Teens Writing for Teens, the 5th

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Kyla Laufreyson

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Can I get your advice on something, Ari? Is there really a distinguish difference between writing female characters and male characters? I mean I know guys and girls think differently, but with your gay characters, do they think more like guys or more like girls? Or a mixture?

I've read Beautiful Creatures and Shiver for instance and I thought the male voices were pretty okay, but I've seen reviews where people have said, "No, teen guy don't sound like that!" or "No, teen guy cares about what a chick is wearing and the kind of lip gloss she has on."

And it's like, "How in the world can a teen guy narrator describe a chick's dress and the lip gloss she's wearing?" You have to be descriptive, but is being too descriptive make it seem like the guy's narrative is unrealistic for a teen guy?
Honestly, it depends on the genre you're writing in from what I've found.

Like....Beautiful Creatures had an acceptable male voice. Shiver I haven't gotten around to yet so I have no idea, but I've read Ballad by the same author and the male voice there was excellent.

For examples of what I've learned via my own work:

Weeping was YA fantasy and my main character is a faerie. I focused more on making him sound like a fae than like a guy, because in reading a lot of novels involving fae, the men and women sound a LOT alike.

In Shelf Space on the other hand, which is contemporary, I definitely had to pay more attention to making my MC sound like a guy. A gay guy, but a guy nonetheless. If you really want to write in the male voice it has to be at least sort of authentic--good enough that people aren't going to call you out on it all the time.

Just my opinion though.
 

Thalia

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I'm not talking about queerness, talking 'bout queer lit :tongue you know how much I hate general statements.
 

Kyla Laufreyson

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Tally, if this happens when we're legit hanging out there will be a pillow thrown at your face. With all my love.
 

Missus Akasha

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Honestly, it depends on the genre you're writing in from what I've found.

Like....Beautiful Creatures had an acceptable male voice. Shiver I haven't gotten around to yet so I have no idea, but I've read Ballad by the same author and the male voice there was excellent.

For examples of what I've learned via my own work:

Weeping was YA fantasy and my main character is a faerie. I focused more on making him sound like a fae than like a guy, because in reading a lot of novels involving fae, the men and women sound a LOT alike.

In Shelf Space on the other hand, which is contemporary, I definitely had to pay more attention to making my MC sound like a guy. A gay guy, but a guy nonetheless. If you really want to write in the male voice it has to be at least sort of authentic--good enough that people aren't going to call you out on it all the time.

Just my opinion though.

The genre I'm concentrating on is YA contemporary. My story is about teen pregnancy. It will have switching POVs.

Thanks for your advice! :)
 

lisalulu09

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WE NEED TO MEET UP. We could have a write-in and then see a musical or something. :D
 

Kyla Laufreyson

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If you're switching POVs, you'll DEFINITELY want a strong male voice so people don't say they both sound the same. (Note: this can apply with any dual-POV novel. The voices must be distinct.)

No problem :D
 

lisalulu09

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Strong male voice?? *stares at Suns and Stars*

ETA: The guy on Maury has a comb in his hair. Erm... why??
 
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Kyla Laufreyson

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Yes, strong male voice. Read a lot that has focus on the male characters...or just watch a lot of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (<--the ultimate training, not even kidding).

And I must now vanish for awhile, I have something to do. But I should be back within half an hour.
 

Thalia

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I'm not sure where Corwin and Emil's voices fall, strength-wise. I'm pretty confident in Camus', though.
 

Kyla Laufreyson

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My rating of Corwin and Emil....I say Corwin sounds like a man of his period. And status.

With Emil, I wouldn't so much say he has the male voice, but he's got the bratty little earl voice, y'know? He's not something I would mistake for female though, because his style of bratti-ness is more boyish.
 

Thalia

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Emil is a boy, so that is good. Thanks!

Camus. pronounced Cam-ussssssss. He's in an on-and-off WIP of mine that's around 30k right now.
 

lisalulu09

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My male POV characters:

Tristan (Suns and Stars)

Will (Firework, now called Invicible)

Matthew (Underdogs) (third person)
 

Thalia

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My male POV characters (including some who are trunked):

Josh (TRL [old version])

Emil and Corwin (MAAH)

Camus (DG)

Ike (GTA)

Cole (SW)
 

Kyla Laufreyson

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My male POV characters...All of my characters. Erm.

Meera (Weeping)

Zephyr (Lifelike)

Galen (Shelf Space)

Aesil (Seahome)

Just for more current work. And I guess Bartimaeus (Hot Cocoa).
 

Kyla Laufreyson

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A short story I'm writing. It's about a djinn (Bartimaeus) who just does NOT understand Christmas, so he decides to start experimenting with a lot of the traditions. Near the beginning a guy tells him to try hot cocoa and that it can really depend on who you drink it with.

By the end he and that guy and together.

But I'm actually adding to my writing blog now.
 

Thalia

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I'm currently convincing myself to eat a granola bar. How far have I fallen.

My POV characters total:

Hailey and Josh (old TRL)
Mia, Zoe, Daphne, Aella, Eirene (Elite)
Rachel (RM)
Mai (POTS)
Emery (UNTITLED EPIC)
Emil and Corwin (MAAH)
Syrena (THE VOICE)
Hailey (NEW TRL)
Micaiah, Ike, Elincia, Soren... ensemble cast (GTA)
Reinette (Sweet as Sin)
Camus (DG)
Morgan (The Emperor's Code)
Callie and Cole (SW)
Harmony (TLD)

...guys, please don't ask me who they all are. You'll find out.

ETA: Oh, Alisse, Joy, and Adele (PRIESTESS)
Brendan (UNTITLED)
Corina (BOOK OF THE GODS)
Sofia, Darcy, Kia, and Bliss (PARALLEL)
 
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Kyla Laufreyson

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Tally I demand that you explain every single one of those characters to me.

...Just kidding. I'll read about all of them eventually I'm sure.

So I'm putting Weeping out before Breathtaken because it's 50 million times better. Aiming for the end of May.
 

Kyla Laufreyson

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That I am. I've researched as much as I possibly can, and with my material it seems like the best choice for me.
 
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