tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594341074652821017.post4575766525959823821..comments2023-08-14T10:44:59.007-04:00Comments on Novel Spaces: Picking Point of ViewKeVin K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14792797517571690942noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594341074652821017.post-34994389732225891722009-07-28T16:43:26.739-04:002009-07-28T16:43:26.739-04:00There is a guideline for writers, particularly new...There is a guideline for writers, particularly new and unpublished ones, that says: "write what you know". I see that as a starting point but not as a pair of handcuffs. We can all learn more.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594341074652821017.post-87158993467209662092009-07-25T14:40:19.555-04:002009-07-25T14:40:19.555-04:00Great article. Thanks fo sharing.Great article. Thanks fo sharing.Vanessa A. Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10309349880315316209noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594341074652821017.post-15990581320100303472009-07-25T13:14:00.946-04:002009-07-25T13:14:00.946-04:00Terence, thank you for your thoughtful post.Terence, thank you for your thoughtful post.Shauna Robertshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03871768714926149114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594341074652821017.post-5805407112800889752009-07-24T19:48:48.760-04:002009-07-24T19:48:48.760-04:00I think you got to the crux of the matter with tha...I think you got to the crux of the matter with that 'what' and 'who' distinction. No one group, be it based on gender or anything else, has an exclusive 'right' to write anything or anyone.<br /><br />Your views on multiculturalism mesh with mine, Terence, maybe because of my exposure and socialization. For me it's the norm, not the new big deal.Liane Spicerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05035607144500219524noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5594341074652821017.post-73733108228696049132009-07-24T10:48:21.785-04:002009-07-24T10:48:21.785-04:00(Had to delete and repost -- you can't edit yo...(<i>Had to delete and repost -- you can't edit your comments here.</i>)<br /><br />Good point, Terence. My magical mystique has nothing to do with my race or gender.<br /><br />As a science fiction writer, I get something of a free pass on this issue in most of my stories. The lead character in my two Star Trek books is a 4-foot tall powder blue female pillbug, for example. I'm none of those things, but no one has yet to cry 'foul.'<br /><br />Just over half of the human characters in my stories are female, mostly because just over half of the human race is female. Seemed like a good ratio and I went with it. They've been pretty equally divided between good guys and bad guys. More than one reviewer has commented on the strong women who populate my stories -- not one has questioned my right to write from a female POV. <br />(Mind you, when my romance novel comes out it will be my wife's name on the cover, because from a marketing standpoint romance readers tend to think men can't write romance novels. Case in point is the fact some folks think that last sentence begins with a joke.)<br /><br />As my writer friend Deborah Grabien frequently points out, there are only two nouns: man and woman; everything else is adjectives. So it always strikes me as odd that writing outside my gender is okay, but issues of race, orientation, and faith are a bit more problematic. As a heterosexual white Christian I have been questioned by critics about my right to write non-white, non-het, non-Christian characters. I have no answer that will satisfy all critics (though every now and then I try). The best thing, I think, is to accept there will always be critics, but don't allow their criticism to unduly affect your writing. To be true to our craft, we as writers are obligated use all of our skill, our heart, our knowledge, and our cunning to tell our story authentically. The rest follows that.KeVin K.https://www.blogger.com/profile/14792797517571690942noreply@blogger.com