Can the Main Male Character Be Too "Alpha Male"?

Discussion in 'Character Development' started by ELeFloch, May 9, 2017.

  1. JCC

    JCC New Member

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    Somehow your post reminded me of Phantom of the Opera, where two alpha males are both after one insecure lady (Christine). The Phantom is one of the alpha males, Raoul is the other alpha male -- dashing, young, handsome, and in love with Christine, insisting he protect her from all things while belittling her concern over the dangerous power of the Phantom. In the end, Christine must find her own inner strength, stand up herself to the Phantom without Raoul, which completely humbles Raoul when he realizes Christine was correct all along in that the Phantom even had power over Raoul. Not until she finds her own "inner masculine," does she humanely end the problem of the Phantom, then chooses to take Raoul as a partner after all, but who now respects her more and realizes she isn't a desperate wimp who can't exist without him.
     
  2. Phil Mitchell

    Phil Mitchell Banned Contributor

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    Which do you like more, that or the female hero developing feelings for a male character?
     
  3. KaTrian

    KaTrian A foolish little beast. Contributor

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    It depends on the way the (budding) romance is written. With a gruff alpha male, it's interesting if there's a stark contrast between the character's behavior and inner life through the most of the story vs. how they act when they're put into a vulnerable spot. In the book I just finished, the hero went to help his brother and ex girlfriend who got into trouble with some thugs. As he still loved the ex, he went overboard and murdered the thugs in a gruesome manner in front of the girl's eyes. Understandably that freaked her out and she wanted nothing to do with him anymore. He was devastated by this. I thought it was a fascinating moment.

    I don't think I've read that many books with a stony female hero who reluctantly develops feelings for the strong, independent male sidekick, but that'd probably be interesting as well. But in general, I can't choose which I like more.
     
  4. malaupp

    malaupp Active Member

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    Admittedly, I've never been a fan of the phrase "head of the household" because it usually implies his word means more than his spouse's. But it's possible to have a male character both strong and decisive, but not steam rolling over others. If he's in a position of power or responsible for other people, showing his worry over making the wrong decisions could go a long way.
     
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  5. QueenOfPlants

    QueenOfPlants Definitely a hominid

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    Hehe, I actually have an idea about a romance between a Queen and her foot-washer/-masseur. Well, yes, she has servants for that and she can receive a foot massage if she wants to.
    He is secretly a member of an underground freedom fighter group and was sent to infiltrate the palace.
    And she has trouble because the former regent that didn't really want to step down when she was crowned, is an asshole that intrigues against her.
    She can't afford showing any weakness and tries to find allies, but without awaking the suspicion of the former regent. She masters to band together with a high cleric and from then on she has a realistic chance to take on the bad guy.
    The freedom fighter group helps her later with the execution of plans she came up with so that she can go and save the realm and the day. And then everybody is happy and maybe the servant becomes a prince consort or something. Because he is so cute and helpful and he gives really good massages.
     
  6. ELeFloch

    ELeFloch Member

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    My apologies. :) I just didn't want to get so in detail that it overwhelmed everyone. My storyline as it stands is this:
    My male character is part of a family that has always ran a town in the mountains, and when his father passed, it was his responsibility to take over that burden and help manage the town's finances, infer structure, and everything else that goes along with it. His official title is Mayor, but his brothers also have prominent jobs in the town to help it run and keep it afloat. They have invested money they inherited and they now are very wealthy, live in a castle that their eccentric multiple greats built way back when they first came to country. I have added a paranormal element to it in that they are wolf shifters, and his inner conflict right now is weather or not it is too soon to divulge this secret to the main heroine. He is single, no catting around, but no relationships last longer than a few months. He is used to getting his way, but is willing to bend if the matter is of importance to the heroine. She is inexperienced with men, and I have him not pushing her to make their relationship more intimate.

    The main heroine comes form a very well off family, her mother has passed from cancer and her father has taken a new wife and had a new son (that he always wanted) and has informed her that she is no longer needed and will not inherit anything from him because he is now putting everything under his son's name. She decides to leave and opens her own bookstore in the town that the main male character is and is making new friends and is now in a relationship with him, but her ex-boyfriend comes to town wanting her back. The ex-boyfriend is from the same privilged life she had had but he is a total narcassist and only wants her back for his own social status.

    That's basically the gist of it.
     
