Gendered Prose: A Study of "A List of Cages"

"Writing is easy. All you have to do is cross out the wrong words," - Mark Twain

Man, I'm just whipping out these analysis posts like there's no tomorrow . . .

Anyway, my current read is A List of Cages by Robin Roe, and I'm about halfway through it. 

However, what I have read got me thinking. A List of Cages features two male protagonists - a senior and a freshman in high school - written by an adult female. And as I was reading, something just didn't feel . . . right. 

If you're not an avid reader, then you might not know what I mean when I say a character "doesn't sound like a guy" or "doesn't sound like a girl" - like, of course they don't, they're just black and white letters on a page; or, men and women don't 'sound' a certain way when written. 

However, in true Olivia fashion, I'm about to lay out some literary truth on you . . . 

Gendered prose is a thing. 

First, of course, we need to define what I mean by 'gendered prose'. (This more specifically applies to male writers writing female characters or female writers writing male characters.) 

Gendered prose is when the character in question has thoughts, actions, feelings, and syntax that aligns with their gender. In short, when read within the context of the story, the character 'sounds female' or 'sounds male'. Which, when stated like that, sounds stereotypical. 

However, as a general rule of thumb, men and women are different. Not only are they biologically different, their brains are wired differently, men and women react to certain situations differently, the list goes on. 

Now, don't misconstrue any of this and assume that I mean every male character should respond to X stimuli the same way, or that female characters have to be dreamy flower-children, etc. What this means is that, at the most elementary level of the character, their gender has to factor into their identity, and subsequently their thoughts and actions. This involves understanding men and women - and their differences - on a biological and sociological level. 

Why is this important? Why can't we just write people, and then figure out their gender later? 

As I've just stated, whether you like it or not, gender/sex is a cornerstone in a person's biology and identity. Therefore, it will influence them as a whole person. However, it's important for a character to 'sound' like a certain gender for this one reason:

Having a male character read as male is important for the reader being able to visualize and connect with the character, both physically and mentally, for the character to accurately gel together in the reader's mind. If this aspect of the prose fails, then there will be a disconnect between what the prose states and what the prose unintentionally implies. 

Now, the real question is what makes the prose and a character sound 'male' or 'female'? 

That's a good question, and I'm not entirely sure I have a concrete answer. This is the dilemma I found myself in with A List of Cages. Something didn't feel right and I knew what it was, but I couldn't understand why. 

However, after a discussion post on Instagram (@olivia.j.the.wordshaker) and doing some further digging, I've realized that it comes down to a couple of things. If not, at least use this as a brainstorming place in improving your ability to write the opposite gender. 

1. Emotions

This is a big one. As a general rule, women are more outwardly emotional than men. Women also respond to stress and conflict differently than men do. Include descriptions of distinctly different physical and emotional reactions to stimuli. 

2. Interactions 

The way men interact with other men, the way women interact with other women, and the way men and women act together are three vastly different wheelhouses. 

3. Style/Syntax

This pertains to the actual words used to describe something, and the framing and structure of the sentences. Men tend to get right to the point, while women tend to be a bit more metaphorical and flowery. 

~

This is by no means a comprehensive list, and I suppose the takeaway from all of this is do your own research! Find out the differences, and work our your own way to write the opposite gender in the way that best fits the character and you as a writer. 

Again, take these tips with a grain of salt and avoid being stereotypical. Create your character and sprinkle these on like the sprinkles on top of a cupcake!

~The WordShaker