Writing Links

[naamah_darling]

In no particular order, things that are important or useful or fun.

The Omniscient Breasts, Kate Elliott

YOU CAN WRITE FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF A FEMALE CHARACTER AND STILL BE WRITING WITH THE MALE GAZE

Comments

[dulcimeoww]

The male gaze is a topic I've always had trouble really understanding. I consider all people valid for sexual interest, and it doesn't occur to me to feel uncomfortable viewing a female character through a sexual lens, anymore than it occurs to me to feel uncomfortable viewing a male character that way, or a character without specific gender for that matter. I just can't quite grasp why it should. Unless a character exists only for that purpose (in which case it's just indulgent writing without depth and probably isn't something on which I'll waste my time), I don't see that it adds or detracts from a narrative. It's just one more aspect of the character to me, and I don't care what gender the gaze is so long as I can see through it and enjoy what I'm looking at. Perhaps it's a failing of understanding on my part, or a lack of finding a decent explanation, but of all the feminist topics that come up, this is the one which I simply do not get. Usually I agree with the principle if not the approach, but for this despite reading

[virginia_fell]

My introduction to it was when a feminist porn mag I was subscribed to discussed the difference between erotic portrayals of men that are intended to please gay or bi men, and erotic portrayals of men that are intended to please straight or bi women. A lot of the porn that women into men are shown to if we want porn is not actually made for us, even though we like men and there are men in it. It's been made for gay men, and while gay men obviously don't all want the same things any more than any other group does... it's a little screwy to produce media for women without ever actually asking us what we're into. It's a little screwy, and it doesn't work as well

[dulcimeoww]

That all makes sense, and believe me I noticed and devoutly appreciated when there was a shirtless Chris Hemsworth because I'm pretty sure you'd have to be dead not to regardless of one's preferences. I can readily see the difference in how scenes are written or directed, I just don't get why it's a THING. It's not like I have any obligation to consume media that doesn't appeal to me, and in this day and age there's enough variety out there so I'm not really limited, and it's not like I'm incapable of enjoying something that doesn't specifically cater to my views anyways. So the part I don't get isn't the distinction, it's why are so many women pissed off about this?

[virginia_fell]

I can only speak for myself, but as a woman it can get very discouraging and alienating to only ever be able to identify with a female character in a story if I try to overlook that no matter what we do, we're only around to titillate someone else.

That sucks for me, and while I doubt I'm the only one that's what bugs me the most. I have a hard time identifying with a woman whose function in the universe is clearly to be arousing to a male author and an assumed-male reader, because what does that say about me? This isn't about needing fiction that specifically caters to "my views" so much as needing writing that caters to my sense of myself as a real person. Overlooking that and enjoying writing that literally dehumanizes me (by excising as irrelevant anything that doesn't arouse a man) is sometimes easier suggested than done

[virginia_fell]

I think your Scott Lynch link is broken.

[naamah_darling]

Fixed it, thank you!

[myskat]

The whole M-F POV reminds me of the writing of Anne Rice. Go back and read Merrick, it's full of omniscient narration despite the unwavering POV of David.

[naamah_darling]

Oh, yeah. Anne Rice has done it in multiple things I've read by her.

[stone_bitch]

Thank you SO much for these links. I keep struggling with my own writings, and links like this always help. Thank you!

[bat_cheva]

I had just spent three and a half hours ensconced in my chair on the heating pad devouring Cold Magic by Kate Elliot, the first time I've ever read anything by her, when I got up because I'd run out of water and to stretch a bit and saw your post here.

I am more intrigued by her than ever and will definitely check out more of her work. In fact, I went to Amazon and bought Cold Magic and the next in the series right then and there, I'm liking this book so much. The only reason I didn't buy the third is because it isn't out yet, but she has many more books out there for me to dive into. Thank goodness. It's so hard to find good new authors to read these days. Must be curmudgeonness setting in.