The Women of Skyrim

Pop quiz: is that a man, or a woman, slaying that dragon? I’ve been playing a lot of Skyrim lately, between shifts at the day job and stabs at the rewrite. Even when it’s not entirely on my brain, the experience lingers, reminding me of quests to finish and things to craft at my local… Continue reading The Women of Skyrim

There Is No Sex

Art courtesy Lucian Once again I’ve provided a provocative title to try and get your attention. Is it working? Is it? Yesterday’s post on females in fiction has generated some feedback, but thoughts from one of my friends got me thinking. He said, “Why not disregard gender entirely? Why not just write characters?” This is… Continue reading There Is No Sex

Doing Girls Right

Women in fiction can be tricky things for writers, especially male ones. Every individual, regardless of gender, is a creature of nuance, and unless you want your work to be regarded as lacking substance, easily disposable and the sort of thing no publishing house will get near with a ten foot pole, your ladies are… Continue reading Doing Girls Right

Girls in Gaming

I touched on this subject yesterday, and it’s something that I’d like to expand upon. Basically, there’s a tendency among both game designers and game players to marginalize, sexualize or downright denigrate the role of women both in the games and playing games. It’s a stupid, misogynistic and shockingly accepted behavior, and I really wish… Continue reading Girls in Gaming