Female writing male POV

[finalgirl]

Hi,

I have a story idea that's been running through my mind which I wanted to try writing from a male pov. And I've found it really difficult, a lot harder than I thought. At the moment, I've sidelined it until I decide whether to continue or not, but it's made me wonder if there are many women who write successfully from a male pov? Perhaps under a male nym, I'm not sure. Has anyone here tried it? Or does anyone have any recommendations of stories I could read for inspiration? Thanks.

::fg::

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Florence King wrote tons of porn from a male POV.

The male POV is simple "Hold it still so I can fuck it."

 

[3113]

but it's made me wonder if there are many women who write successfully from a male pov? Perhaps under a male nym, I'm not sure. Has anyone here tried it? Or does anyone have any recommendations of stories I could read for inspiration?

Historically speaking, there've been plenty of women writing under male pseudonyms who have done so so successfully that when they said they revealed themselves to be women, men wouldn't believe it.

And yes, there've been a lot of writers here, male and female, who have fooled readers about their gender. The question isn't, however, you writing from a male perspective, but what reader you want to fool? Fooling a guy into thinking you're a male writer isn't going to be just the p.o.v. but the tone and style and focus. Fooling a female reader won't be nearly so hard because they won't care or notice as much if your style and tone isn't so masculine and if your male is more introspective than a guy oughta be about sex.

As for what to read...I'd recommend reading stories by men with a male p.o.v. Loving Wives, alas is probably the category for that. If you want stories male pov written by women, however, successfully and unsuccessfully, read the gay male category.

 

[SemiColon]

OK, so this isn't really the thread for this, but why are so many gay male stories written by women? I write them as well, which my husband thinks is bizarre. I've noticed that most of my comments come from hetero women...so we are women writing about gay men for other women. What's up with that?

 

[CharleyH]

Hi,

I have a story idea that's been running through my mind which I wanted to try writing from a male pov. And I've found it really difficult, a lot harder than I thought. At the moment, I've sidelined it until I decide whether to continue or not, but it's made me wonder if there are many women who write successfully from a male pov? Perhaps under a male nym, I'm not sure. Has anyone here tried it? Or does anyone have any recommendations of stories I could read for inspiration? Thanks.

::fg::

Many men and just as many women write from alternate gender POVs. Good luck, love. I am sure you will do it.

 

[tickledkitty]

I wrote one story from a male POV, which has not been posted here yet. I don't think it's really that hard. People are people. I think the main thing about men is that they aren't as emotional as we are. They don't think about things, ok, obsess about things as much as we do. I know that is oversimplifying, and guys, don't get offended. I'm just trying to explain how I separated myself from my femaleness in order to get this character right.

I think I succeeded. We'll see at holiday contest time when I finally post the story. Throughout the editing process and several people reading it, nobody said anything about the character not seeming like a guy. Just write it. You can always go back and change things. After you write it, get a couple guys to read it and let you know what they think.

One thing to think about throughout is to keep it simple. Guys are simple. I say this in an admiring way, believe me. Guys keep things simple. Think about it. Their friendships, business relationships, sexual relationships, etc., rarely become complicated or convoluted unless we (women) make them that way.

Again, I know I'm making generalizations, but that's what worked for me.

 

[3113]

OK, so this isn't really the thread for this, but why are so many gay male stories written by women? I write them as well, which my husband thinks is bizarre. I've noticed that most of my comments come from hetero women...so we are women writing about gay men for other women. What's up with that?

Well, men like to write and read stories of lesbians (the L-Word is watched by a lot of straight guys), so there is that same "one is good, two is better" attraction there. And either pov in the story is going to be one that appeals to females because it's looking at and attracted to a hot guy, rather than one pov being attracted to a hot girl. So who ever's pov it is, the female reader gets satisfied. Which ever character's head your'e in, there's a hot guy under your hands.

I think, however, it also has to do with a romantic element. Erotica and Porn that has traditionally been tailored to men has been devoid of much romance [gosh, I wonder why? ] Women usually like some romance in their erotica and gay male erotica, even when written by actual gay males, can be romantic.

