My
problem isn’t that I don’t like alpha heroes. I love them—when somebody else
writes them. The problem arises when I try to write one myself.
Why
should that be a problem, you ask. There’s room in our genre for all types of
heroes: alpha, beta, and everything in between. Writers are free to create whatever
character best fits each individual story.
So
why do I struggle? Because some stories, like the one I’m working on now,
scream out for an alpha hero. Dominic “Nick” Rosetti, my hero in Boiling Point,
is a former Detroit police detective who left the force after his partner died
in a shootout. When the pair cornered an armed drug dealer in a blind alley,
Nick hesitated a second too long, and the gunman fired first, killing Nick’s
partner. With his confidence gutted by guilt, he moved to Chicago and became a
P.I.
I
have to write Nick as a tough guy, because he is. He carries a lot of emotional
baggage he prefers to keep to himself. He’s used to taking charge without
wasting time on explanation. He’s a man of few words. Yet I keep having to stop
myself from writing him dialogue that sounds more like Nick Charles from The
Thin Man movies than Nick Rosetti.
I
think it’s because I love witty banter. Writing dialogue is my favorite part of
any story. When my characters really get going, the air is thick with provocative
statements and sharp retorts. I can’t seem to help myself. I’ve always been
more attracted to intelligent wise guys than sullen tough guys. That’s how I
ended up with OG. (Not to suggest he isn’t tough, but his wit attracted me
first.) Most of the men I’ve met in real life who would fit the current fictional
definition of alpha males are self-centered, arrogant jerks and not attractive
to me at all.
That’s
because fictional alpha heroes are just that—fictional—and because we write
romance, they are creations of fantasy. Some authors are brilliant at bringing
those fabulously unrealistic men to life. Sadly, although I love reading about
them, I don’t seem to be much good at translating that sort of fantasy to the
page. My heroes all end up being men I would actually enjoy spending time with.
Hence, my struggle to bring proper balance to the character of Nick Rosetti.
Since
passing the half-way point in the first draft of Boiling Point, I think I’m
finally getting a handle on him. However, I’m afraid some of my favorite bits
of his dialogue will end up on the chopping block when I go back to revise. Sigh. The sacrifices we authors make for
our characters…
Alison
www.alisonhenderson.com
20 comments:
Sounds like you've already figured it out, Alison! I know what you mean by real-life alpha males, so I try to dig underneath and find their vulnerabilities to make them less like jerks. :-) My girlfriend and I have total opposites for husbands, and sometimes we joke that if we could blend them, we'd have the perfect man. :-)
Digging deep into our characters feelings is what makes them less than one dimensional. So what if Rosetti has a sensitive side? Like most 'real life' males, he'll no doubt deny to the bitter end. Like Leah said, it sounds like you've got his number pretty well figured out, so go with that particular flow and enjoy!
You have my admiration because you're doing it at all. If an alpha hero even suggests himself to me, I tell him to go to the barn because I know I can't write him. Good luck with Nick!
I'm the same way, Alison. It's difficult when writing banter (that has equal give and take), to keep the guy in Alpha mode. He'd have to 'win' and muscle the winning line in...or consider banter as below him. It's hard to love such a turkey. My husband is alpha and can use some low-blow sarcastic wit to challenge me. He doesn't mean to be hurtful, so I have to straighten my shoulders and give it back to him. Alpha's are fun to tease, too...they like it but pretend they don't...they aren't very good at teasing, themselves.
Nick sounds a lot like my Kane in EMSM. He finally broke down and talked about his emotional problems that he'd kept bottled up for a long time, and I think that made him really likable toward the end.
Leah, I think I've got his number now, but he's been a stubborn one!
Margo, I'm working on fleshing out all his dimensions, but I still have a big job ahead of me.
LOL, Liz. I tell him to go back to the barn every day, but like any good alpha male, he refuses to listen!
Rolynn, I think my only recourse is to force him out of alpha mode from time to time, no matter how much he protests.
I hadn't thought about it, Jannine, but Nick really is quite a bit like Kane. Since I liked Kane, it's all good!
Interesting post. I am right now struggling with my Alpha male character, I know who he is but every time I write dialog, it isn't quite him (and I love writing dialog). Too witty, not strong and silent enough, but we are working though our differences slowly. Maybe this time he is a mixture learning to verbalize. We'll see.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Enjoyed them.
Oh, the pain! Sometimes I don't get a handle on characters right away, either. But, whoever said alphas can't be witty and funny? There are tons of cops who use humor to deal with their job. It's probably the only thing keeping them from going over the edge. Best wishes with Nick - glad you two are talking.
I love modern Alpha heroes. Not the 70's or 80's versions. :)
Tena, it sounds like we're in the same place with our heroes. We'll tame them yet!
Ashantay, I think I've finally figured him out, and I'm not going to try to tame his smart mouth. LOL
Angelina, it's funny to look back at those early alpha heroes. They wouldn't work at all for me now.
Alison, Batman doesn't exist--you're obviously writing really believable, HUMAN characters who are multi-dimensional. Good for you!
Andi, I never much liked Batman anyway. :-)
Ahhh...yes, that is a bit of a conundrum. I love writing alpha males, but I try to add in a bit of vulnerability. I'm sure you'll do a splendid job!
It's a dilemma, that's for sure. I love macho guys in books. Real life, not so much. If I'd married one, it wouldn't have lasted 42 years like my beta hero. I hope you work out the problem with your Nick. Would love to read the witty dialogue.
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