Indeed. ;)
GENTS: write a thing.
WORLD: What he’s saying is interesting, yet problematic, these themes are universal themes, how does this fit in in the wider body of LITERACHUR, the seven basic plots, stranger comes to town or person goes on a journey, in the style of InsertOtherDudeHere but with a fascinating variation, there should be an article about this, there should be an article about this in the NEW YORK TIMES.
LADIES: write a thing.
WORLD: Bitches, am I right?
BASICALLY i’m really angry because it seems that nowadays a lot more young adult books are geared toward girls rather than guys which is fine but i’m a guy and while guys *can* read about girls falling in love with the perfect guy while trying to save the world… it’s not really that relatable. ok also sorry if i sound sexist. anyway do you have any book recommendations more geared toward guys?
This was not addressed to me, but it came up in the Shadow and Bone tag so I’m going to respond to it briefly.1. Would you have skipped reading Harry Potter if it had been told from Hermione’s POV (or assigned POV)? Would you have skipped reading Percy Jackson if it had been more explicitly Annabeth’s journey? Then you would have missed out on two incredible, game-changing series.
2. There is no shortage of fiction (literary, genre, children’s) that focuses on male protagonists. I think it’s possible that the popularity of YA speaks to the hunger for more female protagonists. I don’t see why that should incite anger.
3. Also, what YA are you reading? Sure, there are stories that follow the formula you describe, but it’s also pretty reductive. I think if you do a little looking, you’ll find a category brimming with fantastic stories, new worlds, action, and adventure. Yes, there’s often a romantic element, but most of the YA I see coming out now doesn’t focus on that as the ultimate goal of the story. It’s more about the hero or heroine’s journey and there isn’t always a happily ever after in the offing.
Also, I’d point out that there are frequently romantic elements in stories that focus on male characters or multiple POV and this is true across all genres. Tom Clancy, George R.R. Martin, James Patterson, John Grisham, Stephen King—the heavy hitters don’t shy away from romantic entanglements. Maybe we cut them more slack because they’re presented through the male lens?
If you’re looking for male protags in YA, literally the first that come to mind are Finnikin of the Rock and its sequel Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta (high fantasy), The Marbury Lens by Andrew Smith (horror/fantasy), Taken by Erin Bowman (dystopian), and Looking for Alaska by John Green (contemporary). I don’t know if these are “geared toward guys.” They all have different focuses for their narratives and different levels of romance. In the end, I think it depends on the guy.
Finally, regarding sexism: Saying that you don’t like romance in your stories is different than saying that you can’t relate to female characters. I’m not sure which is true for you because they kind of got conflated in one statement “finding the perfect guy and saving the world.” If you didn’t like Bella’s story because it focuses largely on her relationship with Edward and that’s not your thing, I get it. But if you can’t relate to Buffy or Katniss or Jane Eyre or Jo March—any girl with a job to do who might fall in love or lust or whatever along the way—that makes me kind of sad.There’s room for all kind of heroes and heroines and some of our greatest stories happen to be love stories too. Love, friendship, sexual attraction— all essential parts of life. It’s only when girls or women become the audience that we start to turn our noses up at something that we all care about.
Leigh Bardugo, what a lady.
Sadly, there are a lot of people who would have skipped Harry Potter if Hermione was the protagonist. There are amazing books out there which are not becoming cultural phenomena because of sexism. The books which got there despite it are to be much applauded—and get a lot more sneering than Harry Potter and Percy.
This reminds me of the post that was going around about YA (FOR KIDS?! ABOUT GirLS? TEENagE GIrls?!)… that was reblogged by feminist blogs, that made me see absolute red.
A girl saving the world shouldn’t be sneered at. A girl having a romance shouldn’t be sneered at, either.
And of course, as Leigh points out, MOST BOOKS HAVE ROMANCE IN THEM. Where are the people moaning ‘Oh come on Stephen King, less love, more beetles that cause the apocalypse!’
Whereas a lady writer can write SUE STABBATIA VS THE BEETLES OF THE APOCALYPSE.
PUBLISHERS: Time for a pink cover.
READERS: Ah, another silly girl book about love.
AUTHOR: Yeah, the love of a woman for a machete…
There is a study showing that in a classroom full of girls and guys, if the girls are talking the same amount as the guys, it’s perceived as the girls taking over the discussion.
Men tend to talk more than women.
And yet there’s a myth that women are way, way more talky. Because women are meant to be *silent*, so people don’t like it—people criticise it and sneer at it—when women talk.
How much worse, if women are being the stars and saving the world? The fact they’re doing it at all in some books is seen as them doing it WAY TOO MUCH, the women are dominating the conversation! Will nobody think of the poor guys?
Feeling hard done by in this circumstance is natural, because we’re raised in a messed up world. But readers, writers, people of the world, think about if you really want to say that girls can’t save the world, can’t be the heroes, or that love is stupid.
Think of what people are losing up there in that giant No Girls Welcome clubhouse.
Don’t be angry that women are not silent.
Hello m’dear! I am excited to see you too!
