Spoiler: Porn term CFNM is close Although that's good to know, since "(x) porn" has become a commonplace term for enjoying well-shot pictures of (x). I spend quite a bit of time imagining improvements to my wardrobe, it would not do to be misunderstood by saying I spend a lot of time looking at suit porn...
When I write about women (or men for that matter), I tend to do the opposite. Although not on purpose. I don't delve enough into sexuality and titillating anatomical descriptions, because they just don't normally fit well into my plots.
I battle this temptation all the time. The temptation to just cut loose and indulge in the most gratuitous sex scenes. Cos I can both write draw whatever I imagine at this point it's real tough to stay focused.
I avoid sex scenes. My reasons are: - Whenever I see a character that is an author proxy (particularly the Mary-Sue variety) I find it slightly cringe-worthy. When an author introduces their notion of "cool" into a novel, or when there is that slightly silly scene in which the author proxy character acts in a heroic, but understated way, and it is clearly one of the author's more embarrassing day dreams turned written word, then my cringe levels spike even further. Worst of all these scenes always strike me as authorial intrusion because they stick out like a sore thumb, I regularly reach that part in a novel where the "cool" thing happens and just think "oh Christ, the author's inner twelve year old put their imagined heroics down on paper." For me sex scenes are often a penis extension of this, in that you have all the authors fetishes or most intimate fantasies laid bare. Because of this it so often comes across as authorial insertion and removes me from the book. I also often find it an uncomfortable read. Or maybe I am just a prude.
I'm pretty sure his grocery list is one of his "more embarrassing day dreams turned written word." I know that, as an unpublished nobody, I really shouldn't have much room to trash-talk someone who writes bestsellers, but I'm granting myself an exception in this case.
In our defense, we can probably do better at describing someone crying than "tears flowed down his wrinkled cheeks and splayed like spokes on wagon wheels". Seriously, that was a line in his second book when the dwarf character started crying.
This type of thing was the first thing I thought about avoiding when writing my characters. The initial setting of my story a military one, it was easy enough to lightly describe my first few female characters without even making it clear they were females, as all I had to do was name them by their last-names. Reader assumes they're male, just because, hey, it's a warship, they're all dudes. Not at all the case. Still, it makes me worry if I'm making them a bit too male in nature. Many interactions play out the same. Though, first thing I thought of when I read that was Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time. Any time any female wears a necklace, crosses arms, is wearing a dress, cleavage/breasts are mentioned. Sometimes more than once in that instance, and at least one instance per chapter. Bro, just say she's wearing a necklace. You don't have to write out "nestled between her breasts" every single freaking time. We get it.
It is ok to just come out and say they are women, just don't write them 100% like the guys. I am working on a sequel, and the battlefield is an equal opportunity hell hole. Though my female MC is quite vicious. One instance she knocks over an enemy war-frame with her own, steals their combat knife, and repeatedly stabs through the metal plating until the machine stops moving and the blade is dripping with blood.
I have no problem announcing women characters as women, but the first couple times it's just to create the idea that gender doesn't matter so long as you can do your job well, and that the MC doesn't see them as "female sailors," just "sailors."
But please remember, if you're writing from the POV of a character who likes boobs, they'll probably pay attention to them, in which case mentioning them won't make you into a misogynist! This is more about the first person POV character--usually a female--paying attention to her assets in a way that makes, often the female reader, raise their eyebrows and shake their head. If women enter a field where they're an obvious minority, maybe even a never-before-seen oddity, pretending their femaleness would not be noticed seems disingenuous to me. Ignoring the experience of someone who's an outsider or breaks a glass ceiling feels unrealistic. The problem is the POV disruption; it's like you've been flung out of the POV character's head. And if the author is writing in 3rd person omni (like the Wheel of Time? Haven't read the books), it'll read a little wankery if breasts and butts are brought up in every scene with a female character.
Woman sipped her tea. Man looked at her. "What you up to today?" He inquired. She smiled. "Nothing. Stuff." "What kind of," He narrowed his eyes, "stuff?" "There's this documentary on Netflix about Assyrian-" Man's whole body twisted forward, his jagged finger pointing at woman's chest. "Woman stuff!?!?!2!" "You're an idiot." This has been "the history of gender relations throughout history". Thank you for your time.
