30 days of Writing - Day Two
How many characters do you have? Do you prefer males or females?
How many characters... that's a lot. Honestly I am not going to go count them all, I simply don't have the time, but I do know that in fanfiction I mostly write about male characters while in my original works there tends to be a lot of females. Large parts of my Chrysopoeia cast are female, all but two really. Unless you count the bad guy and the henchmen, but they are bad guys and henchmen so they don't really.
I find gender fascinating though and I really enjoyed turning Wolverine into a female for a time. His gender image didn't really change and although he got used to his female body he never really felt at home in it and he really wouldn't want to go through it again even if it meant another child. I don't think he has completely forgiven me for making him pregnant yet either, even if he loves his children beyond all measure.
Another gender related challenge is the Chrysopoeia world. Since I am the one creating the world I can also choose how the genders are precived in the society I create. I am trying to be very fluid with it. I don't want to remove all gender signifiers and differences but I also don't need to write another world where the main schism is between men and women. Therefore my main character runs around in trousers and a leather coat while her very competent assistant prefers corsets and skirts. My male characters are also profoundly different, one is a homebody and the other a outgoing adventurer. I also try to include people of different sizes and both with and without disabilites and predjudices. These are things I enjoy reading about myself or find is lacking in much litterature, especially the fantastic kind.
And I think I went off the subject a tad there. To circle back to fanfiction gender is actually related to one of my major pet peeves in fanficton - men being written as teenage girls. Most fanfiction takes place in the same world we live in and many fanfiction authors forget that the male characters they write have all been raised as males an therefor would (most likely) not burst into tears and run to their rooms when slighted by a lover. Even if you've made them gay. Gay men are still men, even the camp ones. I am so glad I have found a lot of fanfiction authors who do not write like this but instead take the actual character into account. Thank fuck for mature writers.
Huh, I thought it would be a short answer to this question - I was wrong, this meme really promotes rambling, doesn't it. I apologize in advance if I do not make much sense but it's late and I'm a bit punchy...
How many characters... that's a lot. Honestly I am not going to go count them all, I simply don't have the time, but I do know that in fanfiction I mostly write about male characters while in my original works there tends to be a lot of females. Large parts of my Chrysopoeia cast are female, all but two really. Unless you count the bad guy and the henchmen, but they are bad guys and henchmen so they don't really.
I find gender fascinating though and I really enjoyed turning Wolverine into a female for a time. His gender image didn't really change and although he got used to his female body he never really felt at home in it and he really wouldn't want to go through it again even if it meant another child. I don't think he has completely forgiven me for making him pregnant yet either, even if he loves his children beyond all measure.
Another gender related challenge is the Chrysopoeia world. Since I am the one creating the world I can also choose how the genders are precived in the society I create. I am trying to be very fluid with it. I don't want to remove all gender signifiers and differences but I also don't need to write another world where the main schism is between men and women. Therefore my main character runs around in trousers and a leather coat while her very competent assistant prefers corsets and skirts. My male characters are also profoundly different, one is a homebody and the other a outgoing adventurer. I also try to include people of different sizes and both with and without disabilites and predjudices. These are things I enjoy reading about myself or find is lacking in much litterature, especially the fantastic kind.
And I think I went off the subject a tad there. To circle back to fanfiction gender is actually related to one of my major pet peeves in fanficton - men being written as teenage girls. Most fanfiction takes place in the same world we live in and many fanfiction authors forget that the male characters they write have all been raised as males an therefor would (most likely) not burst into tears and run to their rooms when slighted by a lover. Even if you've made them gay. Gay men are still men, even the camp ones. I am so glad I have found a lot of fanfiction authors who do not write like this but instead take the actual character into account. Thank fuck for mature writers.
Huh, I thought it would be a short answer to this question - I was wrong, this meme really promotes rambling, doesn't it. I apologize in advance if I do not make much sense but it's late and I'm a bit punchy...