julieandrews (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
julieandrews) wrote2008-11-02 07:50 pm
julieandrews) wrote2008-11-02 07:50 pm
Entry tags:
Female Characters, Female Writers
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swanjun pointed me to this lj post on female characters. Do you prefer reading about male characters to female ones? If so, why? For me, I'm not sure if I prefer reading about male characters or not, but when it comes to writing characters, I do much better with male ones. They hold my interest better. Does it come from years and years of reading about interesting male characters and less-than-interesting female characters? Or is it from something else?Broad Universe's mailing list directed me to this article on the ambition of women writers. It doesn't touch on the cultural upbringing women receive that tells them to keep quiet, be submissive, try not to get noticed. Which I think is a great deal of the problem here.
That's why when people say there aren't enough women writers writing science fiction, getting their science fiction published, or getting their science fiction acknowledged, I have to wonder how much is on the women. Why aren't you writing? Why aren't you submitting? If you are submitting, why are you submitting to low-pay, no-pay, or low-circulation markets? Fanfic writers, are you really content with being read only by fanfic readers and not getting paid for it? Or is the 'hobby' aspect of it what keeps it safe and comfortable? Are you not winning awards because you're too humble and nice-quiet-girl to get yourself on the list, or to tell your publisher to put you on the list?
What gets less attention is the dearth of female main characters in science fiction, particularly at certain age levels and certain subgenres. Even if an anthology is half women authors, it might still be all male protagonists. Were we all raised on such a heavy dose of interesting male characters that that's all any writer can write, male or female? When a writer does use a female protagonist, are they usually less interesting and thus that story doesn't get published?
Does The Other play a part? Male writers may be drawn to female characters because they're not like themselves? While female writers are drawn to male ones for the same reason? Many of the more memorable, likeable, enjoyable, interesting female main characters and even supporting characters I can think of are written by male writers. Is this because male writers write more interesting female characters? Or is it because they write them more like male characters and we're right back to liking male characters better?
Read. Ponder.
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Having read m/m fiction aimed at women and aimed at men, variously written by women and written by men, of varying degrees of both eroticism and quality, I can tell you there are definite differences between m/m written for women and that written for men. For a quick example, the m/m aimed at men will give you physical descriptions, usually as soon as possible, in some detail, particularly in regards to muscles, body/facial hair, and equipment. So you almost have to separate it, with labels such as gay erotica versus yaoi, before you can even talk about the whys and wherefors.
I wonder if your sister could say why reading about women was boring to her. Is it related to the Bechdel test? Where most fiction has few or no scenes involving two or more women discussing something other than men? Some people have extended that to include a few other things female characters typically discuss, such as family or housework. Me, I'd probably include talking about clothes or makeup or popularity, or excessive discussion of shopping. Those things don't interest me, so if most female characters end up talking about things like that, how are _they_ going to interest me?
Much to ponder.
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Oz