I hear that boys usually only read books with a lead male character and that females will read either? I think that is really sad. I'm writing a story, so I'm just wondering about your opinion.
2007-07-10 08:32:18 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ Books & Authors
The chances that your book will be published let alone read are slim to none.
Write for YOURSELF because you enjoy it. It doesn't really matter.
Remember- "It is better to write for the self and have no public thatn it is to write for the public and have no self."
Write because you enjoy it. Trust me.
2007-07-10 08:37:37 · answer #1 · answered by Kiara 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I think it depends on your target audience. Unfortunately, I think that statistic is true. Boys often see books with female main characters as "for girls" which is as you say sad. (As a side note, I also think it says something about gender roles we unconsciously teach our children, but that's another topic!) It may also have to do with a lot of books with female main characters have plots that do not interest boys (think the Princess Diaries).
If your plot would primarily speak to young girls make your character whatever gender suits the story best. If you want it to appeal to both or primarily boys make the main character male but make some of the important supporting characters female. This isn't something that authors will change over night but girls are getting more adventuresome in young adult books!
2007-07-10 08:45:15 · answer #2 · answered by tnk3181979 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The Abhorsen Trilogy by Garth Nix has female main characters - Sabriel (sabriel), Lirael (lirael) and Abhorsen (lirael.) and yes, I love them. Anne McCaffrey as many people have written - although The Dragonsong trilogy with Menolly (Dragonsong, Dragonsinger, Dragondrums) are her only books officially for young adults. A great book that just got reprinted is "Enchantress from the Stars" by Sylvia Engdahl. this is the most sci-fi of the bunch (spaceships, a star trek like first contact, etc.) the other ones mentioned tend more towards fantasy (seems to be the more female-friendly part of the genre) although they can all be considered sci-fi in a sense and all have sci-fi elements.
2016-05-18 21:36:50 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
As an author it is not your task to make people read - rather, it is your task to add something (and if it is only one image or thought or whatever) to your readers' lives. Just go ahead and do as you like. As to the boys: Recently, I asked my boyfriend a question and he told me to leave him alone because the book he was reading was so thrilling - the book was Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Though he is no longer in his teens - intelligent 'boys' do read books with a lead female character whatever the statistics say....
2007-07-10 09:29:35 · answer #4 · answered by msmiligan 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's natural for girls to accept and relate to boys, while it's less natural for boys to accept and relate to girls. I don't think it's sad... it's human nature. Studies show that even among young children, girls will call a male friend their best friend, while boys hardly ever call their female friends their best friend.
It just shows that females are more empathetic than males - females can put themselves in a male's shoes far easier than the other way around.
Boys who read about a girl character will often think "she only feels that way because she's a girl" while the a boy character with the same emotions is okay for a boy to read. Boys reading about strong, emotionally healthy male characters are more able to absorb the lessons and morals than reading about strong, emotionally healthy female characters.
I don't think it's sad... many think that it's unfair for girls, but there are many books with female characters... they are just not as popular.
If anything, the males should feel insulted, that they are unable to connect to as many characters as females can!
2007-07-10 08:57:52 · answer #5 · answered by HP Wombat 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
I think you are right about boys. I also think you could blame most people who write about girls. Boys don't want to read about shopping, being in love with boys, crying, and getting your period.
Girls and Boys are locked into gender roles in children's and young adult literature. Boys save the world and girls stay in the background or get hurt or get saved. It's a boring narrative, but it's what people expect. Yes, sad indeed.
2007-07-10 09:06:55 · answer #6 · answered by God_Lives_Underwater 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You should make a female lead! We need to show boys as well as girls that there can be a strong female lead so as to do away with gender stereotypes!
2007-07-10 08:37:23 · answer #7 · answered by DUNX 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
That's one thing we discussed in library school, though I can't provide any exact citations for it.
Ha! My thumbs-down stalker is at it again, I see. :P
2007-07-10 08:45:10 · answer #8 · answered by The Skin Horse (formerly ll2) 7 · 0⤊ 4⤋
well you should do what you think and not what every one thinks.
2007-07-10 08:36:10 · answer #9 · answered by naruto 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