Definitely bring a book if you want to get one signed—do not buy the same book twice unless you have a use for the second copy, I do not requires it. I am super grateful for those who buy my book one time. ;)
If you CAN, I always think it’s nice for the bookshop if you wish to buy a book (not necessarily by me!), but bring all books from home that you wish, is my general motto. I go to places so people can come see me if they like, and have me answer the questions they have, and sign the books that they wish, and have all things exactly as they like!
Hey Cassie, I love your books so much and I was looking forward to the Bane Chronicles. I was under the impression when you first posted about them that they would be a series of free e-books, however when I looked at them on Amazon today they were $2.99. I can’t afford…
This post of Cassie’s makes me think of this comment on the idea of writing for free:
http://pocochina.tumblr.com/post/44918424567/but-its-then-incumbent-upon-all-of-us-to-recognize
‘Writing is, after all, one of the few skills girls are encouraged to develop… It is, at the moment, a profession exactly respected enough to acknowledge a lot of women as professionals. And on some level I think that’s part of the failure to properly contextualize that it is WORK and people need to be PAID, not some frivolous habit that anyone could do, if they weren’t so busy with their SERIOUS REAL CONCERNS, GOD, JUST SHUT UP, WOMAN!’
I’m not saying that dudes don’t get asked to write for free too. Obviously they do, the arts are notoriously treated as not a real job: the journalist asked to write for free in the above link was a guy, and Cassie links to John Scalzi’s post on the subject of writing for free in her post.
I think it is interesting that they *are* both guys, and they both got a lot of good press for saying: my work is worth something. Because when a woman says that, people argue with her.
The majority of writers are women—but the majority of the best-paid writers are men. In Forbes’s most recent list of the highest paid authors, nine out of fifteen names are men. That’s not equality—that’s a long way off. People assume men write better stories and are more deserving of being paid for them.
I get many requests saying ‘I would like a free story about this.’ And it’s flattering to be asked, it really is. Every writer wants people to want more of their writing. But I do not have unlimited time, and I do have to pay the electric bill.
I once wrote a free short story to thank people for reading my second book and asked for people not to tell me if they hadn’t read my second book. ;) Because I dared to ask something for myself, I know of at least one person who stopped reading my books entirely. The attitude was not just ‘give me free stuff’ - that’s taken for granted - but ‘don’t act like you’re entitled to anything, not even feelings about your work.’
I remember an email exchange with one girl looking for more free stories by moi who responded to my suggestion she read my books with ’Rest assured, I have picked up copies of them several times, and looked speculatively at them, then looked at the Terry Pratchett novel in my other hand…’
(I’m in no way suggesting I am better than Terry Pratchett. I LOVE TERRY PRATCHETT.)
I’ve been told I should just be grateful for the attention of readers—that if I really loved writing I’d do it for free—and I have seen the same thing said to many other lady writers I admire. Lynn Flewelling’s one I remember especially, because I SUPER LOVE Lynn Flewelling, who wrote one of the very few gay-protagonist fantasy serieses around. (Luck in the Shadows. You’re welcome, internet. ;))
People react badly to women acting like their work is worth something… and they also react badly to the world acting like women’s work is worth something.
I’ve seen one successful lady novelist described as ‘more a businesswoman than an author’—I have *never* heard someone talk about James Patterson that way, and he’s the most business-focused writer I know of.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/24/magazine/24patterson-t.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
I believe nobody is obliged to buy anything I write: I believe nobody owes me a living.
But that doesn’t mean that I believe people have an absolute right to whatever of my work they decide they want, with no benefit to me.
It’s sad sometimes, because I like writing free things (I freely admit, as both presents and promotion) and I don’t want to believe people will just think that I *should* write them, and all I write should be free: that because I did something for free once, that’s all my work is worth for all of time. ;)
It’s a complicated issue, because I really am grateful that people read what I write, and I really do want people who can’t afford books to have access to books. I love libraries, and discovered some of my favourite writers through them as a kid.
It’s also tricky because I’m also really pleased and honoured to be a part of the Bane Chronicles, and I know a lot of people did buy mine and Cassie’s first story. (So many people! I LOVE YOU ALL.)
It’s tricky because writers don’t set price points. (If I could, I would totally like to give away or discount Unspoken for a little bit before Untold comes out… because I think it would be great promotion, because I think people would buy Untold after.) We don’t get to—publishers do. Which is fair enough, as publishers are paying for covers and distribution and so on: they have a lot more people to pay than just us. But writers get the flak for price points as well as covers, because, well, c’est la vie. It’s your name on the cover.
It’s tricky for all those, and many more, reasons.
But… yes. I can’t—and other women can’t—write all the things for free, and it is uncomfortable to see women’s work treated so often as being worth nothing.
Sarah Rees Brennan, Demon’s Covenant (via bygoshbygolly)
I clearly have a well of darkness in my soul.
People have been asking about my favorite books of the year, so I figured this would make it easy. It’s a few days late, but there was one I started reading in 2012 and wanted to finish so I could put it on the list! Caveats: I know several of these authors but I wouldn’t tell you I liked something if I didn’t. And if your favorite isn’t on the list, I probably just haven’t had a chance to read it yet. (I’m always looking for recommendations!) Oh, and these are books PUBLISHED in 2012, no older books I read in 2012, however great they were.
- Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
- Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan
- The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
- Black Heart by Holly Black
- The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman
- The Diviners by Libba Bray
- The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
- Team Human by Sarah Rees Brennan & Justine Larbalestier
- Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake
- Blackwood by Gwenda Bond
What a good list. Every one of these I’ve read (and didn’t write obvs…) I love… and I’ve read most of them. Especial whoo for Robin Wasserman, who came out with her brilliant book early last year… but will be coming out with her next even more brilliant book later this year. Possibly around the same time some other people have their books out? Possibly around that time yes. How exciting! I shall just leave this information here.
I’m reading Code Name Verity next!
MY TOP TEN FAVORITE YOUNG ADULT BOOKS I READ IN 2012 → a rec list
1. Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan
2. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
3. The Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness
4. Adaptation by Malinda Lo
5. Ash by Malinda Lo
6. Huntress by Malinda Lo
7. The Darkest Powers trilogy by Kelley Armstrong
8. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
9. Delirium by Lauren Oliver
10. Throne of Glass by Sarah J MaasBrief reviews + recommendations under the cut b/c it’s like 10 miles long sorry I just really love books okay
Anywhere Malinda Lo, Kelley Armstrong and Leigh Bardugo are is a place I wish to be. *deeply pleased*
V. Important Letter To All Those Who Asked About The Books I Dun Like,
I did not write this post: http://yaflash.tumblr.com/post/39106372768/rants-about-rants-about-ya
I did write a whole extra essay (http://sarahreesbrennan.tumblr.com/post/39130457036/rants-about-rants-about-ya) added to it in which I said I agreed with a lot of it… by which I meant, you know, not all of it. ;) (Though I do think it is great!) I didn’t mention any specific books in my extra-essay because I don’t do that.
I haven’t read Stormdancer. I haven’t even read The Fault In Our Stars. (I really like An Abundance of Katherines though! Rebellious hipster choice. ;)) I realise that means that when I next visit America, I will be arrested. I am sad but I accept this: the law is the law. I hope some of you will send me care packages in prison.
There TOTALLY ARE books I don’t like. I just don’t like talking about them in public. I talk about them in private all the time. I will act them out.
(That’s right… if you become my friend you too could look forward to many, many hours on a sofa with me telling you stories.
Please people do not trample each other in your RUSH TO SIGN UP, plenty of overinvestment in storytelling for everyone!)
But in public… nope. I think people should! I would defend to the death the right of people to diss other people’s books, and this includes my own books. I think critique can be super valuable. But I don’t talk about books I dislike online, and this is because…
a) when I dislike something I’m kind of a snarky jerk and I don’t need to be a jerk in public, lord
b) people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones, or dance naked in their glassy, glassy living room. I write books and spend a lot of time gnawing my own hair over critiques
c) I can’t be sure I’m… at all right…? Because, like, when you have a job, and someone else gets a promotion (or someone else’s book gets marketing you didn’t get/success you wish you had) then one’s opinion of them (MARTHA’S FILING SKILLS ARE SUB PAR! That book is rubbish!) are complicated by the fact that one is totally jels. I do not need to be jels in public. ;) (Additionally: there are of course books I love that are successful and much marketed and I am purely happy for them! But that doesn’t mean that I’m totally right/unbiased by jels about the successful books I dislike. Human beings are not 100 % rational.)
In conclusion: sorry I can’t do this because I am a jerk! Um, I mean I am not a super objective person. MY critique is not super valuable… unless I like a book. I do have writing friends and I critique their work, and I can critique it because I like their work and am like ‘Let’s POLISH this DIAMOND.’
When I am handed something I think of as a coal, I am just like ‘Gross, someone handed me a coal, I’m going to drop it and then mock this coal, my hands are filthy!’
And so I keep my coal-mocking on the downlow, and would not talk about books I dislike in public, and did not do so. ;) Policy statement complete!
“His desperation and misery swept her up like a storm capturing the sea. She turned her mind to even these feelings, because they were his, like his terrified rage in the lift when they had first met, being wrapped in his arms in the cold well, being dazzled by his wonder at the woods and her home and her. Like being a child, awareness of him the morning chorus that woke her and the lullaby that sent her to sleep, his thoughts always her first and last song.
I love you, Kami told him, and cut.” -Unspoken, The Lynburn LegacyBasically, this is where I put down the book and
It took sometime for me to calm my self down. And even now, everytime I read it, I’m like…
So, again, Sarah, well done. I sacrifice my heart on the altar of your muse for scenes that keep on giving pain.
Thank you!
Book gif. Book gif. Book gif. (Helen Mirren gif.)
Oh, books. I love them. Also I have a BELIEF that I can tell when people are reading my books what I wrote and then I psychically send love to them.
I AM THE BEARS. THE BEARS AND I ARE ONE.
ROOMMATE: I don’t believe that.
SARAH: You don’t have to believe in what I believe for it to be TRUE. That’s faith buddy… that’s faith.
(Source: readinouterspace)
