Name: Maxwell Hope Age: 10 Height: 4'2 Gender: Non-binary Pronouns: They/them Appearance: Dark brown hair in a short, bob style, dark brown eyes, always wears tanktops with cargo shorts, always barefoot no matter what Personality: Intelligent, hard-working, kind, and cares about their friends Friends: Leah, Emily, Jake (who they see as a brother), Riley (an FTM transexual), Zara (who they see as a cool, big sister) Hobbies: Playing Video games (mostly plays JRPGs, but also enjoys some competitive games with friends), watching sci-fi, fantasy and action movies, listening to rock and metal music, hanging out with friends, and building mechs for them to take part in the annual 'Neo-Mecha Gladiator Wars' tournament Flaws: Can get too into their work at times and forget to look after themselves Backstory: Max was born an only child to a pretty average family, in Neo-Chicago in the year 2043. Since the day they were born, Max has always been barefoot. Their parents raised them as such since they never asked for shoes, as being barefoot was just something that never bothered them. Thankfully, due to the society of 2043 placing more importance on self-expression and identity, rather than fashion and trends, Max's parents just assumed that they wanted it as part of their style. Growing up no one ever mentioned or even noticed Max's lack of footwear, despite them being the only ones in all of New America who went barefoot everywhere, due to the very accepting society that they grew up in. Thankfully the soles of their feet got so tough and leathery to the point of traversing any terrain barefoot, be it scorching desert or snowy mountain, and they saw no point in ever wearing shoes. To them, they were just so unnecessary and impractical at this point. Max's entire wardrobe is also comprised solely of tanktops and cargo shorts, as they're just so practical and manoeuvrable for them. Because of this, their body has adapted to all kinds of temperatures. They are also a genius and child prodigy when it comes to cybernetics, an interest they've had for as long as they can remember. They even have their workshop 'Max Hope Cybernetics' which specializes in cybernetic repair and enhancement and is known throughout all of Neo-Chicago as the go-to place. Their parents helped set up the business, as well as run it with the financial and business side. They help on the shop floor and in the workshop when needed. Max also has two implants: a body heat regulator, which allows their body to cool down or heat up depending on how hot or cold it is, and a quick heal implant, which allows small to medium wounds and bruises to heal within mere seconds. Unfortunately, due to how rare the components for the implants are, and the fact that Max is the ONLY person in the entire world who knows how to make them, they are the only one with said implants. They have also created an AI named Jake, hard coding him from scratch with his own personality, and even making a body for him under his direction, a body crafted so well that, unless you knew he was an AI, you'd believe him to be just like any other kid. Max also programmed Jake to transfer to and from any device at will. Both Max and Jake see each other as siblings. Jake also helps Max in the workshop as an extra hand. Max is also close with an older, punk-looking girl with blue and purple hair, Zara, who they see as a cool, big sister who takes care of them.
In a story you have to give precedence to clarity of laguage. I think using they/them pronouns for the MC is going to be very confusing, since they're plural pronouns but you're talking about an individual. Most readers will give up a few pages in if they make it that far, because the language isn't being used properly.
There are non-binary pronouns that need writers to use them. Such as: He/She: Ve Him/Her: Ver His/Her: Vis His(Hers: Vis Himself/Herself: Verself You could use those or a lot of other pronouns that are currently trying to become part of the language. Using they/them may lead to argument or confusion. Edit: List from here: https://uwm.edu/lgbtrc/support/gender-pronouns/
I don't mean any offense, but Max sounds a bit like a Mary Sue, a character with no direct flaws. They've done all these wonderous things and is nr 1 in the world when it comes to some implants, at the age of 10. It's all a bit too good. Not sure how you could balance it out, but you mentioned them working a lot and not caring for themselves. Maybe Max can do these feats but at the cost of imploding for a certain time, being unable to do much for periods? Or perhaps their work causes their family's lives to be put in danger?
