#engenderedwriting — Public Fediverse posts

@CA_Hawthorne

It would depend on the content and how it's done. Right now, a lot of the same questions are appearing on different hashtags.

That was the impetus that made me create #engenderedWriting. I wanted to help writers think about gender in storytelling—okay, honestly, prod them. Whilst I ended the prompt, the hashtag questions are at #engenderedWritingQ. I got to a 100 or so.

I follow #eroticMusings though I don't write intentionally erotic fiction. It helps me think about spicy stories and subplots, as well as the innuendo that's passing through my stories.

So, @paranoiapen, I'd be attracted to a new prompt that addresses different facets of writing or craft beyond the basics, or makes me think deeply on motivation or the human condition. But that's me…

@CA_Hawthorne

It would depend on the content and how it's done. Right now, a lot of the same questions are appearing on different hashtags.

That was the impetus that made me create #engenderedWriting. I wanted to help writers think about gender in storytelling—okay, honestly, prod them. Whilst I ended the prompt, the hashtag questions are at #engenderedWritingQ. I got to a 100 or so.

I follow #eroticMusings though I don't write intentionally erotic fiction. It helps me think about spicy stories and subplots, as well as the innuendo that's passing through my stories.

So, @paranoiapen, I'd be attracted to a new prompt that addresses different facets of writing or craft beyond the basics, or makes me think deeply on motivation or the human condition. But that's me…

@paranoiapen Hehehe. I did about a hundred with #EngenderedWritingQ and #EngenderedWriting. It was fun, and if you decide to do so also, have fun.

Excuse a drunk post. 12oz of Tioga-Sequoia (Fresno) dark beer and I'm tipsy! (Very tasty, however.) Lightweight, definitely. How does anyone like this feeling of not being able to determine what's horizontal with gravity pulling you at unpredictable times? Well, I'm drinking lots of water now, and working to remember the feeling for writing into my stories. Blech!
#research !

Question: Is beer a male or a female gendered preference? #EngenderedWriting

For a lot of information, read the #AltText.

#BoostingIsSharing

#writer #author #writingCommunity #writersOfMastodon

@jeanmauel
I would like to be the first to welcome you to the writing community here. There is no algorithm like on X/Twitter and other services to generate a timeline of posts (called toots) on Mastodon. To do this you follow people that interest you, which you did for me so you've got this. We also follow keyword hashtags like #WritingCommunity and include those hashtags in our posts when they apply.

Including the following hashtags and the accounts allow you to be found by like-minded people. If you don't include them, you won't be noticed. Much. You do have a recognizable name…

There are also hashtag writer challenge games, where like-minded authors reply and discuss author-y things. It is both a good way to procrastinate (as if we need that), but also an opportunity to think about current characters and techniques and read what other authors think about the subject. Here are some incomplete lists to get you started.

These identify your community.

#Writer #Author #WritersOfMastodon #bookstodon #Writing

#SF #scifi #ScienceFiction #Fantasy #Mystery #Romance #Thriller #horror

Games:

#PennedPossibilities
#WritersCoffeeClub
#ScibesAndMakers
#WordWeavers
#TimeTravelAuthors
#EngenderedWriting
#Writever
#Writephant

There's more, but if you check these out, you'll quickly be surrounded by the like-minded. Also, since I follow a multitude of authors, but also artists and creative people, you are welcome to raid my follow list on my profile page for other accounts to follow.

Last, please take a moment to fill in your profile page. I do admit your name and banner picture is a great intro, but it's a good place to note what you love to talk about, what you would rather talk about, and it may not just be about writing and publishing. Today is good time to do that. (I guess RS is a little pushy.) Again, you are welcome to look at my profile page (and others) for ideas.

If you provide links anywhere on Mastodon, but definitely when building your profile page, include the full http version of the link. If you do, it becomes clickable.

Of note in regard to profiles, you can pin things like a longer introduction post or an essay you wish to share, so it is the first post visitors see. It's one of the features and actions hidden in the three dots menu (…) at the end of a post.

Again, welcome. Feel free to ask questions. If you use community hashtags, others might answer also.

#BoostingIsSharing

@jeanmauel
I would like to be the first to welcome you to the writing community here. There is no algorithm like on X/Twitter and other services to generate a timeline of posts (called toots) on Mastodon. To do this you follow people that interest you, which you did for me so you've got this. We also follow keyword hashtags like #WritingCommunity and include those hashtags in our posts when they apply.

Including the following hashtags and the accounts allow you to be found by like-minded people. If you don't include them, you won't be noticed. Much. You do have a recognizable name…

There are also hashtag writer challenge games, where like-minded authors reply and discuss author-y things. It is both a good way to procrastinate (as if we need that), but also an opportunity to think about current characters and techniques and read what other authors think about the subject. Here are some incomplete lists to get you started.

These identify your community.

#Writer #Author #WritersOfMastodon #bookstodon #Writing

#SF #scifi #ScienceFiction #Fantasy #Mystery #Romance #Thriller #horror

Games:

#PennedPossibilities
#WritersCoffeeClub
#ScibesAndMakers
#WordWeavers
#TimeTravelAuthors
#EngenderedWriting
#Writever
#Writephant

There's more, but if you check these out, you'll quickly be surrounded by the like-minded. Also, since I follow a multitude of authors, but also artists and creative people, you are welcome to raid my follow list on my profile page for other accounts to follow.

Last, please take a moment to fill in your profile page. I do admit your name and banner picture is a great intro, but it's a good place to note what you love to talk about, what you would rather talk about, and it may not just be about writing and publishing. Today is good time to do that. (I guess RS is a little pushy.) Again, you are welcome to look at my profile page (and others) for ideas.

If you provide links anywhere on Mastodon, but definitely when building your profile page, include the full http version of the link. If you do, it becomes clickable.

Of note in regard to profiles, you can pin things like a longer introduction post or an essay you wish to share, so it is the first post visitors see. It's one of the features and actions hidden in the three dots menu (…) at the end of a post.

Again, welcome. Feel free to ask questions. If you use community hashtags, others might answer also.

#BoostingIsSharing

@aurora @Fragglemuppet Hey, guys! I'm the host of Penned Possibilities. Let's not leave out the amazing #EngenderedWriting as well. It's such an awesome group of people there.

There are so many good writing hashtags in general on Mastodon, too. Not just the groups. I absolutely love it. So many ways to make friends and meet new people.

