Who's a better writer, men or women?

[CataclysmicKnight]

Pfffft, this can't be answered... There are infinite variables that make it impossible, and in the end the only thing I can say is that neither gender is better.

[lauravbwrites]

Not all writers are created equal, but gender is hardly a factor.

Look at Nicholas Sparks: emotion-based romance novels were his bread and butter. I also loved The Broken Hearts Club by Ethan Black, which focused a lot on the (male) protagonist's feelings. On the other hand, one of my favourite mystery authors (Allison Brennan) is female, and her attention to detail is incredible.

I am a woman, but you probably won't catch me reading many romance novels. I find them convoluted and, thus, don't enjoy them.

[amy_bakeroo]

i'm not sure the writing style of any gender matters, as long as it suits the plot, and they don't take up a whole chapter just to describe something mundane like grass growing.

[petermark]

i think the men writers are the best.i dont like the way of writing of woman.

[Circling Turtle]

This is a pretty silly question... Personally, the sex/gender of the author has never affected my perception of a book, but I do know quite a few guys who refuse to read female authors for the most ridiculous reasons. I mean, hello?? That is so limiting. And the funny thing is, some of these guys loved a particular author until they found out that she was a she! Robin Hobb, for example. I met this guy who was raving about 'his' books until I corrected him. And then he was all like, "Oh, you know, now I think about it, Fitz is a bit of a wuss and the books needed more battle scenes", even though it was nothing but praise before that... I know I'm generalising here, and most guys I know aren't as (subconsciouslessly, to be fair) close minded as that, but I really have seen this time and time again. A friend of mine, a fantasy author who is making a name for herself, told me that sometimes she regrets changing back to using her first name rather than her initials, as she feels that she was taken more seriously when she was 'genderless', and people didn't lable her work as feminist or accuse her of not being able to write male characters, etc. Hmm, the whole 'sexism in literature' theme might make for a good seperate topic.

[Emmers00]

I think it all depends on what story someone has to tell, and how they tell it, the rest is irrelevant.

[Max Tyrone]

Humans of the human race, concerned about the human condition, writing only the way humans can with their styles and thoughts, are always my author of preference. I don't like novels that lack substance, though, as they tire and infuriate me.

[skylarharkless]

Yep, totally I agree!!! It does not matter!

I think it doesn't matter as everything depends on the talent of the person. If the talent is present, then the sex of the person is not important.

[Chuckie_jean]

Whomever has the best experience in what they are writing about. Take love - there may be men out there that can identify exactly what they are looking for, finding, losing, yearning for while some women may just have a general idea b/c they haven't identified what it is they are searching for.
Bernard Cornwell - “I do understand that you can look into someone’s eyes,” I heard myself saying, “and suddenly know that life will be impossible without them. Know that their voice can make your heart miss a beat and that their company is all your happiness can ever desire and that their absence will leave your soul alone, bereft and lost.” I have that written in a journal of book quotes b/c I loved it so much.
Or, to be less deep, take a deck - I could probably build a deck better than my husband could, therefore write about it with more detail/expertise to make the reader understand what it is I am saying.

[Romes123]

A man, James Hadley Chase, was the king of thriller writers. A woman, Agatha Christie, was the queen of mystery. I would say it all depends on the individual.

[kenyon1]

I can't believe there are so many replies to this post. Oops...

[kitsune1997]

Both. It's not the genre but the talent that makes someone good.

[Dezu44]

I can't believe this is actually a question.
It does not matter if you are female or male or something in between. Your approach to writing does not depend on your gender. However, your life experiences may have an effect on your approach to writing and your education level will probably affect your ability to write well.
But, it all depends on the writer.

[GandalfTheFey]

Both.

Sometimes I try to tell if the style of a book I'm reading is more obviously a man or a woman. With the best authors it's pretty much impossible to tell.

[keisha_jc]

When looking for an answer to question, there are various factors that come in including stereotypes, social classes, etc. It is unfair to direct talent to a particular gender. When looking you would be more likely to say that men lean more to the thrillers or the horror standpoint, but in reality it's more than likely because they have been told to. Our society pushes men and women into this mold of how they should be and that reflects into their personal likes as well as how they choose to present themselves. You could also say that is true on the other side of the spectrum in women as they are swayed into see pure abstract emotions. However, if we were to say that men and women enjoyed the items that they chose to talk about, I do not agree with any stance that prefers one over the other just because of a gender identity. Talent has variety and we cannot denote what type of human being has it based on something as small as gender.