Hi guys! Tomorrow is Halloween! Instead of going trick-or-treating or scaring trick-or-treaters, I’m hoping to be curled in bed reading a good book (unless I have a lot of homework tomorrow which I hope not). Today, I have a very special guest post for you! Deanna Cabinian, author of her debut YA contemporary novel One Night, is here to give insight into how a female author can write a story from a guy’s perspective. I hope you enjoy!
About One Night
Breakups are the worst.
Thompson is miserable.
Can he get Caroline back?
With his mind on HER, his life takes an unexpected turn. Elvis gives him a job. He knows nothing about the world of celebrity impersonators, but he does know social media.
And so starts his adventure…where will it take him?
Will he find his true love?
Paper Towns meets The Way Way Back in this contemporary YA novel about first love and friendship set to the beat of Elvis Presley’s music.
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Writing from a Guy’s Perspective as a Female Author
When I first started writing all the lead characters in my novels were female and they all kind of looked, sounded, and acted like me. They shared my interests (writing, tennis, and pop music), they were around my age, and they lived in the Chicago suburbs. For one reason or other none of those novels was a success—they all had major problems and I think one of them was that I kept making the main characters exactly like me. When I started writing from the viewpoint of the opposite gender, though, that’s when things started to click.
My tips for writing from a male point of view as a female author:
1. Read books written by male authors that have a lead character who is male. Make a note of what the characters talk about—and what they don’t. What do they notice? What do they ignore completely when going about their day? What do they worry about? What vocabulary do they use?
2. Pay attention to how males you interact with talk and what they talk about. I am constantly watching people and making mental notes on the things they say and do. A lot of the time I take actual notes, either on my phone or on paper. For example, I have a document on my phone called “funny stuff my husband says.” I also have documents called “weird stuff heard on the train” and “conversations that could be novels.” I always make sure to have a pen and paper when I leave the house to take notes on, too.
3. Get a second opinion in the form of a male beta reader or editor. The editor for my YA novel, One Night, was male and he was great at pointing out flaws in my manuscript. There is a scene in One Night where Thompson, the main character, notices a pretty girl in a dress. In the original draft of the manuscript she is described as wearing a spaghetti-strapped dress. I remember so clearly my editor’s note in tracked changes: a heterosexual male does not know what a spaghetti strap is. You could say thin straps or even better, just say “a dress.” That moment was eye-opening for me. Now when I edit scenes that are written from a guy’s point of view my second thought is, would he even notice that?
4. Be careful not to stereotype. As you write think about the males you know. Do all of them like sports and action movies? Probably not. Remember that everyone is an individual with their own unique interests. Try to reflect that in your writing whenever possible.
Hopefully you find these tips helpful. If you have any pointers of your own I’d love to hear them in the comments.
About the Author
Deanna Cabinian is a marketing director who lives in the Midwest, but dreams of living by the ocean. When she isn’t working or writing she enjoys traveling and spending time with her husband and their Havanese dog, Cuba. She is the author of the contemporary young adult novels One Night and the forthcoming One Love.
Connect with Deanna online:
On Twitter: @DeannaCabinian
Happy Reading!
+ J.M.J.
~ Kester
Do you love YA contemporary novels? What are your thoughts on Deanna’s tips for writing from a guy’s perspective as a female author?
Comment below, or find me in one of my social media pages, and let’s chat!
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LILbooKlovers 
Nice topic 🙂 I have studied in uni with only guys, so I wonder if I’d be able to write a guy accurately! That’s a really good one about spaghetti straps, haha 😀
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Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it! And haha, maybe you might! You just gotta write a story and see what happens. 😉 And yes, I found that funny, too. I may know what a spaghetti strap is, but I don’t know what a cardigan is! 😂
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