“I like the story.”
I beamed. “Thanks.”
“Except your hero sounds like a woman wrote him.”
“Oh. Um…” What does one say to something like this? Duh? I glanced down at myself. Unmistakeably female. I had vague recollections and clutter-fueled memories of typing masculine descriptions and short structured dialogue. My hero, therefore, was most definitely written by a woman. I looked at the thin stack of papers on the table as though the words would rearrange into a detailed explanation of what it was about my hero that gave away my gender.
“You mean he’s too feminine?” I asked, when the printed words stayed put. My hero was, after all, mostly beta. I know the dangers walking that line. Heaven forbid I somehow emasculated him, despite my strong efforts to keep him distinctly male even with his passive-aggressive tendencies.
“No, he’s definitely a guy.”
Whew.
“He just…”
“Sounds like a woman wrote him.”
“Yeah.”
I stared at my would-be critiquer. Herein lies the conundrum. The closest I can figure the problem, it’s not that my hero sounded feminine or acted feminine, but the explanations and descriptions associated with his point of view were feminine. What I, an author and woman, noticed and described about him was feminine.
Of course, I could very well be wrong. This is one of those melon-scratchers that I’ve never been 100% clear on. I know I’ve read female characters written by men who were undoubtably written by men. In fact, I read a book by a male author who is applauded for writing believable women, only to wonder where the hell someone had gotten that idea. Could I pinpoint where the problem lay? Nope. Then again, I hadn’t been analyzing works as much as I do now. Anyone have any ideas on this subject? Or any suggestions of authors to read who have realistic characters of the opposite gender?
[*From the Julie Andrews movie Victor Victoria.]
