writing query

[tigriswolf]

What is this thing where everyone is 'the male' or 'other male' or 'shorter male' or whatever?  Why can't writers just use the word 'man' or 'boy' or 'kid' or whatever?  It throws me out of the story every time because it sounds so wrong.  And I don't think I've seen someone using 'female' in the same way.

Comments

[averzierlia.livejournal.com]

I have no idea. I tend to use names, myself.

[tigriswolf]

That makes sense.

[realpestilence.livejournal.com]

It depends on what fandom you're in. I'm newly into NCIS, and I've seen fic searches with "female" instead of "woman", "lady/ladies", etc, when it would be more natural to use them.

It happens a lot in slash fiction because of the problem that having two "he" pronouns together. It gets confusing!

[tigriswolf]

I fully understand the confusion - but why 'male' instead of 'man'/'boy'? 'Male' has always seemed scientific to me.

[realpestilence.livejournal.com]

I always chalk it up to non-fluent speakers and/or the anime/manga crowd. It does seem odd and artificial.

Like so many other phrases that get passed around fandoms-stuttering hips, golden skin, and orbs, for starters. Who talks like that? lol

[tigriswolf]

Oh, I hadn't thought of it like that. Makes sense.

I think if someone ever used 'orbs' to talk about eyes in RL, I'd consider it sarcasm.

[sgt-psycho.livejournal.com]

You know, once while giving a presentation to a professor (male), I called 'men' 'male entities'...who knows?

[tigriswolf]

What was the presentation about?

[sgt-psycho.livejournal.com]

Hmm...I think it was on "Measure for Measure" but I mostly remember the prof. looking at me for a moment before enquiring if I "meant men."

[zoemathemata.livejournal.com]

I've noticed this a lot in slash and as noted above, I think it has to do with trying to find new ways to clear up who you are talking about.

BUT! I've a side theory to that as well.
I think taht sometimes people are 'afraid' to use simple, common words because they think they, themselves, (or their fic) will come across as simple and common.
However I read this thing once about words like 'said' or 'walk' - you know, really common words you find in everything you read - and our brain has a tendency to just 'gloss over it' and not really notice it's been repeated a bunch of times, because we expect it.
So then, but putting a substitution in there that you're not expecting it totally pulls you out of the narrative because it IS UNEXPECTED. and chances are, as a writer, you were hoping to clarify something or make it sound better, but you've ended up mucking it up a bit in your effort to make it 'better'.

*rambling person rambles - is any of this making sense??

So I think that either they are trying to make their fic sound 'smarter' or b) trying to clarify something.

But I'll always remember my Grade 11 teacher - "don't say marmalade when jam will do" - his little tidbit when we started throwing in big words. He said 'I know exactly how smart you are from the rest of your writing, you don't need you to prove or disprove anything with excessive word choice"

And I try to remember that always!

[tigriswolf]

Okay, that makes a ton of sense. Sorta like hypercorrection. Thanks!

[layne67.livejournal.com]

The male is bad but the shorter or taller or younger or whatever male is even worse.

[tigriswolf]

I think if I ever saw 'blonder male' or 'green-eyed male' I'd quit reading.

[maldeluxx.livejournal.com]

Most of the time it doesn't irk me, but I don't see myself ever using this thing :-/

[tigriswolf]

I'd just use his name.