A Writer's Woes

War of the Sexes

It is always difficult as a writer to portray the opposite sex. As a woman, I worry about making my men too emotional or too feminine. With a limited frame of reference, this will always be an issue. I know when I read a work of fiction with characters that are the opposite sex of the writer, sometimes, those characters just don’t “feel right.” I can’t always put my finger on it, but instinctively something feels amiss.

There are several ways I address this issue. First, if I have a question, I ask the men I know how they would react in a given situation. I explain to them my characters actions and ask them if they sound true to life. I listen to their feedback and make changes accordingly. More often than not, the issues I ask them about do not raise any red flags. Instead, they pick up on things I wouldn’t have even thought of. For instance, I may ask if a man would use such a word in conversation. My male friend says, “Sure, but that thing you’ve got him doing with his hands while he’s speaking? No way. That’s gotta go.”

I’ve recently joined a writer’s critique group as well. It provides a broad spectrum of viewpoints, backgrounds, and opinions which help to hone my writing and my character portrayals. It also provides a social outlet for writers; unique creatures that we are.

posted by chrmisha @ 8:04 PM