I’ve always taken gender stereotypes with a grain of salt.
I was tempted, even, to claim that gender roles were determined primarily by socialization and environment.
Keeping this in mind (and also having something of a cheap streak in me), when my daughter was small, I gave her all my old baby dolls…and I also gave her some of my son’s toys that he’d outgrown (4.5 year age difference.) “Here you are! Here are some fun cars to play with! Look how fast they go!” And I left the room.
I came back a few minutes later, and my daughter had made a little car family. There was a Daddy Car, a Mommy Car, and a little Baby Car.
My protagonists for my series are women. I get into their heads better that way, I think. But I have some very important male characters in my books and I’ll occasionally hop into their heads, too. My sidekick in the Myrtle Clover series is a man, and he makes a good foil for Myrtle.
Would I ever write a book with a male protagonist? It depends. I wouldn’t have a problem in the world writing a male detective or a cop. Could I write YA from a teenage boy’s perspective? I think so. Could I write literary fiction from a man’s perspective? I really don’t know. I think it would be challenging…or that I might end up writing a very introspective, artsy man. :)
How about you? Whom do you favor for your protagonists—male or female or both? Do you have a hard time bridging the gender gap?
Elizabeth – That’s a really interesting question. My protagonist is a male, and I don’t have any problem thinking like that. I think there is a lot about our thinking that transcends gender, so it’s not too much of a problem for me to think like he does. I do have to say, though, that sometimes I get insight and help from my husband if I’m not sure that I’m writing his character authentically.
I wrote a YA novel from a teenage boy’s perspective (close third person) and it was great. I enjoyed thinking like a guy–so simple and uncomplicated :)
As for gender stereotypes, there are plenty of exceptions. People are highly individual. I tried to play plastic horsies with my six year old niece and she kept attacking and eating the colt with her plastic lion!
I tend to write female protagonists but I did outline and begin draft work on a story with a male protagonist. It didn’t really work because three chapters in I decided he was the single most boring character in creation and let the project rest. That said, I was recently contemplating a new outline and was thinking taht it might be better if I wrote in in first person from the point of view of one of the male characters. Possibly this is going to be a lot of work to plan and set up and I will be unhappy with it but maybe it will work out really well. I’m starting to hear his voice narrate the story already and I’ve jotted down quite a few notes.
I think writing from a female point of view will always come more naturally to me, but I don’t think I am limited to it. Thanks for sharing this post and posing a great question.
My most recent short story was from the POV of a college-age female. My crit group had plenty to say about the plot and the backstory, but nothing to say about my presentation of the main character’s thoughts. Does that mean I succeeded at getting into the head of a 20-year-old girl?
I have no idea of the answer to that. However, it was an interesting exercise to switch POVs for a while. And, strangely enough, I hate men now…
(Not really. Some of my best friends are men.)
I enjoy writing from the pov of both genders. As a teacher, I have lots of experience with boys. Plus I’ve got a hubby & son so I think/hope the male pov comes across well. :)
So far, all my protagonists have been male, but I’ve had plenty of major female characters. I guess I’ve had lots of good role models.
I do like to write scenes in a male POV, but I don’t know if I could devote a whole book to a character outside my gender.
Good question. My characters are mostly woman. In my latest story i am questioning the role of women in the society. My protagonist is on the edge of aborting her baby due to her husband’s force and so on.There are three women: the protagonist, her domestic mother and a woman whose kid is dying. And so on… I love displaying women’s world.
I have written many stories from the male POV, I can’t say that I would take on a novel. I relate to men very well, so I’m able to think like a man. But I have to say, being a woman suits me just fine.
I haven’t faced this problem yet, but I find it interesting that so many of you can get inside the head of someone of the opposite gender. I have enough trouble figuring myself out.
Karen
Definitely female. I think it would be a struggle to get inside a man’s head for that long and stay authentic to it. And that story hasn’t come yet, but maybe it will one day.
Great post. Men are easier for me to write. I’ve written short stories from the male point of view. And I write male novel characters from the male point of view. But in novels, my protagonists are always female. I don’t seem to have a problem with secondary characters, but my protagonist always gives me fits. I don’t know why that is.
Hmmm, you’ve started the wheels turning in my brain before I even finished my first cup of coffee! My protagonists all tend to be women – I guess I haven’t bridged that gender gap yet. The one short story I wrote where the main character was male did win a contest so maybe I need to consider having a male as a lead character in a novel.
