Posted in Craft of writing, fiction, Writing

Does my novel pass the Bechdel-Wallace test?

Posted on by Rhonda Wiley-Jones

I just learned about the Bechdel test (or Bechdel-Wallace test, as Bechdel prefers to call it to credit her friend, Ms. Wallace) from Andrea Lundgren’s recent blog post. This test requires in fiction or movies that 1) two women be present and named 2) talk to one another 3) about something other than a man. 

I do find it intriguing to ask this question as I write my first novel about a young American unconventional horsewoman in the early 1900s. I have created as a part of the plot that Fiona, the main character, travel to India. There she interacts on various topics with her host in Calcutta, Amita, who becomes both friend and mentor to her.

Topics they discuss vary about Christianity, Quakerism, and Hinduism to questions about the social mores expressed in public Indian erotic art. The two women broaden their dialogues to include the value of education for women to the psychological foundations of women to chart their own adventures.

I am pleased to know my novel passes with flying colors. Fiona and Amita are “stars” in this regard.

What about your fiction? Does it pass the test, too?

I bet it does. And good for you if it does!

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Wiley-Jones is fiercely committed to guide life-sojourners and travelers toward supercharged writing benefits to unlock transformative experiences. She will unpack journal-writing techniques, tools and tips with which you can experiment. She can facilitate exercises for you to delve into the depths of yourself, and/or to write stories for yourself, your family, and/or for publication. She is a skilled facilitator with a Masters degree in Adult Learning and 40+ years in creating safe envirionments and intentional workshop experiences. Wiley-Jones is an award-winning travel writer. She has two published books, 1) a coming-of-age travel memoir, and 2) a travel adventure historical novel. Her work other work can be found in national anthologies and local lifestyle magazines. Her motto about life-long learning can be summed up by an E.L. Doctorow quote, "Writing (or learning) is like driving a car at night. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way." That's true in life, writing, and travel.