Beth Bernobich's Blog, page 8
May 4, 2012
The Bechdel Test, Part 3
Some thoughts and such about my results with the Bechdel Test.
The results weren't bad, but the point isn't really to go all rah-rah, look how great (or awful) I am. The real point is to double-check my own unconscious choices when creating plots and characters. Why should I do that? Well, to make better stories. If my default choice is male, then I'm failing to think hard enough about my characters. (Even more so if the default choice is white, straight, cis-gendered male.)
Just as important as gender choice is what roles those characters play in the story. Plenty of stories and novels include women, but then those women are treated as accessories to the men. Their lives, and their pupose in the story, revolves around the men. Why? Why can't the women have their own agendas? No reason, other than that default view again.
So, my goal, going forward, is to question myself and my choices in my writing. About sex. About roles. About all the elements that make up a character.
What about you? Have you checked your stories and novels? What if we all posted our results? What if someone, lots of someones, paid attention?
The results weren't bad, but the point isn't really to go all rah-rah, look how great (or awful) I am. The real point is to double-check my own unconscious choices when creating plots and characters. Why should I do that? Well, to make better stories. If my default choice is male, then I'm failing to think hard enough about my characters. (Even more so if the default choice is white, straight, cis-gendered male.)
Just as important as gender choice is what roles those characters play in the story. Plenty of stories and novels include women, but then those women are treated as accessories to the men. Their lives, and their pupose in the story, revolves around the men. Why? Why can't the women have their own agendas? No reason, other than that default view again.
So, my goal, going forward, is to question myself and my choices in my writing. About sex. About roles. About all the elements that make up a character.
What about you? Have you checked your stories and novels? What if we all posted our results? What if someone, lots of someones, paid attention?
The Bechdel Test, Part 2
New post, this one for novels. This time around, I'm counting all novels currently under contract, except for one novel that is contracted but not yet complete.
Again, based on my bibliography page, I have six books either published or under contract. Of these, 4 pass. A much better score than with my short stories. The two that don't pass have a single male POV, but as I pointed out yesterday, it's still possible to have a male POV present when two women have a conversation, and to have the conversation not center around a man.
Random notes and comments...
The scores for Allegiance and Edge of the Empire are based on complete drafts, which still need to go through edits. However, there are enough conversations between women, talking about politics, magic, war, cooking, taxes, magic, etc., that I feel comfortable counting them.
The Time Roads, forthcoming 2015, is based on two published short stories, the novella Ars Memoriae, and a fourth as-yet-unwritten novella. The three existing stories fail the test. The fourth novella will be told from the queen's point of view, so the complete book will probably pass, but it doesn't seem fair to count it one way or another at this point.
Again, based on my bibliography page, I have six books either published or under contract. Of these, 4 pass. A much better score than with my short stories. The two that don't pass have a single male POV, but as I pointed out yesterday, it's still possible to have a male POV present when two women have a conversation, and to have the conversation not center around a man.
Random notes and comments...
The scores for Allegiance and Edge of the Empire are based on complete drafts, which still need to go through edits. However, there are enough conversations between women, talking about politics, magic, war, cooking, taxes, magic, etc., that I feel comfortable counting them.
The Time Roads, forthcoming 2015, is based on two published short stories, the novella Ars Memoriae, and a fourth as-yet-unwritten novella. The three existing stories fail the test. The fourth novella will be told from the queen's point of view, so the complete book will probably pass, but it doesn't seem fair to count it one way or another at this point.
The Bechdel Test, Part 1
The Bechdel Test, from the comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For, was originally used for movies, and has these three simple rules:
1. The movie has to have at least two women in it,
2. Who talk to each other,
3. About something other than a man. (Not limited to romantic relationships, for example two sisters talking about their father doesn't pass)
(An optional variation says the two women must be named characters.)
Now, passing the Bechdel Test isn't a guarantee of quality, nor is the opposite true. However, it shows some interesting (read: depressing) results when applied to movies and fiction in general. I've heard some authors claim how *hard* it is to pass the Bechdel Test. My first reaction is that it can't be that hard, but I thought I'd check my own published work to see how it fares.
So. My bibliography page is here. I have 22 stories published. Of those, 12 pass. More than half, but not so great. In some cases, the stories are limited because the single POV character is male (Pig, Crane, Fox; Marsdog; A Handful of Pearls), but "Air and Angels" does pass even so, because the male protag witnesses a brief conversation between two sisters about their science experiment. "River of Souls" is from a male's POV, but in his previous life, he was female, and she has conversations with women. "Jump to Zion" passes only if you don't invoke the "named" part, so I'm not sure if I should count it or not.
The point is, however, that I could do more. Especially when I look at the stories again, I see that several could have passed without much trouble. Again, it's not so much that *every* story must pass, but that stories will be richer and deeper if they do.
In my next post, I'll post results for my novels (those under contract, even if they aren't yet published).
1. The movie has to have at least two women in it,
2. Who talk to each other,
3. About something other than a man. (Not limited to romantic relationships, for example two sisters talking about their father doesn't pass)
(An optional variation says the two women must be named characters.)
