In
the past, romance novels and love stories were all told from a female point of
view. These days, we get to see things from both points of view. I find men
fascinating, which is why I write my novels from both perspectives. That said,
there are certain things I keep in mind when writing my male leads.
A Convincing Voice – Language, Reaction, Motivation
· Language is a common connector, but men communicate differently. They tend to say exactly what they mean, while women are more tactful. Direct language for a male character is always better.
· Women will hide their feelings, particularly if something gets on their nerves in a group setting. Men are more open and let you know they are displeased. Of course, personalities vary and when I write, I like my men to be complex characters that don’t do the expected.
· A man’s motivation is oftentimes clearer than a woman’s. Take a young guy who sees a woman he likes. There's the open admiration and if you watch carefully, you might see him making up his mind to approach that woman. Then he’ll go into action. A woman will make several subtle passes with her eyes, unless of course, she wants the guy to know without a doubt that she’s interested. Her body language will tell him exactly what she wants him to know. I play around a bit in my writing. I prefer my male characters to be more controlled in their approach.
A Convincing Voice – Language, Reaction, Motivation
· Language is a common connector, but men communicate differently. They tend to say exactly what they mean, while women are more tactful. Direct language for a male character is always better.
· Women will hide their feelings, particularly if something gets on their nerves in a group setting. Men are more open and let you know they are displeased. Of course, personalities vary and when I write, I like my men to be complex characters that don’t do the expected.
· A man’s motivation is oftentimes clearer than a woman’s. Take a young guy who sees a woman he likes. There's the open admiration and if you watch carefully, you might see him making up his mind to approach that woman. Then he’ll go into action. A woman will make several subtle passes with her eyes, unless of course, she wants the guy to know without a doubt that she’s interested. Her body language will tell him exactly what she wants him to know. I play around a bit in my writing. I prefer my male characters to be more controlled in their approach.
Descriptions
· While women will stop and absorb the beauty in nature, I’ve never seen a man running a fingertip over a flower in the way a woman does. In my mind, if he does this, it would perhaps be his way of telling the leading lady that he’d like to touch her like that.
· A man viewing a garden setting probably wouldn’t think about the dew pearling on the blooms, but it might remind him to get some flowers for his lady, if they had a quarrel. Not to say that men don’t appreciate beauty, they just don’t get as enthralled over nature. In writing, a man’s appreciation of nature shouldn't be done using words that make him sound sappy, unless it’s intentional.
History
· We are shaped by our history and our characters should be the same. A man who experienced poverty and hardship in his early years would see the world differently from one who has had the best of everything, therefore, it is important to me that the reader can identify how my character’s life experiences have made him the person he is as well as what drives him.
Getting Close to the Horse’s Mouth
· Research lends authenticity to our work and if I doubt that what I’ve written rings true, I find a man to read it. But before I get to that stage, I talk to men to see what they think about a particular subject and how they deal with certain aspects of their relationships. Male critique partners have told me that my male lead sounds sissyish when he’s thinking this or that, and I've been told no man worth his salt would do or say certain things. That’s usually my cue to go back to the keyboard.
Each time I write a male character, it’s a learning experience. The voice has to be authentic, seeing through his eyes is a must, so is delving into his-story and finding out what makes him tick. How do you female writers craft your male characters? Are there any other factors you keep in mind when creating your heroes? If you're a male reader, are there any tips you can share that will help us write better male leads?
