A Literary Curiosity

[jackofallgeeks]

Some one postulated something about the differences between how men and women write. Necessarily, me being me, I'd like to test this theory. So, I have here one scene written twice, once by a girl and once by a guy. What I ask of you all, if you would, is to try and tell which was written by whom, and then give me reasons to back up your claim.

Unless you know specifically which piece was written by which person, as that would tip the bias, necessarily.

Update: Oh, yes, and please don't read other people's votes and explainations before you add your own -- it might taint your answer, and I want to try and keep this as clean as possible.

It's Wednesday now. I'll give it a few days, to give you all ample time to read them and decide, and, depending on how it goes, let you all know what's what this weekend.

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Piece One

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When I was in college, getting a Bachelor's degree in English and Literary Analysis, my teacher once told me I had a lot of talent for writing, but that I hesitated. 'If you want to be a writer, write,' he told me once. It was a quote from someone famous, but I can't remember who. He said that I spent too much time trying to make the characters go where I wanted, and not enough time watching where they would take themselves. I didn't understand him then, but I tried. I tried to figure out why Miguel, my Argentinean, liked scrambled eggs more than sunny-side-up, or why Suzette, the snappish French journalist, preferred suede over leather. But it didn't seem to make sense; there was no point. What did it matter if Miguel liked his eggs scrambled, or poached, or thrown in a blender with bacon and toast and set to 'frappe.' It all seemed really pointless to me.

That's when I met Her. Well, OK, it was more 'saw Her' than actually 'met Her,' but still... I was sitting at Xandos, the little yuppie coffee shop down the street, sipping my mocha double-smooth extra creme and trying to care if Suzette wanted her stilettos red instead of black, when She walked in the door.

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Piece Two

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I had been working on my English and Literary Analysis degree when my professor pulled me aside with another C paper and told me that while I had a gift for writing, I hesitated. "If you want to write, write!" He urged me. "Don't try to force your characters do what they don't want, let them guide you!"

I nodded, took the paper home, and tried to figure out what he meant. While blow-drying my hair in the morning, I wondered why Miguel, my suave Argentinean, liked his eggs scrambled rather then sunny side up. While drinking my coffee, I wondered why Suzette, the snappish French journalist, preferred suede over leather. During another pointless biology lecture, I realized; there was no point. Who cared if Miguel liked his eggs scrambled, or poached, or thrown in the blender with his coffee, toast, and bacon, and frappeed to one creamy gooey mixture? It seemed rather pointless to me.

That's when I met Her. Actually, it's more of 'saw Her,' that actually 'met,' but still...

I was sitting in Xandos, this little yuppie coffee shop down the street, sipping my mocha double-smooth extra creme, and trying to decide if Suzette cared that her stilettos were black instead of red, when She walked in the door.

Comments

Okay I'll play

[higheststar.livejournal.com]

I'm gonna guess the first one was the female, second male. But I'm not sure if I buy into the theory. I'm probably putting a whole lot of gender bias into the decision.

[jackofallgeeks.livejournal.com]

OK, Miss Beth, you got the first part, but you didn't hold up any proof. Do you have any reason, explicit or implicit to either of the writings, to back up your claim that Writer One is the Girl and Writer Two is the Guy? And why don't you think the theory holds up? And why do you say you're putting a lot of gender bias into it? After all, I think the claim that guys and girl write differently implies that the whole thing is based in gender bias, by definition. Unless, of course, we're defining 'gender bias' differently.

[higheststar.livejournal.com]

Well, Mr. Andrew, I suppose I should point at if there is a difference in writing style, it is because culture has encouraged and formed boys and girls in different ways which results in differences of writing. But as most of the research I've read (i do a LOT of gender communication reading in grad school) the perception of gender differences is mostly just that, a perception, which is most prominent among college age students. In other words, college age students think there is a difference and therefore the results of testing of if there is a difference are higher. So yes, we are socialized differently, but the differences are not as great as some might think.

But my initial thoughts on these two samples... The first one had a structure that was more explanatory where the second one was more matter of fact. And the bit at the end about the stilettos. I guess the feel of the first one just felt like a female's writing style.

[jackofallgeeks.livejournal.com]

-grins- OK, I'll accept that. Though you really must tell me more about this gender-communication stuff -- part of why I thought to test this is because the dynamics of gender are rather interesting to me. But that's a conversation for another time, I suppose.

[higheststar.livejournal.com]

For our coffee time!!! We really must together! Let me know when you're free and I'll take the metro into D.C.

[jackofallgeeks.livejournal.com]

Dude yes! We really do need to do that! I'm free most of the day this Saturday, if you want to plan that. Otherwise, you'll have to let me know when's good for you, cause I can prolly work my schedule around yours without too much trouble... M/W/F I have class until 1, but usually go into work until 5 (this could be skipped for an afternoon coffee visit). Tuesdays are pretty much dead, and Thursdays I'm stuck until the evening.

[higheststar.livejournal.com]

Saturday sounds great. I don't have any plans.

[jackofallgeeks.livejournal.com]

Shirley. I need to be somewhere in the evening, but the whole rest of my day is free. Gimme a call or something and we can plan times. 'Course, I don't exactly know where there's a coffee shop around here... Though, I suppose I could find out where that one we used t'go to as Freshmen is...

