Gender Genre Competition

The Winners, The Judges Reports and The Writers Revealed

(If you just want to know who won, scroll down, and down, and down!)

The Stories:

And before we spill the beans, we'd like to say a warm thank you to the writers and judges who accepted the inevitable necessity of allowing their work and their opinions to go live on a web page before they got to see what everyone else had written!

The Reports:

We asked the judges to tell us what they thought about the gender issues in the stories - for example, how the characters' gender came over, whether the stories would appeal to men or women, and whether they felt aware of the gender of the writer. This is what they said...

David-John Tyrer

Gender in writing is an odd thing - for example, for some time I assumed a certain poet I had published was female before, eventually, discovering they were male. Similarly, as I normally only use my initials, people are not always sure of my gender. This is, at face value, unimportant - our work should be judged by merit not by factors such as gender; characters should work as individuals not caricatures - yet, it remains a fascinating subject. Why does one writer seem to us to be a female when they are in fact male, why does a character not ring true to their gender? It is questions like these that make us wonder.

Being asked to guess the gender of an author from just their story, and to judge whether the piece is likely to be more popular with males or females, at first seems to be a straightforward proposition. Even when you think gender is essentially unimportant, you tend to assume that there should be traits that will give you some sort of clue. I wouldn't have presumed that I could guess gender with 100% accuracy, and expected to find some stories that could be either, but I was surprised by just how difficult a task we had been set. Perhaps, it is because I was deliberately looking rather than soaking up unconscious hints, but I found it almost impossible to say whether an author was male or female with anything near certainty. Similarly, most of the stories struck me as being accessible to both male and female readers. Possibly, this is because, as an editor, I am well-aware of how a story or poem can appeal to both genders equally and so find it harder to pigeonhole the pieces on stereotypical grounds. Certainly, short of crude divisions such as SF being male and romance being female (and we know how inaccurate such a statement would be) it is next to impossible to divide stories up by gender except on a case-by-case basis of overall 'feel'.

Bath Night seemed to me gender neutral as the child was too young to have highly developed gender attributes and the adults were essentially ciphers acting on the edge of the story. The author could equally have been male or female and it could appeal to members of both genders who like a good fright.

A Yellow Daisy seemed to be aimed more at the female reader, the sort of piece that might appear in a woman's magazine, but in a way that felt a little cliched at times. I found Hamoudy to be a rather stereotypical male, although he probably does represent exactly that sort of male accurately! I did wonder if it was the work of a male author trying a little too hard to write a 'female' story.

Lost And Found seemed to be aimed at the female reader and something about the overall feel of the piece, nothing specific, made me feel it ought to be by a female writer. I found it to have a believable female lead.

Touching The Rabbit had a rather stereotypical male-female pairing in Heather and Ambrose (she afraid to pick the rabbit up, he vaulting the fence for example) slightly improved by giving some explanation to her phobia.

Chicken Run seemed more likely to appeal to the male reader and I would guess that it was written by a male who has been in the army, given that it was written with a confidence in the subject matter.

The Wave didn't really develop the characters beyond ciphers (although this is a problem with the restrictions of the short story format) although the brother and sister seemed to reflect real-life examples of the slightly silly boy - eg 'ginormous' - and the precociously serious sister (a pairing found equally in the reverse). I really had no idea as to author gender.

Stiff Upper Lip seems to contain a stereotype in the form of the father, yet, in many military families, the stiff upper lip remains an ideal and a means of staying sane, but, as the story reveals, sometimes the facade will crumble. A tender and realistic portrait, I would tend towards saying the author is male, whilst it could appeal to either gender.

hi from cassandra is a believable depiction of a vulnerable male encountering one of those odd unsolicited emails that seem to infest inboxes on a frequent basis. I would guess that the author is male and that it might resonate a little more with the male reader.

Cubhunting seemed a bit over-the-top in style with a bizarre maleness (such as 'no woman ever cared for a child in her care' and 'shake my hand with true manly fervour') about it. I would guess it was a female author who was trying a bit too hard to ape a masculine stereotype, but either way I did find it a rather poor depiction of a male character.

Sicilian Ice-Cream was a good read, yet from the point of view of gender, a bit of an oddity - the female protagonist could as easily have been a male for the first half of the story ( I was thinking a mafia hitman!) yet has to be a woman for the plot to work. Still, once it all fell into place for me, it made sense and worked well. I would probably say a male writer and that it might have a little more appeal to male readers.