  7. The Scarred Servant

    The Scarred Servant Member

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    There's always that one ass hole in the action/horror movie group who somehow always leads the way :D
     
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  8. Antaus

    Antaus Active Member

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    Can someone be too alpha male? Two words, Duke Nukem. Although to be honest he's something of an intentional caricature and more male chauvinist than alpha male. One of the basic tenants of giving a character depth in any story is making them flawed. The flaws don't have to be huge or debilitating, but no one is perfect, no matter how good or strong someone is, they have a chink in their armor somewhere. Those that don't turn out to be Mary Sue/Gary Stu characters that no one aside from the author is really interested in reading about. Perfect is boring. As an example your alpha male could have self-confidence problems deep down, but always puts on a brave face for others. Maybe he thinks a little too much when he should act. There are tons of possibilities for making characters strong, but believable.

    As a little example I'll use one of my own characters, Kaizer. He is nearly perfect in most respects, but notice I put nearly. He's 6'4", muscular, drop dead gorgeous, exudes charisma like an aura, and had a genius level intellect. He's also has two considerable flaws, and one of them is his charisma and the fact it can rarely keep it in his pants. I don't think I need to really detail the plethora of problems that can cause. The second is his temper, while it rarely flares, when it does he goes up like Mount St. Helens.
     
  9. Cave Troll

    Cave Troll It's Coffee O'clock everywhere. Contributor

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    @ELeFloch Hmm...

    I think having the heroine break him down, and soften him up might be the way to go.
    At least in my humble opinion. :)
     
  10. Laurin Kelly

    Laurin Kelly Contributor Contributor

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    I think I just realized that Nate from UTK is a beta hero.
     
  11. BayView

    BayView Huh. Interesting. Contributor

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    Yeah, I'd say so...
     
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  12. ddavidv

    ddavidv Senior Member

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    "Alpha Male" these days is such a loaded term. Yes, it is a staple of the PUA community but I ignore those clowns.

    How I view an Alpha Male that would be relevant to the OP's question is thus: an extremely confident man who is not afraid to lead others and/or spouses. This does not mean he is arrogant. Think 'stoic'. Calm and unfazed more often than not. A lot of Capt. Kirk but with just enough romanticism to fall for the right woman. Smart, clever and often witty, his stoicism generates initial appeal for the woman but his personality behind closed doors and away from the public eye is what wins her over. Typically he does not pursue the woman, for HE is the prize. This does not mean he doesn't invest effort but he won't waste his valuable time chasing a woman who is not interested or who plays games.

    The term 'alpha male' really has its roots in the study of wolf packs. Since the OP is writing about shape shifting wolves even better. If you study how the alpha of the pack typically is you will see a calm, stoic, intelligent leader. The others follow not because they fear him but because they trust and respect him.

    ETA: beta heroes IMO are a rare thing in real life. They become heroes mostly by accident or dumb luck and not by any alpha leadership traits. Some on occasion will find their inner alpha and utilize it to succeed at whatever it is they are trying to vanquish but I feel this is mostly fictional fantasy and rarely happens in the real world.
     
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  13. BayView

    BayView Huh. Interesting. Contributor

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    I think we may be blurring some terms between how they're used in writing terms and how they're used in real life. And even within the writing world I think the terms may have special meaning in different genres.

    Like, the "Alpha Hero" is pretty much a term-of-art in Romance - it has a meaning in that community beyond what the words mean elsewhere. Same with "Beta Hero". Trying to draw direct lines from those terms of art to real life will likely result in confusion.

    In real life, I think "heroes" of any sort are pretty damn rare, but when we talk about the hero of a book he may or may not be heroic by real world standards. But according to my real-world standards, there are probably more "beta" heroes than "alpha" heroes - people who just quietly get the job done without a lot of flash or bossiness? Those are heroes to me in the real world.
     
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  14. ELeFloch

    ELeFloch Member

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    You hit the nail on the head of what I am looking to do! Thank you! So much better explained than what I had said. :) I want him to be fair, but someone who commands a sort of respect just by his actions and attitude towards people. He and his family have always worked to help their town, pouring money, time, sweat and hard work into making things work, and he is going to do the same with his relationship with the heroine. I do not want the shape-shifting to be the main focus of the book, but more the growing of trust and respect between my characters. I don't want him to be the kind of man who steamrolls over every character to get his way. I have read books with those kinds of males, but it kind of turns me off. I would not like being treated that way, so I don't want my female character to be that way. I want a piece of myself in the novel, not a fantasy that isn't realistic in a sense.
     
