And it is not like there are not ways to handle it. Like complaining about the difficulties of finding a comfortable sports bra that fits for a woman with big boobs. Or one character telling another 'don't bat those baby blues at me and expect to change my mind' only in a less cliched way than my example.
Could just be a hoax, though. I fake some headaches, everyone gets used to poor helpless Spike. Then one day, no warning, I snap a spine, bend a head back, drain 'em dry. Brilliant.
Spike ,'Potential'
The Great Write Way, Act Three: Where's the gun?
A place for Buffistas to discuss, beta and otherwise deal and dish on their non-fan fiction projects.
Typo Boy - May 02, 2012 3:44:57 pm PDT #5286 of 6690
Calli: My people have a saying. A man who trusts can never be betrayed, only mistaken.Avon: Life expectancy among your people must be extremely short.
erikaj - May 02, 2012 3:58:08 pm PDT #5287 of 6690
Always Anti-fascist!
I remember once I wore a new dress out to lunch after a rainstorm, I got such great service...everyone was really friendly. Then I got home and found one reason. They could see through my new outfit.
Connie Neil - May 02, 2012 4:46:12 pm PDT #5288 of 6690
brillig
the only time I wander around the house thinking about my boobs is when I have PMS and want to lop them off.
Gudanov - May 02, 2012 5:39:28 pm PDT #5289 of 6690
Coding and Sleeping
I think authors think readers want to know what a character looks like, but not so much, really.
There have been a few books/stories I've read where the POV character is never physically described, and I only notice it because I'm curious about the approaches the author takes to doing it. I'd probably never notice if I was just reading.
Toddson - May 03, 2012 6:51:10 am PDT #5290 of 6690
Friends don't let friends read "Atlas Shrugged"
One thing a fair number of male writers do is have a female character look at herself nude in the mirror and evaluate herself ... favorably.
hippocampus - May 03, 2012 6:52:43 am PDT #5291 of 6690
not your mom's socks.
There's a great post by Sherwood Smith about that up at Book View Cafe [link]
Burrell - May 03, 2012 6:59:33 am PDT #5292 of 6690
Why did Darth Vader cross the road? To get to the Dark Side!
Ah yes Toddson, I believe that's what Suela meant by having the female POV figure articulating the male gaze.
Laura - May 03, 2012 7:30:25 am PDT #5293 of 6690
Our wings are not tired.
Gosh, don't we all admire our stunning physical attributes in the mirror on a regular basis?
I generally find any excessive physical descriptions of characters annoying. It isn't a big part of getting to know them unless a physical characteristic relates to their motives or nature. But nothing bugs more than repeating the same description. Ha, to repeat myself from above.
I blame the drugs.
erikaj - May 03, 2012 7:58:55 am PDT #5294 of 6690
Always Anti-fascist!
I don't believe I have stunning attributes.
Laura - May 03, 2012 8:21:49 am PDT #5295 of 6690
Our wings are not tired.
Well you do, but I think I have only met one or two women that would actually gaze at themselves and mentally focus on the list of quality attributes. More are likely to zero in on their uneven eyebrows or some flaw. I only think I have seen this method of description a few times and it does cause me, as the reader, to think about the clumsy writing rather than the character. A character randomly noting their jeans making their butt look good or bemoanIng a physical flaw in a mirror wouldn't give me pause at all.