I was asked a few questions this morning I would like to pose to my fellow, female writers . . . 

As a woman, do you feel your voice in print is sometimes held to a different standard than your male counterparts?

Do you ever feel the need to censure yourself or fear your opinions may not be well received because you are a woman?

Have you ever shared something anonymously because you thought it would be           misconstrued or not taken seriously because it came from a female perspective?

  ~ My (short) answers ~ 

As a woman, do you feel your voice in print is sometimes held to a different standard than your male counterparts?

Sometimes. I’ve seen many female writers dismissed, not taken seriously, or berated for work that would likely not have been questioned if it had been written by a man. Has it happened to me? Sure enough has. Yeah, I know . . . it happens to men too. Sort of, but it’s different. Not long ago, I wrote, “I may have peed a little the first time I watched this.” I was called out for not being ladylike. Who knew saying peed would be the thing to rile folks up! I was once told women should write about parenting and men should write about politics after an article, factual, mind you, I wrote about some government nonsense. Granted, these days, just about anything can rub a reader the wrong way, regardless of gender.

Do you ever feel the need to censure yourself or fear your opinions may not be well received because you are a woman? 

Again, sometimes. I’ve written things, good things, I’ve shoved to the back of my share with the world file simply because I had trepidation about the drama that could ensue, BUT, when the right time and the right venue comes my way, I will publish them. I may bide my time with certain things, but censure myself? Nope. Never have, never will.

 Have you ever shared something anonymously because you thought it would be misconstrued or not taken seriously because it came from a female perspective?   

Nope. If I share it, my name will be on it. Like I said, I may wait to put things out there, but I own every word I write.

I’m curious to hear your perspective?