Women of Authors' Hangout... And men...

[countdowntolov3]

Sorry. I can't tell from this if you "write" from a male POV.

I'm a woman. So far I've written exclusively from a female point of view.

Though I don't think I have any particular fear of writing male point of view. I expect I will someday.

 

[AG31]

People clearly read the question in different ways. Too much of a hodgepodge to report on all combinations. Here is the info in response to the question asked. It was focused just on whether women wrote/read from the male POV because of a conversation I had gotten into with another member. If I had narrowed it down to the actual topic of conversation, I would have specified BDSM and probably gotten almost no replies.

Total people responding to the thread - 17 (7 women, 9 men, 1 undeclared)

Count of women writing from male POV - 6
Women authors - 4
People with reasons to report women writing - 2

Count of women reading male POV - 3
Women - 2
People with reasons to report women reading - 4

I'll update these stats if any late arrivals show up.

 

[ChloeTzang]

It's said that most GM writers (and readers) are women, and I see no evidence to disprove that.

Something I only just found out is that GM is hugely popular in China, but with female readers. I have to do a bit more digging on that one when I have time, I'd really like to understand that one.

 

[HordHolm]

Something I only just found out is that GM is hugely popular in China, but with female readers. I have to do a bit more digging on that one when I have time, I'd really like to understand that one.

I wonder if it's something similar to the phenomenon of Yaoi in Japan.

 

[AG31]

Something I only just found out is that GM is hugely popular in China, but with female readers. I have to do a bit more digging on that one when I have time, I'd really like to understand that one.

Let us know what you find out.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

Something I only just found out is that GM is hugely popular in China, but with female readers. I have to do a bit more digging on that one when I have time, I'd really like to understand that one.

Same on AO3 with slash fanfic (ie male/male stories) - surveys suggest about 90% of authors are female (not dissimilar to other fanfic, actually).

It's basically the same urge as drives straight men to watch lesbian porn: man, sexy! More man, more sexy! Men overcoming conditioning not to go for men, because they're so sexy, even more sexy!

Except for some reason porn for men focuses on small areas like the tip of a penis during ejaculation, and rarely pans back to show even the face of the guy (unless jizz is involved), let alone the expanses of skin on skin, muscle pressing against muscle, all those great concepts that make up two decorative bodies. Like the male pornographers can't see the wood for the trees, or rather dont show the forest of what women tend to want because they're zooming in on the wood...

So as there's so remarkably little visual porn out there for women, they (we) write it, possibly because we're used to TV and work and such not providing much hot visual imagery and having to use our visual imaginations. Or maybe we've got better visual imaginations and didn't need to switch from books to get off when dirty photos and then films got invented?

One point rarely addressed is the ease of accessing real bodies to view - my formative years (at least the ones from 18-19, give Lit restrictions) included being able to watch men getting it on almost any time I wanted, because I lived in a gay Mecca and every pub had men fucking in the ladies' toilets. (given I thought I was gay I just viewed this as kinda nice wallpaper! Fuck knows where the lesbians were, but they sure weren't doing anything in public!). As a student it was easier to persuade friends to get their kit off than to track down decent porn on VHS, and certainly better quality! I may have mentioned before how many young women can't bring themselves to orgasm without assistance from a toy or person. If I'd been able to afford/find a vibrator when younger, I might have had fewer one night stands, but actually no regrets. Easier to find someone (usually a guy) to bring you off. One guy = decent sexual satisfaction, so obviously in fantasy, two guys = more - if they're proving they can deal with emotions and homophobia and get together, then they could probably also handle pleasing a woman...

With fanfic there's also that the vast majority of the best fictional characters over time have been male. If you care about characters rather than the body, you'll end up reading more male stories.

 

[AG31]

Same on AO3 with slash fanfic (ie male/male stories) - surveys suggest about 90% of authors are female (not dissimilar to other fanfic, actually).

It's basically the same urge as drives straight men to watch lesbian porn: man, sexy! More man, more sexy! Men overcoming conditioning not to go for men, because they're so sexy, even more sexy!

