I recently finished an excellent novel called “Help for the Haunted.” It’s about two sisters, ages around 14 and 18 and their parents who make a living by helping expunge demons from haunted individuals. Hmm. Well, never mind the plot – it actually works quite well.
When I was about halfway through I happened to notice the name of the author. Isn’t that awful? I didn’t even pay attention to the author’s name until then. Shame. Anyway, the author’s name is John Searles. A male . . . writing in the point of view of two young females. The characters were so well formed and realistic I was surprised to learn they were created by a man.
I began to wonder how many other books I’ve read had characters developed by an opposite sex author. One that came to mind immediately was “Memoirs of a Geisha.” In this book, the author, Arthur Golden, does an excellent job of portraying the opposite sex main character. (Not to mention all the cultural differences that required a great deal of research.)
The other book I recalled was “She’s Come Undone,” by Wally Lamb. Also an excellent portrayal of a female character by a male author. Here the protagonist deals with rape, the death of her mother and suicide. How much tragedy and trauma can one woman deal with and how can the male author empathize so poignantly?
In “Help for the Haunted,” clearly I assumed the author was female. I applaud John Searles for getting into the heads of two young women so artfully. But how did he do it? Does he have daughters? Does he teach high school girls? Does he vet his characters through other young women to see if they are, indeed, realistic?
In my novel, “The Triangle Murders,” I attempted the same thing. The main character is a male homicide cop. But in this case, Frank Mead had been developed in other books with the help of a female character. In this book I simply let him fly on his own. The point is that Frank “grew” around my female protagonist in other books and I felt I knew him well enough to give him the lead. But how well did I know him compared to my female lead? As a woman, how well can I know any man?
Is it enough to be married, teach, be a CASA for teen foster youth, have brothers, sons, uncles and cousins of the opposite sex, to claim to know what goes on in their heads? Is writing about characters from an opposite gender point of view different from writing about characters in a different time zone or location?
I think it is. What do you think?
Do you ask the men in your life to give their perspective on Frank’s dialog and actions in your novel? Then, I would say it IS enough. Just being around guys isn’t enough. Even doing extensive people watching, for me, isn’t enough. I have my husband go over every scene with me so that my mobster comes out authentic.
Because, you’re right; as a woman, how well can we know ANY man? We can come close, but, at least in my personal experience, it takes talking to a man to keep me on track when writing one!
Good points, Carrie. And yes, I do check with my husband on the male characters. He has been very helpful!
Hey Lynne. This is the other Lyn. We trip across each other from time to time on Linked In . 🙂
In my historical Schellendorf series I, too, write from the opposite sex. I never thought to do it from any other position. At the very start of writing the series I wanted to show a German general who hated Hitler, yet served in the Wehrmacht through World War II – and survived.
That was the underlying premise.
I became so completely wrapped up in this protagonist, I had to uncover and write his full story, so ended up writing four novels about him.
Yes, we talk of our characters as people in our lives; and four years after completing the series, I am still trapped by his mystique.
How did this character pass muster with readers? He gleaned for me a lot of 5-star reviews on Amazon. I think I got away with it.
Here’s a link where you might check them out…
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=the+officer%27s+code++lyn+alexander
Thanks, other Lyn. I’m also about to start my second book on WWII. The first was about the Nazi confiscation of art and a missing Van Gogh painting. This next one is about a lost composition of music. I checked out your books on Amazon. Which would you recommend? Start with the first?
Hi Lynne
I’m so pleased you want to look into them.
Yes, start with The Officer’s Code, which is WW I. It’s the foundation of the series. The timeline from 1912 to 1947 continues in a fairly straight line through the four novels.
Give me the title of yours or give me a link to it. Race you to a review. 🙂
Email me?
lynraa@xplornet.ca
Cheers
Thanks, Lyn. Got your email!
I have a bad habit of not paying attention to author names, and I’m often surprised. Hey, if it works for J.K. Rowling …
As for me–well, two of my published works are romantic comedies, so somebody could read me and be surprised. But the character who came most to life for me was the fifteen year old sister of my first male protagonist, who has now appeared in (and in one case taken over) all my published fiction works. I think her realism might partially stem from the fact that I have three sisters, two step-sisters, and two daughters. There’s nothing like real life experience.
Thanks, Mark!
I’ve written one novel, FITCHER’S BRIDES, (the fairy tale of Bluebeard recast upon the Fingerlakes district of New York) from the POV of 3 sisters in the 1840s. A lot of Jane Austen was absorbed in finding their voices. Two are, in a sense, of their time, and the third is both that and effectively the mouthpiece for things the novel wants to say, I suppose. Even then I ran most of the book past 3 female beta-readers, some of whom were familiar with or had written in the period. All of them added bits, but mostly they gave a thumb’s up to the voices, which was a great relief; and the book did well.
I think anytime you stretch your boundaries, it’s good to get feedback, some verification. Of course I want to believe that I’m Wile E. Coyote, Super-genius, and cannot possibly fail to have created great characters; but better still to have that confirmed for you (or not, if it needs more work) by someone you can trust to know.
There were two science fiction authors who collaborated on a book many years ago where they decided to have a female main character. She was a no-nonsense military woman. And what did she do, first time she was at her locker? Why, she noticed just how perky her breasts were. (Head-desk, repeat). Good beta-readers can be worth their weight in gold. Not having any has no upside.
Thank you, Gregory. I absolutely agree with your point on beta-readers. Particularly those of the characters’ POV. Same can be said of good editors and critique groups. Your manuscript should not be for your eyes only.