Verla Kay and Company

Not too long ago, I sat with a group of writers and heard one say "I could never write from a male POV." Because I was writing from a young boy's viewpoint, I sat up and listened. I disagree with her statement. I think voices and characters just come to me and other writers, and we hope they ring true.

Tonight I happened upon an interesting and helpful discussion on the Verla Kay board. There's even a link to that really funny piece by Dave Barry about the difference between men and women. Click on over there if you need a good laugh. Click on over to Verla Kay's board if you need help with almost anything writing related!

But in the meantime, here's a helpful little tool posted on the board that I'd somehow missed out on: The Gender Genie. Just type in a bit of your novel or non-fiction piece and it miraculously guesses the gender of your character. In my WIP, my character plays the piano and lives with his uncle in a boarding house run by a former Rockette. But I must be doing something right. The Gender Genie figured it out, he's a boy!