tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post7308125781140030332..comments2024-01-12T00:48:48.031-06:00Comments on Go Teen Writers: How to Write the Opposite GenderStephanie Morrillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13128389560727867719noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-36386151752530777842014-06-11T17:57:17.682-05:002014-06-11T17:57:17.682-05:00I know this is an old post and all, but it's s...I know this is an old post and all, but it's something I do read over once in a while. Very useful information.<br /><br />One thing I would say about the shower thing though - not really true. I'm a guy and I take a shower every day mostly because of the discipline of it . . . it sounds weird now that I write it though. (Then again it might be just be because I wouldn't like to walk around smelling like a pig; in other words its my self-consciousness).Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09953576423545296734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-25950674203962437372014-04-15T03:44:54.064-05:002014-04-15T03:44:54.064-05:00I've been in all girls education for nearly si...I've been in all girls education for nearly six years and so pretty much the only boys I know are under 5, over 16 or fictional. I've chickened out, and my current project is from the point of view of two girls. I'm doing my best and reading a lot of books from boy's points of views though.<br />This really helps thanks.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-21824503219896480372013-08-19T08:23:38.351-05:002013-08-19T08:23:38.351-05:00Oh thanks. Thaaaaaaaaank you! My first time writin...Oh thanks. Thaaaaaaaaank you! My first time writing a guy MC and a guy POV...so this was sorta helpful xD Thankfully I have 4 brothers to study. ;)<br /><br />And these comments are hilarious. Amanda Fischernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-10177290406486225282013-08-19T07:01:03.447-05:002013-08-19T07:01:03.447-05:00I also write pretty much all boys! I always though...I also write pretty much all boys! I always thought I was kind of weird, actually, because my first response is often to have the MC as a boy, with the occassional girl as 2nd POV. I don't really know how my boys come across, however -- I have a feeling that they're all soppy, and too much of an emotional wreck to be allowed to be boys. However, I've never been a believer in 'girls are from venus, boys are from mars' sorts of things; I don't think you can say 'all boys do this' anymore than you can say that 'all British people do that'. One of my best friends, who is a boy, introduced me to the 'girliest' film I had ever watched.Charlottehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14604652702065801675noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-32907551196320325492013-08-14T08:42:49.387-05:002013-08-14T08:42:49.387-05:00I actually never thought about what you said about...I actually never thought about what you said about scents. But it's quite recurrent in a lot of novels. You're right though, even when a guy thinks something smells nice, he'll probably have a hard time knowing what the smell ressembles. <br /><br /><a href="http://thegreaterpurpose.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Tell the World</a> <br />Titi Funtóhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07839932580966688745noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-18665927701472421692013-08-14T08:30:33.624-05:002013-08-14T08:30:33.624-05:00What a great post! Thanks Jill! Personally, I LOVE...What a great post! Thanks Jill! Personally, I LOVE writing from a guy's point of view. I guess being a girl and already thinking like one makes the girl perspective boring for me to write sometimes. The guy perspective is a challenge. So, I like exploring that and seeing what I can learn. Thanks for sharing the video about Chad, I've heard a lot of great things about him and his books. <br /><br /><a href="http://thegreaterpurpose.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Tell the World</a> <br />Titi Funtóhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07839932580966688745noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-1907752096639670902013-08-14T08:06:03.881-05:002013-08-14T08:06:03.881-05:00Thanks, Hannah :)Thanks, Hannah :)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11828772181763803223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-26891498585205636482013-08-14T07:25:37.728-05:002013-08-14T07:25:37.728-05:00Awesome post! I gave up writing guys a while ago -...Awesome post! I gave up writing guys a while ago - they were coming out as female me's masquerading as guys. Not good. For any character, really. After I've got my writing voice and different character personalities down, (kudos to Stephanie for her How to Stretch Your Writing Comfort Zone) I may try to write from a male POV again.Maria Rod.https://www.blogger.com/profile/10418600081930990033noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-36178772406141929102013-08-13T22:38:03.101-05:002013-08-13T22:38:03.101-05:00Really good post! I mix up my writing between the ...Really good post! I mix up my writing between the POVs of dudes and dudettes, so it's always interesting to see if I've hit the mark or missed. I'm taking note of all these tips....CG @ Paper Furyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14954615708675952085noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-1546343512896198512013-08-13T18:36:57.880-05:002013-08-13T18:36:57.880-05:00LOVE THIS AMEN!!!! Our writing gang was just discu...LOVE THIS AMEN!!!! Our writing gang was just discussing this subject the other day. Some girls actually think guys trip and fall over themselves if you give them a "cute" look. Unknowingly proving a point I've tried to prove for years, a guy friend in the group pointed out that was not at all how guys acted. My mom once read a really funny story about a girlfriend and boyfriend and what they were both thinking at the time. The girl was wondering if the boy was thinking about her and why he was being quiet, and-oh now he's frowning; he hates me! While the boy was in reality thinking about his car and realizing it needed its oil checked. Love it. :) Think this is the link: http://raysweb.net/poems/articles/berry.html In the book I'm writing, a girl is narrating, but there's also a boy as a main character. My brothers think the boy is awesome and repeatedly tell me so. Sigh of happy relief. Jenneth Dyckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02806251588834115742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-70561820321117735802013-08-13T18:05:26.347-05:002013-08-13T18:05:26.347-05:00I have two W.I.P.S. from guy's perspectives an...I have two W.I.P.S. from guy's perspectives and I'm glad to see based on your post that I am headed in the right direction with their thoughts and mannerisms.Sheena-kay Grahamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17712661419116636671noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-48823256582912362112013-08-13T16:43:43.264-05:002013-08-13T16:43:43.264-05:00I've been having the problem of writing in a m...I've been having the problem of writing in a male's perspective for a while, especially since this guy I'm writing about takes a lot after his mother. I needed this post. Thanks a lot!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-88821612626762438582013-08-13T15:55:54.166-05:002013-08-13T15:55:54.166-05:00Good luck, Hannah! Good luck, Hannah! Hannah Bartahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16113296657540921039noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-57887957047921079032013-08-13T15:55:15.067-05:002013-08-13T15:55:15.067-05:00I'm not entirely sure if I've ever come ac...I'm not entirely sure if I've ever come across a "gender blunder" in a book, but I really did need this. I'm writing from (mainly) a guy's POV. I think I need to take some time--maybe during my "time off" once I'm done with this draft--to just observe guys and learn more about them so I can effectively write from his POV.Hannah Bartahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16113296657540921039noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-88249353953758953092013-08-13T15:32:58.573-05:002013-08-13T15:32:58.573-05:00PERFECT TIMING! My next WIP is going to be a multi...PERFECT TIMING! My next WIP is going to be a multi-POV told from the POV of a guy and a girl, who are practically polar opposites apart from one crucial similarity...and I know how I make them sound different, but I needed to make sure the guy actually sounded like a guy. First time writing as the opposite gender. Wish me luck!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11828772181763803223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-73927757579566958892013-08-13T14:50:36.321-05:002013-08-13T14:50:36.321-05:00Looking back at old manuscripts, I cringe to read ...Looking back at old manuscripts, I cringe to read my guy characters. My current WIP has an important guy character. I based him largely off of my brother and have received some positive feedback about him, so hopefully that means it's improving.<br /><br />The matching clothes thing made me laugh. My current main character is a girl. She gets dressed in the dark in one scene. She was about to go do something dangerous and my brother started laughing when she worried about her clothing matching. So, yes, guys and girls think differently!Leah E. Goodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13266134192771082815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-86414570101636209042013-08-13T14:41:19.301-05:002013-08-13T14:41:19.301-05:00I - as a girl - have never been game enough to wri...I - as a girl - have never been game enough to write from a guy's perspective. Partly because I'm scared it won't turn out or because I just think it's going to be way too hard. But I find I am intrigued now to find out what it would be like ... Maybe someday. Thanks, Mrs Jill.<br />~ Annie-JoElizabeth Annie-JoElizabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05155198820884793013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-77020373300584631322013-08-13T14:02:49.781-05:002013-08-13T14:02:49.781-05:00Great post, Jill :) It also helps to have a guy re...Great post, Jill :) It also helps to have a guy read your book. Both my husband and my editor have caught some things and helped me keep my males male lol. Morgan L. Bussehttp://www.morganlbusse.