Wouldn't you rather have a nice cup of tea?
Usually I try to 'write what I know,' but every now and then I find a story demands a more feminine point of view. I don't know how successful I am in capturing the perspective authentically, but I'll give it a shot from time to time. On the other hand I'm aware that it really takes you out of a story when a character says or does something you know that no guy (or woman) would ever say, do, or even think.
So, who does it best?
Which Lush authors are the best at taking the view point of the opposite gender? If you're a woman, which male authors do the best at writing plausible female characters? If you're a man, which female authors do the best at writing plasuible male characters?
Don't believe everything that you read.
Frank_Lee without a doubt writes the most vivid characters of either gender. His females might often be gritty and broken, with endless baggage, but they're always beautifully rendered.
On the flipside, browncoffee has it down when it comes to writing men, imo. She has this knack of getting inside his head and showing what he's thinking by mere actions. The flick of a gaze, the adjustment of a belt strap. It's amazing to read.
Please browse my digital bookshelf. In this collection, you can find 117 full stories, 10 micro-stories, and 3 poems with the following features:
* 30 Editor's Picks, 75 Recommended Reads.
* 16 competition podium places, 11 other times in the top ten.
* 22 collaborations.
* A whole heap of often filthy, tense, hot sex.
This caught my eye as I’m trying to write a story at the moment. I’m writing it as a man who's trying to get me into bed. I always think of a quote from “As Good As It Gets” Receptionist: How do you write women so well? Melvin Udall: I think of a man, and I take away reason and accountability.” I love that film. Regards, Verity
Be nice to each other
My first entry into Erotica, I wrote from a very male perspective (on a phone call) that was absolutely 100% myself.
I didn't like that I did it that way, ultimately (despite it being very successful).
As a follow up, I went full Kurosawa/ Rashoman. Same story, from 3 different perspectives (the 3 parties involved) and I thought it would tank without question. Nope. More successful than the prior thing. I sort of had a public personality of my own at that point so it's hard to factor in how that affected the scoring (at Literotica, way back in the day) but I think it's fair to accept that I could in fact write from any perspective I choose. I went on to write things that "couldn't possibly be written from a man's perspective," I was told. Which absolutely gave me a great and gigantic hardon, I should confirm. And I found all of that plenty liberating.
In fact. I use it to this day, 20 years since, to reason myself through my own issues. When I cannot get a grasp on something? I end up writing someone else in a better effort to perhaps understand what I cannot hear myself. And more often than not - there's an answer there.
So to answer the question?
I think it's a mistake not to try.
Serve the story. Not yourself. Find the voice that way.
PS That "Good As it Gets" quote is... not only monolithic and possibly accurate but rather - exactly the point ; )
I can write as either one. But that all depends on the story I am trying to tell.
There really is no firm rule in my writing, it mostly depends on the point of view I am trying to capture. I even had one where the POV character changed genders, and that was interesting because I had them first appear as male, and even describe scenes with an "old boyfriend", that left many confused as they were told from the female perspective by a male (at that time) narrator.