Except for some reason porn for men focuses on small areas like the tip of a penis during ejaculation, and rarely pans back to show even the face of the guy (unless jizz is involved), let alone the expanses of skin on skin, muscle pressing against muscle, all those great concepts that make up two decorative bodies. Like the male pornographers can't see the wood for the trees, or rather dont show the forest of what women tend to want because they're zooming in on the wood...

So as there's so remarkably little visual porn out there for women, they (we) write it, possibly because we're used to TV and work and such not providing much hot visual imagery and having to use our visual imaginations. Or maybe we've got better visual imaginations and didn't need to switch from books to get off when dirty photos and then films got invented?

One point rarely addressed is the ease of accessing real bodies to view - my formative years (at least the ones from 18-19, give Lit restrictions) included being able to watch men getting it on almost any time I wanted, because I lived in a gay Mecca and every pub had men fucking in the ladies' toilets. (given I thought I was gay I just viewed this as kinda nice wallpaper! Fuck knows where the lesbians were, but they sure weren't doing anything in public!). As a student it was easier to persuade friends to get their kit off than to track down decent porn on VHS, and certainly better quality! I may have mentioned before how many young women can't bring themselves to orgasm without assistance from a toy or person. If I'd been able to afford/find a vibrator when younger, I might have had fewer one night stands, but actually no regrets. Easier to find someone (usually a guy) to bring you off. One guy = decent sexual satisfaction, so obviously in fantasy, two guys = more - if they're proving they can deal with emotions and homophobia and get together, then they could probably also handle pleasing a woman...

With fanfic there's also that the vast majority of the best fictional characters over time have been male. If you care about characters rather than the body, you'll end up reading more male stories.

@ChloeTzang Straight female here. Another attractive thing about m/m erotica, besides the fact that straight women just like men, is that it's so reassuringly obvious when a man is aroused.

 

[ChloeTzang]

@ChloeTzang .....is that it's so reassuringly obvious when a man is aroused.

It is, isn't it. LOL. No hiding that one!

 

[GemmaGemmaGemma]

I was talking about this with another writer recently. I just back into writing erotica and was inspired by a story of theirs and so followed a similar theme to that one, which was writing about an older woman from the perspective of a younger guy. Since then I find myself building female characters with the intention of writing from their perspective but there's just something that often makes me change to writing from the male perspective instead. I think it's something about wanting to be in a guy's head as he reacts and falls for the desirable female character I have created.

I'm bisexual and engaged to a guy and while I am very attracted to him, I don't fancy any of his male friends but I definitely find my own female friends attractive. The majority of my celebrity crushes are ladies as well. I suppose I just find it more fun to write about women from the perspective of a guy that desires her, because I just find girls hotter!

I'll definitely write more from the female perspective when the right idea comes along but recently I seem to like making the female character the focus of my POV characters thoughts and feelings.

 

[AchtungNight]

Same on AO3 with slash fanfic (ie male/male stories) - surveys suggest about 90% of authors are female (not dissimilar to other fanfic, actually).

It's basically the same urge as drives straight men to watch lesbian porn: man, sexy! More man, more sexy! Men overcoming conditioning not to go for men, because they're so sexy, even more sexy!

Except for some reason porn for men focuses on small areas like the tip of a penis during ejaculation, and rarely pans back to show even the face of the guy (unless jizz is involved), let alone the expanses of skin on skin, muscle pressing against muscle, all those great concepts that make up two decorative bodies. Like the male pornographers can't see the wood for the trees, or rather dont show the forest of what women tend to want because they're zooming in on the wood...

So as there's so remarkably little visual porn out there for women, they (we) write it, possibly because we're used to TV and work and such not providing much hot visual imagery and having to use our visual imaginations. Or maybe we've got better visual imaginations and didn't need to switch from books to get off when dirty photos and then films got invented?

One point rarely addressed is the ease of accessing real bodies to view - my formative years (at least the ones from 18-19, give Lit restrictions) included being able to watch men getting it on almost any time I wanted, because I lived in a gay Mecca and every pub had men fucking in the ladies' toilets. (given I thought I was gay I just viewed this as kinda nice wallpaper! Fuck knows where the lesbians were, but they sure weren't doing anything in public!). As a student it was easier to persuade friends to get their kit off than to track down decent porn on VHS, and certainly better quality! I may have mentioned before how many young women can't bring themselves to orgasm without assistance from a toy or person. If I'd been able to afford/find a vibrator when younger, I might have had fewer one night stands, but actually no regrets. Easier to find someone (usually a guy) to bring you off. One guy = decent sexual satisfaction, so obviously in fantasy, two guys = more - if they're proving they can deal with emotions and homophobia and get together, then they could probably also handle pleasing a woman...