On the ironic opposite end, lesbian sex written by men, at least, just gets right to the sex and bypass the romance

 

[the_jawbreaker]

One thing to think about throughout is to keep it simple. Guys are simple. I say this in an admiring way, believe me. Guys keep things simple. Think about it. Their friendships, business relationships, sexual relationships, etc., rarely become complicated or convoluted unless we (women) make them that way.

Again, I know I'm making generalizations, but that's what worked for me.

Kitty nailed it spot-on.
I'm always marveled at the amount of problems my girlfriends seemed to face - raging from the look a coworker gave them to sexual positions.

It's just not like that with me or any of my men friends. I can't speak for all men of course, but I myself like keeping things simple.

 

[CharleyH]

I wrote one story from a male POV, which has not been posted here yet.

Thanks, but no thanks.

 

[3113]

I've found it really difficult, a lot harder than I thought.

What, exactly did you find hard? Getting into his head and knowing what he felt and thought, or getting into his head and making love to a woman?

 

[tickledkitty]

Thanks, but no thanks.

Meaning what? You don't care to read it? (I don't care.) Or you don't care to write from the male POV?

 

[CharleyH]

Meaning what? You don't care to read it? (I don't care.) Or you don't care to write from the male POV?

Why would I possibly want to read it?

 

[tickledkitty]

Why would I possibly want to read it?

Stole it?

Pretty tricky how you changed your post just as I was quoting you.

 

[Stella_Omega]

On the ironic opposite end, lesbian sex written by men, at least, just gets right to the sex and bypass the romance

I love to tease one friend of mine; "She became moist."

That's it. The whole process of getting interested, aroused, insatiable-- condensed into three words. Good thing he's so cute!
(eta)

Kitty nailed it spot-on.
I'm always marveled at the amount of problems my girlfriends seemed to face - raging from the look a coworker gave them to sexual positions.

It's just not like that with me or any of my men friends. I can't speak for all men of course, but I myself like keeping things simple.

Q.E.D!

As to women writing gay erotica, this conversation is going on all over the internet, wherever women who write gather! I think there are a whole host of reasons.

One is that the interpersonal relationship can be explored independent of traditional male-female dynamics. In other words, it's not about little girly-poo and Big Strong Man. It's a meeting of equal status, and the differences are personality driven.

There is also a notion that men have more uninhibited and hotter sex with each other than they do with women. In our present climate of uncertain equalities, it's difficult for women to imagine really rough sex with a man, or write it without being criticised for her masochism. You can write men tussling for supremacy, physically, where women would be overpowered instantly, unless the guy deliberately lets her win. So if you want to play with that dynamic, you have to choose a physically matched pair. (let's pleeeze not go off into the realms of Yaoi, okay?)

And an awful lot of women can't imagine hot and rough sex between lesbians. They think that women prefer gentle kisses and curtains floating in the breeze. I find it ironic, since those same women are reading tons of hot and rough sex-- written by women. Obviously, women don't necessarily prefer gentle breezes!

Among other things, I write hot and rough lesbian sex. And I get feedback saying how sexy it would be-- if only I would re-write it with men.

 

[CharleyH]

Stole it?

Pretty tricky how you changed your post just as I was quoting you.

I am inconsistent, don't worry about it. Aspire to it.

 

[the_jawbreaker]

I am inconsistent, don't worry about it. Aspire to it.

You missed an opportunity to apologize...

 

[Stella_Omega]

You missed an opportunity to apologize...

Charley only apologises in private. it's worth getting her alone for it, though...

 

[MarshAlien]

I wrote one story from a male POV, which has not been posted here yet. I don't think it's really that hard. People are people. I think the main thing about men is that they aren't as emotional as we are. They don't think about things, ok, obsess about things as much as we do. I know that is oversimplifying, and guys, don't get offended. I'm just trying to explain how I separated myself from my femaleness in order to get this character right.

I think I succeeded. We'll see at holiday contest time when I finally post the story. Throughout the editing process and several people reading it, nobody said anything about the character not seeming like a guy. Just write it. You can always go back and change things. After you write it, get a couple guys to read it and let you know what they think.

