I have started work on a new Sci-fi novel. My aliens are hermaphrodite (they have both male and female sex organs). The problem I have is how to use non-gender specific words. I do not want to use words such as he or she, him or her. I have attempted to create words that reflect the hermaphrodite condition.
he and she = hes
him and her = hir
The problem I have is that the words I have created seem clumsy to me and interferes with the flow of the language. While it removes the gender and the world is not divided into male and female characters (although there is most definitely a gender tendency) I’m not sure that this works.
This is a short example:
‘Jrrred slipped out of hir dormi, placed hir feet apart on the floor and stretched hir body out to their fullest extent, hir limbs felt delightfully sinuous and digits exceptionally supple as hes flexed them back and forth. It felt like it was going to be a good day. Hes arched hir back and yawned deliciously. Hes extended hir respiratory tubes and took three deep breaths. It was hir morning ritual. There was nothing like eight hours of weightless oblivion, soothingly massaged by a pulsing throb of energy to restore a sense of well-being.
It was a new day and Jrrred felt ready to take on the universe.’
Any ideas as to how I might degenderise the language. Or should I simply genderise my characters?