With fanfic there's also that the vast majority of the best fictional characters over time have been male. If you care about characters rather than the body, you'll end up reading more male stories.

I get the “more people” = “more sexy” thing, but I generally prefer female characters in my stories, fanfics included. Batgirl and Supergirl over Batman and Superman. But maybe that’s the straight guy in me, or the man leaning towards tough capable women. Heh.

 

[Britva415]

People with reasons to report women [writing/reading]

I don't understand what this means?

 

[lc69hunter]

I write from a male perspective, but quite often, in comments, I am defending a women's point of view, especially in LW, from males who speak from a male insecurity position. As for GM, many women fantasize that, and, just like the guy who wants to see his woman between the legs of another woman, she has the same fantasy about you.

 

[AG31]

I don't understand what this means?

The question was originally specifically about women writing or reading about men. The thread got off track, but I was inviting men to reply who had reliable information about this, even though they couldn't respond about themseles.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Do you (women) write about or enjoy reading stories from the male POV?

Variants of this have been asked before.

I’ve written a few stories with a male narrator. Off the top of my head: Fragile, The Pornstar Experience, Off The Shoulder, Jacob’s Progress, Mors Immatura and Dungeon 101.

At the start, I used to run the stories past male friends, specifically to catch any gender gaffes, but I never really got any adverse comments, so now I don’t bother. Occasionally a male-centric comment or question comes back in general alpha or beta reading and I fix it.

As I have said at least twice before. I’ve had guy readers (not other authors) say that my men cry too easily and are a bit wimpy. Apparently they are all metrosexual as well, as they mention details of what females are wearing all the time (I mean dresses, rather than garter belts).

Then I have women comment that my male characters are more realistic than macho stereotypes. Swings and roundabouts I guess.

I mostly use male voice if I have something about one or more FMCs that I don’t want to reveal to the reader too early. The Pornstar Experience was an exception. Then it was commissioned by a guy and was meant to be about him.

I’ve never felt uncomfortable writing male narrators. But I think I probably give my girls a wider range of emotions. And it's hard to write lesbian with a male narrator .

Emily

 

[djrip]

Variants of this have been asked before.

I’ve written a few stories with a male narrator. Off the top of my head: Fragile, The Pornstar Experience, Off The Shoulder, Jacob’s Progress, Mors Immatura and Dungeon 101.

At the start, I used to run the stories past male friends, specifically to catch any gender gaffes, but I never really got any adverse comments, so now I don’t bother. Occasionally a male-centric comment or question comes back in general alpha or beta reading and I fix it.

As I have said at least twice before. I’ve had guy readers (not other authors) say that my men cry too easily and are a bit wimpy. Apparently they are all metrosexual as well, as they mention details of what females are wearing all the time (I mean dresses, rather than garter belts).

Then I have women comment that my male characters are more realistic than macho stereotypes. Swings and roundabouts I guess.

I mostly use male voice if I have something about one or more FMCs that I don’t want to reveal to the reader too early. The Pornstar Experience was an exception. Then it was commissioned by a guy and was meant to be about him.

I’ve never felt uncomfortable writing male narrators. But I think I probably give my girls a wider range of emotions. And it's hard to write lesbian with a male narrator .

Emily

And then there's my 750 story, in which I write as first person female for the first time. Actually, first person at all for the first time, too.

 

[EmilyMiller]

And then there's my 750 story, in which I write as first person female for the first time. Actually, first person at all for the first time, too.

Looking forward to reading it

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

And then there's my 750 story, in which I write as first person female for the first time. Actually, first person at all for the first time, too.

I'm curious... Those that write multiple characters in multiple genders, especially first person... Do the voices in your head change when you shift POV? And if you're switching from male to female, does the way you feel internally when presenting the characters change.

It does for me, but that may be do to where and how I do or don't fit on the gender spectrum. just curious if other 'binary' writers experience the same things...

