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Making a character in a book seem realistic and interesting is no easy task. It’s not down to just your skills as a writer, though. You actually have to know a bit about who you’re writing about. In other words—do your research. Unfortunately, some male writers out there seem to have major problems writing female characters and seem shy about asking their female friends for advice.

The ‘Men Write Women’ page on X (former Twitter) documents these scary and cringe-worthy examples of men writing about women without having any idea about them or their anatomy. The project was started back in 2019 when Meghan Vondriska launched her version of the ‘Men Writing Women’ Reddit community. Now, the ‘Men Write Women’ X page has over 69k followers, and there are over 2k fans who follow their Instagram page.

“Women just want to be written as human. That’s it. There isn't some wild scientific equation to writing women, and it isn't difficult. Write them as human, with complex feelings, not as body parts that happen to be put together into a feminine form,” Vondriska told Bored Panda.

Let’s take a look at these examples of how men write women and see what Vondriska has to say about this annoying depiction.

More info: MegVondriska.com

#1

This Is The Best One Yet

Book page with a paragraph describing woman trying to pee

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Samantha Lomb
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

wow. so many weird misogynistic stereotypes here. Does this person also believe our wombs detach, fly about our bodies and make us crazy once a month?

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#2

We Don’t Get Real Pockets In Pants Because We Have Tiny Purses In Our Vaginas!!! (Stuart Woods, Desperate Measures)

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Samantha Lomb
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is horrifying. Has this man ever seen a vagina? I could not imagine jamming credit cards up it.

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#3

"3 And A Half Milliboobs Per Handful"

Book page with a paragraph describing breast measurement

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Daria Z
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The picture on the right is quite accurate and can apply to this whole post 😳

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Michelle C
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

LMAO...I am going to use boobs for all units of measure...milliboobs, microboobs, deciboobs, gigaboobs...my friends surely will tire of me

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😸Marik😺
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Does anyone know how many millimetres results in one milliboob ... I kind of want to measure mine and my gf boobs - and some more stuff from the flat... "That table is xxx milliboobs high."

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Truth Monster
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh, good its only 3.5 miliboobs. 4 miliboobs would just be unrealisticly large.

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Lord Mysticlaw
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That is not even nearly as clever as he thinks, considering I still have no idea how big her breasts are. Even the champagne glass shaped boobs were more descriptive.

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N G
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I wonder if the "standard" was provided either earlier in the books, or was removed during editing. This had the potential to be a satirical observation, but has fallen by a) not having the required context for the standard (if we are instead meant to be reading the payoff to an earlier setup), and b) the rest of the earlier paragraph describing her "full, round, whiteness of her thighs".

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Sam Cook
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I feel like I shouldn't be laughing so hard at this. I knew I should've kept abreast of this post.

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Joanne Hudson
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No one seems to question "beautifully-tipped breasts"; I have had breasts for years and never tipped them that I know of, let alone beautifully.

delphinum4 avatar
Zophra
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I bet America would be more willing to learn metric...

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ანა გავაშელი
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It sound stupid but this is actually hillarious! Can you imagine masuring your boobs in Milliboob, santiboob and THE boob! :D

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Cybele Spanjaard
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Milliboobs.. I quite like that term..LOL. I have a generous handful, depending on the size of the man hand of course.

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Meko
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Chokes on own spit and dies. Yes the new measurement is “milliboob” and “handfuls” mhm get it right people! Talking about letters and stuff isn’t one A enough to make her point? Bizzarre

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Quazmodic
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Errr, ladies. just a heads up, look this word up in a dictionary. "Joke". ;)

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Fara Giganti
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

the picture on the right is me evrey time i read weird shiz on twitter also "3 and a half millaboobs" where tf did he get that from like ???

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Bender Bending Rodríguez
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't understand this can someone convert this please. I need to know how much is it in "football fields" or "school buses"?

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MALEC GWITTER
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A real man would actually do their resear-wait. Don't. Pls.🙄🙄🙄

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Mr.Bandicoot
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Is this story a comedy? Because, if it is, then the fact that everyone who read this both laughed and cringed was probably the authors intent.

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Banjo Peppers
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Does it occur to anyone else that these books might be intentionally stupid?

