1. This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn More.

Men-- What do you read?

Discussion in 'Entertainment and Technology' started by TheRealSlimDork, Sep 6, 2016.

  1. TheRealSlimDork

    Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jun 24, 2016
    Messages:
    26
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Seattle
    Gender:
    Female
    Sexual Orientation:
    Lesbian
    Out Status:
    A few people
    Hello, all-- to start, I don't mean to sound sexist. If I do, that's valuable for me to know too xD

    I have the first draft of a novel that I want to publish some day, and I've been thinking about what the audience would be. I want the book to be relatable to teenage boys, specifically those who feel/have felt obligated to be "manly"-- boys who have unavailable parents (single-parent households) and who need positive role models. Maybe people who otherwise wouldn't touch a book.
    So-- wha books did you/do you read? Are there any authors, genres, or styles of writing you seek? Otherwise, any advice so I'm not writing in the dark? My goal is to write accurately from a preteen boy's POV.

    Thank you! :smilewave
     
  2. Fighter694

    Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jan 13, 2015
    Messages:
    217
    Likes Received:
    1
    Location:
    Bangalore
    Gender:
    Male
    Sexual Orientation:
    Gay
    Most of my guy friends read books like Percy Jackson, Harry Potter and Dan brown series. Mostly sci-fi and fantasy.
    I think your idea is amazing because a lot of guys do some foolish things during their teen years trying to be "manly". There is a lot of pressure to be manly during adolescence and something so solid like a book would sure help them a lot.
     
  3. iiimee

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Oct 12, 2014
    Messages:
    51
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    In my imagination.
    Unwind is one of my favorite scifi novels but I'm not sure if it's really "masculine", per se... I'd say Fighter gave some good suggestions... Stuff like Ender's Game really appeals to me, and really any novel with a badass guy I can relate to in it. XD I think the best thing you can do to make your book relate-able to boys is to just to add boys in it and give them thoughts that a normal human would have. :/ Of course, I don't need to relate to a character to enjoy them: Dexter from the show "Dexter" and Alucard from "Hellsing" are both great examples of chars you can't really relate to but can really enjoy. XD If you want stories more about growing up, I'd go back to comics like Calvin and Hobbes or stories like Diary of A Wimpy Kid. XD I mean, I know Diary of A Wimpy Kid is mostly silly, but there are underlying messages of relate-ability in them... Really, I'd focus more on just writing something you enjoy and not focusing on the audience, but if you are still pursuing a story with a set target, I guess that's fine too. :/ Still, I find most writers don't go out of their way to pick an audience- Percy Jackson, as much as I hate that series, can be read by guys and gals. XD So can all of the books I listed: An unfortunate truth is that more books are targeted specifically for girls than boys. Most books boys enjoy don't have a gendered label... most of them. :/ Of course, that's just marketing- not too much sexist about that... I'm ranting. Anyway, you get the point! XD As a young person, I think my points are valid... OOOHHH, and the books I loved the most when I was little were things like Eragon and that Golden Compass series! XD They both discussed really deep concepts and dared me to be skeptical of my surroundings, so I think those two series are some of the best for any young person, male or female.
     
  4. TheRealSlimDork

    Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jun 24, 2016
    Messages:
    26
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Seattle
    Gender:
    Female
    Sexual Orientation:
    Lesbian
    Out Status:
    A few people
    Fighter694, thank you for reply-- I hadn't heard of Dan Brown before, I'll check it out! And thank you for saying that, I appreciate it. :slight_smile:

    iimee, thanks for reply, great suggestions and points. (Man there's so much to read, too little time! >.<) Where I am now with the book is that I've got a first draft, world, and characters that I enjoy writing, and I'm trying to locate who could buy it and benefit from it.