Overall, I was slightly surprised that gender was not more clearly defined in several of the stories. Of course, in the normal course of things, I am sure I would not have noticed - in the confines of the short story we are happy to accept characters who are not as highly detailed as we would find in a novel - but when one is examining for just such a thing it does stand-out. I would have expected the entrants to try harder, yet it is probably a good thing that they resisted the urge as an obsession with the topic would probably have led to stereotyping characters and a decline in quality of the actual story. As to the gender of the authors, I half-expect my guesses to be dashed at every turn! Definitely not as easy as it looks...

Valerie Ishii 

Respect.

After playing a part in judging this competition, that’s what I feel for every one of the ten finalists.

I spent twelve months completing my first novel, and the poets and short-story writers I meet frequently marvel at the enormity of such an undertaking. But for me, therein lies its luxury: tens of thousands of words through which I can explore my characters and create their world. In contrast, the writers in this competition have faced the challenge of presenting characters so vivid and alive that it is possible to slip under their skin and plunge into their perfectly evoked existence within a couple of sentences.

I find no better example of successfully hooking a reader and persuading them to suspend their belief than Cubhunting. This story had me, a heterosexual female, imagining that I was reading the authentic experience of an angst-ridden homosexual. I was moved by his dilemma, convinced by the peculiar antiquity of the language. For me, when a writer achieves this so seamlessly, it matters not what gender they actually are. It only seems to matter when the writer fails. 

Another challenge I now understand that a short-story writer faces is how to fashion a skilful ending. Within its tight remit, the success of a short story hinges on this factor quite disproportionately, and to see it fail makes a fellow writer sigh with empathy as well as disappointment. An example of this was Bath Night, which gripped me entirely – until the end. But its ending confused me and my inability to ‘get it’ annoyed me. What a pity! However, the twist in Sicilian Ice-Cream while being equally startling (to me!) was far more skifully executed…so to speak.

Deciding which stories might particularly appeal to a male or female readership is an interesting task. I find myself considering A Yellow Daisy as an example of something women would prefer because it presents such a specifically female experience, and not one which I feel is likely to interest men. Yet Chicken Run, which convincingly evokes the single-sex culture of the army, spins such a purely entertaining yarn that I’m certain would charm and amuse readers of either gender in equal measure.

As to the gender of the authors, here are Val's 'wild guesses':

Sicilian Ice-Cream: female
Bath Night: female
A Yellow Daisy: female
Touching the Rabbit: male
Chicken Run: male
The Wave: female
Stiff Upper Lip: male
hi from cassandra: female
Cubhunting: female
Lost and Found: female

Taff Lovesey

Having never given much thought to the gender differences when writing, this proved an enlightening exercise. In particular it made me realize how times have changed even in the years since I left my secondary education back in 1976. In those days I think that it would have been much easier to pick out the differences between male and female prose. These days I feel the line is more blurred, as the world has changed to be more tolerant of differing values and gender is less pigeonholed. That said, there are still subtle differences. The 'average' female, whatever that may be, is still a very different 'animal' to the average male. Compared to her male counterpart she likes to talk about different things and in different ways. She tends to possess less passion about sport and her workplace but more passion about the home and family. But, as I said, this is a very high level generalisation and these lines are becoming increasingly blurred with more women taking the lead role in the family and with more men being more 'in touch' with their feminine side. Of course the increase in the acceptance of homosexuality also has a significant impact on what is written and how individuals are viewed in the public eye.

One thing we cannot change, and which still influences roles today, is the fact that only the female can reproduce and the bond with the mother is, as a result, much closer than with that of the father. Such personal experiences will frame one's writing and, as a result, the styles and delivery of a particular subject will often differ between male and female. However, in our more liberal society, it is getting more difficult to tell one from the other.

And the gender of these writers?

Bath Night, female. Yellow Daisy, female. Lost & Found, not sure. Touching the Rabbit, female. Chicken Run, I think this is a female trying to write as a male. The Wave, not sure. Stiff Upper Lip, male. hi from cassandra, male. Cubhunting, male. Sicilian Ice Cream, female.

Yong Pease 

Cubhunting: This short story has credible characters, pace, pathos and humour and I enjoyed it from beginning to end. It is as entertaining as it is teasing. The extravagant use of language, its richness of expression could have been words written in 1907. The writer paints a beautiful background of characters and scenery that works really well with the story. The only drawback for me is that it lacks emotion; one cannot talk of love without any physical signs of feelings, ‘made me catch my breath’ was the only sign of any depth of feeling, it needs more to be convincing.

