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Tips on Writing Out of Character



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Tue Nov 13, 2012 4:06 am
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indieeloise says...



We all come across the obstacle of relaying characters accurately - of course there is no "correct" character, but sometimes it's difficult to put on paper the exact representation of a certain personality you have in mind if it's not natural.

Personally, I have trouble with males. I've always hated reading those teen fiction books written by pious adults who obviously know nothing about what goes on inside the mind of today's youth. Which is why I agonize and am so careful about the way I pen my characters. I've grown up around guys all my life - I have three stepbrothers, I've been in relationships, most of my friends are guys, and I'm in male-dominated advanced classes in school. So it's not the masculine specimen that I struggle with.. but their mind. The male mind. I always fail to pinpoint the complexities (though usually simplicities) of their brain waves.

Any hints from males on understanding the way your species thinks, or suggestions from girls that have mastered this particular characterization?

Thank you,
Indie.
"My hobbies include editing my life story, hiding behind metaphors, and trying to convince my shadows that I am someone worth following." - Rudy Francisco
  





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Tue Nov 13, 2012 4:49 am
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Rosendorn says...



Men are not a separate species.

They are just as varied as women, with similar worries, likes, dislikes, pressures, ect. Sometimes they get preference because they are men, others they are looked over because people don't want to have another man in the organization. They can enjoy ballet or sports or music, like girls or like guys (or both, or neither), be very conscious of what society expects them to be, naturally fit what society wants them to be, or not care.

Most of the differences men and women face are cultural. There are some biological differences (Look at the effects of different dominating hormones for those), but the expectations, stereotypes, and support/lack of are all culturally dictated. Men and women are taught different things by society, but they aren't always taught this stuff by society. It depends on where they come from and what experiences they have.

Build a character who identifies as male. Build a society, or research the place he comes from. Make his mindset reflect what he's been through. You now have a male character.
A writer is a world trapped in a person— Victor Hugo

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Wed Nov 28, 2012 1:43 am
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Tenyo says...



Men are totally a separate species.

Okay, a few basics (that I know of):

Physical appearance: Women look at details like colour and style, where men look at size and build. A woman would describe a character as 'a tall person with blue eyes, unkempt hair and an air of broken elegance around them.' A ma would describe them as 'a tall, broad man with a blond afro, a large gait and a elbows fixed at his sides.'

Size and location: Women talk more about location. The vase was placed neatly in the middle of the table, its leaves spreading and hanging over the edge. Men talk more about size. The vase itself was almost twice the size of the coffee table that paled in significance beneath it.

Emotion: Women are more adept at expressing their emotions than men. A woman would say 'I could feel the rage building up inside me and couldn't wait to get away so I could find somewhere to vent it.' A man would say 'I felt like my head was about to explode.'

Targets and goals: Men are more goal orientated. They're better at staying focused but suck at managing everything at once. Women are more adaptable. They're better at holding things together but tend to be less focused on the main goal. A man would say 'tomorrow I'm going to go straight down to the shop early and return the broken product. If I leave it to her she'll have it done next tuesday.' A woman would say 'I'll make a big breakfast, he's in work all day tomorrow and will probably forget to eat again. I need to take that broken product back, but the kids are off school until next tuesday.'



The best advice I could give is to pick up a few male magazines and read what real manly men write about. You don't want to mimic the style completely, but you can get your head around the way men think when not around women.
We were born to be amazing.
  





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Mon Dec 10, 2012 3:19 am
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Kale says...



The best advice I could give is to pick up a few male magazines and read what real manly men write about.

I know this topic is old, but I just can't let this comment pass.

The men who write those magazines are not real manly men. Those writers merely pander to and reaffirm what society has deemed the narrowest interests of "real manly men".

In reality, a "real manly man" is rather difficult to define. There are many types of socially-accepted forms of manliness. For instance, being the CEO of a Fortune 500 company is considered a mark of manliness, just as being a poor-as-dirt manual laborer is, despite how different both lifestyles are.

That said, very few men qualify as being "real manly men", and so writing a male character as a "real manly man" is not a good idea unless there is a really good reason for them to act like a "real manly man" (whichever variety you choose to go with).

Here's a webcomic I particularly love because it addresses issues of manliness and what exactly is the measure of a man: Manly Guys Doing Manly Things.

The best advice I can give you is to observe and talk to the men in your life. First-hand observation is the best tool you have as a writer, and you can't go wrong in using your observations to shape the characters in your stories.
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Wed Dec 12, 2012 10:11 pm
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AlfredSymon says...



Men, they may seem a new different species, but they're actually the same as women. In a way. Some way. At least.

Well anyways, let's go to the tipping and leave the blabbery! The male and the female variations of humans aren't exactly too far away from each other. It might be weird to you, but everything a woman may experience, a man can, too. If you think only women encounter emotional dilemma, think again! Men can, too. If you think only women can dance, choose clothes, shop, dine and cry over a lot of things, think again! Men can, too. In other words, it's not all about gender, it's more on the personality.

Gender can affect more of the norms: his perspective, the qualities and skills he might possess, his favorites and hobbies. However, they don't fully rely on it. So, my tip again, it's not about being male, it's being a human. Just add some of the usual virile touches like keeping some emotions in (but totally pouring them out on a self-narrative part) and activities such a sports or other hobbies.

Your good pal,
Al
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Thu Dec 20, 2012 10:40 am
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ianjohnson says...



Your post have the information that is helpful and informative. great tips . I would like you to keep up the good work..Thanks and keep up the good work.
  





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Sun Dec 30, 2012 6:44 pm
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Stori says...



I always fail to pinpoint the complexities (though usually simplicities) of their brain waves.


Hold the music, folks. That hurts, seeing as how my mind is very complex. It's partly because of the way I was educated.

When I got tired of "Will Sam meet her", there was nobody to tell me I mustn't read anything more advanced. Thus I was exposed to King Arthur, Narnia and Redwall at a young age, and it's shaped me for the better.

When you say men's and boys' minds are simple, you mean that they didn't have a teacher that believed they could accomplish anything.
  





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Mon Dec 31, 2012 4:09 am
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indieeloise says...



Please forgive me for my brashness. I didn't mean for this to come off as sexist or as questioning the male intelligence, so I apologize for any offense taken. I've learned that most of the time, ignorance leads to criticism, and obviously I fell into that category when I posted this topic with the offensive wording I used.

On a further note, since posting this, I feel I have improved on the male characterization in my writing, so thank you for your kind direction. Thank you also for not lunging at my throat for my insensitive fluff in my first post on this topic.

No hard feelings?
"My hobbies include editing my life story, hiding behind metaphors, and trying to convince my shadows that I am someone worth following." - Rudy Francisco
  





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Fri Jan 18, 2013 3:11 am
Stori says...



No hard feelings. It's true that at times, I feel out of place in society or even unwanted. But you know, society is corrupt and changeable. It can lead people nowhere.
  








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