30 Days of Writing Meme - Day 2
2. How many characters do you have? Do you prefer males or females?
Now if that ain't just a helluva question. Disregarding any writing done before re-blossoming as a writer, of course, and assuming the question pertains to pertinent characters...
Original:
Men - 13
Women - 6
Fanfic:
Men - 139
Women - 46
Wow, it took a while to do that. The fanfiction numbers include a couple things that aren't up yet, and people that haven't been introduced yet, and not to mention of course we're talking about a lot of repeats... Considering I've got 3 different Leverage verses and just considering my RPS tendencies.... Yeah.
To be honest, on a verse to verse basis, the more expanded it is the more you'll see two things happen. With large casts, men outnumber women 3:1, with smaller casts, 2:1. In my original fiction this is easier to explain than you'd think... I tend to favor polyamorous triad relationships with two men and one woman or gay couples, misbalanced only a little by villains. In fanfiction... well. I write a lot of slash. I feel like I make up for the odd balance though because I tend to use bold, colorful women that when they show up, they leave an impression.
Not that I'm saying it's not a weakness. I'm hesitant sometimes, I know, because people who were strong influences in my early fandom and writing experiences left me with the first rule of writing: No Mary Sues. The women I do write are very much Not Me. I mean sure, there's my issues in there - it's impossible to write otherwise, you always end up in your writing - but I make it a point to make them Not Me and make them Themselves. (If I want to make a character that is awesome and me, I'll play a role playing game and pull out my dice. That's more fun anyway...) So unless there's a good reason, or a very well established set of women in a show (ie: Sophie and Parker and Maggie) I'm always over thinking things when it comes to women...
Now if that ain't just a helluva question. Disregarding any writing done before re-blossoming as a writer, of course, and assuming the question pertains to pertinent characters...
Original:
Men - 13
Women - 6
Fanfic:
Men - 139
Women - 46
Wow, it took a while to do that. The fanfiction numbers include a couple things that aren't up yet, and people that haven't been introduced yet, and not to mention of course we're talking about a lot of repeats... Considering I've got 3 different Leverage verses and just considering my RPS tendencies.... Yeah.
To be honest, on a verse to verse basis, the more expanded it is the more you'll see two things happen. With large casts, men outnumber women 3:1, with smaller casts, 2:1. In my original fiction this is easier to explain than you'd think... I tend to favor polyamorous triad relationships with two men and one woman or gay couples, misbalanced only a little by villains. In fanfiction... well. I write a lot of slash. I feel like I make up for the odd balance though because I tend to use bold, colorful women that when they show up, they leave an impression.
Not that I'm saying it's not a weakness. I'm hesitant sometimes, I know, because people who were strong influences in my early fandom and writing experiences left me with the first rule of writing: No Mary Sues. The women I do write are very much Not Me. I mean sure, there's my issues in there - it's impossible to write otherwise, you always end up in your writing - but I make it a point to make them Not Me and make them Themselves. (If I want to make a character that is awesome and me, I'll play a role playing game and pull out my dice. That's more fun anyway...) So unless there's a good reason, or a very well established set of women in a show (ie: Sophie and Parker and Maggie) I'm always over thinking things when it comes to women...