Why can't a woman be more like a man?

“Why can’t a woman be more like a man?” [Henry Higgins, My Fair Lady]

This is so culturally loaded that it shouldn’t be touched. But I will.

Before I start I want to differentiate between how men and women act in the workplace and their love, friends, social and family lives. In the work place, I have detected, being a long-time manager of many, no difference. For the rest of life’s adventures men and women act differently. This is possibly a mix of inborn and learned traits. It is also important to note that we are romance writers and must be shroud observers of how men and women fall in love.

Regarding non-workplace activities these are my observations once again: on average women seem more emotional. [Men hide their emotions better according to various studies.] Since emotions are more often the deciding factor as opposed to logic shouldn’t a man be more like a woman?

Let’s relate this to our craft.

1. Plotting in a logical manner may not lead to a human result, i.e. believable by your readers. This may create a boring lifeless story. Sure, plan, but get ready for your characters to interrupt you with ideas of their own. Remember a character doesn’t come to life if it ain’t alive. [Check out Plato and his philosophy about a world of forms. He stated that every thought has existence.]

2. No protagonist is perfect, right? If yours is, interview him deeper or start writing comic books.

3. There’s nothing worse than writing the predictable, trope laden, clichéd story.

Thank God, women and men are different. I think.