Gender Bending Entry #10 Meghan's Bike by Marian Westwood
This is the last entry in the Gender Bending experiment. At the end of this post, I have listed the previous nine entries along with links. Everyone has until 9:00 p.m. EST on Thursday, January 3 to enter your guess as to whether the author of these excerpts is male or female. After that, I will close all the comments to all of the blog posts associated with this contest.
On Monday, January 7, 2013, I will post the big reveal.
Ready?
Last post and this is how it works:
Several authors submitted pieces they had lying around. I asked only that they choose something that would not easily be identified with their writing style. Fans can easily pick up on an author's voice, and since several of the authors are very well known, I didn't want people recognizing specific writing styles.
When an author didn't have pre-written piece, they wrote a piece just for this blog, primarily because we knew that once it hit the interwebs, it would become a freebie for everyone.
We took a brief hiatus for the holidays; however, I'm back now and will be running posts until we reach the end of the contest. Please keep your comments focused on the question at hand.
As always, please don't break my website.
Here we go ...
READ THIS FIRST: The rules and the prizes. Your mission: comment on whether you believe the author of this excerpt is male or female.
Meghan's Bike by Marian Westwood
Meghan sped down the hill in front of her house on Clinton Road. Her daddy stood at the foot of the hill, at the intersection, watching for traffic coming down Trinity Street. Meghan pumped her legs as fast as she could, imagining that she was on a roller coaster, like her big sister rode when they went to the Enchanted Forest. Meghan wasn't tall enough at the amusement park, but here, on their hill she could fly. Laughing, screaming with joy, she lifted her feet from the pedals and held them out to the side.
"Look, Daddy! No feet!"
He grinned and raised his hands over his head with his thumbs up.
The training wheels of her bike rattled across the grate of the storm drain, as she zoomed through the intersection. As the Clinton Road began to rise again, she put her feet on the pedals and pumped as fast as she could. This time she would make it up the hill on the other side of the intersection. Her bike slowed, the chain barely dragging the wheels around. She imagined a roller coaster car, clunking its way up the rise. Meghan stood up in the seat and pushed all her weight down with each stroke. Slowly, achingly, she climbed the hill.
At the top, in front of the Emerson's house, she turned her bike around and waited for her daddy to give the all clear.
He looked both ways and then nodded. Cupping his hands around his mouth, he shouted, "Meghan Dougherty, come on down!"
She pushed off from the curb and settled her feet on the pedals. The pink streamers on the end of her handlebars fluttered out, snapping at her arms. She zoomed down the hill, giddy with speed.
As the wind roared past her, Meghan closed her eyes, imagining the great roller coaster around her as she barreled down the hill. "Look, Daddy, no eyes!"
"Meghan, no!"
She squeezed her eyes tighter as if that would prove she wasn't afraid
Her training wheels rattled across the storm grate. Meghan heard a car horn. Her daddy screamed.
For a moment longer, Meghan was flying.
***
Now, if you've made it this far, you have one last chance to guess the gender on Entries 1-9. All comments will close on Thursday, January 3 at 9:00 p.m. EST. Click on the link to go to the entry, and remember, one comment per entry:
Entry #1 -- Bearna by Jamie Sears
Entry #2 -- The Ballad of Sophie Nu by Dirigible Elephant
Entry #3 -- The Education of Rebecca Cavendish by Alice Leakey
Entry #4 -- Untitled by Jackson Harris
Entry #5 -- Untitled by S.A. Daniels
Entry #6 -- Untitled by Kyle Schuler
Entry #7 -- The Hated by A.K. Reid
Share Article Email Article | tagged Contest, fantasy, gender, science fiction in Contest | Teresa Frohock Wednesday, January 2, 2013 at 6:15AM
Reader Comments (70)
Partly the subject matter, but also because it's action rather than internalising Meghan's thoughts.
Powerfully written.
Lynn :D
Female
I find it extremely unfair towards those who participated every day that you're giving people a chance to guess every text on the same day now. Not only does it mean our effort was pointless, it actually puts us as a disadvantage, since (knowing there are authors of both genders in the mix) it's easier to read everything and then make an informed guess than to guess one at a time without knowing what comes next.
Personally I'm not too concerned, because my purpose here is to find new authors - I can afford the books on my own if necessary - but perhaps others will feel differently about it.
Also, boy, that escalated quickly.
Male.