Writing Which is more difficult (subjective): narrating the MC according to the author's gender or narrating the MC different from the author's gender?

[CharlesEBrown]

I can understand it in "freshman level" work.
They're just starting out.
They have a handle on writing itself, now they need to work on the other mechanics.
(lord knows that's where I'm at)
its when I've seen it in actual published paperbacks, that it makes me about faint.

this is what a real published author wrote?
this is what a real editor, lets get through?
this is all a real brick and mortar publishing house, cares?

UNRELATED ANECDOTE :
I read the newspaper, I sit and pick out all the errors.
spellchecker is a thing now, so...
now its all the wrong word, used to unintended hilarity, that's not misspelled.

I feel like I could do a better job reading the newspaper, before they put it to press.

My dad worked for a few. The newspapers used to go through four levels of checking, five for major headlines that weren't "scoops" (the fifth being to double check all sources - not always possible with breaking news, and thus often better to print a retraction or revision later). First, it went to a copy editor who looked for spelling, grammar and word use errors before passing it on to a typesetter (or, if there were too many errors and they weren't ready to go to press, back to the author to revise).
From there, it went to a typesetter (the first job removed by computers and other automation), who would take the article, make sure it was in the proper font and size, and type it all up in a usable, and presumably error-free, format. From there, it went to a paste-up editor.
The paste-up editor selected photos, chose a title font and sent that back to the typesetter to type up), and then made sure the article fit in the appropriate space, including any needed photos, and determined the final layout for each page before applying wax to the back of the printed article and fixing it to the print sheet. The print sheet then went to the press to produce a proof.
The final check went when that proof went to the team or person assigned the role of proof-reader, who looked for format errors, glaring mistakes, incorrect cross-links ("Oh, part two is on page five, not page four - do you want to change that or redo pages four and five? Thought you'd want me to change the number. Great!"), and then said: "This paper is ready to print and distribute!"
Now, most of the layout and copy editing is done by the reporter, trusting their computer to not mess up, and their editor does the final paste-up work on a different computer - and only the major articles merit an actual proofreader, while the editor and author trust their computers to do the rest.
The paste-up editor would

 

[MFontana]

Which is more difficult (subjective): narrating a protagonist according to the author's gender or narrating a protagonist different from the author's gender?

Definitely opposite sex.
I have zero personal experience to draw on after all.
Beyond, of course, my time and experience as a GM (Games Master) for my TTRPG group.
That has certainly been the most helpful, and harrowing, experience that I've gone through while trying to hone my writing.
This meme doesn't quite do it justice...

But for those who may be wondering...
Yes. It was totally worth it.

 

[Nevafrost]

This will definitely turn into a gender war