I’ve written my books from both viewpoints pretty evenly, and I must admit, I prefer the male POV. (For my last blog tour, I even did an article on writing from the male POV.) I won’t rehash all the differences, but it just seems easier to write from the male perspective.
My husband is always my first test reader, and I’m always prodding him to let me know if dialogue or actions aren’t ‘masculine.’
Margot–You did a really good job with “Publish or Perish.” For some reason, I know I could write a male cop or detective…I think it’s because I’ve read so many books with that POV.
Simon–I’m sure they would have mentioned it if your POV had seemed really jarring. You must have done a really good job. I’m not sure *I* could get into a 20 year old girl’s head, actually!
Lorel–I think I could write a teenage boy because I have one and have noted his way of looking at the world.
I kind of thought my daughter would be that way–like your story with the horses. That’s TOO funny! The funny thing about my daughter is that she’s very tough and has a sort of coarse sense of humor–but she’s so girly at the same time. Maybe it comes from having an older brother, I don’t know. But she does love her doll babies. :)
Cassandra–I’ve always thought it would be a challenge for me. Reading some of these comments, though, has got me thinking that it might be a fairly straight-forward POV to write from?
Jennifer–That’s what I wonder, too.
yağmur–And that’s something that we can relate to a little easier, since we’re women. Men’s reactions to things always surprise me, which may be why I’ve hesitated writing in the male POV.
Elizabeth–Me too. I think it might take a little work for me to carry it for a whole novel.
Jane–Obviously you did a good job with it!
Diane–I can see what you mean. It seems like it might be a lot more straight-forward as a POV.
Jemi–I think that would be fun…writing both. I’m going to have to work on this.
Alan–I think role models help. And I enjoy reading books with male protagonists…I’m thinking I could emulate what I like about them.
One of my short stories is from the POV of a young bride and it seemed to work. My detective is male. I seem to be able to switch back and forth with not too many problems. Maybe being a Gemini helps!
Elspeth
Elizabeth, I’ve done both and don’t find one to be “easier” over the other. The hardest POVs for me are from children. I’m always afraid I’ve made them sound too advanced for their age or not advanced enough.
What a great question!
For short stories, I can write from either perspective. But for novels, I tend to lead with the female. As writers we’re keen observers, so I think we may have a touch more insight than say the average joe? I’m always looking for the details that make characters unique, which tends to lead away from stereotypes. If the character is compelling, then gender isn’t really an issue. Great topic, Elizabeth!
Good subject. I am currently writing a book with a female main character, and in my last novel, Owen Fiddler, I had three characters who played major roles and quite a few scenes were written in 3rd person POV from inside their heads. One author who I respect very much read the book and complimented me on being able to effectively write from a feminine POV.
And no, I’m not gay – comes from being married 34 years and raising daughters, lol.
Marvin D Wilson
I love the timing on this post. Over at Copyblogger, it’s just been announced that one of the “big” freelancing copywriters, James of Men With Pens, is actually a woman. The several hundred comments on the post are fascinating and they cover not only modern gender discrimination, but also the concept of “voice,” as in men writing like women, and vice versa.
Personally, I think that for the most part, people are people, and a good writer can get in the heads of characters of either gender … but that there are some instances when it doesn’t quite work, any more than an American sitting in Paris can REALLY know what it’s like to be a French person in Paris. You can get most of it right because again, people are people, but there’s a small, tiny percentage of thought, perception, instinct that I think can be gender-biased, and it’s hard to truly know what that feels like, if you’re on the other side of the fence.
It’s just that, if you’re lucky, and a good enough writer, no-one will ever notice. Although, of course, only half your audience would really be qualified to say, “No (wo)man would ever do that” so that improves the odds even more!
Oh, duh, I meant to leave a link to the Copyblogger post.
http://www.copyblogger.com/james-chartrand-underpants/
Most of my books include multiple PoV and always at least one male. I’ve got some swapped gender roles in my own life, which I think helps. Oddly, it is the men I tend to give a common vocation to myself (one academic, one psychiatrist) and maybe that is a way I can feel more confident that I can really be in their heads where I take more for granted with my women.
My FAVORITE characters to write though, are TEENS from either gender. I love that area with independent thought but not fully rational emotions (not that all adults are rational).
