish something like that?).  Thanks for your advice, and I think I've established his gender better now.