I feel the story would entertain both male and female readers and my sense is that the writer is male, based on the lack of emotional expression.

Chicken Run: A sense of fun and humour threads its way from the opening line to the last. The build-up is just right: the descriptions of the characters are visible to the mind's eye without it being over-played. The dialogue flows and helps the story along fluidly. The language is simple yet effective.

Reading between the lines I would say that the writer is male, particularly the view expressed by ‘Willis’ about the nurses, it is a bit sexist I thought.

The story would appeal to both male and female readers as the humour draws you in and entertains your visual and comic senses.

A Yellow Daisy: This short story has the best visual and emotional setting for me. It is a modern tale of (almost) holiday escapism of the fun kind. The setting adds a touch of magic and beauty, it is entertaining and the characters are certainly believable.

I believe the writer is female because of her descriptions of the surroundings; it has that feminine touch that is almost romantic in its play of words. I feel it appeals mostly to female readers.

Bath Night: female author, story appeals to 10-12 years old.
Lost and Found: female author, story appeals to female readers.
Touching the Rabbit: female author, appeal to female readers.
The Wave: male author, appeal to 10-12 years old.
Stiff Upper Lip: female author, appeals to both and female readers.
hi from cassandra: male author, appeals to both male and female readers.
Sicilian Ice-cream: female author, appeal to male and female readers

Kate O'Hearn 

When asked to do this, I tried to cast aside my pre-conceived ideas of male and female fiction. Instead I was going to simply read these anonymous stories for what they were. But as I made my way through the text, those perceptions surfaced again. I am anxious to discover the sex of the authors as I have always felt - and this is a purely personal opinion - that men and women generally do write differently. You may disagree with me. But that disagreement is what makes life interesting.
    I tend to believe that when woman write, they spend more time on description, character inner-monologue, development and setting the mood without as much concentration on dialogue or action; whereas, I have found that men cut through all that and go 'right to the chase'. Description is kept to the minimum, and action and dialogue are of more importance.
    As a writer myself, I try to follow the male path (because I prefer good dialogue and limited descriptions) but I do find myself drifting over the fence and putting in the heavy descriptions, which I then edit down later but of course, with all that said, I will likely be proven completely wrong here!
    In closing, let me say the skill and talent of all of these stories was of the highest quality. In a few cases, the set up should be addressed as far as indenting and manuscript structure goes - this is what the publishers will look for. But that is easily changed.

All in all, it was a great pleasure and honour to be allowed to read your work.


Sicilian Ice-Cream: Author: Male 

 - But they are being clever with description in the beginning which would have lead me to think the author was female. But then when the dialogue starts, the colourful description stops and we reach the core of the story. Which strikes of a male writer. This piece plays delightfully with our pre-conceived idea of murderers/assassins. Generally, but not always, considered a male dominated area. When I first started to read this, it was set up to be a nice and safe story. But then arrived the line: "As I straighten, the cold metal of my concealed pistol brushes my skin." Suddenly we are not safe anymore. This was a fantastic departure from the norm. It was constructed well and in such a way that I couldn't put it down until I knew the finish. Excellent piece.


A Yellow Daisy: Author: Female

To me, this is an all female story. I would be shocked to discover the author was male. The descriptions are beautiful and really bring the reader to Egypt. To me, there is another clue in the writing, the author's almost loving description of Hamoudy "walnut-coloured eyes, cheekbones shimmered under a light veil of sweat..." and many other descriptions that show an attraction to this character. The main character, Lucy, doesn't get any description beyond being a 'wife and mother'. Or even negative: Too white; too soft; too easily burned..." Only a woman (or perhaps misogynist) would be this negative about a woman. Again, the descriptions were stunning and really brought the reader in. Well done!

Bath Night: Author : Male

Despite this being a female character, I believe the author is male. This time, I can't tell you why I feel this. I just do. There is a lot of building tension and suspense with this. There is action and the author succeeds in making us care about Sophie. But if I may say, I think the story lets itself down a bit by not giving the reader a time-frame or even conclusion. How long has the hand been appearing? We might have a clue as Sophie told her mother she doesn't need to be tucked in - this was a month ago. But may we assume therefore, that the hand has only started to appear? And again, this is only a personal opinion, I would have liked to know if the hand 'GOT' Sophie. The aunt's almost 'knowing' response seems to suggest that she is in on it. But again, it's not clear. And because of this, to me, it's not very satisfying. With a bit more time and effort, this could develop into a great horror/suspense.