@aurora @Fragglemuppet Hey, guys! I'm the host of Penned Possibilities. Let's not leave out the amazing #EngenderedWriting as well. It's such an awesome group of people there.

There are so many good writing hashtags in general on Mastodon, too. Not just the groups. I absolutely love it. So many ways to make friends and meet new people.

@Fragglemuppet Just covering ones you didn't mention, #WritingCommunity #ScribesAndMakers #WordWeavers #EngenderedWriting #IndieAuthors #AmWriting (and various spinoffs)

@Fragglemuppet Just covering ones you didn't mention, #WritingCommunity #ScribesAndMakers #WordWeavers #EngenderedWriting #IndieAuthors #AmWriting (and various spinoffs)

This post is to announce to all those who knew about my web-novel Mars Needed Women, who may have boosted or linked to it, that I have deleted the posts from Mastodon. I am heavily into revising it for publication.To prevent 404ing, I've left only the jacket blurb post of March 1st. As best I can remember, that's the only link I gave out. I hope so. I'm tagging hashtags to which I posted links to the novel this one time to prevent confusion. You are welcome to PM me.

#pennedpossibilities #engenderedWriting #writerscoffeeclub #wordweavers #scribesandmakers #writever #writephant

TL;DR

The story was published daily in March 2024 as part of a #Writever challenge, and I completed all 31 chapters one a day using all 31 Women's Rights prompts, managing to complete the last chapter and post it only 20 minutes into April 1st.

The story was definitely beta, with a plot hole and janky science and a few character boo-boos, but I like the result. I have since greatly revised the story and added plenty of material. Writing content daily to fit it into a toot-length that worked out to 750-800 words max forced compromises.

I plan to publish the novel in book form. As such, I have deleted the original free-to-read version. When I've sold or published the novel, I'll be sure to inform all my followers.

If you were part way through the story, PM me.

For you that read it, and for those who favorited chapters, Thank you.

#BoostingIsSharing

#writer #author #sf #writersOfMastodon #writingCommunity

This post is to announce to all those who knew about my web-novel Mars Needed Women, who may have boosted or linked to it, that I have deleted the posts from Mastodon. I am heavily into revising it for publication.To prevent 404ing, I've left only the jacket blurb post of March 1st. As best I can remember, that's the only link I gave out. I hope so. I'm tagging hashtags to which I posted links to the novel this one time to prevent confusion. You are welcome to PM me.

#pennedpossibilities #engenderedWriting #writerscoffeeclub #wordweavers #scribesandmakers #writever #writephant

TL;DR

The story was published daily in March 2024 as part of a #Writever challenge, and I completed all 31 chapters one a day using all 31 Women's Rights prompts, managing to complete the last chapter and post it only 20 minutes into April 1st.

The story was definitely beta, with a plot hole and janky science and a few character boo-boos, but I like the result. I have since greatly revised the story and added plenty of material. Writing content daily to fit it into a toot-length that worked out to 750-800 words max forced compromises.

I plan to publish the novel in book form. As such, I have deleted the original free-to-read version. When I've sold or published the novel, I'll be sure to inform all my followers.

If you were part way through the story, PM me.

For you that read it, and for those who favorited chapters, Thank you.

#BoostingIsSharing

#writer #author #sf #writersOfMastodon #writingCommunity

@ltrapp
Welcome to the writing community. @strangeseawolf answered your direct question, but I'd like to answer your indirect one. On Mastodon we ALSO follow keyword hashtags like #WritingCommunity and include those hashtags in our posts when they apply. These hashtag and the accounts we follow take the place of an algorithm elsewhere, so if you don't include them you won't be noticed (much). There are also hashtag writer challenge games, where likeminded authors reply and discuss author-y things. Here are some incomplete lists to get you started.

#Writer #Author #WritersOfMastodon #bookstodon #Writing

#SF #scifi #ScienceFiction #Fantasy #Mystery #Romance #Thriller #horror

"Games:"

#PennedPossibilities
#WritersCoffeeClub
#ScibesAndMakers
#WordWeavers
#TimeTravelAuthors
#EngenderedWriting
#Writever
#Writephant

There's more, but if you check these out, you'll quickly be surrounded by the like-minded. Also, since I follow a multitude of authors, but also artists and creative people, you are welcome to raid my follow list on my profile page for other accounts to follow.

Last, take a moment to fill in your profile page. Today is good. Again, you are welcome to look at mine (and others) for ideas. If you provide links, include the full http version. If you do, they become clickable. An interesting profile and your posts are how people decide to follow you.

#BoostingIsSharing

@ltrapp
Welcome to the writing community. @strangeseawolf answered your direct question, but I'd like to answer your indirect one. On Mastodon we ALSO follow keyword hashtags like #WritingCommunity and include those hashtags in our posts when they apply. These hashtag and the accounts we follow take the place of an algorithm elsewhere, so if you don't include them you won't be noticed (much). There are also hashtag writer challenge games, where likeminded authors reply and discuss author-y things. Here are some incomplete lists to get you started.

#Writer #Author #WritersOfMastodon #bookstodon #Writing

#SF #scifi #ScienceFiction #Fantasy #Mystery #Romance #Thriller #horror

"Games:"

#PennedPossibilities
#WritersCoffeeClub
#ScibesAndMakers
#WordWeavers
#TimeTravelAuthors
#EngenderedWriting
#Writever
#Writephant

There's more, but if you check these out, you'll quickly be surrounded by the like-minded. Also, since I follow a multitude of authors, but also artists and creative people, you are welcome to raid my follow list on my profile page for other accounts to follow.

Last, take a moment to fill in your profile page. Today is good. Again, you are welcome to look at mine (and others) for ideas. If you provide links, include the full http version. If you do, they become clickable. An interesting profile and your posts are how people decide to follow you.

#BoostingIsSharing

#ScribesAndMakers 2503.19 2/2 — At what age did you start creating?

I'm being meta in this post, talking about what I thought answering this question originally. As a gender fiction writer, the response to this question fascinated me! Let me in advance apologize for going all Sherlock Holmes on you folk. Gender roles and preferences are schooled into us until they're subliminal. Authors pervert the programming to write believable characters that are both different from them and of different genders or preferences. Our writing contains subtexts and hidden confessions that come out in our essays, maybe even our fiction, that we may or may not be aware of, or, granted, may not care about.

Still...