 

[EmilyMiller]

I'm curious... Those that write multiple characters in multiple genders, especially first person... Do the voices in your head change when you shift POV? And if you're switching from male to female, does the way you feel internally when presenting the characters change.

It does for me, but that may be do to where and how I do or don't fit on the gender spectrum. just curious if other 'binary' writers experience the same things...

If I’m writing male 1st, then my brain thinks male 1st (or at least my mental approximation of it). I tend to have my narrators live in my head (or me live in their heads). I aim to feel and think what they feel and think.

Of course there are limits.

Emily

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

If I’m writing male 1st, then my brain thinks male 1st (or at least my mental approximation of it). I tend to have my narrators live in my head (or me live in their heads). I aim to feel and think what they feel and think.

Of course there are limits.

Emily

I'm so wanting to eliminate one of those 'limits'

 

[R. Richard]

Something I only just found out is that GM is hugely popular in China, but with female readers. I have to do a bit more digging on that one when I have time, I'd really like to understand that one.

In a pay site that I publish with the bestselling author, by a wide margin is a woman who writes GM stories. Don't ask, I don't know.

 

[djrip]

I'm curious... Those that write multiple characters in multiple genders, especially first person... Do the voices in your head change when you shift POV? And if you're switching from male to female, does the way you feel internally when presenting the characters change.

It does for me, but that may be do to where and how I do or don't fit on the gender spectrum. just curious if other 'binary' writers experience the same things...

I try to feel like I'm the pov character when I'm writing, imagine what they're seeing, feeling, thinking, noticing. I usually do that with close third person, not first. So this was my first time referring to "my" pussy instead of "hers" in a story, which was slightly odd. But for the most part I'm just trying to inhabit a character's mindset, gender doesn't affect it that much. We're all people! For the sexual sensations I break out the trusty old imagination. And, once, the trusty, not particularly old, female beta reader, to make sure I wasn't saying anything too crazy

 

[MillieDynamite]

I don't think I saw the post or poll this is based on.

I write from women's points of view in some first-person tales and from the man's point of view on others. My third-person stories have both male and female points of view in my work. I read stories of all flavors.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

I don't think I saw the post or poll this is based on.

I write from women's points of view in some first-person tales and from the man's point of view on others. My third-person stories have both male and female points of view in my work. I read stories of all flavors.

It was a question I asked. I'm just curious as I feel an almost visceral shift when I go from a male POV to a female one.

Being trans, I've kind of been doing that my entire life depending on the situation. Coping, trying to fit in. I just wondered if, 'binary' is the word I chose, writers felt the same thing or if it was just a mechanic they used.

 

[ElectricBlue]

It was a question I asked. I'm just curious as I feel an almost visceral shift when I go from a male POV to a female one.

Being trans, I've kind of been doing that my entire life depending on the situation. Coping, trying to fit in. I just wondered if, 'binary' is the word I chose, writers felt the same thing or if it was just a mechanic they used.

I'm not binary, but I do feel quite comfortable writing from both male and female points of view, both first and third person. I don't get the visceral mind shift you describe, but there's no "struggle" to imagine and write the feminine perspective (me being male).

My big test (if I get it finished - and I've just thought of a strategy how), will be my story for the Pink Orchid collection, where I'm telling the story from the pov of an eighteen and a half year old girl, in her first year in a residential college at university. It's got vaguely autobiographical elements in the youth she meets, which I think is enough to anchor it. We'll see.

 

[EmilyMiller]

I'm not binary, but I do feel quite comfortable writing from both male and female points of view, both first and third person. I don't get the visceral mind shift you describe, but there's no "struggle" to imagine and write the feminine perspective (me being male).

Yeah, it’s not a wrench to move between narrators. I don’t get nosebleeds. And I have had female and male narrated stories in progress at the same time.

But I do try to “feel” male when writing a male narrator. Obviously it’s less of an effort if it’s female voice, but - if the female isn’t a disguised version of me - then I have to get into their head as well. So Eden Baker feels different to Emily Wilson.

Heck, even with Emma and Lily, both of whom are extreme caricatures of parts of my own personality, I have to get into an Emma frame of mind or a Lily one.

Emily