The Wave: Author: Female

I would say, despite the lead character being male, this was written by a female. I say this because there was a lot on introspective thought here as the lead character seems to recall sorrow and anxiety. This isn't to suggest that men can't write sorrow, Jeff Deaver does it quite well, for that matter so does Stephen King. But this is sorrow written much softer and gentler. I also feel, that this story has suffered too much editing or cutting. As the reader, I was confused. I believe that the first violent tsunami section was the fantasy of the dreamer in the boat on the pond, in the second part. But was his inner character killed in the giant wave? Were the children? And then at the very end, as he makes his way to shore on the pond, who is the other fellow who sounds like him - leaving the hammock and walking into the house? Perhaps it's me. This may be a very deep story that I am just not getting. And for that, I am sorry. However, story aside, the writing was skilled and did give the reader a sense of tension.

Stiff Upper Lip: Author: Male 

This is a very powerful piece. Very emotive without going into deep gut-wrenching emotions. There was one clue especially that confirmed for me the gender of the author. "The wife". There was something about that single phrase beyond the other clues, that clinched it for me. Again, I may be wrong, but would be profoundly surprised if I learned it was a woman. I would also suggest that the author of the piece is over 60. This is not insult, I assure you. But the clue to the author's age was in the dialogue. Which if this were a piece set in WWII would fit perfectly, but for the contemporary Iraq war, seems strangely out of place and time; as the lead character would only be in his late thirties or early forties. I have lived in this country several years and know a lot of people of all ages, and there is a definite difference in speech patterns and dialogue that goes with age. For that reason, I found the dialogue in this piece letting the overall powerful story down. However, if perhaps the soldier in Iraq had been raised by his grandparents only, and it was a lonely grandfather searching for news, it would have been perfect! 


hi from cassandra: Author: Male

Despite the excessive description, the type of description leaves me to believe that the author is male. Things like: 'The reverberating thump of a heavy sea on the hollow hull of a boat' or 'windows in the house had trembled, the glass loose in their wooden frames' or even, 'tasted of metal or blood on his tongue'. Earlier, I suggested that women tend to do more description than men do in their writing. But the actual description itself is male/female oriented as well. 
    I liked this story and the character's thoughts of his wife, crossed with the mysteriously alluring email from Cassandra and the temptations she offered to the lonely and confused man. But then, it lost some of its punch when the author entered Greek Mythology and the Cassandra of fiction, or his other references to other stories (The little Dutch boy). There is a place for this kind of referencing, but to me, it took up too much space in this short story and detracted from his overall dilemma. Find his wife, or perhaps, go find the mysterious 25 year old Cassandra and see what happens from there.


Cubhunting: Author: Male

I thought the approach for this very interesting and refreshing (that being the form of the letter telling the whole story). It would have helped to have a date at the top of the letter as the 'Feel' is early 1900's or late 1800's by the writing style of the letter. There was the number 18- in the first line of the story giving the address, but I assumed that was part of the postal code for Geneva and not a partial date. As for the content of the letter itself, well, I have never before wanted to say anything negative about another writer's work as we all strive to do our best - and negativity never helps anyone! But there was nothing about the content that I liked. Although the structure was good and the writing itself lovely, the story itself removes the beauty and skill of the writer. At best, it is misogynistic. At worst, rings of pedaeophilia. I dare not say more.

Touching the Rabbit: Author: Male

This was a tough one to judge the gender of the author. Though I will still go with male. Why? Um..err... a few clues I guess. The scientific explanation of heat (yes, a woman could do that too - but would she?) and a couple of other things. That being the mention of breasts three times. Then there was the description of Ambrose the neighbour. To me, the description read like a man writing about what he thinks a woman wants to see in a man. Example: "He vaults the fence, landing beside her. His green shorts reveal sturdy brown legs knotted with muscle". Would a woman use the word 'sturdy' or 'knotted'? I think perhaps, strong, shapely, and softer descriptions. It may seem small, but as I said, they were only subtle clues for which I may be entirely wrong. As for the story itself, it was powerful. But because of her exterior inability to touch warmth (we find out later why) the lead character is unlikable and we are unable to sympathise with her (especially with a suffering bunny needing comfort). The way around this could be a cold exterior (as shown) but perhaps a few more lines about her inner grief and all the emotions of loss she has bottled up. Wanting to touch, aching to touch, maybe even needing to touch, but being unable to do so. That way the reader is let in on the secret that the rest of the world doesn't know.

