Flutterby™! : Write like a girl

Write like a girl

2009-07-22 13:53:15.758772+00 by Dan Lyke 3 comments

Apparently Bev Vincent writes like a girl. On gender bias in editing fiction. Well worth a read.

comments in ascending chronological order (reverse):

#Comment Re: made: 2009-07-22 15:07:28.003056+00 by: mvandewettering

Our stereotypes run deep, don't they? While I would be hard pressed to acknowledge that on average there are likely to be some difference between the sexes, there certainly are enough significant outliers between groups to make gross statements like "men don't write like that" or even "women don't think like that" to be absurd. But we hear this all the time: "women are better communicators", or "women have better emotional intelligence", or "men.....". Wait... what are men supposed to be good at? Oh yes, changing oil and barbecues.

Frankly, I'm amazed that anyone who takes up writing as a passion submits themselves to this kind of review. Some editors are undoubtedly excellent and help the writer, but many are there simply to crassly enhance the saleability of "product". Technologies like the Internet and on-demand publishing make their input less important.

Unless of course you do crassly want to sell product.

#Comment Re: made: 2009-07-22 15:38:23.553101+00 by: petronius

Even girls gotta pay the rent.

#Comment Re: made: 2009-07-22 21:41:40.451299+00 by: spc476

Interesting. I knew a guy who refused to read any works written under a pseudonym of the opposite gender of the actual writer. Mark Twain was okay, as that was a man writing under a man's name, but James Tiptree, Jr was right out because that was a woman writing under a man's name.

I never could figure that out.