One thing to think about throughout is to keep it simple. Guys are simple. I say this in an admiring way, believe me. Guys keep things simple. Think about it. Their friendships, business relationships, sexual relationships, etc., rarely become complicated or convoluted unless we (women) make them that way.

Again, I know I'm making generalizations, but that's what worked for me.

Zactly. I remember hearing once that when you go on vacation, you should put all your money and clothing on the bed. Then you should take twice as much money and half as much clothing. If you're writing erotica from a male POV, you should look over your story after you're done. Then you should put in half as much emotion and twice as much sex. Hope this helps.

 

[shereads]

Hi,

I have a story idea that's been running through my mind which I wanted to try writing from a male pov. And I've found it really difficult, a lot harder than I thought. At the moment, I've sidelined it until I decide whether to continue or not, but it's made me wonder if there are many women who write successfully from a male pov? Perhaps under a male nym, I'm not sure. Has anyone here tried it? Or does anyone have any recommendations of stories I could read for inspiration? Thanks.

::fg::

For a remarkably convincing female-author-does-male-pov, I recommend Donna Tartt's cult-classic novel, The Secret History. it's not porn, mind you, but there are some subtly erotic moments in which the narrator, Richard, expresses his secret longing for a female friend - and these are done so convincingly, the writer's own gender simply disappears. "Richard" seems equally real when dealing with his confused response to a male friend's attempt at seduction.

As far as erotica goes, the gender of your audience probably makes a difference. As a woman and reader, I look for two separate-but-equal thrills when reading male-pov sex scenes: having another woman deliver the fantasy of what men think and feel when they want us; and the more challenging discovery of what a man REALLY thinks and feels. Ah, the primitive wonders of the Lizard Brain! What a ride.

In the first instance (female writing a sexual fantasy for females, using male-pov) authenticity is beside the point. "He" can be emotional; he just can't be girlie.

From a literary standpoint, it takes an exceptionally skilled author to make his or her own gender irrelevent. Or so I'd like to think - for all I know, some of my favorite female erotica writers might be men.

 

[Stella_Omega]

Zactly. I remember hearing once that when you go on vacation, you should put all your money and clothing on the bed. Then you should take twice as much money and half as much clothing. If you're writing erotica from a male POV, you should look over your story after you're done. Then you should put in half as much emotion and twice as much sex. Hope this helps.

That doesn't work for female readership though!

I beta'd a gay male story written by a woman; the emotional content was bodice-ripper quality. I couldn't have written so much weepiness for a woman. But damn, did it get the high votes. The readers LOVED it.

 

[TheeGoatPig]

You also have to remember that what we don't feel we see. We are very visual creatures. While women remember what they were feeling and thinking during sex, men remember what the woman was doing, what position, how her boobs jiggled, who was on top and what not. We see with our eyes, not with our hearts.

 

[tickledkitty]

Zactly. I remember hearing once that when you go on vacation, you should put all your money and clothing on the bed. Then you should take twice as much money and half as much clothing. If you're writing erotica from a male POV, you should look over your story after you're done. Then you should put in half as much emotion and twice as much sex. Hope this helps.

That's very clever, Marsh. However, I've noticed you don't follow this theory yourself, in spite of being a male.

 

[tickledkitty]

You also have to remember that what we don't feel we see. We are very visual creatures. While women remember what they were feeling and thinking during sex, men remember what the woman was doing, what position, how her boobs jiggled, who was on top and what not. We see with our eyes, not with our hearts.

Yes! That's a good one.

 

[MarshAlien]

That doesn't work for female readership though!

I beta'd a gay male story written by a woman; the emotional content was bodice-ripper quality. I couldn't have written so much weepiness for a woman. But damn, did it get the high votes. The readers LOVED it.

You mean the part about half the emotion or half the clothing?

 

[Stella_Omega]

You mean the part about half the emotion or half the clothing?

Half the emotion, lovie. Yes, it's realistic, but that particular readership isn't particularly looking for that particular part of realism-- savvy?

C'mon over and get some champagne, by the way-- your av looks like he needs the hair of the dog.