It is very hard to judge a character divorced from the story they belong to. Giving a list of traits and some backstory isn't enough to judge whether the character will work or not. As it stands with just this information, Max sounds dangerously close to being a Mary Sue type character. Though maybe I'm just biased against the concept of child geniuses. They almost always come across as power fantasy/wish fulfillment or plot devices.
Is it written in 1st person? If so then you're right, he wouldn't refer to himself except with I/me/my etc. If it's in third person it gets more complicated. If it's third close/deep, then essentially the narration (or big parts of it anyway) are the MC's inner monologue, and would include pronouns. Example 'John ran faster than he had ever run before.' It would be confusing to say 'Max ran faster than they had ever run before.'
Just written out the setting, world and basic premise of the story New America New America is the technological capital of the world, boasting beautiful landscapes, pristine, crystal-clean cities and tourist attractions found no where else in the world. Technology and laws State of the art technology includes, but not limited to: AI you can create with personalities and realistic social interactions (you can even make a body for them if you so desire) Cybernetics and implants would be readily available. Medical science would have reached the point where anyone, provided they have the knowledge, could make one the form of a microchip and inject into themselves via a needle) Smartscreens, which are the next step in evolution for Smart TVs. These are fully integrated into walls and boast a crystal clear display, with a fully customizable interface which can be navigated via touch, voice or even motion control. When not in use, it fully blends into the wall by mimicing the colour and pattern exactly Gaming consoles are a thing of the past, and are something only old school gamers and collectors still have. Instead, brands like Playstation, Xbox and Nintendo would have their own 'virtual console' in the form of apps, accessible via smartscreens Leisure outlets such as arcades and cinemas would still exist, but this is only for experience and atmosphere. Cars would now switch between hover and flight modes. Cities would have strict laws and regulations in place making sure cars stay in hover mode when within city limits. This would be to ensure pollution is kept to a minimum and keep cities green and clean. Violators would face hefty fines and a potential driving ban depending on severity. Certain laws and regulations would also be a bit more lenient such as child labor laws, which would state that a child can only work under the following conditions: They MUST undergo a mental screening test to prove they have the mental aptitude for it They MUST have an understanding of work ethics They must ONLY work of their own free will A place of business that employs a child or children MUST have government-approved 'Child Labor Friendly' signage Health codes would state that provided an individual has the mental capacity and understanding of risks, they assume FULL responsibility for their own health and safety, which is why Max is able to go into places of business barefoot. Dress codes would no longer exist, as society places value on self-expression and individualism over fashion and trends, therefore dress codes would be seen as outdated and unnecessary. Food would combine the best of both worlds: the tastiness of junk food with the healthiness of low-calorie foods such as salad. This would apply to drinks as well: diet and zero sugar varieties of soft drinks would no longer exist, instead brands such as Coke and Pepsi would have one universal drink, combining zero sugar with the refreshing taste of full fat drinks. There would still be varieties for different flavours, though. Alcohol would also get the same treatment, you could as much you like without any adverse effect on your health (though you could still get drunk depending on your tolerance level). Story premise The story takes place in Neo-Chicago, Max's hometown where despite it's beautiful and pristine exterior, a gang are looking to bring the ways of the old world back (these would be the antagonists).
Also forgot to mention that since Max is assigned female at birth, they'd look either feminine or androgynous
I think you have some pretty good takes already from previous comments: Pronouns aside... The character is probably too good to be true, but you'd have to describe a story or character arc for anyone here to really comment. What do they want and why can't they get it? What are their *genuine* flaws? Not 'sometimes they are too hard working for their own good'. And so on
One flaw I can think of is that they're still growing up. The character is 10 years old. They're still a child, and no matter how hyper-intelligent they may be, they still have a child's perspective.
Using pronouns like they/them in a story can be very confusing to the reader. The confusion can be enough to make the reader move to another story. I have returned books to audible over this issue.
