More writing. Could perhaps have written more but I discovered a rather interesting blog that ate hours of my day.
This my own little “blog” is a place for me to reflect on my own daily writing, but mostly I just use it to discuss whatever’s on my mind that relates to writing in any way. Sometimes I just want to get something off my mind and this is a good place for that I think.
This other blog anyhow, very good (possibly inactive), takes a critical look at many animated films through a feminist lens. It really struck me how feminism can encompass so much more than just, to put it simply, female representation. It deals with race, LGBT+ (Is easy as one, two, thee...+), queer coding and just... lots of stuff. I wish I was as eloquent as that writer but I’m just not.
And that actually reminds me of another thing. Although I do agree with all that stuff, it really interests me how you can take something that’s seemingly not a (huge) problem and, by using big professorial words, show how it is a problem. What happens to me is that, when I read it I think: Yeah! I guess that is a problem!
Only to completely lose all understanding later because I can’t remember the words, they’re so big. But that’s just me. Just a side note, really. On one hand I agree and using the right words can really help communicate important points. On the other, are we sometimes maybe creating problems just because we have the right words for it? Sorry if I sound like an idiot. I’m still learning.
But how does this apply to my attitude to writing?
Well it all comes down to diversity, stereotypes, misrepresenation, marginalisation and all that stuff I often think about when thinking of characters, places and all that. (Or try.)
And what I took away, if only for now, was this:
Whatever I write, it’s not going to be feminist.
Because everything can be picked apart in ways only a person that has taken gender studies or something can predict. For a simpleton like me... I am guilty of a ton of crimes already, and only know of half of them.
I don’t think my main characters are stereotypical and non-feminist. But they’re roles are not exactly ground breaking because I’m not really trying to break grounds. I think that for as long as there is a male character there is always that question: why couldn’t it be a woman? Or a transperson? Etc.
Of course the solution isn’t to exclude male characters entirely.
But everytime I can’t justify why X has to be a man it’s like I’m breaking the feminist law. And I can’t justify why. (And I’m one to roll my eyes and questions like: I’m gender X, how do I write a character that is gender Y?)
Just as a note: I’m not complaining. I’m discussing.
But it’s not a cause for being discouraged. I love seeing films/shows/books I enjoy being picked apart so analytically and elegantly. I recognise the issues from other works I have once enjoyed, as well. I think we should talk about these things, I think we should work on them.
But whatever I write: it’s never going to be fully feminist. I think it’s better to accept and move on.
You can’t please everyone. And maybe it’s a misunderstanding on my part but trying to create a feminist piece of work does sound like an attempt to please (include) everyone. But hopefully I can please some.
