Men Writing Women - CrimeSpace2024-03-29T12:03:18Zhttps://crimespace.ning.com/forum/topics/men-writing-women?commentId=537324%3AComment%3A221719&feed=yes&xn_auth=noI read The Hunt for Atlantis…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2010-02-01:537324:Comment:2259592010-02-01T08:09:02.624ZJessicahttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/Jessica
I read The Hunt for Atlantis by Andy McDermott the other day - interesting premise, but I couldn't get into it because he didn't seem to have put any thought at all into his protagonist (a female academic). About half-way into the book, I just gave up. The protagonist ended up as a filler providing academic insight while the male SAS soldier took over the story. He got all the funny lines, all the action and all the character, leaving the protagonist as nothing more than a shapeless blob who…
I read The Hunt for Atlantis by Andy McDermott the other day - interesting premise, but I couldn't get into it because he didn't seem to have put any thought at all into his protagonist (a female academic). About half-way into the book, I just gave up. The protagonist ended up as a filler providing academic insight while the male SAS soldier took over the story. He got all the funny lines, all the action and all the character, leaving the protagonist as nothing more than a shapeless blob who spoke occasionally and ended up dating the SAS guy. Stupid, stupid book... I just learned that Charles T…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2010-01-23:537324:Comment:2251612010-01-23T16:24:37.559ZSuzannehttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/dmbdenmother
I just learned that Charles Todd is actually two people, mother and son. So, I guess we need to scratch Todd from my list as well.
I just learned that Charles Todd is actually two people, mother and son. So, I guess we need to scratch Todd from my list as well. I agree about those three, th…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2010-01-16:537324:Comment:2246892010-01-16T18:55:48.492ZI. J. Parkerhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/Ingpark
I agree about those three, though I suspect Stieg Larsen is in there solely on the strength of the girl with the dragon tattoo. I'm a bit dubious about Todd (don't remember his females at all) and I like Elizabeth George's female sergeant very much, but her aristocratic detective is a bit of a romance construct. Tursten is good, and so is Davis. I have assorted problems with Mina, Perry, and Walters. Arent' we to judge how well they write about the opposite sex?
I agree about those three, though I suspect Stieg Larsen is in there solely on the strength of the girl with the dragon tattoo. I'm a bit dubious about Todd (don't remember his females at all) and I like Elizabeth George's female sergeant very much, but her aristocratic detective is a bit of a romance construct. Tursten is good, and so is Davis. I have assorted problems with Mina, Perry, and Walters. Arent' we to judge how well they write about the opposite sex? Thanks, I know Peter Robinson…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2010-01-16:537324:Comment:2246822010-01-16T17:27:04.033Zdoug andersonhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/douganderson
Thanks, I know Peter Robinson, Stieg Larson, and John Harvey's books pretty well, and I agree with you.
Thanks, I know Peter Robinson, Stieg Larson, and John Harvey's books pretty well, and I agree with you. My list of writers (men and w…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2010-01-16:537324:Comment:2246812010-01-16T17:18:09.490ZSuzannehttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/dmbdenmother
My list of writers (men and women) who "write" interesting women:<br />
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Charles Todd, Lindsay Davis, Kjell Eriksson, Elizabeth George, JOHN HARVEY, Stieg Larsson, Denise Mina, Anne Perry, PETER ROBINSON, Helene Tursten, Minette Walters<br />
<br />
The two in caps are the best.
My list of writers (men and women) who "write" interesting women:<br />
<br />
Charles Todd, Lindsay Davis, Kjell Eriksson, Elizabeth George, JOHN HARVEY, Stieg Larsson, Denise Mina, Anne Perry, PETER ROBINSON, Helene Tursten, Minette Walters<br />
<br />
The two in caps are the best. Right. Well observed. I also…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2010-01-10:537324:Comment:2243142010-01-10T22:22:43.211ZI. J. Parkerhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/Ingpark
Right. Well observed. I also have a male protagonist and that is what I do. Still before one can walk in the guy's shoes, one has to know a lot about how men think and why they approach problems differently from women.
Right. Well observed. I also have a male protagonist and that is what I do. Still before one can walk in the guy's shoes, one has to know a lot about how men think and why they approach problems differently from women. Nice post.tag:crimespace.ning.com,2010-01-10:537324:Comment:2243072010-01-10T20:53:05.382Zdoug andersonhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/douganderson
Nice post.
Nice post. I write a male protagonist, a…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2010-01-10:537324:Comment:2243042010-01-10T20:18:17.887ZJaden Terrellhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/BethTerrell
I write a male protagonist, and one of the best pieces of advice I ever read about writing the opposite sex is to ask yourself, not, "What would a man do in this situation?" but "What would I do in this situation if I were a man?" (Of course, in your case, you'd replace "man" with "woman" in the previous sentence.) It's a subtle difference. Now that I know my character better, I just ask myself, "What would Jared do?"<br />
<br />
Once the book is written, I run it past a lot of men to see if I got it…
I write a male protagonist, and one of the best pieces of advice I ever read about writing the opposite sex is to ask yourself, not, "What would a man do in this situation?" but "What would I do in this situation if I were a man?" (Of course, in your case, you'd replace "man" with "woman" in the previous sentence.) It's a subtle difference. Now that I know my character better, I just ask myself, "What would Jared do?"<br />
<br />
Once the book is written, I run it past a lot of men to see if I got it right. Often, the things one man says no straight guy would think/feel/say/do, are the very things another says are right on the money. As my husband says, men are not monolithic.<br />
<br />
Women generally like my guy a lot, but interestingly, it's usually women who say men don't know/feel [x], even when I originally got the idea from hearing and seeing men say/do/talk about [x] .<br />
<br />
It sounds like you watch and listen to woman and approach your character with sensitivity, so I'm sure you'll do your character justice. Oh, teenagers... Especially g…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2010-01-07:537324:Comment:2240372010-01-07T23:45:47.787ZDonna Carrickhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/DonnaCarrick
Oh, teenagers... Especially girls.... You are a very brave man indeed. Can I help write the eulogy? Just kidding. I think the key is to look around you and write the kids you see the way you see them. We really are that bad, and that good too. The thing that is most difficult for us, especially as parents, to understand is that they are born as fully complete people. By the time they are teens, they are really tired of the fact that no one gets that.<br />
<br />
Good luck!
Oh, teenagers... Especially girls.... You are a very brave man indeed. Can I help write the eulogy? Just kidding. I think the key is to look around you and write the kids you see the way you see them. We really are that bad, and that good too. The thing that is most difficult for us, especially as parents, to understand is that they are born as fully complete people. By the time they are teens, they are really tired of the fact that no one gets that.<br />
<br />
Good luck! Indeed it is a fine disciplin…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2009-12-16:537324:Comment:2225482009-12-16T02:01:52.908Zdoug andersonhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/douganderson
Indeed it is a fine discipline. I've got plenty of feedback from women in my writing group, all of whom are deeply committed and widely published authors. It can't hurt to have this discussion too often. I've enjoyed this one, and I think we all got something from it.
Indeed it is a fine discipline. I've got plenty of feedback from women in my writing group, all of whom are deeply committed and widely published authors. It can't hurt to have this discussion too often. I've enjoyed this one, and I think we all got something from it.