In our ever-emerging world, language is in a constant state of change. Meaning writing and its rules is also in a constant state of change. The language from a book on today’s shelves is extraordinarily different from say, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. And as writers, it can be hard to keep up.

With LGBTQ+ taking the bookstores by storm (especially the YA shelves), the use of the singular ‘they’ as a pronoun is becoming far more popular. In the past, ‘they’ was used in situations when gender is unknown:

When a child has a problem, they know they can come to me.

Now, ‘they/them/their’ is also used for subjects who identify as non-binary, or otherwise lack gender. And ‘they’ isn’t the only non-gendered pronoun. Other nonbinary pronouns include ‘ze’ (pronounced ‘zee’) in place of the subject ‘he/she’, and ‘hir’ (pronounced ‘here’) in place of ‘her/him/his’.

Note: The terms “it” or “he-she” can be construed as slurs towards the transgender community and should be avoided.

Representation is amazing, but as someone who has written nonbinary characters, I can confirm that using the singular ‘they’ can be a little confusing at first, for both the reader and the writer.

My advice: just go with it, and use the character’s name OFTEN. Be direct; avoid ambiguous pronouns as you normally would, but don’t shy away from using non-gendered pronouns just because you’re worried about a little confusion.

Two Tips for Using Non-Gendered Pronouns:

1. BE CONSISTENT: the same goes for any character, you want to be careful not to misgender them. When you identify a character and their chosen pronouns, stick with it. And don’t switch between different non-gendered pronouns halfway through either.
2. VERB AGREEMENT: the verb used with the non-gendered singular ‘they’ is plural, as for any other ‘they’. You wouldn’t say they is sad, now would you?

When NOT to Use the Singular ‘They’:

If you start a sentence with ‘one’, or a gendered subject, don’t switch to non-gendered pronouns. ‘One’ stays ‘one’ for the entirety of the sentence/paragraph, and pronouns should always respect the subject they refer to:

• When one is fully aware of one’s aptitudes and weaknesses, one’s life becomes much easier.
• When a woman in early modern England married, she was supposed to obey her husband.

NOT

• When one is fully aware of their aptitudes and weaknesses, their life becomes much easier.
• When women in early modern England married, they were supposed to obey their husbands.

In conclusion: remember to have continuity and clarity in your writing. Be clear in your sentences and don’t shy away from using the singular ‘they’. It can be an incredible tool, especially in terms of creativity and representation.