Many of us authors in this community use pen names, as do I, or an ungendered alias online, as do I, going so far as to use a pretty picture avatar, as do I, to obfuscate our identity, or to assert a political identity instead. My avatar highlights my comedic side.

Yet...

Yet, many of the answers to this question indirectly maybe inadvertently announced a gender identity (not necessarily a birth gender; that's understood). I crafted my rather typical answer to this question to answer truthfully but equivocally as to hints about my gender and gender identity.

I can remember ... playing imaginary games with my toys, making them walk, making them roll, making them fly, and sometimes tea was involved. The figurines talked and we gabbed and gossiped and discussed important life events! The vehicles made what I thought very authentic noises!! There were adventures galore!!!

Both girl words and boy words, and words that say the same thing in an ungendered fashion. Gossip and tea but also figurines, not dolls.

That said, reading the responses I realized I had incorrectly guessed the gender of many authors. Word choice counts, and it counts at many levels. May I suggest you read some of the responses again?

PS: Ask me about some of this gender role and identity stuff on Talk To Me Day, if you want. #EngenderedWriting

[Author retains copyright (c)2025 R.S.]

#BoostingIsSharing and #CommentingIsCool

#gender #fiction #writer #author
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion

#ScribesAndMakers 2503.19 2/2 — At what age did you start creating?

I'm being meta in this post, talking about what I thought answering this question originally. As a gender fiction writer, the response to this question fascinated me! Let me in advance apologize for going all Sherlock Holmes on you folk. Gender roles and preferences are schooled into us until they're subliminal. Authors pervert the programming to write believable characters that are both different from them and of different genders or preferences. Our writing contains subtexts and hidden confessions that come out in our essays, maybe even our fiction, that we may or may not be aware of, or, granted, may not care about.

Still...

Many of us authors in this community use pen names, as do I, or an ungendered alias online, as do I, going so far as to use a pretty picture avatar, as do I, to obfuscate our identity, or to assert a political identity instead. My avatar highlights my comedic side.

Yet...

Yet, many of the answers to this question indirectly maybe inadvertently announced a gender identity (not necessarily a birth gender; that's understood). I crafted my rather typical answer to this question to answer truthfully but equivocally as to hints about my gender and gender identity.

I can remember ... playing imaginary games with my toys, making them walk, making them roll, making them fly, and sometimes tea was involved. The figurines talked and we gabbed and gossiped and discussed important life events! The vehicles made what I thought very authentic noises!! There were adventures galore!!!

Both girl words and boy words, and words that say the same thing in an ungendered fashion. Gossip and tea but also figurines, not dolls.

That said, reading the responses I realized I had incorrectly guessed the gender of many authors. Word choice counts, and it counts at many levels. May I suggest you read some of the responses again?

PS: Ask me about some of this gender role and identity stuff on Talk To Me Day, if you want. #EngenderedWriting

[Author retains copyright (c)2025 R.S.]

#BoostingIsSharing and #CommentingIsCool

#gender #fiction #writer #author
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion

@loismcmasterb Welcome. While you are likely to be too busy for prompts and daily challenges, there are some hashtags you might follow on your journey through Mastodon if this is your beginning here:

#writingCommunity #writersOfMastodon #bookstodon #writer #writing #author #fiction #SF #sciencefiction

#Feditips is a good search.

There's a sense of community around these challenges: #PennedPossibilities, #WritersCoffeeClub, #WordWeavers, #ScribesAndMakers, #TimeTravelAuthors, and my now completed #EngenderedWriting.

Since you mentioned filters, filtering out (hashtag) uspol and politics is pretty effective.

I've followed a lot of writers and artists. Most are toward the beginning of my Follows list. Feel free to raid my Follows and Followers lists to your hearts content.

Again, welcome.

@loismcmasterb Welcome. While you are likely to be too busy for prompts and daily challenges, there are some hashtags you might follow on your journey through Mastodon if this is your beginning here:

#writingCommunity #writersOfMastodon #bookstodon #writer #writing #author #fiction #SF #sciencefiction

#Feditips is a good search.

There's a sense of community around these challenges: #PennedPossibilities, #WritersCoffeeClub, #WordWeavers, #ScribesAndMakers, #TimeTravelAuthors, and my now completed #EngenderedWriting.

Since you mentioned filters, filtering out (hashtag) uspol and politics is pretty effective.

I've followed a lot of writers and artists. Most are toward the beginning of my Follows list. Feel free to raid my Follows and Followers lists to your hearts content.

Again, welcome.

#ScribesAndMakers 2503.01 2/2— What are your goals for the month?

Added a new goal: An SF micro-novel written from #writever daily prompts named with a title tag: #RSMarsNeededWomen. In the French version of the prompt, the month "March" is Mars and the theme is women's rights. For some strange reason the two combined in my head into an idea for space opera. Viva la #engenderedWriting! Consider following me as I gin up a gender fiction story from... nothing, going gonzo pantser on this. I've written 2 micro-chapters of 31. I'll need some cheering on, whilst I also try to finish the main novel. Click the title tag above for the story, or the link below for this month's daily writing prompts.

English: https://framapiaf.org/@k_tastrof/114083193227367930

Français: https://mamot.fr/@alombard/114085991177067327

[Author retains copyright (c)2025 R.S.]

#BoostingIsSharing and #CommentingIsCool

#gender #fiction #writer #author #photographer #chef
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion

#ScribesAndMakers 2503.01 2/2— What are your goals for the month?

Added a new goal: An SF micro-novel written from #writever daily prompts named with a title tag: #RSMarsNeededWomen. In the French version of the prompt, the month "March" is Mars and the theme is women's rights. For some strange reason the two combined in my head into an idea for space opera. Viva la #engenderedWriting! Consider following me as I gin up a gender fiction story from... nothing, going gonzo pantser on this. I've written 2 micro-chapters of 31. I'll need some cheering on, whilst I also try to finish the main novel. Click the title tag above for the story, or the link below for this month's daily writing prompts.

English: https://framapiaf.org/@k_tastrof/114083193227367930

Français: https://mamot.fr/@alombard/114085991177067327

[Author retains copyright (c)2025 R.S.]

#BoostingIsSharing and #CommentingIsCool

#gender #fiction #writer #author #photographer #chef
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion

Can I get some thoughts from the #EngenderedWriting crowd?

I'm looking at writing a non-binary character, but in a fantasy setting with some very noticeable sexual dimorphism.