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Siddy Das
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm more concerned that this person thinks milliboobs is a measure

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White Wolf
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"I grinned stupidly; what else could I do?" I suggest some lessons in biology *facepalm*

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Brandi VanSteenwyk
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

WTF is a milliboob? Did I miss something in Anatomy Class? Or perhaps in math or foreign languages?

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AnInrovert
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Milliboobs are the standard measure now..... no more millimeters!

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Colleen Hindson
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Though men claim to love breasts few of them know what to do with them. They like to look, like like them to bounce, but to actually give pleasure, most have no clue. Nor are they interested. Contrary to myth, men seem to prefer small or at most medium sized breasts, but beyond the visual, they can't be bothered.

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WildBerry
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And some women don't care if the men can't be bothered. Everyone is different.

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Michael Radtke
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

To be honest, I wouldn't expect a lot of insight into women in a Letter to Penthouse type story...

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John Shannon
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Milliboobs? I've certainly heard of MilliHelens--the beauty to launch one ship.

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JD Lee
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The paragraph above says it all, “ .. to put the make on such a choice item, I was the boy & she was the item.” .. well, he got the “boy” part right.

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Kyle Bartz
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Apparently no one here has a sense of humor. It’s ludicrous and is intended to make you shake your head. Nobody, and I mean nobody, should take this seriously.

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Punyasloka Sahoo 17198
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What is milliboobs? This man has definitely never seen a boob in his life

babzzz1 avatar
WildBerry
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A milliboob is a tiny boob, as in millimeter. So this gal had 3 milliboobs per handful of boob. It's weird but not that difficult to understand.

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What Does it Mean When a Woman is Written by a Man?

At times, male authors depict female characters as sexualized, unrealistic beings who are mere accessories that meet the desires of these authors. Men portraying women in this manner is called the male gaze. The male gaze or a woman written by a man tends to focus on the body rather than the character itself. When women are objectified without giving them a voice in the story, it’s typically said that the woman is written by a man.

#4

Yes, Men Would Be Amaaazing At Handling Pregnancy - Evolution Really Screwed This One Up. Bonus Points For “No Woman Gets Raped Unless She’s Looking For It.”

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RaroaRaroa
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oo. This writer does not like the look of pregnant women, so has decided that women must hate it - you know, because he hates it and they surely all want to appeal to him because he's so awesome.

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#5

Well Damn, Where Are All My Kids Then??

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Samantha Lomb
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh someone needs to tell this person men also get stretch marks and they are not ll from having kids. weightloss or gain does it too

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#6

Let's Not Forget This Gem Either

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Stephanie Did It
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3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Just imagine the reverse: "every hair in my beard becoming a tiny penis"

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Women Written by Men: What Does Vondriska Say?

“I’m an avid reader, but the straw that broke the camel’s back was a novel my boyfriend lent me, where the female character was described by her breasts, and the male character was described by his personality.”

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“Working in advertising, I tend to be Very Online, so taking my anger to Twitter seemed like a natural parallel. I was familiar with the Men Writing Women subreddit, but created a Twitter account in order to craft a consistent narrative and to build a community that wasn’t hidden behind anonymity,” Vondriska revealed what inspired her to create ‘Men Write Women.’

Vondriska, from Wisconsin, devours 3 to 5 books each week. (Meanwhile, our piles of started-but-unfinished books keep on growing.) According to her, a lot of male writers who tend to be thought of as the “founders of the literary canon” are continuous offenders. “John Updike, for instance. But the greatest repeat offender is definitely Stephen King. His portrayal of his female characters is honestly offensive,” Vondriska said.

#7

Ugly Women Without Good Personalities Should Kill Themselves [rivers Of London By Ben Aaronovitch]

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#8

This Made My Breasts Frown

Book page with a paragraph describing woman breast

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Rowlie
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Lately my breasts only cry and sigh deeply. I miss all the smiling

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#9

That's Not How Any Of This Works

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Male Authors Writing About Women Actually Well

However, it isn't all doom and gloom in the literary world. There are male writers who can write women well, too. “Terry Pratchett is wonderful, and I’ve yet to see a submission from Michael Crichton,” Vondriska shared that she, like many of us, is a Pratchett fan. Vondriska also pointed out that, in her opinion, the best writers are well-read. So, she encouraged all of us to read more and (most importantly) read more widely.

