McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft
For guys and clever women.... help
Shadocat:
I believe it was Jeff Foxworthy who said;
"Women don't want to hear a man's opinion. They want to hear THEIR opinion in a deeper voice."
fizzy:
--- Quote ---Bad communication is not a gender-specific thing.
The ways in which people are socially taught that bad communication is appropriate definitely differ, sure. (See Murphy pointing out the stupidity of the whole Harry and Thomas not communicating because it's a guy thing in PG.)
Doesn't mean you can;t legitimately expect people who really care to make the effort to really communicate.
--- End quote ---
Its not really about bad communication. Not saying we had good communication, just that choosing the color of the furniture was (or should be) an important part of our relationship. For my part, I felt she didn't really value my opinion as much as she wanted to reason out the pros and cons by talking to someone instead of in her head. I thought of it more as a joke, but it was one of the most annoying things she did (which is to say, not that important to me). It wasn't a problem unless she was stressed then she took it personal if I didn't pay immediate attention. I just mentioned it because its a common theme between men and women and could provide for some funny dialoge that wouldn't make a reader dislike a character, just seem kinda quirky. If its the man not listening to the woman, its not so funny. Women not listening to men, funny. Go figure.
Also pointing to something out the window while one person is driving and saying "look at that!". Or pointing to a map while driving through the middle of Atlanta and saying "We're should be here. I think if we keep going in this direction..." Like I can see the map in the dark while I'm trying to not commit vehicular homicide. (My dad did that to me last week). It might actually be funny if we were driving through a zombie infested landscape ala I am Legend or Resident Evil, etc.. He'd totally do that to me to.
"Ohh no don't take this road Ricky. Its a toll road" (from TN where there aren't any and we consider them an abomination)
"we've got a human corpse on the hood. well, half a human corpse. I'm pretty sure they'll let us through the smart tag section with that"
"Ok, but I'm not sure I've got exact change if your wrong"
"I've got an idea, lets ask Stumpy if hes got any. Oh wait, he doesn't have pockets.. or legs."
Ok no more caffeine for me tonight. ;)
the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh:
--- Quote from: fizzy on January 23, 2008, 04:13:40 AM ---I just mentioned it because its a common theme between men and women and could provide for some funny dialoge that wouldn't make a reader dislike a character, just seem kinda quirky. If its the man not listening to the woman, its not so funny. Women not listening to men, funny. Go figure.
--- End quote ---
Cliches about what "men" and "women" are like in place of characterising them as individuals won't make me dislike a character, necessarily, but it will make me dislike the author and most likely never read anything else of theirs again.
JustinGD:
my wife always makes up something that she wanted to happen (putting the laundry in the dryer)...sets the event at a time that I would not have a clear memory of it...waking up or perhaps post coitally and then sets up an ambush. The upshot is I feel used and dirty and she gets out of some house hold task she hates
fizzy:
--- Quote from: neurovore on January 23, 2008, 08:48:55 PM ---Cliches about what "men" and "women" are like in place of characterising them as individuals won't make me dislike a character, necessarily, but it will make me dislike the author and most likely never read anything else of theirs again.
--- End quote ---
I wasn't suggesting not developing characters... chill out. I could walk up to nearly any man and tell him that story about my wife and, unless he was psychotic or had never dated in his life, chanced are that he would laugh. He wouldn't laugh because he knows me as an individual but because he's probably been through the same thing to some degree. Notice the Jeff Foxworthy quote above. Theres a reason its funny. Theres a reason Foxworthy can deliver that line with a crowd of men and women and get a laugh. Because the audience can relate it to their lives and experiences.
Personally, I don't think there's anything wrong with cliches so long as they're interesting. Without the magic and monsters Harry would be just another gumshoe. Its boring work (my dad's a PI so I know). A down on his luck gumshoe, can't get much more cliche than that. Through in the magic, its gets more interesting. A few character faults, a series of events, a vampire or two, next thing you know I can't put the book down.
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