How would you approach such a situation?

#writingcommunity #writing #fantasy

Can I get some thoughts from the #EngenderedWriting crowd?

I'm looking at writing a non-binary character, but in a fantasy setting with some very noticeable sexual dimorphism.

How would you approach such a situation?

#writingcommunity #writing #fantasy

#ScribesAndMakers 2502.27. Have you ever written to a writer/creator to tell them you liked their work? Did they respond?

Yes. But not someone trad published, though I should have. With better websites and better communication channels than a paper letter, I will in the future. There are some very talented fan fiction authors out there and, yes, I've commented on their stories, some of which if rewritten in an original universe are better than a lot of things I've read in paperback published by the big houses. One excellent gender fiction SF novel about gender transformation, written by an author who goes by StarScribe, I nominated for the Otherwise (James Tiptree Jr.) Award. Alas, fan fiction is not often taken seriously, thought that specific story and other fantasy by that author ought be. And yes, the author responded.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otherwise_Award

[Author retains copyright (c)2025 R.S.]

#BoostingIsSharing and #CommentingIsCool

#gender #fiction #writer #author #photographer #chef
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion
#fanfiction #fanfic #otherwiseaward #engenderedWriting

#ScribesAndMakers 2502.27. Have you ever written to a writer/creator to tell them you liked their work? Did they respond?

Yes. But not someone trad published, though I should have. With better websites and better communication channels than a paper letter, I will in the future. There are some very talented fan fiction authors out there and, yes, I've commented on their stories, some of which if rewritten in an original universe are better than a lot of things I've read in paperback published by the big houses. One excellent gender fiction SF novel about gender transformation, written by an author who goes by StarScribe, I nominated for the Otherwise (James Tiptree Jr.) Award. Alas, fan fiction is not often taken seriously, thought that specific story and other fantasy by that author ought be. And yes, the author responded.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otherwise_Award

[Author retains copyright (c)2025 R.S.]

#BoostingIsSharing and #CommentingIsCool

#gender #fiction #writer #author #photographer #chef
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion
#fanfiction #fanfic #otherwiseaward #engenderedWriting

@NaraMoore

Sometimes I am a little sad that my poetry draws more attention and praise [than my fiction].

You and Conan Doyle. He made money on Sherlock Holmes. You're in good company. Keep seeing if you can work it. Readers are fickle. We have to write for ourselves, which is what I tell myself when the spiciness of what I'm writing keeps causing me to cease up.

Btw, It was actually 650 words, but now it is 1.900 words. How much is it going to twist the reader's gender expectations in a knot when the girlfriend doesn't act jealous but sees it as experience that will only make her boyfriend more fun? (Oops. That's spoilers.) #engenderedWriting

@NaraMoore

Sometimes I am a little sad that my poetry draws more attention and praise [than my fiction].

You and Conan Doyle. He made money on Sherlock Holmes. You're in good company. Keep seeing if you can work it. Readers are fickle. We have to write for ourselves, which is what I tell myself when the spiciness of what I'm writing keeps causing me to cease up.

Btw, It was actually 650 words, but now it is 1.900 words. How much is it going to twist the reader's gender expectations in a knot when the girlfriend doesn't act jealous but sees it as experience that will only make her boyfriend more fun? (Oops. That's spoilers.) #engenderedWriting

#EngenderedWriting 92 — How would it change society if women were and had always been physically stronger than men? CW: Patriarchy dissected.

It's a fun idea, and I know authors who are making it work. Still, my opinion, if strength is the only factor I am not sure it would have resulted in a society substantially different than our own. I'll analyze it for you authors so you can rewrite history.

It takes more than strength to make two people evenly matched. (I've been researching prizefighting.) Arm reach is the difference between your punch being blocked and being able to hit with few injuries. Speed and stamina matter. Weight and inertia matter. Think wrestling. All are more important than quantitative strength. This is why there are weight classes in most combative sports.

Unfortunately, women have a smaller stature on average. Weapons are an equalizer here, especially if women can wield heavier weapons than their male opponents. In a fantasy context, magic could be an equalizer. The male tendency toward aggression in aggregate could tip the scales if overwhelming force is applied.

The Indo-Europeans might have invented the concept of controlling women's sexuality to ensure a man could guarantee the paternity of a child and thus make passing property only down the male line arguably reasonable. This usurps matriarchy. This is the true definition of patriarchy. Theories are that Indo-Europeans attacked pre-existing matrilineal societies. There is archeological evidence of prior societies that seem to have been lead by women. Their demise might be the genocides hinted at in the Bible. Who would win (or would have won) if women were significantly stronger?

Women do have their advantages. Arguably speed due to less inertia, especially with added strength. Not natively aggressive in general, they might be better able to pick the winnable fights while angry men might be thinking emotionally. Flexibility. A greater biological investment in offspring might make women less likely to look at fighting as a game, the way men to this day are prone to do (not all of them, of course). For men, fighting can be fun. The danger is a gamble, but we understand the psychology of gambling, too.

For women a fight that includes protecting genetic family from child killers is never a game. Remember that paternity is imperative to a patriarch, more than life itself. A woman, especially one who's stronger than a man her size, might fixate on the death of an attacker and become ruthless. Protecting one's child changes the concept of mercy and surrender. Are either even reasonable?

We aren't those precursor matrilineal people anymore, so it's hard to characterize what could have happened were women stronger. I didn't address women's language skills or diplomacy as these aren't strength dependent, and did not prevent the obliteration of matrilineal societies by the Indo-Europeans. What I've listed are things I'd consider if I were to rewrite history with only one change: Women being stronger.

[Author retains copyright (c)2025 R.S.]

#BoostingIsSharing and #CommentingIsCool

#gender #fiction #writer #author
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion
#fighting #prizefighting #indo-european #strength #women #matrilineal #matriarchy #patriarchy

#EngenderedWriting 92 — How would it change society if women were and had always been physically stronger than men? CW: Patriarchy dissected.

It's a fun idea, and I know authors who are making it work. Still, my opinion, if strength is the only factor I am not sure it would have resulted in a society substantially different than our own. I'll analyze it for you authors so you can rewrite history.

It takes more than strength to make two people evenly matched. (I've been researching prizefighting.) Arm reach is the difference between your punch being blocked and being able to hit with few injuries. Speed and stamina matter. Weight and inertia matter. Think wrestling. All are more important than quantitative strength. This is why there are weight classes in most combative sports.

