A Difference in Gender

This week I have concentrated on critically reviewing my male characters. Many books written about the Victorian era are currently written by women, nothing wrong with that. However, my tendency as a woman, one who is highly emotional, can be to write overly emotional men. This messes with the tone and believability. I want the men in the story to sound like men, not women dressed up as men acting like they think men should act. This is especially important in an era where emotions were highly guarded. It has been a humbling week, reading through scenes and thinking "Ah! That sounds like a woman!" and trying to figure out what a man would say and finding that often he might decline to comment at all. As in acting sometimes the more powerful words are the ones you don't speak. Even with all of the editing of the past month or so, I have continued writing more and the story seems to be progressing. As always, I want it quality, not just an abundance of words, a story that intrigues and inspires. Now there is something that most men would not express, at least not that way.