Writer Stereotyping

[Robin]

Do you ever assume what genre someone writes when you first meet them or see them online?

For example, I chatted up a waiter at IHOP- early twenties, dragon tattoos up both arms and wrapped around his neck. Nose, eyebrow, and ear piercings- you get the picture. Anywho, our conversation turned to writing. He said he was working on a novel. Of course, I was floored when he said, "Historical Romance. Jane Austen meets Nicolas Sparks"

Then it happen to me again. One of the teachers at my children's school (rather timid and quiet, church mouse) told me she was working on a book. After much prodding, she confessed to self publishing several dirty eroticas. Didn't see that one coming either.

So, have you stereotyped writers?

[Down the well]

I know when people meet me in person they think I'm very quiet and reserved. My novels are anything but. Of course, anyone who gets to know me better realizes I'm not reserved or genteel at all, that's just my good first impression behavior.

And, yes, I probably judge others the same way. If I saw a guy or gal covered in tattoos I'd probably think they wrote something hardcore. Austen inspired romance is definitely a surprise. :)

[Claudie]

Oh, I do this all the time when NaNoWriMo comes around. I'm meeting tons of new writers at the beginning of November and it's almost a game for me to try and guess what they write. I'm wrong most of the time, but it's in good spirit. ^^

[Mira]

Absolutely!

I do this in reverse, too. I read someone's writing and form a picture of them in my mind. It's almost inevitably wrong! This happens when I connect with folks on the internet. I'm always surprised by what they look like in person, even if they have a profile picture.

[Chantelle.S.]

I'm guilty of doing that to a couple of really great writers. In my defense, I didn't know what they looked like (I still don't, really) but I was under the impression that this one writer was a guy around my own age or a little bit older, you know one of those cool tough popular guys who have this little secret (an addiction to writing fanfiction) that could possibly ruin their rep. Just because of the writing style and the author voice. It turns out the writer is a girl a wee bit younger than me.
I did get it spot on with one writer though. I guessed she was much older, somewhere between 30-40, just because of how defined her writing style was, and that she was possibly an English major or had some kind of writing degree behind her. I was right about a lot of it, except that she TEACHES college students English.

People are able to guess, or rather get an impression of what I look like, going on my writing alone. I had one writer go 'You look exactly as I always pictured you!' Vice versa is another story - nobody ever guesses my genre right.