Male vs Female writers

[pervo]

Is there a way to sort or search for stories based on the gender of the writer? I find that stories by female writers are often more interesting and complex and far less formulaic.

 

[Bill_Cosplay]

Is there a way to sort or search for stories based on the gender of the writer? I find that stories by female writers are often more interesting and complex and far less formulaic.

I smell groupie!!!

 

[KeithD]

Is there a way to sort or search for stories based on the gender of the writer? I find that stories by female writers are often more interesting and complex and far less formulaic.

No. You can't even always tell the gender of the author either by their account name or the gender they claim in their profile. Because that's true, there's no real guarantee that the stories you've already read are by the gender you think they are.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

No. You can't even always tell the gender of the author either by their account name or the gender they claim in their profile. Because that's true, there's no real guarantee that the stories you've already read are by the gender you think they are.

Isn't that half the fun?

 

[KeithD]

Isn't that half the fun?

It's a good reason not to bother to ask the OP's question.

 

[Jada59]

Is there a way to sort or search for stories based on the gender of the writer? I find that stories by female writers are often more interesting and complex and far less formulaic.

Try mine!

 

[Hypoxia]

WYSIWYG -- it's the law.

 

[AfterDusk]

On behalf of my gender, thank you? But I'd say that's an incorrect assessment, there are plenty of male authors that have written interesting and unique works. I'm sure the problem you're running into is simply that there are sooo many authors on Lit, it is hard to weed the wheat from the chaff as it were.

I'll list a few of my favorites, give them a read and see if they're closer to your expectations:

Male author

Novus Animus
Final Stand
Teh Corinthian
Todd172

Female author
Doctor Wolf
Etaski
SteffiOlsen

I have a few stories posted as well, though mine are generally more plot heavy.
AfterDusk

 

[KeithD]

That's not the only problem, as I noted. You can't be sure who is a female author and who is a male author here. You just can't with any guarantee. Neither the account name they use nor the claim they make on gender is ground truth.

 

[AfterDusk]

That's not the only problem, as I noted. You can't be sure who is a female author and who is a male author here. You just can't with any guarantee. Neither the account name they use or the claim they make on gender is ground truth.

Too true, of course, but isn't that the draw of this place? That we can be anything we want?

Not that it should matter though, because good writing is good writing regardless of author gender. Simply offering up some of my favorites with separated by their chosen profile denomination.

 

[RetroFan]

A good writer should be able to write competently in the first person as both a female or a male character depending on what the story requires, or in third person. Call me biased but I don't like second person whether written by an amateur writer online or a Pulitzer-prize winning novelist.

Anyway, you're reading fiction - if you're invested in the character who really cares whether the author is male or female, young or old, good-looking or not?

For example, if you were reading a story series written in first person about a pretty and slim blonde 18-year-old American girl from California who is in her first year in college and you like the character, you find her interesting and engaging and she turns you on, does it really matter that the author is a muscular young Italian-American man from New Jersey who looks like one of the people from 'Jersey Shore', a fat red-haired 28-year-old man from Birmingham in the UK, or a tattoo-covered male Australian bogan from Melbourne?

 

[AfterDusk]

A good writer should be able to write competently in the first person as both a female or a male character depending on what the story requires, or in third person. Call me biased but I don't like second person whether written by an amateur writer online or a Pulitzer-prize winning novelist.

Anyway, you're reading fiction - if you're invested in the character who really cares whether the author is male or female, young or old, good-looking or not?

For example, if you were reading a story series written in first person about a pretty and slim blonde 18-year-old American girl from California who is in her first year in college and you like the character, you find her interesting and engaging and she turns you on, does it really matter that the author is a muscular young Italian-American man from New Jersey who looks like one of the people from 'Jersey Shore', a fat red-haired 28-year-old man from Birmingham in the UK, or a tattoo-covered male Australian bogan from Melbourne?

Hmm. Not defending anyone here, simply pointing this out, but aren't we shaming the OP a bit? Perhaps it is a fetish of theirs, to read works by female authors. If someone has a preference I'm not sure it is within our right to judge them for it, especially on this site.

 

[KeithD]

To true, of course, but isn't that the draw of this place? That we can be anything we want?

Isn't that irrelevant to the OP's question? I think I've stated a simple truism to the OP.

This is one of the examples of the scientific minded who think they can squeeze orange juice out of a lemon from the false belief that numbers, data, charts and grafs can answer every question. They can't.

 

[AfterDusk]

Isn't that irrelevant to the OP's question? I think I've stated a simple truism to the OP.

This is one of the examples of the scientific minded who think they can squeeze orange juice out of a lemon from the false belief that numbers, data, charts and grafs can answer every question. They can't.

...not quite sure how to respond to that. Let me look over this pie chart while I mull it over.

 

[Bramblethorn]

That's not the only problem, as I noted. You can't be sure who is a female author and who is a male author here. You just can't with any guarantee. Neither the account name they use or the claim they make on gender is ground truth.

Well, there is one way to be sure, but it requires their collaboration and it doesn't scale easily.

 

[LupusDei]

Well, there is one way to be sure, but it requires their collaboration and it doesn't scale easily.

Even then you can run in some rather confusing people.

 

[RetroFan]

On a similar vein, some people with fetishes like very specific things.