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“Pay attention to what you’re reading and who you’re reading. You have to make sure your bookshelf isn't made up of just men. Add in some spice—some female authors, some nonbinary authors, or authors of color. And lastly, just because you were assigned a book in high school doesn't mean it’s good!”

#10

Unsurprisingly, The Book's Terrible Writing From A "Proclaimed" Writer Does Not End Here (The Wedding Plot, Jeffrey Eugenides)

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Samantha Lomb
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Boobs are testicles. They don't "withdraw" because there is muscle and a rib cage underneath and they are just mounds of fat and milk producing tissue. I feel like so many people here did not pay attention in health class. How can they be so clueless about the female body?

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#11

Male Authors Writing Women Are Actually Just Horror Stories And Here's Why

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#12

Ah Yes, Exactly How I'd Describe Myself (The Diamond Age, Neal Stephenson)

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What is the Female Gaze Theory?

The female gaze theory refers to the female point of view in the story that focuses on the realistic depiction of the characters rather than objectifying their bodies. Usually, when netizens say, “written by a woman,” they are talking about this realistic female gaze that gives depth to the character rather than their physical appearance.

#13

I'm Sorry, Her Breasts Do What

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Rowlie
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I guess the only breasts the author saw were trying to escape from him

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#14

She's Eleven And Scared But Let's Talk About Her Nipples

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#15

This Whole Book Has Both My Eyes And My Boobs Rolling

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#16

Be Horrified With The Rest Of Us

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Lord Mysticlaw
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Men like Conde should not be surprised that sexy women love other women, and he really should try to help that male chauvinism.

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#19

Plz Put This On My Tombstone #submission (The Dogs, Scott Smith)

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#20

*me To My Friend* Excuse Me, May I Please Borrow Your Eyeballs?

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#21

She Was Flesh And Blood, Not The 2D Woman He Was Used To Objectifying On Television, And For That She Was All The More Special (A Time On Earth, Vihelm Moberg)

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#22

Literally No Woman Would Ever Do This (Misterioso, Arne Dahl)

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Lord Mysticlaw
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In the first place this whole soaking thing sounds like a dishcloth, this guy obviously doesn't know how pads work. In the second place, pads stick to underwear, in my experience you don't just "fish them out", this guy obviously doesn't know how pads work. In the third place, of course the only possible rational reason why a woman would refuse sex is because she's on her period!, this guy is obviously an effing asshole.

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#23

Only Sluts Have Hairy Legs (The Things They Carried, Tim O'brien)

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Samantha Lomb
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

dry sounds like she just needs to use more lotion. dry skin is horribly itchy

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#25

Wish I Had Pillowy Breasts! Taken From Ben Fountain’s Brief Encounters With Che Guevara

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Samantha Lomb
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm more concerned by the fact he seems to routinely check out boys' butts and uses that as the benchmark of sexy.

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#26

The Rest Reads “Dad Is Looking Like He Made A Better Decision Every Year”. What?!?

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#27

This Is A Totally Anatomically Normal Thing For Breasts To Do #submission (We Can Remember It For You Wholesale, Philip Dick)

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Lord Mysticlaw
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

These male authors are making my breasts pulse with resentment. They're really pissed off.

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#28

#menwritingwomen No Wonder Some Of Them Think Our Breasts Stop Us From Doing Stuff If They Think We’re As Obsessed As They Are. We Can’t Get Away From Them. Oh Must Do This Important Thing But Wait!

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Samantha Lomb
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well this seems to reinforce every ugly stereotype of men being sex crazed horndogs

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#29

'the Shining', By Stephen King. Its Always Breasts

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Chez
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

To be fair, this scene is where he is describing a woman who has been dead in a bath for however long (a ghost of her anyway). And when I read it it's actually made perfect sense in that context.

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Note: this post originally had 78 images. It’s been shortened to the top 29 images based on user votes.

Female Characters Are More Than Just Their Bodies

We understand your anger. It’s impossible to read the thread without getting infuriated about this poor depiction of women. You can take out your anger about these male writers and express yourself in the comments. After all, women are so much more than just their bodies. Share this not just with your fellow feminists but with other friends and family, too. It’s high time we call out these unfair depictions, don’t you think so?