[naughtjennifer.livejournal.com]

My guess is #1 is a girl and #2 is a guy.

In #1, there is less focus on details, but rahter on a big picture. The author is trying to get the point across while taking away anything which seems unimportant.

In #2, there is much more focus on details. It's as if the author wants the reader to know all the details, perhaps in an attempt to lead the reader to conclusions that the author himself missed. There also seems to be a greater focus on capitalization, punctuation, and little details in the composition itself.

In short, my assumption is based on the idea that girls generally try to see the big picture, while guys are generally more detail-oriented.

Also, after I looked at the compositions in order to defend my assumptions, I got a distinct feeling of who the author of #2 was. ;p

[ex-orin917.livejournal.com]

#1 girl, #2 guy

It's a bit tricky to justify my answer because it's more of an sense I get than exact things I can point at, but I'll try.

I think the first one flows more like a girl would tell a story, this is harder to explain. It seems more emotional while glossing over a few details.

Girls tend to focus on relationships and interaction whilst I feel guys tend to focus on details. Witness "my teacher" vs "professor".

Also "trying... what I wanted" feels like a more female approach than the male-ish aggressive use of "force".

The second piece is more precise, it's split into paragraphs of action and reaction (a more logical thought pattern) and has a slight flair for the dramatic.

Eh... I could probably analyse it some more, but that gives me enough to go on I think.

[bluegrave.livejournal.com]

For starters, I am refusing to decide. And I bloody love Xando's. You people make me miss Bryn Mawr.

I have concluded one thing. The second writer is more of a flowery writer. This would lead others to BELIEVE that this was the female.(It seems however with the comments that I was incorrect in that thought. A generalization, I am indeed sorry) However, description is not a matter of being male or female. There is no defining charictoristic to writing. It is impossible to tell and if someone is correct on analysis, it is simply a lucky guess. I know both men and women who have similar writing styles, however it is not defined by their gender, it is definded by their personality.

Take Andrew's writing style verses mine or Dorian's(A mustual friend of Andrew and myself). While all three of us write in a different genra Andrew's style is more direct and to the point. It is searching for something more and that is what you can pull superfically from it, anything else and we would have to get into a more deep analysis of Andrew's character and person. Mine and Dorian's both, while of different genras hold more of an etherial feel to them. They are questing, but not quite within the realm of the solid. But that isn't because of gender, it is due to personality. A good writer will leave a piece of themselves within the work, that is the humanistic element that readers crave from it. This is why today people still read Shelly, and Dante and the like.

Though, from what is presented here it is clear that the second writer is more a stdent of classical literiture such a Byron, pound and Lowell, the first is more of a modernist leaving out the elaboratness and flowery details that the second embelishs upon. The first piece caries a more direct point, there is nothing standing between the writer and their goal. The voice is fleshed and understandable and quite more of a strong voice whereas the second piece is more of an abstract created in such a way as to simply touch on the persons involved and not focus on them directly.

Ok, I am going to stop now as I could indeed continue for quite some time on this matter (English creative writing major).

Hm...

[serenabuny.livejournal.com]

From first impression the use of language and grammer gives me the idea that the first is female and second male...

This is kinda hard

[masqerade.livejournal.com]

I think I would say that the first one was written by a girl and the second one by a guy. The second one seems a little more cluttered with details, and I think men tend to add more details to things than women do(or something like that). Besides the first one seems similar to how I would write something.

[starlight1184.livejournal.com]

Ok, I am totally undecided. But just posting to let you know I read it, and have NO idea whatsoever.

[bsgnome.livejournal.com]

This seems glaringly obvious to me, so I'm probaly wrong. But I would have to say that the first piece was written by a guy, and the second by a girl.

My reasons being--and these are solely based off of my experience, and, granted, preconceived notions--that the first is more succinct and to the point--a style I have come to associate with the writings of men--and the second is more concerned with the people than the scene; it's personal--a style I have come to associate with the writings of women.

Now, I may be way off, but that was my initial assumption.

hmm

[nonsooth.livejournal.com]

I really don't know. The first passage is definitely better written.

I'll guess that the first passage was written by a male, and the second by a female because that was my first instinct. The only thing that comes to mind as to why is that the sentences in the first passage are shorter and choppier. I don't know why that would matter, though.

[tang-yongyu.livejournal.com]

I think the first was a girl and the second was a boy. For me the "suave" comment gave it away. Otherwise I would not have been sure. No girl I know has ever used the word "suave."

[surichan.livejournal.com]

To be quite honest, I don't get the point. I'm not entirely sure that men and women write all that differently. Certainly there are stereotypes as to the way they write, but aren't there to most things? I've seen things written by both men and women that completely blew my mind...and I've read many things where I can't tell whether or not the writer was male or female - and it doesn't matter all that terribly much to me.

Maybe this is because I RP a male character, and actually have a few of my fellow cast members - some of whom are men - believing that I am, in fact, male - all without ever saying word one that would, to my mind anyway, clue them in to my sex one way or another.

I think what it all comes down to is skill...and in that case, all I can say is that #1 is better-written. #2 is cheapjack and outright sloppy in places - so sloppy, as a matter of fact, that I almost think it was written that way purposefully, perhaps in an attempt to draw the reader into thinking that specifically one sex or another had written it?

I'm grasping at straws here, of course. Just my opinion, colored by lack of sleep. I could be wrong.