Unfortunately, women have a smaller stature on average. Weapons are an equalizer here, especially if women can wield heavier weapons than their male opponents. In a fantasy context, magic could be an equalizer. The male tendency toward aggression in aggregate could tip the scales if overwhelming force is applied.

The Indo-Europeans might have invented the concept of controlling women's sexuality to ensure a man could guarantee the paternity of a child and thus make passing property only down the male line arguably reasonable. This usurps matriarchy. This is the true definition of patriarchy. Theories are that Indo-Europeans attacked pre-existing matrilineal societies. There is archeological evidence of prior societies that seem to have been lead by women. Their demise might be the genocides hinted at in the Bible. Who would win (or would have won) if women were significantly stronger?

Women do have their advantages. Arguably speed due to less inertia, especially with added strength. Not natively aggressive in general, they might be better able to pick the winnable fights while angry men might be thinking emotionally. Flexibility. A greater biological investment in offspring might make women less likely to look at fighting as a game, the way men to this day are prone to do (not all of them, of course). For men, fighting can be fun. The danger is a gamble, but we understand the psychology of gambling, too.

For women a fight that includes protecting genetic family from child killers is never a game. Remember that paternity is imperative to a patriarch, more than life itself. A woman, especially one who's stronger than a man her size, might fixate on the death of an attacker and become ruthless. Protecting one's child changes the concept of mercy and surrender. Are either even reasonable?

We aren't those precursor matrilineal people anymore, so it's hard to characterize what could have happened were women stronger. I didn't address women's language skills or diplomacy as these aren't strength dependent, and did not prevent the obliteration of matrilineal societies by the Indo-Europeans. What I've listed are things I'd consider if I were to rewrite history with only one change: Women being stronger.

[Author retains copyright (c)2025 R.S.]

#BoostingIsSharing and #CommentingIsCool

#gender #fiction #writer #author
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion
#fighting #prizefighting #indo-european #strength #women #matrilineal #matriarchy #patriarchy

#EngenderedWriting 91 — Overnight all biological females (regardless of orientation or preference) become on-par as strong as males. How would this change one of your stories?

I'll admit this would be an interesting premise, especially with how much most societies have double-downed on the biological differences between the sexes with boy-culture that teaches men to flaunt their strength and act aggressive, and girl-culture that teaches women to believe they're meek and must be dependent. Largely, I suspect things will only change at the periphery, with cultural programming and male stature (arm and leg length) maintaining the status quo for most. The interesting story would be feature the few that want to change things, the few who might not be so easily cowed. The story would depend on the psychology of the woman MC and her desire to change the world by breaking the rules, or making new ones for women.

I have a story where this is essentially the case for about 2/3rds of the population, as long as nobody is trying to hurt someone. The MC is from the other unequalized third of the population, and she's being trained as a prizefighter. Against both genders. It's strength against cunning, combined with avoiding getting hit, fighting for the championship. In other words, it's about the psychology of strength.

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#EngenderedWriting 91 — Overnight all biological females (regardless of orientation or preference) become on-par as strong as males. How would this change one of your stories?

I'll admit this would be an interesting premise, especially with how much most societies have double-downed on the biological differences between the sexes with boy-culture that teaches men to flaunt their strength and act aggressive, and girl-culture that teaches women to believe they're meek and must be dependent. Largely, I suspect things will only change at the periphery, with cultural programming and male stature (arm and leg length) maintaining the status quo for most. The interesting story would be feature the few that want to change things, the few who might not be so easily cowed. The story would depend on the psychology of the woman MC and her desire to change the world by breaking the rules, or making new ones for women.

I have a story where this is essentially the case for about 2/3rds of the population, as long as nobody is trying to hurt someone. The MC is from the other unequalized third of the population, and she's being trained as a prizefighter. Against both genders. It's strength against cunning, combined with avoiding getting hit, fighting for the championship. In other words, it's about the psychology of strength.

[Author retains copyright (c)2025 R.S.]

#BoostingIsSharing and #CommentingIsCool

#gender #fiction #writer #author
#mystery #thriller #romance #sf #sff #sciencefiction
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#EngenderedWriting (Feb 18) 93 — Since this is the last set of prompts, what of value did you take away from following the #engenderedWriting challenge game? Do you feel you learned something? Did it change what you write about? @NaraMoore

I am going out on a limb and answer honestly.

My chief take-away is how naive people, who have not faced life-threatening oppression and discrimination, are about how it would affect them if they were the recipients. #YMMV

#EngenderedQ Writing Author Daily Challenge FINAL Questions Week 15 (93-102, suggested February 18-28)

This indeed is the last set of prompts. It's been a great ride and I feel I learned something from all of you. I don't rule out that a random set of prompts might show up every so often, but I think I've touched on all the topics I could think of. If you have just stumbled upon this game, go ahead and answer the prompts in any order that gets your creativity revved up. This is the last page of the threaded post that includes ALL of them. This hashtag is here to help you reimagine your literary worlds while giving you a totally different perspective of gender in our own.

Follow: #EngenderedWriting
Weekly Prompts? Search: #EngenderedWritingQ
Google Docs Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10RK_eD_1Q-P7VKv8xYVDeF7kkHuNX8878pBeELo3VAU/edit
Please boost so your writer followers know about the challenge.

• (Feb 18) 93 — Since this is the last set of prompts, what of value did you take away from following the #engenderedWriting challenge game? Do you feel you learned something? Did it change what you write about? @NaraMoore
• 94 — If your character presents as male, regardless of the sex assigned them at birth, your character wakes finding themselves physically weak. If presenting as female, they wake physically strong. What effect does this have on the character, or possibly the plot. How does their reaction differ from question 90.
• 95 — Humans are suddenly predictably fertile once a year for a week. (The change happens in the story or just before the story.) How does this change gender roles? Society?
• 96 — If humans always had had a fertile season would our modernity be different or would it be the same old time religion and patriarchy?
• 97 — Long ago our ancestors fought off the patriarchal invaders and obliterated their barbaric idea for their women kin. How would a modern society work if inheritance and family flowed only through women, and was both traditional and legally recognized?
• 98 — Is marriage inevitable? Is it an exclusive symptom of patriarchy? Do any of your stories touch on the subject?
• 99 — If humans were exclusively matrilineal, would marriage evolve in your stories?
• 100 — Your MC has an object they adore that is NOT associated with their gender or gender role. Whether it gets suddenly revealed, or if they routinely flaunt it, it suddenly causes them huge trouble. How do they cope? CW if appropriate.
• 101 — One of your characters has an opportunity for power (your definition) if they take on the opposite gender role. How do they react? What do they do?
• 102 — Men stop being aggressive (your definition). Does society fall apart? Does the population decrease? Could you write a story from that male POV?
• (Feb 28) 103 — Men cease to have interest in sex (your definition) overnight or over no more than a span of a year. Does society fall apart? Does the population decrease? Could you write a story from the male POV, or would from the female POV be more interesting?

