Comments on: Where’s Your Gay Cred? http://www.fictionwithfriction.com/2008/04/13/wheres-your-gay-cred/ The Hottest Gay Romance Authors Are Here... Sat, 10 Jan 2009 02:57:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: JL Langley http://www.fictionwithfriction.com/2008/04/13/wheres-your-gay-cred/#comment-791 JL Langley Fri, 18 Apr 2008 17:33:27 +0000 http://www.fictionwithfriction.com/2008/04/13/wheres-your-gay-cred/#comment-791 Well personally, I like my men to act like men, but Josh and Ally brought up a great point, no two men and/or women are alike. I always get women complaining about the "reality" of my M/F stuff (not that I write it very often). And, ummm, I think, as a female I'd know if it were true or not, so that to me really drives home that point that people are different. I always say, "it depends on the character." So I have to go with Laura on this one, but then I'm a very character driven writer, so take that for what it's worth. Well personally, I like my men to act like men, but Josh and Ally brought up a great point, no two men and/or women are alike. I always get women complaining about the “reality” of my M/F stuff (not that I write it very often). And, ummm, I think, as a female I’d know if it were true or not, so that to me really drives home that point that people are different. I always say, “it depends on the character.” So I have to go with Laura on this one, but then I’m a very character driven writer, so take that for what it’s worth.

]]> By: Laura Baumbach http://www.fictionwithfriction.com/2008/04/13/wheres-your-gay-cred/#comment-789 Laura Baumbach Thu, 17 Apr 2008 02:52:20 +0000 http://www.fictionwithfriction.com/2008/04/13/wheres-your-gay-cred/#comment-789 Erotic romance is fictional fantasy--dreams lovers. That's why my men talk a lot about their feelings. It's fiction! kidding, ....a little Keep them men and write them they the way they tell you to write them and I think it works, at least for me. Erotic romance is fictional fantasy–dreams lovers. That’s why my men talk a lot about their feelings. It’s fiction!

kidding, ….a little

Keep them men and write them they the way they tell you to write them and I think it works, at least for me.

]]> By: lisabea http://www.fictionwithfriction.com/2008/04/13/wheres-your-gay-cred/#comment-787 lisabea Wed, 16 Apr 2008 21:03:19 +0000 http://www.fictionwithfriction.com/2008/04/13/wheres-your-gay-cred/#comment-787 WHAT! No universal GUY TRUTH? DAMN.IT. Don't you all like beer nuts and football? No? ::back to the drawing board:: I like my dudes to be self reliant and strong and funny and smart aleck-y. I like those Beta males with grit. I pick my books accordingly.God knows I love me some spicy sexorin (what? me?), but it isn't everything. It's the freaking big picture that counts, right? This gender question drives me nutty. I don't think gender matters as much as the ability to tell the story. On every level. Both men and women suck at this equally. WHAT! No universal GUY TRUTH? DAMN.IT. Don’t you all like beer nuts and football? No?

::back to the drawing board::

I like my dudes to be self reliant and strong and funny and smart aleck-y. I like those Beta males with grit. I pick my books accordingly.God knows I love me some spicy sexorin (what? me?), but it isn’t everything. It’s the freaking big picture that counts, right? This gender question drives me nutty. I don’t think gender matters as much as the ability to tell the story. On every level. Both men and women suck at this equally.

]]> By: sarah http://www.fictionwithfriction.com/2008/04/13/wheres-your-gay-cred/#comment-784 sarah Wed, 16 Apr 2008 15:00:19 +0000 http://www.fictionwithfriction.com/2008/04/13/wheres-your-gay-cred/#comment-784 Josh, As a realative newbie reader of m/m fiction. That this is not a fair observation. While I agree some of the women who write m/m dont get the pscychology right (those i dont read again). I have read plenty of male m/m that aren't any better ( and those i dont read again). I think it comes down to the ability of the writer. And those who put their heart and sole into their work shows wether they are writing m/m or m/f. Of course the wonder thing about this world is that not everyone likes the same things and can have different opinons thats is what should make it great and interesting so we can have these little debates..... Sarah An avid reader and terrible writer...lol Josh,

As a realative newbie reader of m/m fiction. That this is not a fair observation. While I agree some of the women who write m/m dont get the pscychology right (those i dont read again). I have read plenty of male m/m that aren’t any better ( and those i dont read again). I think it comes down to the ability of the writer. And those who put their heart and sole into their work shows wether they are writing m/m or m/f. Of course the wonder thing about this world is that not everyone likes the same things and can have different opinons thats is what should make it great and interesting so we can have these little debates…..

