Warning: Some Violence and Much Strong Language.HE WROTE: Real Men, Part Tres
Ok, was thinking about it and realized the problem. The man knows what his action means; the woman doesn't. Maybe men should talk more. Because from the other POV there could be five reasons why the man did what he did. I'm thinking about in DON'T LOOK DOWN, our new Romantic Adventure, coming out 4 April, that Lucy does have to really wonder about Wilder's motivation at times.
I can also see now why the old "taking one for the team" line didn't go over well.
Back on writing male POV. The way Jenny and I write together is a good indication of gender differences. I'm very linear. I want to line things up, then do them. Jenny likes to circle and feel her way through. I use an Excel spreadsheet to look at the book and she uses a collage. She keeps wanting to move scenes and change the antagonist and I don't want to change anything.
So maybe men should Walk The Line and then Talk The Line.
The world just might be a better place.
8 Comments:
Goodness you're philosophical lately... good insight on that whole issue of leaving interpretation up in the air. Chances are, it will never be in your favor. Just human nature in a hostile environment.
Men only THINK that women don't know what they mean. We're great at looking for subtle clues. Ever see that study done on differences in the male and female brain in respect to communication?
We can tell by a grunt, a smirk, a spark in the eye, a tone of a guy's voice, EXACTLY what's on his mind. If guys start talking too much the mystery will go, along with the action. And we'd rather have the action. And definitely the mystery. ;)
There is a very interesting piece in Ursula K. LeGuin's essay collection DANCING AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD in which she suggests is that the only reason that stories have a beginning, middle, and end is that that's the way the men recounted the hunt, and that women's stories might have been quite different, circling in on the subject to get hold of it from different angles.
I think her novel ALWAYS COMING HOME is an attempt to do this.
Yay! Talking Points! Your publicist would be so proud!
Uh-oh. I'm linear. I use an Excel spreadsheet. Tried collaging and ended up with a very boring piece of cardboard, a bunch of magazine tear-sheets, and an unopened glue stick.
I feel a gender-identity crisis coming on....
. Maybe men should talk more.
Ya think ? :)
I'm thinking about in DON'T LOOK DOWN, our new Romantic Adventure, coming out 4 April,
Go Bob. You remembered the lecture .
"maybe men should talk more"
Well, it kind of depends on the man. There are plenty of men out there who are better off just shutting up because the only thing they want to talk about is themselves. BUt then, if the man is from England, Spain, South Africa, Scotland, Italy or France he can talk about himself all he wants because I'm not really paying any attention to what he's saying--I'm just enjoying his accent. It's kind of like when men talk to women with big breasts--they're not listening to anything the woman is saying, they're just enjoying the view--or so I've been told :)
Anyone ever read the Dave Barry piece on men and women? It cracks me up because it's so true. Women's ability to dissect every word, facial tic, and pause for deep meaning is impressive.
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