[Author retains copyright (c)2025 R.S @sfwrtr]

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#EngenderedQ Writing Author Daily Challenge FINAL Questions Week 15 (93-102, suggested February 18-28)

This indeed is the last set of prompts. It's been a great ride and I feel I learned something from all of you. I don't rule out that a random set of prompts might show up every so often, but I think I've touched on all the topics I could think of. If you have just stumbled upon this game, go ahead and answer the prompts in any order that gets your creativity revved up. This is the last page of the threaded post that includes ALL of them. This hashtag is here to help you reimagine your literary worlds while giving you a totally different perspective of gender in our own.

Follow: #EngenderedWriting
Weekly Prompts? Search: #EngenderedWritingQ
Google Docs Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10RK_eD_1Q-P7VKv8xYVDeF7kkHuNX8878pBeELo3VAU/edit
Please boost so your writer followers know about the challenge.

• (Feb 18) 93 — Since this is the last set of prompts, what of value did you take away from following the #engenderedWriting challenge game? Do you feel you learned something? Did it change what you write about? @NaraMoore
• 94 — If your character presents as male, regardless of the sex assigned them at birth, your character wakes finding themselves physically weak. If presenting as female, they wake physically strong. What effect does this have on the character, or possibly the plot. How does their reaction differ from question 90.
• 95 — Humans are suddenly predictably fertile once a year for a week. (The change happens in the story or just before the story.) How does this change gender roles? Society?
• 96 — If humans always had had a fertile season would our modernity be different or would it be the same old time religion and patriarchy?
• 97 — Long ago our ancestors fought off the patriarchal invaders and obliterated their barbaric idea for their women kin. How would a modern society work if inheritance and family flowed only through women, and was both traditional and legally recognized?
• 98 — Is marriage inevitable? Is it an exclusive symptom of patriarchy? Do any of your stories touch on the subject?
• 99 — If humans were exclusively matrilineal, would marriage evolve in your stories?
• 100 — Your MC has an object they adore that is NOT associated with their gender or gender role. Whether it gets suddenly revealed, or if they routinely flaunt it, it suddenly causes them huge trouble. How do they cope? CW if appropriate.
• 101 — One of your characters has an opportunity for power (your definition) if they take on the opposite gender role. How do they react? What do they do?
• 102 — Men stop being aggressive (your definition). Does society fall apart? Does the population decrease? Could you write a story from that male POV?
• (Feb 28) 103 — Men cease to have interest in sex (your definition) overnight or over no more than a span of a year. Does society fall apart? Does the population decrease? Could you write a story from the male POV, or would from the female POV be more interesting?

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#EngenderedWriting 91
Overnight all biological females become on-par as strong as males. How would this change one of your stories?

In one of my books, a virus infects women, changing their entire bodies, including making them super strong.

Spoilers, turns out this terrifies men (one man in particular), and the existing patriarchal power structure quickly sees the infected women designated inhuman and turned into slaves, their strength neutralised. If you’ve been told for generations that you’re weak, it can be difficult to adapt to new physical strength fast enough to prevent such retaliation. You might even consider it monstrous yourself.

#EngenderedWriting 91
Overnight all biological females become on-par as strong as males. How would this change one of your stories?

In one of my books, a virus infects women, changing their entire bodies, including making them super strong.

Spoilers, turns out this terrifies men (one man in particular), and the existing patriarchal power structure quickly sees the infected women designated inhuman and turned into slaves, their strength neutralised. If you’ve been told for generations that you’re weak, it can be difficult to adapt to new physical strength fast enough to prevent such retaliation. You might even consider it monstrous yourself.

#engenderedwriting 91 Overnight all biological women become as strong as men how does it effect your stories.

I don’t explore sexism on that level, nor does physical strength play much of a roll.

Now if men were perceived as being as cute as women that might make a difference.

#engenderedwriting 91 Overnight all biological women become as strong as men how does it effect your stories.

I don’t explore sexism on that level, nor does physical strength play much of a roll.

Now if men were perceived as being as cute as women that might make a difference.

#EngenderedWriting 91
Overnight all biological females become on-par as strong as males. How would this change one of your stories?

It wouldn't affect the mage world, where people rely on their powers more than physical strength. It would make a difference in human lands during those time periods where magery wasn't generally known. One character might escape the abuse that prompted her to leave home, which would require revisions. There would still be differences in ability, wealth, etc

#EngenderedWriting 91
Overnight all biological females become on-par as strong as males. How would this change one of your stories?

It wouldn't affect the mage world, where people rely on their powers more than physical strength. It would make a difference in human lands during those time periods where magery wasn't generally known. One character might escape the abuse that prompted her to leave home, which would require revisions. There would still be differences in ability, wealth, etc

> #EngenderedWriting 86 — (Pt. 4) If your story sticks to traditional gender roles, even if your characters rebel, what does the story lose?

Color contrast, to use a photographic term. A red rose against a green background is far more startling that a grey flower and a muddy black background. Stories about women rebelling against traditional gender roles has been a thing for a few centuries now. That the protag succeeds, and does NOT end up conforming or compromising what ought be their principles, is rather modern. In any case, it's been done. A lot. Men rebelling against their traditional gender role is fairly new, but, yeah, it's been done—albeit mostly in a negative sense—but it's been done. Well, positive or negative, male or female, it is black and white, not color, and manifestly not surprising.

By depicting non-traditional gender roles and moreover having them rebel—for example a trans man rebelling against a traditional male gender role—twists the same-old same-old story in an interesting direction.

Far from avoiding risk by sticking to traditional gender rolls, depicting what's expected or common place, I think an author actually risks losing audience through boredom if the subject du jour is gender.

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> #EngenderedWriting 86 — (Pt. 4) If your story sticks to traditional gender roles, even if your characters rebel, what does the story lose?

