Blogger: Etta Wilson
Location: Books & Such Nashville Office
Weather: Cold and Wet
In Monday’s post on judging the “Letters to Authors” written by junior high students, a couple of other items caught my attention. One of those was the large number of outstanding letters written by boys. You know–that gender that we and editors at publishing houses are constantly bemoaning because they don’t read. While there may not be a great many boys reading, I found close to half of the letters were from young male readers, and they are in that age bracket where we surmise boys are playing either sports or video games.
In addition, most of these boys were not writing about books we’d call easy reading, and the schools they represented were a good mix of public and private, large and small. Somehow these boys had become engaged with books such as Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye and Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. So much for any gender bias I had!
It did set me to thinking about the gender of authors, particularly fiction authors. Of the 15 Hardcover Adult Fiction Bestsellers in the January 11 issue of Publishers Weekly, ten were written by males. The ratio is about the same in the report of the Hardcover Bestsellers for all of 2009 where seven of the ten are male. Now there’s some difference between readers and writers, but I want to suggest that we keep those males in mind when we write–either as well-rounded characters or as interested readers. Who knows, the future John Grisham may be reading our words!
Thanks for the informative breakdown. I have four kids–three boys. Their tastes vary so differently that I have learned not to make any assumptions about my future readers other than to provide them the best writing I can.
And that means writing to and for boys with well rounded characters of all kinds!
Cat, your “well-rounded characters of all kinds” comment set me thinking about different genres and whether the villain is more often a male than a female. Determining that would make an interesting master’s thesis.
Etta
I love boys! When I taught school I slowly became the 7th grade teacher who got the “boys” placed with me. Moms of boys would request me. When I was younger and babysat, I always enjoyed the boys more, and now I’m a mom of three boys! It is a boy world I live in.
I love your observations because often girls do better in writing than boys, or at least this is what we see happen in school settings. But there is a direct correlation between boys succeeding in classrooms that allow boys to be boys vs. classrooms that are a bit more traditional in style of teaching. This is something to remember when writing for boys.
I’m sure you’ve read Raising Cane. Anyone who wants to understand boys should read this book.
(OH, the best villain of all time for me is Kate in East of Eden. Oh and if you’ve ever broken up a fight….if it is two girls going at it….just let them finish each other off. By the time a female engages all reason is gone!)
Etta, I love the idea that a future John Grisham might be reading my words.
Kate, I remember a fight between two girls in my 6th grade class years ago. It was a doozy and so true to your analysis.
etta
Someone of either gender has to be kinda crazy to read Hitchhiker’s, but then, I enjoyed the entire series. So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish – what a hoot!
Glad to hear that boys are reading and writing about it too.
You truly enjoyed judging this didn’t you?!
When I taught, it was at a small private school. My class had 13 boys and 2 girls. Fortunately for me, no fights.
Do love my boys! I am purposely weaving things into the story for boys to enjoy as well as girls.
We’ll see how it goes, yes?
Rebekah, thanks for the tip on Raising Cane – will check that out.
Stay warm – the snow has begun in middle TN!
KC, you are wise to weave things for boys into your writing since research tells us that girls will read stories for boys but not vice versa. That troubles me a little and I don’t know that it’s true across all age levels.