I think my main character is gay. o.O

Bartholomew said:

My target audience is the typical fantasy reader (a mostly male demographic.)

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Are you sure? Bookstore owners tell me that more women buy fantasy than do men. Anyone got any solid info?

Sex is an important part of a well-rounded adult life, I see no reason to consider it lowbrow.

I don't think innuendo would hurt any here. I think unless you plan to make the intentions known and are important to the story then you can just give the reader a taste of the feelings and leave it at that. I wouldn't mind if once in a while a book would come along with some scenes that leave me guessing about the character's motivations or behavior. Just so long as it doesn't distract from the story.

'Alternative lifestyles' always turns some people off a book, just like too heavy emphasis on sex, violence, emotions, what have yous. You'll never be able to satisfy everyone so if your book wants to be written one way -go with it. If it doesn't work, revise and try again, but at least you weren't afraid to try.
Personally I have a fantasy novel including straight, bi and gay characters and I know that will lose me a lot of readers, but since I've never been one to shy before any issues I'm certainly not starting with my own writing career, be it ever so damaging to my wallet. Money comes and goes, integrity lasts forever. Or something. I don't know, do what you please, but that's my take on it. ^o^
Xena managed pretty good as a wide spread fantasy series flirting with same sex relationships. I probably won't read your book but lots of other people might and why deprive them of the pleasure?
Good luck, whatever you decide.
/Tessa

So what?

Be true to your characters. It's the only way. Listen to her and she'll tell you what she wants and needs.

I have a comic book project I'm about to start pitching with a main character who's gay. It's just who he is.

I admit, I did give it some thought, but at the end of the day, I would've had no problem writing a scene where the MC is woken by his assistant, who finds him in bed with a woman, so why not with a guy? That's just who he is. Doesn't change anything else about him, he just likes guys. Just don't try and write the character gay. You don't write other characters straight. It's just a small part of who they are.

Now of course it's different for you, 'cos you are going the other way. But let's be honest, most red blooded males think two women together are hot. Likely as not, you have an extra selling point. When that whole dimension was speculated about in "Xena," ratings didn't plummet.

Do whatever feels right. Fantasy has a long tradition of gay, lesbian etc characters--just look at Marion Zimmer Bradley for examples of both. The MC of Raptor was a hermaprodite. But I do see to assumptions here that will probably not play out--men are the main fantasy readers *are* men *and* like lesbian material from a lesbian point of view (most "lesbian" material for men is from the POV of an observer). Yes, visible geeks in fandom are mail, the same is true fo computer gaming, but the economics of sales show a different picture.

Mercedes Lackey has masses of gay characters, too, so I'd say go for it if that's what your character is really like.

And here's a point about fantasy - many fantasy characters are not exactly the same as we are - humanoid but with other capabilities and preferences, or perhaps even non-human. There is no reason to limit sexuality to just what we are familiar with. If the emotional draw is integral to the character and the story, you must go with it.

The way I've always heard it, fantasy skews female and SF skews male.

In any case, though, I don't think it's terribly relevant. I have two brothers who both read fantasy. When we go book-browsing together, they care much more about the text on the back cover than they do about the buxom babe on the front. Men look for the same things in books that women do: interesting stories told in an engaging way.

Can you write a gay character in this genre? Yes. It's been done many times before. If that's what's right for your character, go for it. As long as you're not beating your reader over the head with some sort of Deep Socio-Political Point (TM), you should be fine.

Basically, if you don't treat your character's sexual orientation like a big deal, it won't be one.

My book has straight, gay, and bi characters. I know it will lose some readers, but it's what the story and the characters call for. It's in the paranormal/dark fantasy genre, where I tend to see more gay characters than in other genres.

If your character really is lesbian, go ahead and make her one, if it's who she is.

Not that there's anything wrong with that...

My MC's lesbian. She's also a teacher, a witch, a fair-to-decent cook, and mother of a two year old. It's not like she walks around being That Lesbian all the time.

I do have a scene which ultimately ends with intimacy between my MC and her partner, but I ended up fading to black before many body parts got involved. Not because I didn't want to write lesbian love scenes, particularly, but because I just can't write any erotica without giggling.

They way they speak through you

Isn't it odd and awesome the way the character, if you let him or her, will tell you exactly what he or she is? It's incredible. My characters are doing that to me all the time. They shock me with the way they talk or a decision they make.

I say go for it. Write this character the way she is. She won't be straight even if you tell her to be.