Writing Young?

[damppanties]

We've had threads about how we can guess at the gender of a writer by the story. Now, can you make a guess at the age of the writer by the writing?

If you can, what exactly is it related to? The vocabulary, the way the words are used, the subtleties within the writing, references to works of art, etc., the time for which they have been writing, all of the above...?

Oh, and almost forgot... how right are you -- when you do find out the real age?

 

[Wills]

My own view on this is dictated by my ambition as a writer, that is, to take the reader so far into my story and characterisation that there is no room to discern the age or gender of the writer.

As mentioned elsewhere I have been mistaken for a female writer and a recent piece of mine involving a young angry youth has been described as 'using the language of today's Britain'. The youth is thirty years younger than me and I live in Portugal, though this story is set in the UK.

I have been told that I capture the 'dark side' of life in some of my stories, nothing could be further removed from my character and life.

For the sake of starting an arguement, if your writing is so transparent that your age and gender show through when that was not your intention, then you are failing your reader.

Will's

 

[gauchecritic]

Well Dampy, I'd say it's pretty much impossible to say how old anyone is by their writing. You might be able to get a guess at their educational age or their writing maturity, but physical age?

I know I write in very much the same way now as I wrote when I was 20, I just didn't do that much writing when I was 20. My eldest son (who is 20) can turn a very pretty phrase when writing, but he doesn't write very much, in that he is very much his father's child.

I've read stories here that would shame a grade schooler (and you have to be 18 to join Lit. Right?) I've also read stories from immature (not thirty) writers whose craft is top notch.

Now I'm going to swing completely the opposite way round and say that without the experience of years I wouldn't be able to write what I write now and I know what you mean about someone's work having a 'feel' of someone's age, but I don't think that's quantifiable nor applicable to the majority.

Then again, if I was face to face with someone I doubt that I could guess their age within 10 years either.

Gauche

 

[neonlyte]

I'm not new here, just changed my name. So no welcome messages - thank you.

I'm with Gauche, couldn't tell a person's age face to face. Notoriously bad at it. Probably because I think I'm twenty years younger than I am, maybe vision clouded by age?

NL

 

[Guest]

 

[NoJo]

If you're talking about literotica I could probably do it. But with novels that cover a bit more of life, it's pretty easy for me to tell how old the writer are, because of the general personality changes that take place in everyone's life:

20's: The world is totally fucked up/brilliant. People are shit/amazing. Sex can change your life. Anyone in authority is mendacious.

30's: Life is good, but is that all there is to it? Maybe I should try lesbianism/sodomy/new job/to have a baby

40's: Young people think they know everything. But I don't, and I'm older. So young people are wrong. Nothing is permanent. There are no easy answers.

50's: Survival.


60's: I love my garden and the innocence of youth

70's: The world is totally fucked up/brilliant. People are shit/amazing. Sex can change your life. Anyone in authority is mendacious.

 

[Liar]

The only area where there might be difficulty is with a young writer trying to use an elder POV in a story. I mean, how many of us can say we look at the world the same way from when we're 20 until 50? I know I could not.

As far as personal experience being a requirenent or at least an aid for that kind of thing, I'll have to say that you make a good point. Everyone has been young. Not everyone has been old. And it's easier to fabric the mindset of a narrator that you have some experience of personally.

But it's far from nessecary. This, as all other things in writing is a matter of suspension of disbelief. A narrator is just another actor, putting on a mask and assuming the role of speaking to the audience/readers. A good actor/author should be able to take a wide varierty of roles.

#L

 

[Guest]

 

[dr_mabeuse]

What Joe said.

It has to do with an awareness of death. You mature at about the time you become seriously aware of your own mortality. The writing takes on a depth and thoughtfulness you usually don't see in younger writing.

That's not to say that there are no young people who can write maturely, or vice versa, but by and large older writers tend to write richer, more nuanced stories, very often bittersweet. In stories by younger authors, things are often taken at face value. There's a gloss and superficiality. In books by more mature writers there's more of an examination into the depths of things.

It's the same difference you see between younger and more mature lovers, I think. Young sex is flashy and athletic. Older sex is deeper and more profound.

---dr.M.

 

[Colleen Thomas]

It would seem, in a longer work, that you could get some guage of the authors age by their points of reference. The seminal events in say Doc. M or Sher's life will be different than those in my life or someone younger.

While 9/11 was traumatic for us all, i think in people old enough to remember vietnam that conflict is still their reference point. The older folks I talked to at the D-day musem yesterday still remember rationing, scrap metal drives, and the way the country came together after Pearl Harbor. Althought they lived through vietnam, that conflict isn't as big an influence on them because their point of reference is more attuned to America during and post world War II.

While it isn't an absolute indicator and a very good author will probably use points of reference to fit the main character's age. It does seem tom e you can get a bit of a feel sometimes by the events the author referes to in comparrisons and other tangential ways.

-Colly

 

[raphy]

While it isn't an absolute indicator and a very good author will probably use points of reference to fit the main character's age. It does seem tom e you can get a bit of a feel sometimes by the events the author referes to in comparrisons and other tangential ways.

-Colly

Yeah, I cheat. I write science fiction. The points of reference my protagonists use haven't happened yet

 

[Guest]

Just a small point. Re. the awareness of death, one can become so at an early age through fully experiencing and accepting the death of a loved one. Or through having to come to terms with it via a near-death experience. I know young people who have done so, and it is evident to me, before knowing this, that they have a fuller view of life than others their age.