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-48404845609412426182013-08-13T12:40:07.396-05:002013-08-13T12:40:07.396-05:00Haha! This is hilarious, and really helpful since ...Haha! This is hilarious, and really helpful since I have a male MC. I hope he fits this stuff, but since I'm in re-writes now, I can change some things. :D Thanks again for all the advice. I'm definitely going to look into Guys are Waffles, Girls are Spaghetti haha. (I love the whole... Guys won't prioritize showers and matching clothes, girls will prioritize showers and matching clothes, etc.)<br /><br /> I live with three brothers, as well as my dad, so I see a little bit into how the male mind ticks. ;)Bethany Baldwinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14160544671105522363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-7374013565148354522013-08-13T12:20:20.565-05:002013-08-13T12:20:20.565-05:00*TO. Adding a male viewpoint TO. Agh!*TO. Adding a male viewpoint TO. Agh!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00957038872768998481noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-64936242559531144512013-08-13T12:19:45.234-05:002013-08-13T12:19:45.234-05:00I just opened up my "Current Projects" s...I just opened up my "Current Projects" spreadsheet (because I'm that geek who has one), and . . . eight of ten projects are written from at least partial male-viewpoint. Four of those eight are written exclusively from male POV, although some of them have multiple male narrators. The two left I'm contemplating adding a male viewpoint too, because the stories aren't working as-is. Granted, some of these projects are on hiatus indefinitely, and some of them are only barely in the planning stages, but I still clearly lean towards male viewpoint. Which is funny. Because I'm a girl. And not even a particularly boyish girl.<br /><br />I tend to just let my characters find their own voices, regardless of their gender. I've had a couple boys who, when I read back over them, come across as "girlish," but then again I have girls who come across as boyish. *shrug* A few years ago I read a book about a group of middle school girls, and the voice was so spot-on that I literally stared at the "About the Author" page for ten minutes, trying to reconcile the fact that the author was a middle-aged man. He had daughters, though. I do think surrounding yourself with the age group/gender that you're writing helps; I have younger brothers, and my middle grade boys are generally better than my YA boys.<br /><br />It's also, for me at least, a lot easier to write boys in third person and to write girls in first person. I'm not sure if this has to do with the whole I'm-a-girl thing, or more to do with the personality of the boys and girls I write.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00957038872768998481noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-66342563033869473012013-08-13T12:05:39.088-05:002013-08-13T12:05:39.088-05:00My current novel is narrated in first person by a ...My current novel is narrated in first person by a guy. (I'm a girl). It's actually a lot of fun, because I relate really well to guys in real life, but it got awkward when I started to get into his falling for a girl. Maybe I will check out your book recommendations...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-25663790169233801732013-08-13T11:43:42.240-05:002013-08-13T11:43:42.240-05:00I just read a book, Something Like Hope, about thi...I just read a book, Something Like Hope, about this teenage girl who's in a sort of detention facility, and when I finished, I found out that the author was this middle-aged guy who is a counselor. That helped, I'm sure.<br /><br />This is really interesting. My novel's narrated from a mid-twenties guy's perspective, and I didn't find it that hard to write. I think I've covered the risk-taking and fight tendencies pretty well. I'm not sure how accurate the thought-process is. However, my personality type is very logical and rational, as well as seldom found in women, so that gave me an insight into what sort of a person he might be. I'll have to check out some of those books. Thanks so much for the post, Jill!Katiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08117667458636102470noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-61123058748603148442013-08-13T09:15:07.722-05:002013-08-13T09:15:07.722-05:00I can't stand it when guys written by girls ar...I can't stand it when guys written by girls are always noticing how someone or something smells. And they know what the scent is. I have only ever met one guy who noticed scents, and he could never tell what it was unless it was food.<br /><br /><br />On another note, Tosca Lee is a Christian fiction author who, when I read her first novel, I had thought she was a male author. Her novel was from a man's perspective and he acted just like one. I was shocked.Bookishqueenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04815467506294547118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-17328394791108180462013-08-13T09:06:55.646-05:002013-08-13T09:06:55.646-05:00Thanks for the great post, Jill! Author Hilari Be...Thanks for the great post, Jill! Author Hilari Bell had a great post about this topic too. http://www.sfwa.org/members/bell/writingtips/summer03.html<br />~Sarah Faulkner<br /><br />www.inklinedwriters.blogspot.comSarah Faulknerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00244256396217402116noreply@blogger.com