Now, passing the Bechdel Test isn't a guarantee of quality, nor is the opposite true. However, it shows some interesting (read: depressing) results when applied to movies and fiction in general. I've heard some authors claim how *hard* it is to pass the Bechdel Test. My first reaction is that it can't be that hard, but I thought I'd check my own published work to see how it fares.
So. My bibliography page is here. I have 22 stories published. Of those, 12 pass. More than half, but not so great. In some cases, the stories are limited because the single POV character is male (Pig, Crane, Fox; Marsdog; A Handful of Pearls), but "Air and Angels" does pass even so, because the male protag witnesses a brief conversation between two sisters about their science experiment. "River of Souls" is from a male's POV, but in his previous life, he was female, and she has conversations with women. "Jump to Zion" passes only if you don't invoke the "named" part, so I'm not sure if I should count it or not.
The point is, however, that I could do more. Especially when I look at the stories again, I see that several could have passed without much trouble. Again, it's not so much that *every* story must pass, but that stories will be richer and deeper if they do.
In my next post, I'll post results for my novels (those under contract, even if they aren't yet published).
April 24, 2012
Book Day!
The paperback edition of my first novel, Passion Play, is now available from Tor Books!
Passion Play won the 2010 RT Reviewer's Choice Award for Best Epic Fantasy, and was long-listed for the Tiptree Award. It is the first volume in my River of Souls series, and the paperback edition contains an except from the next book, Queen's Hunt. You can read the first two chapters of Passion Play here:
http://www.beth-bernobich.com/Books/P...
Passion Play won the 2010 RT Reviewer's Choice Award for Best Epic Fantasy, and was long-listed for the Tiptree Award. It is the first volume in my River of Souls series, and the paperback edition contains an except from the next book, Queen's Hunt. You can read the first two chapters of Passion Play here:
http://www.beth-bernobich.com/Books/P...
April 22, 2012
(small) thud...
I have finished a first draft of my geek girl story. It's all about girls, ghost dragons, and true love. Now to clean the house and figure out if I have time to start another project before we move house.
April 1, 2012
countdown to the next book...
I've been so immersed in job and house issues, that I almost forgot to mention that the paperback version of Passion Play is coming out this month. (*pause for excited bouncing up and down*)
As you can see, this edition has a new cover, which matches the cover style for Queen's Hunt. It also has an excerpt from Queen's Hunt at the end, with Ilse showing off her new mad magic skillz.
The official release date is April 24th, and it's available now for pre-order from Amazon US, Amazon UK, not to mention all the other Amazons out there, B&N, Book Depository, and many more outlets.
As you can see, this edition has a new cover, which matches the cover style for Queen's Hunt. It also has an excerpt from Queen's Hunt at the end, with Ilse showing off her new mad magic skillz.
The official release date is April 24th, and it's available now for pre-order from Amazon US, Amazon UK, not to mention all the other Amazons out there, B&N, Book Depository, and many more outlets.
March 31, 2012
progress...
From that list in my previous post, I've accomplished vacation, petting the kittens, and cleaning the kitchen. The vacation was splendid, the other two tasks are never-ending, so they never really left my list. House buying has taken a couple key steps forward.
Now I'm tackling the first of the two short stories. This one I call my geek girl story. It's set in the same world as Fox & Phoenix, but while it has ghost dragons, it's about an entirely different set of characters.
Now I'm tackling the first of the two short stories. This one I call my geek girl story. It's set in the same world as Fox & Phoenix, but while it has ghost dragons, it's about an entirely different set of characters.
March 6, 2012
thud...
ALLEGIANCE is done and off to my editor. There will be edits, of course, but the hard work of turning nothing into something is accomplished.
Now to clean the kitchen, pet the kittens, go on vacation, and buy that new house. Somewhere in between all that, I need to write two short stories.
Now to clean the kitchen, pet the kittens, go on vacation, and buy that new house. Somewhere in between all that, I need to write two short stories.
February 25, 2012
Three more chapters...
I am three chapters away from writing THE END to Allegiance. It's been a long difficult journey, bringing this trilogy to a close, but re-reading the draft, I'm pleased with how the story turned out. I've had quite a few surprises along the way--certain characters from Passion Play showed up and demanded a role, others rewrote their backstory, and a few things I thought would happen didn't.
If all goes well, I can send this draft to my editor next month. There will be edits, of course, but barring any further delays, Allegiance will come out next year.
Meanwhile, I have more books to write...
If all goes well, I can send this draft to my editor next month. There will be edits, of course, but barring any further delays, Allegiance will come out next year.
Meanwhile, I have more books to write...
February 2, 2012
Queen's Hunt ARCs
Advance Reader Copies for Queen's Hunt have arrived! And, oh my, they are shiny.
I have several that I'll use for a contest (or two) in a couple months, and Tor has also planned a giveway in May. Meanwhile, if you are a reviewer and you're interested in an early copy, contact me, and I'll put you in touch with my publicist.
I have several that I'll use for a contest (or two) in a couple months, and Tor has also planned a giveway in May. Meanwhile, if you are a reviewer and you're interested in an early copy, contact me, and I'll put you in touch with my publicist.