Perdita

 

[ABSTRUSE]

I think early life traumas also play a part. I am helping to mentor a girl of 17, she has gone through a personal hell and uses her writing to get her through it all. She is full of teenage angst, self admittedly, but also has a profound gift for the written word.
She recently attended a poetry reading where she felt a little aprehensive,but, was embraced by some of the local writing community.
I am very proud of her accomplishments, she is like my own daughter in many ways.
~A~

 

[autoerotism]

We've had threads about how we can guess at the gender of a writer by the story. Now, can you make a guess at the age of the writer by the writing?

If you can, what exactly is it related to? The vocabulary, the way the words are used, the subtleties within the writing, references to works of art, etc., the time for which they have been writing, all of the above...?




Oh, and almost forgot... how right are you -- when you do find out the real age?

Oh Hello!

I was liking the challenge damppanties put out. "How right are you?"

Well boys and girls care to guess? I have three worth while stories posted! Take a good look give a guess if any one can guess right first time only, I will share the truth.

Certain lit members in the AH are not allowed to play, because they already know! You know who you are!

Kay~

 

[tiger_smurf]

I'm 20. Read one of my stories and tell me if you could have guessed. I've read stories by 30 and 40 year olds, poorly written and full of grammar errors, that I would have been embarrassed to write when I was 12.

Now, the only way I think you might be able to guess it by is subject matter. If the story takes place in the 70's and is filled detailed descriptions of 70's style settings, then it's most likey written by someone who was there.

-ck

 

[Guest]

TS, I read and commented on your 'rain' story in the SDC forum. I was shocked to see your age and youthful face on your author page. I would have guessed the narrator's age to be near thirty, even though the girl was only 20.

Congrats, btw, well done work,

Perdita

 

[tiger_smurf]

alright auto...I'll take a stab at it.. *uses special brain powers* you're somewhere between 23 and 26?

-ck

 

[autoerotism]

alright auto...I'll take a stab at it.. *uses special brain powers* you're somewhere between 23 and 26?

-ck

Tiger,

Oh please! Somewhere between 10 and 100! Your guess is way to ambiguous.

X

 

[Pure]

I think one can get a feel for age, in general. But there are cautions.

A story is often edited.

Some stories are very carefully researched. It's said that Pynchon's descriptions of London in the war--in GR-- are very 'real' but he wasn't there.

I think a slightly better way than a story is some IM exchange, unscripted.

There's a problem about educational level, but references to life experiences--express or implied-- often give clues.

Given the lack of emphasis on sustained pieces of writing in American HS, one can often see very rudimentary sentences or non sentences from many younger writers. But then, if it looked literate one would have to guess between and an American exception and a British 'ordinary' student bound for university.

Vocabularly is often a good clue, since, if the younger goes for the fancy words they'll more often be slightly misused.

All this being said, we're talking about literacy. NOT literary value, i.e., good story. An older person's story can by highly literate, yet dull as dust; and the semiliterate younger person's story a gem in its essence.

J.

 

[neonlyte]

Just to take issue with t-s (by the way, I will read your story after seeing P's recommendation), you can place your story anywhere in past time - if you do the research - and anywhere in the future - if you have Raphy's imagination.

The characters are placed in the time period you research. Sure, it helps if you were there, you would know the idiomatic expression of the period, small details, but good research can get you by. Its then down to your craft to weave your characters into the fabric you have chosen.

NL

 

[tiger_smurf]

TS, I read and commented on your 'rain' story in the SDC forum. I was shocked to see your age and youthful face on your author page. I would have guessed the narrator's age to be near thirty, even though the girl was only 20.

Congrats, btw, well done work,

Perdita

Thank you, perdita.

-ck

 

[Lukie]

THE WRITING GETS HOT!

well, if there are terms that certian ages use...like "cool" - "dissed' me...then you can guess young...but other than that - I would never be able to judge!

 

[A7inchPhildo]

Dampy,

You know as well as some others. I am really good at the game of knowing the author by the stories.

Some stories especially from a novice spill out the entire pesonality, age, sex, religious beliefs, hair color, height ...

I have come to the reality though only certain stories on Lit are based upon real life. Many are but, so many more are not. A good author has no reflection in his/her story, only thought patterns to share. And multiple stories will show they are not the character.

Not to say it is not erotic to place fantasies and realities from a novice, that is cool. Just the better author can become the character male/female any age and place.

Tiger smurf, others,

I don't use special brain powers to figure it out it is just common sense. Certain words and objects trigger a time frame, certain positions and actions trigger a gender. Repetitive descriptions gives a good base to work from. Several different stories will conclude the same person thinks the same about specific topics.

People are human so if the story is edited or not. They will make the same consistant give away over a period of time. That just makes it more challenging to pick a decision.


Auto, I can't play? LOL

TS, I will bounce on over and Check out what Perdi says is a good example.

Phildo

 

[dr_mabeuse]

The hell with stories. You can even tell the age of the authors of the posts on this thread by the way they write.

The ones who think you have to refer to external events to guess an age are all young. The ones who know that age shows in the style are the older ones.

---dr.M.

 

[A7inchPhildo]

The hell with stories. You can even tell the age of the authors of the posts on this thread by the way they write.

The ones who think you have to refer to external events to guess an age are all young. The ones who know that age shows in the style are the older ones.

---dr.M.

dr. M,
You are showing your age, you must have just had a birthday, because you seem so much more mature.
You are absolutely right, I find the external events are the last place to look for clues. They are more of a deception. Follow the words forget the rest, look for patterns and clues.