Female people: What's your opinion of straight men writing from women's pov?

[nice90sguy]

Do you care one way or the other? Or does it raise your hackles (actually, not sure whether women have hackles)?

 

[KeithD]

It's fine with me if his readers like it. How do you feel about bi or gay men writing from women's POV (and is that different from how you feel about straight men doing it?)

For that matter, how do you feel about straight, lesbian, or bi women writing GM stories? I'm pretty sure there are more GM stories here written by women than by men.

 

[jehoram]

Not a female, but...

There was a thread about that not too long ago:

https://forum.literotica.com/threads/writing-male-characters.1563117/

and it prompted another thread on the opposite point of view:

https://forum.literotica.com/thread...ales-writing-from-a-male-perspective.1576262/

 

[SimonDoom]

No writer should EVER feel like they cannot write a character from a background completely different from their own. This is what fiction is all about.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Do you care one way or the other? Or does it raise your hackles (actually, not sure whether women have hackles)?

Last time I checked, we are the same species. All writing, even my semi-autobiographical stuff, involves imagination. If we take a quasi-solipsistic POV, then I don’t know what anyone else’s experience is like or even if you are sentient beings. I could be a [rather small] brain in a jar.

I’ve done the opposite once recently and am in the middle of a second story with a male narrator. Maybe it’s not all hyper-authentic. But how did Tolkien get away with writing from a hobbit’s POV?

Em

 

[onehitwanda]

But how did Tolkien get away with writing from a hobbit’s POV?

He was English...

 

[nice90sguy]

a hobbit’s POV

I sometimes wish I were a hobbit, with a very tall girlfriend (sighs and takes another hit of pipe-weed)

 

[MelissaBaby]

Good writing is good writing.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Good writing is good writing.

Yes. What she said!

Em

 

[EmilyMiller]

Last time I checked, we are the same species. All writing, even my semi-autobiographical stuff, involves imagination. If we take a quasi-solipsistic POV, then I don’t know what anyone else’s experience is like or even if you are sentient beings. I could be a [rather small] brain in a jar.

I’ve done the opposite once recently and am in the middle of a second story with a male narrator. Maybe it’s not all hyper-authentic. But how did Tolkien get away with writing from a hobbit’s POV?

Em

Talking to myself - how Gandalf am I?

So I’ve told this story here before, so sorry if it’s terminally boring…

When I wrote my first story with a male narrator, I had a bunch of 30 something guys (maybe 4) saying I had written him as too girlie, that he was basically a woman with a cock (that’s another one of my stories, actually) and that guys don’t cry like that.

I had a slightly larger number of 50-60+ plus guys say that it chimed with their experience. The character has lost his wife and so had one of the people giving me feedback, he said it resonated with him. That brought tears to my eyes.

And most amusingly, I had the largest amount of women saying that it was nice to see a realistic portrayal of a guy for a change.

Make of that what you will.

Em

 

[AwkwardlySet]

Talking to myself - how Gandalf am I?

So I’ve told this story here before, so sorry if it’s terminally boring…

When I wrote my first story with a male narrator, I had a bunch of 30 something guys (maybe 4) saying I had written him as too girlie, that he was basically a woman with a cock (that’s another one of my stories, actually) and that guys don’t cry like that.

I had a slightly larger number of 50-60+ plus guys say that it chimed with their experience. The character has lost his wife and so had one of the people giving me feedback, he said it resonated with him. That brought tears to my eyes.

And most amusingly, I had the largest amount of women saying that it was nice to see a realistic portrayal of a guy for a change.

Make of that what you will.

Em

My experience is that if a man is writing from a woman's POV, male readers are more often the ones who like it. And vice-versa. I think it's not so hard to tell when it's the opposite sex writing a certain character, especially in erotic stories. There are tells and some differences that become obvious over time. I also believe that one shouldn't emulate the writing style of the opposite sex to make it more realistic. It is refreshing and fun to read the way we see "the other side".

 

[EmilyMiller]

My experience is that if a man is writing from a woman's POV, male readers are more often the ones who like it. And vice-versa. I think it's not so hard to tell when it's the opposite sex writing a certain character, especially in erotic stories. There are tells and some differences that become obvious over time. I also believe that one shouldn't emulate the writing style of the opposite sex to make it more realistic. It is refreshing and fun to read the way we see "the other side".

Aside from asking a few Lit guys for specific feedback, I sort of wrote it as I would any other story. I figured I’m a human too.

Em

 

[EmilyMiller]

He was English...

I know they are meant to be people from his childhood Salford, plus Sam being his orderly from WWI. But surely Welsh people can write too?

Em

 

[TarnishedPenny]

But surely Welsh people can write too?

Em

Coherently? Using words with, y’know, vowels?

 

[Cindy027]

I have read books by male authors where they describe women and have never really thought “no way”. Then I have also read books by female authors where I thought they could probably have done a bit more research on the male technical bits . I really don’t think there’s an excuse not to get stuff right, google is your friend .

Earlier it was said that someone wrote a male character too girlie, well looking around this site how far off could she be

 

[EmilyMiller]

Coherently? Using words with, y’know, vowels?

Y is a vowel in Welsh

 

[KeithD]

Y is a vowel in Welsh

Sometimes it is in English too. e.g., "rhythm."

 

[EmilyMiller]

Sometimes it is in English too. e.g., "rhythm."

Yup.

Myth. Crypt. Cyst. Lymph. Etc.

 

[Publius68]

He was English...

He may have been English, but that doesn't make him a New Zealander...

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Y is a vowel in Welsh

Mmm-hmm. As in the town of ‘Llwchwr’…

 

[EmilyMiller]

Mmm-hmm. As in the town of ‘Llwchwr’…

I went up to Snowdonia climbing for one weekend when I was studying in London. All I recall of the Welsh language was Ysgol being school and Gorsaf Dân being fire department.

I liked the rock though.

Em

 

[Voboy]

I went up to Snowdonia climbing for one weekend when I was studying in London. All I recall of the Welsh language was Ysgol being school and Gorsaf Dân being fire department.

I liked the rock though.

Em

"Cwm" means a valley, closed at one end. Tolkien used the word "coomb" for the same thing, like the Deeping.

So even a "y" is not required in Welsh. Y? I don't know.

 

[EmilyMiller]

My experience is that if a man is writing from a woman's POV, male readers are more often the ones who like it. And vice-versa. I think it's not so hard to tell when it's the opposite sex writing a certain character, especially in erotic stories. There are tells and some differences that become obvious over time. I also believe that one shouldn't emulate the writing style of the opposite sex to make it more realistic. It is refreshing and fun to read the way we see "the other side".

That is consistent with my [somewhat meagre] data.

 

[EmilyMiller]

"Cwm" means a valley, closed at one end.

So even a "y" is not required. Y? I don't know.

It’s formed by the head of a glacier and pronounced - I think - “coom”.

Em

 

[Voboy]

It’s formed by the head of a glacier and pronounced - I think - “coom”.

Em

Yes, I added a bit. Scroll up.