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  15. ELeFloch

    ELeFloch Member

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    Any suggestions? I am kind of at a "writer's block" point in my novel. I'm not sure how to go about it. Being new at this doesn't help either. :)
     
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  16. Cave Troll

    Cave Troll It's Coffee O'clock everywhere. Contributor

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    There is a kind of saying along the lines of: SweetSentiment.jpg

    Find the soft spots, and have her exploit them.
    That is a start. :)
     
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  17. Oscar Leigh

    Oscar Leigh Contributor Contributor

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    An excess of tesosterone can be douchey. Come out with a pretentious bully character with emotional issues. But in controlled anounts it can be sexy.;)
    It really depends on the details, doesn't it? Think about the actions as if you were experiencing them. Compare them to experiences you've had. Do they feel like this guy would piss you off? Get some readers and get their inpressions. Does his dialogue sound douchey too? Check it. I'd say that's the important thing. If you want to know how to give them good traits I'd suggest looking at vulnerabilities and soft spots. Things like fear, insecurities, ideals and positive relationships can make someone more sympathetic if you are worried they are too cold or rough or prickly. And look at background. Personal tastes. Humour. Even awkwardness. Let the character experience varied emotions and have varied aspects. Everyone's mixed in real life. People are actually kind of weird.
     
    Last edited: May 10, 2017
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  18. 123456789

    123456789 Contributor Contributor

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    When I think of the ultimate alpha male I think of our lord and savior Jesus Christ, or, more simply (following the logic of the holy trinity) God.

    Infinite patience. Total understanding. Unconditional love. The power to stop time and throw thunderbolts.
     
  19. jannert

    jannert Retired Mod Supporter Contributor

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    I find more questions than answers in my head after reading this thread. I understand how wolf packs work (and there are alpha females there as well.) But alphas in wolf packs always fight against any sign of upstart-ness or challenge to their authority. And when they get too old to win these challenges, they are replaced.

    In terms of writing ...is an alpha male always a guy who dominates others—either by force, or by force of personality—and reacts against competition? Or can an alpha male simply be somebody who is confident in his own abilities, and others automatically look to him for guidance?

    I guess, to simplify the issue, does the alpha status matter to the character himself? Does he care if there is somebody else who is as good or better than he is?
     
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  20. ELeFloch

    ELeFloch Member

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    Yes and no. He doesn't want someone else doing the job he is doing outside the family and if someone were to challenge him then they would find to be unbendable. However, he has admitted that he has weaknesses that other memebers of his family are better at and he is okay with it.
     
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  21. ELeFloch

    ELeFloch Member

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    I never thought of it that way! I kind of modelled it very loosely after a more beauty and the beast type plot but i like this one better. :)
     
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  22. ddavidv

    ddavidv Senior Member

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    @jannert perhaps the wolf pack analogy doesn't really fit here in the writing realm. You did a great job of breaking it down. Writing an alpha male character in the spirit of an alpha wolf might actually make for an interesting character/story but that is not what the OP is after.

    I was sitting here trying to think of an alpha character that commands respect but doesn't wear his alpha-ness on his shirt. My first thought was Darrel from The Walking Dead but he is more of a 'bad boy' alpha. A much better representation would be Rick. He is a leader, not afraid of a fight, not afraid of expressing love to a female, has a strong sense of family and is also imperfect. TWD is an excellent show for writers to study characterization and a progression of change.
     
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  23. Homer Potvin

    Homer Potvin A tombstone hand and a graveyard mind Staff Supporter Contributor

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    The acting not so much...
     
  24. jannert

    jannert Retired Mod Supporter Contributor

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    I think what I was trying to discover is whether an alpha male is somebody who seizes that status for himself and defends it against all comers, or is he a person whom others look upon as their leader, simply because he gets the job done better than anybody else?

    At what point—if at all—does competition for that status enter the picture? And what form does it take?
     
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  25. 123456789

    123456789 Contributor Contributor

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    Just thinking about real life (and definitely movies, particularly more modern ones) the guy (or girl) who gets the job done is many times not the leader. In fact, isn't there some saying that says the more useless you become, the higher up the chain of corporate command you go?
     
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