Color contrast, to use a photographic term. A red rose against a green background is far more startling that a grey flower and a muddy black background. Stories about women rebelling against traditional gender roles has been a thing for a few centuries now. That the protag succeeds, and does NOT end up conforming or compromising what ought be their principles, is rather modern. In any case, it's been done. A lot. Men rebelling against their traditional gender role is fairly new, but, yeah, it's been done—albeit mostly in a negative sense—but it's been done. Well, positive or negative, male or female, it is black and white, not color, and manifestly not surprising.

By depicting non-traditional gender roles and moreover having them rebel—for example a trans man rebelling against a traditional male gender role—twists the same-old same-old story in an interesting direction.

Far from avoiding risk by sticking to traditional gender rolls, depicting what's expected or common place, I think an author actually risks losing audience through boredom if the subject du jour is gender.

[Author retains copyright (c)2025 R.S.]

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#EngenderedWriting 84 — (Pt. 3) If your story maintains traditional gender roles, even if your characters rebels, what does the story gain?

Ease of storytelling is proportional to the informational friction the author faces writing it.

If we set our story in the here-and-now, and pick a milieu that is very familiar to the audience—like high school cramming for finals or the office with an irritating boss or home with the dog and the hubby—the gendered information we need to relay to set up the story becomes nil. No author needs explain what marriage is. No author needs write more than a paragraph of the right words to build a idea of the tension in said marriage, or hint more deeply than having the wife sweat in the car when her husband insists on accompanying her to the gym.

Traditional gender roles need little explanation, nor thanks to a lot of popular media and books, does rebellious gender behavior.

What does the story gain by maintaining traditional gender roles?

1. There are different audiences, for sure, but the largest audience for our books prefers to not have to think too deeply about non-traditional gender roles and instead concentrate on familiar conflict. At this point, I think a woman heroine is almost a traditional gender role if she isn't too sexual.
2. As writers, the amount of research to bring verisimilitude is a lot less. Also, there is a huge amount we don't have the burden of explaining.

In Pt. 4 of this question, I'll address what I think are the downsides.

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#EngenderedWriting 84 — (Pt. 3) If your story maintains traditional gender roles, even if your characters rebels, what does the story gain?

Ease of storytelling is proportional to the informational friction the author faces writing it.

If we set our story in the here-and-now, and pick a milieu that is very familiar to the audience—like high school cramming for finals or the office with an irritating boss or home with the dog and the hubby—the gendered information we need to relay to set up the story becomes nil. No author needs explain what marriage is. No author needs write more than a paragraph of the right words to build a idea of the tension in said marriage, or hint more deeply than having the wife sweat in the car when her husband insists on accompanying her to the gym.

Traditional gender roles need little explanation, nor thanks to a lot of popular media and books, does rebellious gender behavior.

What does the story gain by maintaining traditional gender roles?

1. There are different audiences, for sure, but the largest audience for our books prefers to not have to think too deeply about non-traditional gender roles and instead concentrate on familiar conflict. At this point, I think a woman heroine is almost a traditional gender role if she isn't too sexual.
2. As writers, the amount of research to bring verisimilitude is a lot less. Also, there is a huge amount we don't have the burden of explaining.

In Pt. 4 of this question, I'll address what I think are the downsides.

[Author retains copyright (c)2025 R.S.]

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#EngenderedQ Writing Author Daily Challenge Questions Week 14 (86-92, suggested February 1-9)

Follow: #EngenderedWriting
Follow for Weekly Prompts: #EngenderedWritingQ
Google Docs Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10RK_eD_1Q-P7VKv8xYVDeF7kkHuNX8878pBeELo3VAU/edit

Please boost so your writer followers know about the challenge.

• 86 — (Pt. 4) If your story sticks to traditional gender roles, even if your characters rebel, what does the story lose?
• 87 — A regime takes power that makes it illegal to display macho behavior, and with the ability to enforce the law, deports those caught to an inhospitable reservation, country, colony, planet, etc. Your POV is macho. What happens? (This is an allegory, folks.)
• 88 — (Pt. 1) What does it mean to a story to depict a man who's happy being male but is both sensitive and doesn't care that he enjoys filling a traditionally female gender role? (He wants to raise the kids, for example.) Can you make the audience accept this? Does it kill the story?
• 89 — (Pt. 2) What does it mean to a story to depict a woman who's happy being female, but is macho no nonsense at work and at play, filling by force-of-character male gender roles, but hates being called a tomboy or a dyke? Can you make the audience accept this? Does it kill the story? (Compare your answers with Pt. 1).
• 90 — If biologically male (regardless of preference or presentation), your characters wakes finding themselves physically weak. If female, they wake physically strong. How would you write a story to express how they’d cope with the change?
• 91 — Overnight all biological females (regardless of orientation or preference) become on-par as strong as males. How would this change one of your stories?
• 92 — How would it change society if women were and had always been physically stronger than men?Next week's prompts will display as a reply to this thread.

[Author retains copyright (c)2025 R.S @sfwrtr]

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#EngenderedQ Writing Author Daily Challenge Questions Week 14 (86-92, suggested February 1-9)

Follow: #EngenderedWriting
Follow for Weekly Prompts: #EngenderedWritingQ
Google Docs Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10RK_eD_1Q-P7VKv8xYVDeF7kkHuNX8878pBeELo3VAU/edit

Please boost so your writer followers know about the challenge.

• 86 — (Pt. 4) If your story sticks to traditional gender roles, even if your characters rebel, what does the story lose?
• 87 — A regime takes power that makes it illegal to display macho behavior, and with the ability to enforce the law, deports those caught to an inhospitable reservation, country, colony, planet, etc. Your POV is macho. What happens? (This is an allegory, folks.)
• 88 — (Pt. 1) What does it mean to a story to depict a man who's happy being male but is both sensitive and doesn't care that he enjoys filling a traditionally female gender role? (He wants to raise the kids, for example.) Can you make the audience accept this? Does it kill the story?
• 89 — (Pt. 2) What does it mean to a story to depict a woman who's happy being female, but is macho no nonsense at work and at play, filling by force-of-character male gender roles, but hates being called a tomboy or a dyke? Can you make the audience accept this? Does it kill the story? (Compare your answers with Pt. 1).
• 90 — If biologically male (regardless of preference or presentation), your characters wakes finding themselves physically weak. If female, they wake physically strong. How would you write a story to express how they’d cope with the change?
• 91 — Overnight all biological females (regardless of orientation or preference) become on-par as strong as males. How would this change one of your stories?
• 92 — How would it change society if women were and had always been physically stronger than men?Next week's prompts will display as a reply to this thread.

