 Drama: September 19, 2012 Issue [#5252] |
  Drama
This week: Author's Gender and His/Her Craft Edited by: Joy  
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Instead of asking yourself, "How do I write this female soldier?" ask yourself, "How do I write this soldier?
Adrienne Kress
Writing is not an amusing occupation. It is a combination of ditch-digging, mountain-climbing, treadmill and childbirth.
Edna Ferber
We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.
Ernest Hemingway
People want to know why I do this, why I write such gross stuff. I like to tell them I have the heart of a small boy-and I keep it in a jar on my desk.
Stephen King
Hello, I am Joy , this week's drama editor. Our discussion in this issue concerns the gender role on the craft of writing. In the editorial, I don't mean to be politically incorrect in any way, but I want to present an idea with the hope that it helps us in honing our craft.
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Welcome to the Drama newsletter
Recently, I have been reading quite a few self-published authors, most of their work fresh out of their pen and possibly little pre-reviewed and with no editors. Unpolished writing doesn't necessarily mean poor writing, but I noticed strong differences in word choices and usage between the male and female writers, regardless of the genre chosen.
A search on the subject of gender role in writing pointed to a University of Texas study, titled Gender Differences in Language Use. A few other articles, including a newspaper article in the Guardian, also confirmed my suspicion.
This made me examine my own writing, and Mea Culpa, I have repeatedly given my male characters the qualities, diction, and gestures specific to females. Something I have to work on.
No wonder, thinking affects style, and surely, the same things I noticed in self-published work can be said of the work of experienced writers, although to a lesser degree.
Polls and surveys show that, in general, women read 80% of all literary fiction and self-help books while male readers are more likely to favor science fiction, history, and political pieces. In addition, we know of gender-specific fiction such as romance novels, war, and action/ adventure stories.
Now, let us look at a few ways female and male writers use the language and how males and females differ in their approach to life.
 Female writers use personal pronouns (I, you, we) more, whereas male writers are more likely to substitute articles (a, the, that) instead of personal pronouns.
Female writers focus more on the relationships and emotions behind the actions, whereas male writers stress on the exact details of the actions.
In dialogue, females state preferences and use apologetic language, whereas male writers state demands.
For example:
Female writer's character: "I would like some white wine."
"I'm sorry, but this situation prevents me to give you a raise at this time."
Male writer's character: "Grab me a beer."
"I'm not giving you a raise. Your work is not up to par."
In everyday conversation, males do not talk much about personal information while women frequently do.
Men use shorter sentences than women, whereas women like to explain things in detail.
Men, in general, like to see accomplishments like a battle won, a planet conquered, or a disease cured. Women like to see what happens to families in certain situations, how to handle hardships in difficult situations, or what it is like to watch the baby walk.
Women, in general, use roundabout ways such as hinting or gestures to make their point. Men are more likely to use less sympathetic phrasing. Their talk may include sarcasm, put-downs, references to taboo body parts and sexual innuendos.
Examples:
Female Writer: "His words cut into her, breaking something fragile inside her."
Male Writer: "His words punched Joe like whistling left hooks."
Analogies, similes, and metaphors also need attention. Male writers liken things more to sports, fights, harsh things, whereas female writers use gentler things. For example, women may be comparing clouds to butterfly wings, and men, to Formula 1 cars racing in the dust.
Although there's nothing wrong with directing the writing to a specific gender or audience, experienced writers write for readers of both genders and all audiences. Now, let's see how an experienced male writer writes the way women would talk, although most of this writer's work consists of tough-guy books and westerns.
"The women in our family have always prided themselves on their dress," Aurora said. "All except you, at least. I am not a seamstress. I do not propose to sew."
"I know you don't," Emma said. She herself was wearing jeans and one of her husband's T-shirts.
"That garment you have on top of you is so disgusting I scarcely know how to refer to it," Aurora said.
Larry McMurtry Terms of Endearment
When we want to appeal to mixed audiences, we need to review our writing with an eye for passages where the language slants toward our own gender. If we find such passages, then we can make revisions to balance the language and usage, instead of letting it stay biased toward one gender.
In other words, if we choose a female approach to a topic, we may wish to bring poise to it by incorporating a few masculine elements into the writing, and the opposite is true for the male approach.
Let us, therefore, consider tweaking our craft.
Until next time...  |
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Your Drama Newsletter Editors: NickiD89  kittiara Joy
Thank you for reading our newsletters and for supplying the editors with feedback and encouragement.
 This Issue's Tip:
When writing a novel, vary your beginnings for each chapter. For example, don't start every chapter with dialogue.
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 Reading Recommendation: A book with drama
If you have a recommendation, a few words on a book or a product review, send it to me or to this newsletter. I'll highlight it here.
Tasia714 
Your timing is great. I was just thinking if I was going to kill off one of my characters. But, I have now decided that a good case of amnesia will make the story more interesting and leave room for maybe a later part 2.
Thanks again for this article I enjoyed reading it.
Tasia. :)
Good idea, Tasia, and thank you.
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Shannon 
When I was younger I loved Stephen King but would get so upset when he'd kill off my favorite characters (King seems to kill off at least one main character per book), but now I appreciate his courage; he writes stories the way they demand to be written. Death will eventually claim us all, and sometimes bad things really do happen to good people. Thanks for another great NL, Joy. 
Thank you, Shannon.
Yes, killing is dirty business, but someone's got to do it. Who's better for the job than King?
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Elisabeth
This is very helpful! Sometimes I second guess whether killing off a character is a mistake, so I'm glad I stumbled upon this. I've actually just begun a chapter in my novel in which a character dies, but his death will have a huge impact on the other characters and it will influence their decisions as the plot progresses.
Thank you, Elisabeth.
Sometimes, good fiction starts with a funeral, which is fine as long as the death or the dead person has an impact on the story, just like yours.
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decoluvj
Thank you so much for this newsletter! In my personal writings I'm always balking at killing one of the characters, even when I know that it HAS TO BE DONE, that one has GOT to go. And, I know I'm by far not the only reader to feel like shouting, "NO! YOU KILLED <favorite char>!! WHY?" upon finishing a favorite book. I'm reading the seventh/eighth book in the Tarzan series, and I almost screamed when Jane died in the beginning. Why, Burroughs? Why, why, why?
Thank you, too, Vanessa for the input.
Yes, poor Jane, but what can you do, Tarzan can't have competition from Jane. He has to be unattached to live his drama and attract more attention.
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StephBee 
Joy, thumbs up for a great newsletter. If I kill a character I find it has to be very organic to the plot. I just killed one in my upcoming novel, The Secret Door and it broke my heart!
Thanks, Steph.
And  to all your killings, but I can't still get over your poor Victor, in The Wolf's Torment.
I bet your new novel is a blast like the previous ones.
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BIG BAD WOLF is Howling 
Submitted item: "The Hunt" [18+]
Sometimes you have to make them wonder- is the Hero dead, or alive?
True, it's good to make them wonder, although I prefer heroes who are alive and well. 
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