Thursday, February 11, 2016

Male vs Female Writing

I read an article earlier today that discussed the difference in writing styles between men and women especially when it comes to love and marriage. The article talked about how characters from authors and playwrights such as Shakespearean characters were very set and whether they loved or hated one another they remained true to the set traits they began with. However characters from authors like Bronte and Austen were adaptable, changing with the tides as things were learned.

There was also notes on the way male authors will describe a female character through physical traits such as a slender figure or bright blue eyes yet a women is more likely to focus on a man standing with purpose or his intelligent speech patterns. Men prefer to paint pictures of physique while women more often will discuss intangible traits.

It has been joked among my friends that while I am female by biology I have a strong tomboy side that makes me more one of the boys. I tend to enjoy sports to a level only my male counterparts around me can appreciate. I am not one for stereotypical female activities like shopping for new shoes or watching romantic comedies, though on the movie side I do enjoy almost all genres. But after reading this article I realized I have a more masculine tendency there as well.

Most of my characters are set and stay the same from beginning to end. Conversations are not usually about moving the story along so much as demonstrating interaction and I use internal dialogue to give the reader a sense of what a character is like instead of showing it through actions and verbiage. I am intrigued by idea of showing more this way but it will definitely take some work to overcome my personal style.

As I prepare to finish drafting Sharing Strength and then get into editing four full books I am sure that this information will be weighing on my mind. I would love to be able to blend both styles and as I work hard to complete my current projects and it is a perspective I will have standing by as I work on my future books as well.

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