McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft
Writing from a different gender perspective
Darwinist:
Receptionist: How do you write women so well?
Melvin Udall: I think of a man, and I take away reason and accountability.
Kris_W:
There's a lot of things that make a character multi dimensional. I suspect the best way to make great women characters is to make great characters who happen to be women.
Yeah, right - like it's just that easy.
*sigh*
Kali:
--- Quote from: Aludra on October 14, 2009, 04:34:41 PM ---Hmm.. You're a better person than I am clearly, because I identified with the snivelling, the sniffing, the snotty, (I've got allergies, you know), the bitchy (Oh, I can be a mean bitch, but I'm subtle), the conniving (ahem, sex as a method for behavior alteration, I does it), whiny (my tantrums are grade A) and the horrible. I am also a myriad of good things as well. I think that if you can relate to Alanis Morsiette's "I'm a bitch, I'm a lover" song, then you should be able to relate to Jordan's females.
--- End quote ---
"Can be" those things is one thing. "Always are" is another. If you are always those things and never anything positive, then yes, I'm a better person than you are. And I wouldn't want to know you any more than I would ever want to know any of Robert Jordan's female characters.
Aludra:
--- Quote from: Kali on October 14, 2009, 07:27:23 PM ---"Can be" those things is one thing. "Always are" is another. If you are always those things and never anything positive, then yes, I'm a better person than you are. And I wouldn't want to know you any more than I would ever want to know any of Robert Jordan's female characters.
--- End quote ---
My philosphy is that everyone is good. And everyone is bad. At the same time. Yin, yang and all that.
So yeah I always have the option to be conniving, whiny w/e, and I always have the option to rise above it, and when I can do both at the same time, I go for it.
And I'm sorry you feel that they are always those things. They aren't. You may want to try it again with an open mind. Morgaine is wise and powerful. Nynaeve is smart and brave. Egwene is strong, inquisitive, and accepting of others. Morgase (when not brain-washed) is dignified and self-sacrificing. Just as a few examples. I can pull out my texts when I get home and illustrate more for you if you like. I hate to see people decide they hate a book for something that just isn't true. If you say you dislike WoT b/c of the pace or the setting or the writing, then fine. But b/c you think the characters don't have good qualities and only have bad qualities, when it is just not so is another thing.
Kali:
I doubt I could be induced to pick up those books again if paid, honestly. I picked them up because a friend of mine says it's one of his favorite fantasy series, and I just couldn't get past the portrayal of women. We had a different experience reading them, and that's fine. :) But I'm also far from the only person to say that his women are horrible examples of women, and that the portrayals are so negative that Jordan comes off downright misogynistic.
I get what it's like to try to defend a beloved series, tho. My favorite series has a rapist as its main character and I'm forever defending him, what happened, and the series. Stay strong! :D
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