# Narrative Perspective and Gender Survey for Men of TC



## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

See Poll Options.

I was thinking about this today as relates to creative writing. In general I write stories with dualist narrative, that is, the female and male protagonists are given almost the exact same level of air-time. I might start with one as the more important, but the other will eventually match them. I like this method since I've seen this done in other famous works, such as Anna Karenina and Crime and Punishment. In those cases, there are men and women characters that whoever reads it can identify with regarding gender.

But sometimes a narrative calls for only one character. One has to choose. Male or female? Does it matter? I think it really does in our culture, especially on certain topics. But what if it's a neutral, universal topic? That's what I'm curious to ask you men of TC. It's not everyday I can ask a large pool of men questions like this! The topic of the Protagonist. Honesty is what's most important in this survey.

This will lead to another question later...


----------



## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

Generally, it makes no difference to me whether male or female. The exception would be subject matter that tends to be exclusive to one or the other gender.


----------



## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

I read little fiction, but do watch a bit of mostly British police/detective series via DVD. I enjoy those with central female protagonists (_Vera_ is an example) as much if not more so than those with male leads.


----------



## ST4 (Oct 27, 2016)

For me, I'm interested in interesting people (both real life and fiction), which isn't mutually exclusive. As basic as my response is


----------



## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

For me it makes no difference to me whether male or female.


----------



## Lyricus (Dec 11, 2015)

Since I study and teach literature for a living, I tend to relate equally and look for and explore the commonality of experience within frameworks of universal experience. I have even written short stories from a female perspective. Part of the purpose of literature is to broaden horizons, and only reading protagonists that are similar to you limits the ability to do so.


----------



## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

Ok, so seeing that a lot of guys here on TC do in general like a female protagonist, here's my new question.

I'm about to start writing my story, so would you be more likely to read it if it were a male or female protagonist?


----------



## EdwardBast (Nov 25, 2013)

Huilunsoittaja said:


> I'm about to start writing my story, so would you be more likely to read it if it were a male or female protagonist?


No. Not an issue.

As an aside: I don't see why it would be a problem to write from the perspective of a person of another gender.


----------



## Gordontrek (Jun 22, 2012)

Huilunsoittaja said:


> I'm about to start writing my story, so would you be more likely to read it if it were a male or female protagonist?


Look, I am a HUGE reader. I will read almost anything if it's good! Male or female protagonists make no difference to me at all. I admit, though, that I personlly have an easier time relating to male protagonists, simply a result of being male. I think this is true for all of us, to some degree. This doesn't mean I prefer one over the other. I'm just as likely to read a Kim Stone novel as I am to read a James Bond novel. 
By the way, if I may ask, are you targeting a male audience with your story? Since you're polling the men on this site I'm simply curious.


----------



## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

> I'm about to start writing my story, so would you be more likely to read it if it were a male or female protagonist?


No, not the slightness problem.


----------



## ArtMusic (Jan 5, 2013)

"I find common ground between female and male experiences quite often". I think that's because I have a broad perspective of the arts and social matters.


----------



## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Huilunsoittaja said:


> Ok, so seeing that a lot of guys here on TC do in general like a female protagonist, here's my new question.
> 
> I'm about to start writing my story, so would you be more likely to read it if it were a male or female protagonist?


I would not read a story of a female protagonist if it were a story about a capable, accomplished, strong-willed and successful woman who falls in love with a cowboy who says incredibly cliched phrases like "darlin'" every three sentences. I have a friend who just wrote a trilogy about these two, and it's so chickified at the outset, I don't want to even enter that corral.

If it isn't chickified, I don't care if the progagonist is female, just human.


----------



## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

Manxfeeder said:


> chickified


Yes I totally know what you mean. Perhaps a complimentary term which would apply to men is "meat-headified" 

Any story that puts woman or men in very stereotypical situations, even _neo_-stereotypical situations (such as roll-switching), is not interesting to me. Something about the intent is off. I'm not going to read a story just to see the roles of men and women switched. It's gotta be more than that.

My story has nothing to do with those themes though, so you're in luck.


----------



## Antiquarian (Apr 29, 2014)

It doesn't matter to me whether it is male or female. I'm a guy, so any first person female narrative is enjoyed at a remove. I can vicariously imagine myself as female when I read it, but my experience is tempered by the fact that I cannot experience the intrinsic affinity of *being* female. Let's say, as an example, that the narrator is giving birth to a child. I have witnessed the experience, but I haven't experienced it first hand. All the women I have spoken to concerning this expressed the belief that no man can truly understand what a woman goes through emotionally and physically during this event. I have to take them at their word that this is the case.
As for male/female protagonists this doesn't matter to me either, as long as it is written well. I enjoyed reading _Boneshaker_ by Cherie Priest, ( a recommendation from one of my young Steampunk friends) and the gender fluid _Orlando_ by Virginia Woolf, and had no problem with them. I even learned a few things. So to answer the question as to whether you should write a story with a male or female protagonist, I would suggest that you write what the story inside you demands. To go counter to this will make a dog's breakfast of the attempt.


----------



## znapschatz (Feb 28, 2016)

Ever since early childhood I have never had difficulty bonding with female protagonists, like Alice, Wendy, Annie, and later, Brunhilde, Violetta, and Marina. As a self taught reader at age 4, comics were a big help in bridging words and pictures. One of my favorites was *Nancy*, a girl of about my age, and later *Little Lulu*. Both strips featured boys of the same age, but their sensibilities were not mine. Most of the strips, however, featured male "role models," and I was fine with them, but I always liked girls, as well. I never went through a "girls are icky" phase.


----------



## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

I'm ready for, "Bond, Jane Bond."


----------



## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

Vaneyes said:


> I'm ready for, "Bond, Jane Bond."


Wow is that real? That would be actually pretty cool. It can be done well, without all the buzz phrases and over-consciousness of the role.


----------



## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

Huilunsoittaja said:


> Wow is that {Jane Bond} real? That would be actually pretty cool. It can be done well, without all the buzz phrases and over-consciousness of the role.


FYI...

http://www.healthaim.com/new-james-...male-bond-gillian-anderson-as-jane-bond/67982


----------



## Tristan (Jan 5, 2013)

It truly doesn't matter to me when reading someone else's work. I haven't found myself relating too differently to characters based on gender alone. However, as an [amateur] writer myself, I find it difficult to write from the female perspective and most of my stories have male main characters.


----------

