Switch-Hitting (Wiscon 28 panel)

49 Switch–Hitting a Home Run: Writing Credible Characters of the "Opposite Sex"

Writing: The Art•University A• Saturday, 2:30–3:45 p.m.

Is it possible for a male author to write strong, credible female characters (and vice versa)? Why or why not? What makes a character credible and satisfying, gender of character and/or writer aside? Is there something particular about “switch hitting” that’s more difficult to get right? Is there a more––or––less universal baseline for what makes a character credible and satisfying, or is it totally idiosyncratic? What about Mike Resnick’s books Men Writing Science Fiction as Women and Women Writing Science Fiction as Men as test cases?