Hatrack River Writers Workshop: Title and Gender Bias

This is topic Title and Gender Bias in forum Fragments and Feedback for Short Works at Hatrack River Writers Workshop.

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Posted by djvdakota (Member # 2002) on :

I need some title advise, and I would like gender biased input, simply because my sister, who is doing a read through for me, thinks my title will turn off any man who sees it in the bookstore.

The title is: (DRUMROLL)

Branwen's Womb

The title page would be followed by a page with the following scripture centered:

"Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowel."
Genesis 25:24

This is the current working title of the work that begins with my previous post titled, "First 13:intriguing or insipid?"
I'm particularly interested in the gender bias issue after reading a post in the Open Discussion Forum by cgamble entitled, "Style of Writing."
Would this title turn you off if you are male? Does it just plain turn you off anyway?

Posted by Christine (Member # 1646) on :

Well, I'm female, but I have to say that the title felt a little weird upon first reading it. I'm thinking it's a cultural thing, though, not a gender thing. We are trained to find references to any internal body parts, especially sexual ones, to be queasy.

[This message has been edited by Christine (edited May 11, 2004).]

Posted by Gen (Member # 1868) on :

Also female, and to be honest, I probably wouldn't pick the title up. (Although the scripture could still be lovely with a different title.)

Posted by EricJamesStone (Member # 1681) on :

The title "Branwen's Womb" holds no intrigue for me. (I am male, BTW.)

The problem, from my stereotypical male persepctive, is it sounds like a personal thing -- a story about a woman and her womb. You might as well call it "Branwen's Feminine Hygiene Product." It's one of those things we men don't want to spend time thinking about when we could be watching sports.

But the the word "womb" per se is not a title-killer, as long as it is in a context that suggests something more.

Humor: I'd pick up a book called "A Womb With a View," for example, or "Womb for Rent" or "No Womb for Error."

Action/Conflict: I'd be willing to check out "From His Mother's Womb Untimely Ripped" or "Womb of Two Nations" or "Womb Raider" (OK, humor there, too) or "Warrior's Womb."

Posted by GZ (Member # 1374) on :

Another female chiming in here, and something about the title doesn't catch me. Much like Eric said, the word "Womb" itself isn't the problem -- something more to do with it combined with the name.

Posted by Survivor (Member # 213) on :

quote:
The rich, fertile walls of Ms. Lindon's uterus are a vital source of future Americans.

I'm with Eric, the use of the word "womb" isn't particularly offputting in and of itself. But the story isn't about her womb, it is about the children that came from her womb.

Try From Branwen's Womb as a title.