Regarding Kahlen

On Twitter today, a friend of mine and fellow writer named Jewel ( @JewelELeonard ) asked me to say something about one of my favorite characters from my Work in Progress.

I said:
My fav char is definitely not "write what you know". He says his mind and is artistic. Loves sketching and painting.
He is kinda feminine, long blue hair, lavender eyes, blue-grey skin. From Cael, a Caeln. (Prev. known as Uranus by Earth.)


I've been thinking (I know, that's a catastrophy in the making) about Kahlen. He is from a different planet, hence the different race, different skin color, different hair color, and different eye color. Yes, the description above is totally natural for him and his kind.
I like that he is artistic (sketching and painting). I love him because he is a mystery and yet not a mystery because he is so honest. I love him because he is different to me and very progressive, compared to how I was raised.

Right now, the character profile I have built for him questions me if I can write him the way I want to write him. Or how he needs to be written. Can I portray him properly?



I have one other thing that I guess I will divulge here. This has already been said, when I made Kahlen cry the other week - his race is naturally male. All male offspring. They have to undergo a procedure to become female. {No, not tranny. Thanks.}

Kahlen says that he wants to fall in love with my other Main Character [if you have been watching #TheValaWing on Twitter, you might be able to tell who it is...] but the first MC is traditionalist male-marries-female. Kahlen said that he is willing to change for the other MC, but I am having issues getting the two of them to bond before the surgery...
But even Kahlen himself said that love does not base on gender.


My main hiccup is that I was raised traditionalist male-marries-female. I support other relationship configurations and I support those that chose those relationships. I agree that love does not base on gender.

So how do I show love growing between two men (as friends first)? Or more importantly, how do I show love growing between two characters, regardless of gender?


This writer is stuck. I have to go think more on this....



Comment here or on Twitter if you have an idea or support. Thanks for listening to me admit my block.

~ yume <3