Since my first book turned out to be a romance instead of a mystery (who knew?) I write from both male and female POV. I’ve got two short stories coming out in an anthology that are strictly male POV, and 1st person at that.
I’ve been told I do it well, and I think I’m getting better as I learn more and more about the different hard wirings in the XX and XY sets.
But I do make sure I have a male reader for all my male POV scenes. Hubby read the 1st one I wrote, and immediately told me 1) the guy needed a bigger truck, and 2) when the woman sat on the couch and tucked a leg under her the guy would have looked. (She was wearing a skirt).
I made both fixes. And if ever I go to a conference and there are gender-difference workshops, I faithfully attend.
Heather–I know what you mean. I’ve read some really unrealistic kids before. They’re tough.
Marvin–You’re surrounded by estrogen! Ha!
Deb—Now that’s really interesting! It makes it more interesting because it was a surprise “reveal.” I do read that blog, and I just took James at face value. Wow! I’ll definitely read the post and comments…thanks!
Good points you’ve made. We can do a lot just by imagining. I’m not a killer, but I write about them in a plausible way. I think it might depend on the project for me–whether I could pull it off or not.
Karen–Don’t we all!
Kristen–Me either. I’ll keep mulling it over though.
Carol–I wonder if you could change genres and write a male protagonist easier? I think some genres would make it challenging to write from the male perspective.
Hart–I think it’s really interesting that you gave your male characters jobs that related to your own line of work.
Teens would be a lot of fun. I have an unfinished YA manuscript in my graveyard. Male character. Teens are so dynamic!
Female. Women’s fiction..you know. But in my second novel I did write from the man and a woman in a marriage/split POV. I enjoyed that. I’m always amazed by Memoirs of a Geisha, Someone Knows My Name etc. where men write from a women’s perpective with such skill.
~ Wendy
I don’t know. I think people are so vastly the same and so vastly different that we just THINK we can write from a character’s point of view anyway. I’d like to give it a try. I think I will. Starting tomorrow. See ya – gotta dash.
A question that makes me think…akk, brain hurts. Kidding. I mostly write from the woman’s POV, but I’ve done a man’s POV, as well. I find it interesting to see how each would react to the same situation.
Helen
Straight From Hel
Wendy–I’ve thought the same thing. It really does amaze me.
Elspeth–You Geminis!
Jan–Tell me how it goes! :)
Stacy–I think you’re definitely right about the observational abilities of writers. Another tool to assist us if we’re writing another gender.
Super question! While I normally write in my female protag’s pov in The Logan Hunter Mystery series, in Just North of Luck, I started the book from the male villain’s point of view. Even though an intriguing and often scary experience, I found it just as easy to write.
Very good question, not easy to answer. I’ve written scenes from a woman’s perspective, but not a whole novel. And I’ve written a short story from a gay man’s perspective, but not a whole novel. You need to have a lot of confidence to step outside your own gender for a full length book, I think.
Susan—Writing from the killer’s POV would be scary enough! Wow. I’ll have to check out your book, Susan–thanks!
Terry–See, I would have said that writing from the male POV for a romance would be the most challenging. At least you don’t stay in the POV for the whole book….and you’ve got a great first reader.
Martin–I think so, too. But I’m thinking about Agatha Christie who did equally well with Hercule Poirot and Jane Marple. But….she was Agatha Christie! :)
Hi Elizabeth–
My protagonist is a man, but I only tell the story through a side character (a woman) and the man character (a little boy.)
I have a good friend who insists I could tell a Civil War story (novel) through the eyes of two soldiers. I’ve never been in a war, in the past, or a man, so I’m petrified. He reams me good for my male characters, but I believe I’m beginning to learn how they differ.
Men make decisions faster, think more directly, etc. And what helps me is that I do those things as well.
I said I wrote in the head of a woman, but her role is far more masculine than the ‘man.’ She is straightforward, blunt, a decision-maker, and firm, while he is gentler, quieter, more introspective. He makes decisions based on emotion while she is logical and reactionary.
I’m terrified to write a novel fully from a soldier’s viewpoint, but it’s beginning to look like a smashing challenge. :)
*My protagonist is a man, but I only tell the story through a side character (a woman) and the man character (a little boy.)*
This is supposed to say *the MAIN character (a little boy.)*
The story revolves around three characters.