Sarah
An avid reader and terrible writer…lol

]]> By: Josh Lanyon http://www.fictionwithfriction.com/2008/04/13/wheres-your-gay-cred/#comment-783 Josh Lanyon Wed, 16 Apr 2008 02:39:32 +0000 http://www.fictionwithfriction.com/2008/04/13/wheres-your-gay-cred/#comment-783 My personal observation is lady M/M writers spend way too much time and attention on sexual mechanics, and relatively little on getting the psychology right. Also, there seems to be an odd idea that there's some universal Guy Truth that can be applied to all stories and all situations. Male characters need to be as varied and individual as female characters. Josh Lanyon <em>MAN, OH MAN: Writing M/M Fiction for Kinks & Ca$h</em> My personal observation is lady M/M writers spend way too much time and attention on sexual mechanics, and relatively little on getting the psychology right. Also, there seems to be an odd idea that there’s some universal Guy Truth that can be applied to all stories and all situations. Male characters need to be as varied and individual as female characters.

Josh Lanyon
MAN, OH MAN: Writing M/M Fiction for Kinks & Ca$h

]]> By: Ally Blue http://www.fictionwithfriction.com/2008/04/13/wheres-your-gay-cred/#comment-781 Ally Blue Tue, 15 Apr 2008 03:00:44 +0000 http://www.fictionwithfriction.com/2008/04/13/wheres-your-gay-cred/#comment-781 Zot, I think you may have brought up a whole new topic there *g* For me, I don't want to see guys acting like alpha dogs, because I HATE those sorts of guys in fiction and in real life. Just can't feel any empathy for that sort, really. Other than that I like for the individual characters to act like themselves, if that makes sense. Some people (men and women, gay and straight) are stoic and reticent; others are open and talkative and emotional. I like that same real-life variety in my reading material. But then I've always liked the oddballs so I know my views aren't necessarily common. In any case, yeah, the emotions are the important part. That's what makes me connect with a book, or not. And they do have to be believable people, whatever their sex. It always throws me off if the characters act out of context with themselves, or if I don't feel the connectioin between the two who are supposed to be falling in love. If it's a romance, you gotta feel the luuuuuurve! Zot, I think you may have brought up a whole new topic there *g* For me, I don’t want to see guys acting like alpha dogs, because I HATE those sorts of guys in fiction and in real life. Just can’t feel any empathy for that sort, really. Other than that I like for the individual characters to act like themselves, if that makes sense. Some people (men and women, gay and straight) are stoic and reticent; others are open and talkative and emotional. I like that same real-life variety in my reading material. But then I’ve always liked the oddballs so I know my views aren’t necessarily common.

In any case, yeah, the emotions are the important part. That’s what makes me connect with a book, or not. And they do have to be believable people, whatever their sex. It always throws me off if the characters act out of context with themselves, or if I don’t feel the connectioin between the two who are supposed to be falling in love. If it’s a romance, you gotta feel the luuuuuurve!

]]> By: Zot http://www.fictionwithfriction.com/2008/04/13/wheres-your-gay-cred/#comment-780 Zot Tue, 15 Apr 2008 01:23:22 +0000 http://www.fictionwithfriction.com/2008/04/13/wheres-your-gay-cred/#comment-780 It's a lot more than the sex, and honestly the bigger question is "can you write believable men?" If you can, a bit of time with some porn for the sex scenes and you're fine. If you can't then all the porn in the world isn't going to help figure out how guys act and think. Of course, even if you <em>can write believable men, you may not want to. I assume that, just like straight guys who get off on lesbian porn where the women don't actually act much like women, some of the women who like gay porn don't really want the guys acting like guys. I've certainly been burned by enough ebooks where the guys made me wince but the books still sold well. (The fact that gay men aren't the primary target, or the authors, of most of the gay romance novels amuses me. At least, it does when I don't feel like I've blown six bucks on a bad time) It’s a lot more than the sex, and honestly the bigger question is “can you write believable men?” If you can, a bit of time with some porn for the sex scenes and you’re fine. If you can’t then all the porn in the world isn’t going to help figure out how guys act and think.

Of course, even if you can write believable men, you may not want to. I assume that, just like straight guys who get off on lesbian porn where the women don’t actually act much like women, some of the women who like gay porn don’t really want the guys acting like guys. I’ve certainly been burned by enough ebooks where the guys made me wince but the books still sold well. (The fact that gay men aren’t the primary target, or the authors, of most of the gay romance novels amuses me. At least, it does when I don’t feel like I’ve blown six bucks on a bad time)

]]> By: Lidyah http://www.fictionwithfriction.com/2008/04/13/wheres-your-gay-cred/#comment-779 Lidyah Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:22:36 +0000 http://www.fictionwithfriction.com/2008/04/13/wheres-your-gay-cred/#comment-779 I agree with you, reading and watching is a form of education (obviously) so it doesn't matter. The same can apply to anything in the world. I mean the creators of shows like House M.D. and ER, I'm pretty sure those writers aren't doctors. So where are their creds in being able to write about medicine etc? By reading/watching. I agree with you, reading and watching is a form of education (obviously) so it doesn’t matter. The same can apply to anything in the world. I mean the creators of shows like House M.D. and ER, I’m pretty sure those writers aren’t doctors. So where are their creds in being able to write about medicine etc? By reading/watching.

]]>