Lost and Found: Author: Female

This story is the best one (to me) to illustrate how description fills the world of most female authors. Granted, the character is alone, so what else is there? But it's the type of description that tells me this is a female writer. Slow and languid. Careful and beautiful in its absence of profound action. For example, 4 full long lines to say she got up and put on her dressing gown. But where the author excels in description, they lack in clarification. Was he dead? I'm not sure because she could remove his shoes and there didn't appear to be any rigour-mortis. Though his face was cold. But she didn't mention if she felt a breath from him or not. And of course, she drapes a quilted blanket over him 'as though he was merely asleep' which also gives the impression that he is dead. But then, if he were dead, would she be able to go back up to bed and sleep and dream? Again, it's probably me. This may well be a much deeper story than I am perceiving.

Chicken Run: Author: Male

For as much as the story before this one struck me as pure female writing, this charming little ditty epitomises male writing to me. Limited description and lots of action. It was the only comedy in the lot, and stood out for that. Though if I could ask the writer to do one thing for me, it would be to clarify the ending a bit. I perceived it to be that bandits did break in, but were chased off by the oblivious Alfie trying to kill the chickens. He was so shocked and horrified to learn this because he was afraid the bandits might have tried to kill him. So much so, that he reached forward and took a drink - which would actually kill him. I hope this is what the author intended. Again, it was light and fun.

The Writers:

Are they men or women? What do they think about gender issues in their writing? Some just told us their true gender, some chose to give some biographical information, or even a photo.

NB: Just as the judges were working blind to the authors' identities, so the following information and opinions were given to us before the authors saw the Judges' Reports...

Bath Night

Author Sue Hoffmann presents herself as (and is) female.

A Yellow Daisy 

Author Kit Habianic presented herself as (and is) female.

Lost and Found and hi from cassandra

Author Douglas Bruton, who entered both of these stories, presented himself without a gender specific name, but is male - although his wife says he writes like a woman.

Touching the Rabbit

Writing career so far - I've had success in some short story competitions and am in discussion with a publisher  over publication of my novel 'Charity's Child'. I've written a further novel 'Low Tide, Lunan Bay' which is currently being submitted to agents and publishers. I have two further novels in progress and have recently started to write poetry.

Chicken Run

"Chicken Run" is based on an army dance in India. My contention is that it would only have been written by a man. I continued to use 'Mark Rickman' when submitting third party stories and had no problem with being accepted:

‘Why is it,’ Tom fretted, ‘you never listen any more? You used to like me to read to you.’
‘I know,’ said Midge, but that was three children and two changes of address ago. I’m not the same woman.’ (Family Circle)

IPC’s magazine Loving was intended for to the 18 –25 age group. The editor wanted first person stories with a strong female protagonist. I became Mari Rickman because I don’t think my stories would have rung true if obviously written by a male:     "LES SAYS" BY MARI RICKMAN

The Wave

Author William Wood presents himself as (and is) male.

Stiff Upper Lip

Author K J Hayward presents herself without a gender-specific name, but is female.

Cubhunting

Author V F M Owens presents herself without a gender-specific name, but is female.

Sicilian Ice-Cream

Author Emma Jackson says: I have been writing since I was six years old and found my imagination could take me anywhere. I am studying for an English Literature Degree with the OU and as part of the course completed a module in Creative Writing – for which I received a Distinction. I realised at that point that life had been getting in the way of my true passion for writing. I have since been submitting short stories to magazines and competitions and am also working on a novel. The first of many I hope.

I believe male reading habits and publisher fear is enforcing a gender/genre difference. Male readers avoid female writers regardless of the topic they are writing about because of out-dated stereotypes. Publishers are scared that if female writers concentrate on action or crime they will lose their only market, the female one, because women aren't interested in those themes. In my opinion style and content is individualistic not gender specific, the creative output is what should be judged. As a reader I enjoy both thrillers and romances and don't care who has written it as long as it entertains me.

I very much look forward to the outcome of the competition and the other writers comments.

And finally: The Winner and Runners up:

We gave each judge 20 points to allocate as they saw fit according to the mastery of craft, literary and entertainment value, and credibility of characters and interaction and by totting up the points, we found the winner and runners up to be...

First: Emma Jackson for Sicilian Ice-Cream

Second: V F M Owens for Cubhunting

Third: Mark Rickman for Chicken Run

And, so close on their heels it demands a mention,

Fourth: A Yellow Daisy by Kit Habianic

The Aftermath

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