Using fat fetishism as an example, a guy with a fetish for BBW might absolutely love stories written in first person where the narrator is an overweight or obese woman. If he was reading a story where a fat 19-year-old female college student from Florida waits at her older brother's house to let the pool repair guy in, and she and the pool guy end up having sex together. Would it really matter to the fat fetish guy reading the story that the author isn't a fat 19-year-old college student from Florida USA, but a 40-year-old woman from Adelaide in Australia who is built like a willow stick? This reader wants to read stories about overweight girls having sex, he presumably doesn't speculate what the authors look like and whether they are fat or even female themselves. Would the reader only want to read stories that he knows were written by actual overweight women? I highly doubt it.

 

[Etaski]

Isn't that irrelevant to the OP's question? I think I've stated a simple truism to the OP.

This is one of the examples of the scientific minded who think they can squeeze orange juice out of a lemon from the false belief that numbers, data, charts and grafs can answer every question. They can't.

I get your point, pilot, it's just framed cynical enough about something far beyond the oiriginal question that I'd like to say, "Dude, relax."

Fine examples of the scientifically-minded here on Lit such as Darkniciad and Bramblethorn can get useful data out of what's there, but they use their words and suss out and acknowledge the limitations, the point where it devolves into speculation, as a good scientific mind can do.

Learning scientific method is trial and error for the inexperienced, this is an example. Flaws in a hypothesis based on assumptions isn't a "flawed belief"--that implies the OP can't adjust his thinking on a core value without severe cognitive dissonance. I doubt that's the case here.

It's merely an assumption of one or two known factors one hadn't taken into consideration yet but could easily do so and adjust his view. That's why science can't be done alone, and why today's inventors stand on the shoulders of others. And charts and graphs are often equivalent to "basic sketches" that an artist does for a larger work: they can be refined with more data, and should be.

In this case, I'd say cut back on the unfounded desperation/delusional imagery for the OP, or scientific minds in general. Everyone wants to use data on the internet to find what they're looking for. The OP was just asking because of a perception that women write more often nuanced and emotionally complex stories (a nice sentiment, although also a flawed premise).

Now further information has been given from experienced peers, including the suggestion that there are writers who would fit into neither of those two categories. Done. Often those who have answered the same question too many times and has forgotten how to instruct the new class rather than belittle them. That's why many tenured professors at universities should just be let out to pasture to work on their own projects and not teaching the freshmen.

 

[KeithD]

So, you've taken it upon yourself to school me? Got it, tenured prof.

 

[Hypoxia]

On the InterWebz, nobody knows you're a poodle with a weak bladder.

 

[CandiCame]

Idk, I'd argue that there is a difference. I mean, there's no way to filter by gender of author but I do think that different... maybe not different genders but different sexes write sex differently because we just experience it differently. Especially because Lit has a lot of amateur writers and that kind of thing takes a lot of research and experience.

 

[Charmolypi]

I posed this idea on the Author’s forum here. It ruffled many feathers. Authors do not like to think that their gender influences their writing. The poor babies.

I still think it’s a good idea, and I, too, would seek out authors whose taste and style was better aligned with mine. Gender is almost certainly a part of that.

 

[ChasingAnna]

Interesting, do you feel that females write "more interesting and complex and far less formulaic" stories generally, or only within the realm of erotica? If it's only within the realm of erotic writing, perhaps you are seeing something specific, such as writing from the perspective of a female character and assuming that they do that specific thing because they must be a woman?

 

[LupusDei]

Idk, I'd argue that there is a difference. I mean, there's no way to filter by gender of author but I do think that different... maybe not different genders but different sexes write sex differently because we just experience it differently. Especially because Lit has a lot of amateur writers and that kind of thing takes a lot of research and experience.

Difference there is for sure. Some of us just don't have some specific body parts and that surely affect how well we can describe some intimate experiences. There no questions about that.

Just today I commented on some story that would have liked certain episode to be explored in more detail, but understood that because of the assumed gender of the author that probably was deemed impossible to do in authentic enough way.

The question here is sorting authors in sound but futile hope to sort descriptions. All we have and ever will is only the information the authors themselves may or may not voluntary give and that is not guaranteed to be truthful or relevant, even it could be in overwhelming majority of cases there always will be outliers of various kind.

Knowing or assuming author's sex and/or gender does influence how the story will be perceived. This in on itself can and is a tool at author's disposal. It can be used honestly or to achieve desired effect, and can be successful or fail in either case.

For ironic aside, a lot of generic sex stories seem to be written by sex-less virgins most of with might be boys but one may never know.

I'm almost certain many if not most of female exhibitionist stories are male written, under both male and female pen names. Between best that may be by genuine female authors at least one use male protagonist as a focal character and narrative voice, for excellent effect. How you suggest to unpack that?

It's probably about as easy and productive than attempts to sort Science Fiction and Fantasy in two distinct categories, while obvious cases are obvious, there is wide middle that doesn't conform to strict categorisation nor should.

 

[NotWise]

I find that stories by female writers are often more interesting and complex and far less formulaic.

Where are you reading? What are you reading? This strikes me as a broad-brush generalization based more on personal prejudice than on reality. Do you think silkstockingslover writes complex stories? Do you find DreamCloud's stories one-dimensional?

There was a thread in AH (maybe the one Charmolypi mentioned) where a link was posted to a site that tried to use a research-based method to determine the gender of the author. It usually failed to identify my gender. When it had a statistically significant indication, it thought I was female, which I've never been. I seem to recall that other authors did the same test and others got similar results.

The site generally doesn't know the gender of the writer, it would be difficult to judge a writer's gender from information based on the story content, and there are prominent exceptions to your generalizations. So to put my two bits in on the original question, there is no way to sort stories by the gender of the author, and if there were then you might be disappointed by the results.