[Author retains copyright (c)2025 R.S @sfwrtr]

#BoostingIsSharin

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=> #EngenderedWriting 76 — Can you write a good erotic scene (your definition of such) using non-anatomical euphemisms? Is the ability to do so made easier by narrator or POV gender choice? If so, why?

[I am answering "you" in the specific, as in "can I," not in the general as "can anybody." Each writer has their talents. —RS]

To make it clear, I am not writing these scenes to be erotic. Yet, oh my gosh, they are turning out that way. They are completely free of anatomical euphemisms or specific gender anatomy words, despite discussing mechanics to a degree. Often I reference parts of the body not necessarily associated with sex. There's a few euphemisms. Lots of innuendo. Double-entendres are useful. It's about the situation, their emotions, their partner's reaction, what they are seeing (NOT what the reader might want described), and what they are thinking of or focusing upon. I leave it to the reader to read between lines if they choose to make it explicit. Anyone who's had sex should understand precisely what's going on—words like "astride" are inescapable—but the point is that it is meant to advance the plot.

Believe me or disbelieve me as you choose.

I thought about including one sentence to make my point. Then I reread it and decided, no, I don't want to CW this post.

Is it made easier by the narrator or POV choice? Well, there is a male and a female POV MC, and a female antagonist who joyfully and playfully interacts with them as she teaches them hard lessons. (Okay, where did your mind just go?) I don't often write male POV characters, but I've so far chosen to write the erotic scenes in the male POV threaded chapters. I will admit I used our society's conception that men can get away with sex without shame better than women can. I used it as a lever or a wedge to get the point across whilst avoiding extra subtext. This, of course, is an analysis after the fact. I didn't think of that until now. That's not to say the female MC doesn't get her chance to "have fun," it's just so far that the most detailed example was her trying to proposition a man—and it might lead to a war...

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=> #EngenderedWriting 76 — Can you write a good erotic scene (your definition of such) using non-anatomical euphemisms? Is the ability to do so made easier by narrator or POV gender choice? If so, why?

[I am answering "you" in the specific, as in "can I," not in the general as "can anybody." Each writer has their talents. —RS]

To make it clear, I am not writing these scenes to be erotic. Yet, oh my gosh, they are turning out that way. They are completely free of anatomical euphemisms or specific gender anatomy words, despite discussing mechanics to a degree. Often I reference parts of the body not necessarily associated with sex. There's a few euphemisms. Lots of innuendo. Double-entendres are useful. It's about the situation, their emotions, their partner's reaction, what they are seeing (NOT what the reader might want described), and what they are thinking of or focusing upon. I leave it to the reader to read between lines if they choose to make it explicit. Anyone who's had sex should understand precisely what's going on—words like "astride" are inescapable—but the point is that it is meant to advance the plot.

Believe me or disbelieve me as you choose.

I thought about including one sentence to make my point. Then I reread it and decided, no, I don't want to CW this post.

Is it made easier by the narrator or POV choice? Well, there is a male and a female POV MC, and a female antagonist who joyfully and playfully interacts with them as she teaches them hard lessons. (Okay, where did your mind just go?) I don't often write male POV characters, but I've so far chosen to write the erotic scenes in the male POV threaded chapters. I will admit I used our society's conception that men can get away with sex without shame better than women can. I used it as a lever or a wedge to get the point across whilst avoiding extra subtext. This, of course, is an analysis after the fact. I didn't think of that until now. That's not to say the female MC doesn't get her chance to "have fun," it's just so far that the most detailed example was her trying to proposition a man—and it might lead to a war...

[Author retains copyright (c)2025 R.S.]

#BoostingIsSharing and #CommentingIsCool

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#mystery #thriller #romance #fantasy #sf #sff #sciencefiction
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion
#RSstory #RSReluctanceStory

#EngenderedWriting 83 — (Pt. 2) If you show gender equality or disparity in your stories, what's the message? What does the depiction bring to a story?

The message? Gender disparity exists. Be aware of it. Being subjected to it hurts. Choose how to act equitably rather than reacting as enculturated.

What does the depiction of equity bring to a story: A sense of the uncanny valley, of what can't be no matter how cloying.

What does the depiction of disparity bring to a story: A sense of grittiness, of saying what is even when it is impolitic or impolite. Discomfort.

In the current WIP, I am writing a series of scenes that, as a side-effect to the plot, highlight gender disparity. It's SF and a future society with an unfortunate 1960s flavor. Before I detail what it is I'm writing, consider this setup which verges on various tropes:

A young woman is pressured into finding a good husband rather than keeping a career. Her worth is tied up in marriage, in having sex, in producing an "heir." Her schooling is little more than an M-R-S degree. Gender politics shame her if she aspires differently.

The scenes have that happening to a man, even to the point of him being manipulated into bed against his better instincts.

Quickly: What was your first thought reading that, especially the last part? Why?

If that doesn't open eyes, what will?

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#EngenderedWriting 84 — (Pt. 3) If your story maintains traditional gender roles, even if your characters rebels, what does the story gain?

It's easier. Less worldbuilding/characterization. If a story takes place in a world where gravity is variable, the author has to work that in and express it to the reader. In a 'normal' world, there's no need for that effort.

Portraying something different takes effort, and usually skill. (Not relevant if aimed at a specific audience, tho.)

#EngenderedWriting 82 — (Pt. 1) Is gender equality or disparity a thing in your stories? How (not why) do you show it?

Gender disparity always is. Obviously, biologically, there are differences that technology or sociology cannot overcome, even if you eliminate antagonistic cultural factors like the pernicious patriarchy that psychological taints every man and woman that must deal with it. Even if every character acts equitably despite gender, it's a choice, which has meaning in and of itself—and it's never perfect.

But I don't write historical fiction, or fiction based on the here and now.

Though somewhat spoilery, I'll reveal that in Reluctant Moon something called Men's Studies is taught in primary and secondary school. It's mandatory for all boys. The world in the WIP seems modern, a lot like ours circa 1960, until you learn how everything works. One of the things boys learn in this class is how not to act aggressive.

As you might expect, gender politics are totally different.

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