The Pyrenees---Southern France

The Pyrenees---Southern France

Monday, February 3, 2014

Are Men Clueless?

       Do men understand anything about women? Do they understand that wine and chocolate--for us--are two of the most important food groups? Do they get it that when we come home after an awful day, we don't want them to fix it for us--we just want them to listen? Do they realize that we forget nothing, and will sometimes lie in wait--for ages--in order to get revenge/to pull a payback prank on them/to gleefully say, "I told you so"?

      Sean McLachlan has written about women--one of his main characters is a woman--in his newest novel Radio Hope. He's doing a guest post on Friday, February 7 about writing about women...when you're a man.

      So come back at the end of the week, and see what Sean says about men...and how well they know women.

This is Sean McLachlan, probably in some exotic location,
since he lives in fascinating spots all over the world. Currently
he's living in Spain (I believe).


27 comments:

  1. You do not want my comments on this topic :)

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    1. But Linda...You could speak to how much Sasquatch knows about women...Share, please.

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  2. Women often write from a man's POV (particularly romance writers) so it will be interesting to hear what a man has to say about turning the tables.

    Pat
    Critter Alley

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    1. Pat--I agree. When men get it right, it's so refreshing...

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  3. I will be very interested to read what Sean has to say! I don't find that the vast majority of male fiction writers write women very well at all. Stephen King does, but there aren't many others. Women can do pretty badly at writing men, too, but more do it well than the other way around, I think. If I hadn't known that the male narrator of "The Dogs Of Babel" was written by Carolyn Parkhurst, I would never have guessed. Anne LeClaire did a great job of writing an older male character's inner dialogue in "Entering Normal". But, men writing women? They usually don't even come close.

    I will add this though: About ten years ago, I read an erotic story that was just absolutely gorgeous. It did what is so hard for ANY writer to do, and that is to capture the emotional/physical switches and how they feel when they get tripped. The author's pen name was no indication, so imagine my surprise when I found out the author was a guy. I wrote to him. I said no, you're lying. How could you KNOW this stuff?!? You have to be a woman. He wrote back and said, "I'll take that as a compliment!"

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    1. Shay--Now you have to share the name of the story and the author, if you remember it. However, if you forgot, I understand. Ten years is a long time ago...

      I think Wally Lamb did a wonderful job with "She's Come Undone" but I read it years ago, so maybe I was more easily amused in those days,

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  4. The longer I live, the more I see the differences between men and women and how the two sides will never truly meet!!! Although some men do show a more fem side and some women can be strong and self serving as the male. It is truly a mixed bag!

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    1. Claudia--Yes...it's like the Grand Canyon is between us--and we're yelling across the chasm at each other, trying in vain to communicate.

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    1. Mama Zen--But...can he do it in five lines or less?

      (Guess what arrived for me from Amazon today. Three copies of your newest collection. I can't wait to dive into it.)

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  6. I'm in the doorway of one of the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, Ethiopia, in this pic! It's one of my favorite places to travel. And yes, I'm still living in Spain. :-)

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    1. Sean--You have definitely been to some interesting spots. I've spent just a few evenings in Spain (little side trips while in France) but I loved the little I saw.

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  7. The men around my house have no understanding of women. They are like half-grown, gamboling puppies, not a care in the world, clumsy and destructive, unable to obey commands, yet ultimately loveable. They can't help themselves. And the revenge part? You're absolutely right.

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    1. Val--As far as revenge, the sad thing is, after you lie in wait and then wreak the revengeful havoc, they never remember what they did in the first place. It takes some of the fun out of the revenge...

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  8. lol to the above. In that feministic time of the 60s-70s we were told there was no difference between men and women. We girls could do all the male things, and the guys were taught to care for babies and contribute to the chores of the household. Sounded sensible. It took me decades and a painful divorce before I learned otherwise. We are wired differently. We are not the same. We need different things. Understanding this concept has made my life much happier! So much suddenly makes sense! Kudos to Sean if he gets it right.

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    1. Note: I am in NO way suggesting men don't have to be active fathers and do chores! And if we women want to break the glass ceiling, great. But our motives and satisfactions will differ somewhat. Viva la difference!

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    2. Marcia--I agree. Men miss out when they're absent dads (absent emotionally...not just physically) and in my house, my husband does all the cooking (but none of the baking).

      Yes--the wiring is waaaay different...

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  9. Great header. I giggled before I even got here. Yes, indeedy, men are clueless in general. I have to say, however, that it is my experience that they can be taught. After nearly 35 years of wedded bliss my hubby "gets it" most of the time, or at least enough to recognize the times when he doesn't. lol

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    1. But they're more difficult to train than a puppy... ;)

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  10. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    1. You mean purely rational?

      Put an "a" in front of the n, and make those four letters a stand-alone word...

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  11. Ahh, I want to see what the Mr. had to say and you removed it! :-)

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    1. Lynn--No, HE removed it. He said that men are rational. I am the opposite of rational.

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  12. Amen to what Marcia said. We ARE different. Which makes it so much more fun to make fun of them.

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  13. Tammy--But they are such easy targets...;)

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Thanks for your comments. I appreciate you taking the time to stop by...