That's how I originally got so much into writing. Try adding in a side character that's female, maybe a love interest or some other sort of companion. If you add enough depth to her I can guarantee that you'll feel connected and like her enough that you would probably feel you could play as her. I say that because, in reality, the only person one can ever truly understand is yourself. You literally have no other option than to put some part of yourself into her character. Physical characteristics have literally no impact upon the characters personality but you and your own views, beliefs and thought processes do. It's still not for everyone but I think more people are capable of enjoying playing as different characters than they think.