The Gender of your latest MC?

Dario D. · Aug 5, 2009

Poll Question (which got cut off): What is the gender of your latest fictional main character? (robots/creatures with decidedly male personalities count as male... and vice versa if they seem female)

---
Once, I walked an isle at the movie store, and did a count of how many movies starred men, compared to women... I can't remember the exact count, but something very heavily on the "men side".

It's a curious social trend that I've long thought about. So, now I'd also like to see if there's a trend among the novelists here, and how it differs between male/female writers. (in other words, by what margin male/female writers create male/female MC's)

(note: for those who are new here, "MC" means "main character". Took me forever to figure that out, back when I was new)

C.bronco · Aug 5, 2009

Capon Frank is the first that I've written with a female MC. It's kinda weird, come to think of it.

Dario D. · Aug 5, 2009

C.bronco said:
It's kinda weird, come to think of it.

lol, you don't say. The Capon Frank cover in your sig has on it what can only be described as the God-Chicken. :tongue

C.bronco · Aug 5, 2009

That is Capon Frank himself! LOL, He's the Great White Chicken, kinda like Moby Dick's Great White Whale, except poultry. That's Grimironie Von Farmer in the foreground, the jaded, mid-career Death Chicken Distribution Assistant.

BardSkye · Aug 5, 2009

Male in the last WIP, necessary because he's in an all-male profession.

One male, one female in the current WIP of equal importance. Two converging storylines.

Even though I'm female, I almost always write male MCs and prefer them for reading as well.

Smish · Aug 5, 2009

I have one novel in the revision stage -- female MC. I'm also working on the first draft of a new novel -- male MC.

So, I'm not sure how to answer the poll.

Smish

Smish · Aug 5, 2009

BardSkye said:
Male in the last WIP, necessary because he's in an all-male profession.

Male stripper or prostitute?

thethinker42 · Aug 5, 2009

I switch back and forth.

Current WIP: Gay male
Recent WIP: Straight female
Previous: Gay male
Before that: Straight female and straight male
Before that: Bisexual male
Before that: Straight female

(I write romance, hence why I specified orientation...I alternate between gay and hetero romances)

Dario D. · Aug 5, 2009

Smish said:
So, I'm not sure how to answer the poll.

Smish

You're going to have to decide which one is more "latest"... and what your definition of "latest" is.

Smish · Aug 5, 2009

Dario D. said:
You're going to have to decide which one is more "latest"... and what your definition of "latest" is.

Oh, fine. Since you're going to make me choose one!

I guess since my current WIP is still an incomplete draft, and it's always possible I may die or something before finishing it, I'll go with the first (complete) novel. Female MC.

Happy?

Dario D. · Aug 5, 2009

Happy?

No. Do you have a taco, or anything good to eat?

aadams73 · Aug 5, 2009

Your poll is flawed because we can't pick two options, so I'll answer here.

I'm female and I'm currently writing a male MC. But it's no big thing for me to do that--I do it more often than I write female.

Salis · Aug 5, 2009

I'm probably going to get gutted for this, but...

I prefer male main characters if they are going to be a "on a warpath" kind of person, because it feels more real to me. This isn't to say that female characters can't be strong or deadly (they can), but that the ones who do often feel schizophrenic. They are strong and capable, but they also are pretty and feminine (these traits don't go together very often in the real world).

I've known some very deadly women in real life, and by and large, they just don't match the typical "strong female lead!" character you see in fiction. Yeah, I know, men often don't either in fiction, wish fulfillment and all, but still.

There's a trap here, too. I'm a little hesitant to write a traditional strong female lead because it feels so gimmicky. Of course on the surface that makes no sense--why would a female or male lead be anything but what it is? the character should dictate whether it feels gimmicky--but there's a tendency to make a female lead who is strong, sexy, and independent just to fill a quota. Maybe, though, my distaste for the female lead is because it so often falls into that trap--let's merge the 'strong' elements of a guy lead with a sexually attractive, feminine woman. It's marketspeak, basically.

That said, there's probably some natural sexism here at work. Biologically, we are compelled to think of the man as the do-er.

Smish · Aug 5, 2009

Dario D. said:
No. Do you have a taco, or anything good to eat?

No tacos, sorry. But I baked blueberry muffins earlier. In fact, I think I'll go have one now...

Mumut · Aug 5, 2009

Salis said:
I prefer male main characters if they are going to be a "on a warpath" kind of person, because it feels more real to me. This isn't to say that female characters can't be strong or deadly (they can), but that the ones who do often feel schizophrenic. They are strong and capable, but they also are pretty and feminine (these traits don't go together very often in the real world).

I think that is why I write female MC in my historical fantasy. My two daughters grew up restricted in what they could do because of social norms. The school allowed them to take rugby league as a sport but they weren't allowed to play in competitive games because they'd be playing against boys. What rot. I'd be really frightened to be a boy facing Jenny if she felt she was being picked on. So, for my girls, I depict the MC as the sort of person they would have been, given half the chance.

Also I did my homework. I visited the Bureau of Statistics and found out that teenage females were the hightes percentage readers and their reading percentage increase was only second to very old people. So my gut feeling was backed up by stats - write for young females and have the biggest market.

Cranky · Aug 5, 2009

I almost always have a male MC, and this new WIP is no different in that regard. I don't know why I always write men, except for the fact that I'm constantly surrounded by males, lol. Even my cat is a boy!

