Joann Harris (author of [amazon_textlink asin=’0140282033′ text=’Chocolat’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’meadhbh-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’0f712fd9-2457-11e7-8403-6d541317d711′]), started a little hashtag on Twitter Tuesday morning that’s been trending all day: #ThingsOnlyWomenWritersHear.
I may have been glued to it a while. Sometimes it’s nice to know you’re not alone.
The most common thing I get is “Wait, you write sci-fi/fantasy? Not romance?”
I write what I like to read. I don’t like the anti-romance trend of the tag, because I know some romance authors and they’re bad-ass and some of the most prolific authors out there, women who write 10, 15, 20 books in their lifetime all while raising kids and spouses. Other genres really shouldn’t look down on the romance authors, and I really think a lot of the snobbery about romance as a genre comes from the fact that it is a female-dominated genre. Women write it. Women edit and publish it. Women consume it.
But that’s my only quibble with the tag, which is absolutely necessary to show the world (and other writers out there who may feel their experience was an exception) what we deal with on a regular basis as female writers. Here are some highlights:
WOW!!! You write epic fantasy?? But you’re a woman! #ThingsOnlyWomenWritersHear 🙄
— M.T. Magee YA Author (@Mtmagee1013M) April 18, 2017
#ThingsOnlyWomenWritersHear It’s so NICE to have a hobby! So what do you do for work?
— Haven Sabaini (@haven_sabaini) April 18, 2017
“If you want boys to read your book, you better change your name.” #ThingsOnlyWomenWritersHear
— Brynn Avery (@YAwriting) April 18, 2017
This is actually why I write sci-fi under the name “Davis L. Jennison” – that, and having a genre-specific name helps readers know what they’re getting. That it’s gender-nonspecific, well…look hard enough and you’ll see the woman behind the curtain, folks.
From a quite famous (male) presenter: “You can’t come in here. I’m about to interview an author.” #ThingsOnlyWomenWritersHear
— Joanne Harris (@Joannechocolat) April 17, 2017
“Women just write about emotions. Men write about ideas.” #ThingsOnlyWomenWritersHear
— Racheline Maltese (@racheline_m) April 17, 2017
The best, however, the one that summarizes all other entries in the tag?
#ThingsOnlyWomenWritersHear “Woman” Writer
— pat tracy (@pattracy2) April 17, 2017