Salis · Aug 5, 2009

Mumut said:
I think that is why I write female MC in my historical fantasy. My two daughters grew up restricted in what they could do because of social norms. The school allowed them to take rugby league as a sport but they weren't allowed to play in competitive games because they'd be playing against boys. What rot. I'd be really frightened to be a boy facing Jenny if she felt she was being picked on. So, for my girls, I depict the MC as the sort of person they would have been, given half the chance.

Also I did my homework. I visited the Bureau of Statistics and found out that teenage females were the hightes percentage readers and their reading percentage increase was only second to very old people. So my gut feeling was backed up by stats - write for young females and have the biggest market.

I should probably caveat that with that I have known some women who are scary as fuck as far as how quick they could kill me, but people like this don't tend to be, uh, glamorous. And while I am sure there are exceptions, men don't tend to be presented in that fashion, maybe because there are differing standards of what is "pretty" for men and women. A woman without makeup is very rarely going to be called gorgeous. A man without make-up is perfectly attractive to a lot of people's perceptions.

I probably shouldn't conflate the two issues, though. "LET'S MAKE EVERYONE DROP-DEAD GAWWWGEOUS!" is a problem with either sex as presented in fiction.

aadams73 · Aug 5, 2009

Salis said:
A woman without makeup is very rarely going to be called gorgeous. A man without make-up is perfectly attractive to a lot of people's perceptions.

Oh really? How interesting that we don't quite make the grade if we're not dipped in makeup.

brokenfingers · Aug 5, 2009

Salis said:
A woman without makeup is very rarely going to be called gorgeous. A man without make-up is perfectly attractive to a lot of people's perceptions.

Wow. What neck of the woods do you hang out at? I've known a lot of women who were drop dead gorgeous without make-up on. And I've known tons more who were very attractive without make-up on.

That's a weird statement.

Matera the Mad · Aug 5, 2009

Right ON, brokenfingers

The question is too restrictive for multithreading writers. The MC of my current most worked on WIP is male, same as the last, but I have a female on the back burner. I'm not counting short stories.

JoNightshade · Aug 5, 2009

Salis said:
I should probably caveat that with that I have known some women who are scary as fuck as far as how quick they could kill me, but people like this don't tend to be, uh, glamorous. And while I am sure there are exceptions, men don't tend to be presented in that fashion, maybe because there are differing standards of what is "pretty" for men and women. A woman without makeup is very rarely going to be called gorgeous. A man without make-up is perfectly attractive to a lot of people's perceptions.

I probably shouldn't conflate the two issues, though. "LET'S MAKE EVERYONE DROP-DEAD GAWWWGEOUS!" is a problem with either sex as presented in fiction.

I would love to see a strong, "unattractive" female protagonist.

I write mostly male MCs, sometimes female. I'm sure the reasons are deeply rooted and complex, but at some level it's about fantasy fulfillment, like what Mumut was referring to with his daughters. I would love to have grown up doing "boy" things. I do mostly "boy" things now that I'm an adult, but I'm still restricted to the expectations of other females when I'm around them (ie if I just act like a guy, they're insulted). If I write about a female doing that stuff, I can't just let her be herself; I have to address a bunch of complicated gender issues as well. Whereas if I just make my MC a man, it's all a lot simpler.

Exception: When I write sci fi, my protagonists are female. It's an awesome genre for letting people be themselves.

Cranky · Aug 5, 2009

aadams73 said:
Oh really? How interesting that we don't quite make the grade if we're not dipped in makeup.

I prefer false 'staches with a little lip gloss, personally. I think it's hawt.

That said, I think Salis is right, to the extent that might be what's "expected", in that it's a stereotype. I'd like to see more female protags that shatter that stereotype to pieces.

Sage · Aug 5, 2009

I chose the unfinished WIP that gave the most interesting answer. Hope you don't mind that it wasn't the last one I worked on

Salis · Aug 5, 2009

brokenfingers said:
Wow. What neck of the woods do you hang out at? I've known a lot of women who were drop dead gorgeous without make-up on. And I've known tons more who were very attractive without make-up on.

That's a weird statement.

Nah, you're completely missing the point. It isn't that women can't be gorgeous without makeup (a lot are), it's that the standard of uh, "beauty" is much lower for men. Hell, to a certain extent, being grizzly/unkempt can be attractive. You don't see that with women.

JoNightshade · Aug 5, 2009

Salis said:
Nah, you're completely missing the point. It isn't that women can't be gorgeous without makeup (a lot are), it's that the standard of uh, "beauty" is much lower for men. Hell, to a certain extent, being grizzly/unkempt can be attractive. You don't see that with women.

Well, it's rare. My husband likes me (and all women) in no makeup, sporty/baggy clothes, and ponytails. There are other guys like that, they're just in the minority.

The Gender of your latest MC?

What is the gender of your latest fictional main character? (robots/creatures with de

(I'm a male writer)

Male

Female

I have 2 male/female MC's, of identical importance.

-

(I'm a female writer)

Male

Female

I have 2 male/female MC's, of identical importance.

-

My MC can only be called genderless.

Dario D.

I have plans...

Dario D.

I have plans...

Barbershoppin' Harmony Whore

Reads more than she writes.

Reads more than she writes.

Abnormal Romance Author

Dario D.

Reads more than she writes.

Dario D.

A Work in Progress

You Lie!

Reads more than she writes.

Well begun is half done...

You Lie!

A Work in Progress

Walkin' That Road

Bartender, gimme a Linux Mint

has finally arrived

Our Lady of Parentheticals

You Lie!

has finally arrived