Alpha Males Part 2

I had read and enjoyed the Lord of the Rings books long before the movie came out. Aragon is a wonderfully heroic character, full of dark secretes and determination. The movie version of the character added the romantic element to the character, which I personally feel gave him great depth. When he accepts his call to the quest, we can see each of the qualities of the alpha tested. His personal sacrifices and unwillingness to give up, no matter the odds made us want to cheer for him every step of the way. He will always be a favourite of mine.




And then there's Jack. Anyone who knows me knows I'm a freak for Stargate: SG1. One of the reasons I love the show is Jack. He makes me laugh :). He's also another great example of the alpha. He is the first to walk in to danger, especially if it means the lives of his team will be safe. Jack's weapon is his sarcastic humor. He hides his feelings deep down, knowing that to be a leader in their galactic war, his love life comes last. Of course, we love him all the more for that. If you haven't watched Stargate, consider picking it up on DVD. It is very reasonably priced and you can watch his character evolved over the years.

Alpha Actors

I'd like to start my ode to the alpha male with a classic. He's played some of the most memorable alpha males in movies, from Han Solo to Indiana Jones. Harrison Ford has been a draw for me to see a movie since I was seven and first saw Star Wars. The ending of The Empire Strikes Back still gets me. They say Ford suggested the "I know" line when because he didn't want to come back for another taping of the scene. Personally, I think he knew the character so well he realized the line that was originally written wouldn't work ("Just remember that, Leia, because I'll be back.")

He was fascinating to watch: smooth, confident, strong. He knew what (or who) he wanted and didn't stop till he got it.



Nazis? No problem.
Army of stormtroopers? Where's my gun.
One armed man? Let me jump off this cliff first, then I'll get to him.

Characters like Han and Indy had wit and charm, but they also had courage and heart. A scoundrel that a good woman can reform is usually a winner. Add in good looks and charm and you have yourself a powerful alpha.

Ode to the Alpha Male

Alpha male:
From Wikipedia

An alpha male is the top-ranking animal in a social group. Some animals live in a social structure where the more powerful male in the group is decided by either simple play-fights or even very aggressive battles. The current alpha male must defend his ranking from younger members. When he is too old or not strong enough to win, he loses his position in the group.

The result of this is that the alpha male usually has more opportunity to mate with the available females. This system evolved because strong males will produce young which have a better chance for survival.Alpha male can also refer to an aggressive, highly-ranked man in a human group – usually in a business setting. This is usually a very informal use, and sometimes seen as an insult to that person.


Ah the Alpha male. For the most part, we love them. Women want to marry them (or at the very least have mind blowing sex with them), and men would love to be them. Strong, powerful, and most definately in charge, romance writing is full of them. Personally, I'll take Harrison Ford over Hugh Grant any day . It's not about looks (not completely at least), but about attitude - how they make us feel.

Over the next little while, I'm going to spend some time talking about some of my favourit TV and movie Alpha Males. Some you may agree with - some you may think I'm off my rocker.

To start us off, let's look at some typical characteristics of the alpha male in romance writing.

Confidence. Any and all internal turmoil is well hidden with the Alpha Male. They don't second guess their decisions, or double back on their actions. They make a choice and live with it. We can trust that if the alpha male says he's got your back, then he does. We have faith in his actions, even if he may be leading us down the wrong path. An alpha male in a villian role can be some of the most entertaining to watch/read.

Goal Focused. They know what they want, and they know how to get it. If that goal changes as time goes on, then the alpha male makes an informed decision. If their goal is to get the girl, take over the company, catch the killer, then they attack that goal with everything they have. Sometimes, they come across as overbearing as a result.

What are some of your favourite alpha male characteristics?

Tyosp...ytops...Typos!

I have just read back through my last few posts and noticed all the typos. I'm sorry. :) That is what I get for trying to post, write, play with the kids, talk to my husband, and pacify the cat all at the same time.

I'm not the best speller or proofreader in the world, and am the first to admit it. Knowing that, I "normally" take care to review my writing several times before I have anyone else read it. Doesn't always help. So I thought I would share some proof reading tips! Maybe I'll get better if I follow them myself.

1. Read your page from right to left and bottom to top. This will prevent your mind from concentrating on the content and look at how each of the words are spelt.

2. Read your page out loud. Now I hate the sound of my voice as much as the next person, but reading your writing out loud helps to quickly identify any mistakes.

3. Use a ruler to help keep your eyes focused. Okay, this one doesn't work so well on a computer screen. But it's a great conversation starter if someone sees you.

4. Take a break. When we've just written something it is fresh in our minds. By giving yourself some time/space you'll find your mistakes easier.

5. Bug a friend! If you can, have someone else read your writing. They are more likely to pick up on your errors that you will.

Well, I hope that helps! It might not make my blog any better though. :)

Goals...are good

Wow. I said yesterday that I only had four pages written. Well, the muses were with me because I just finished page 15 for my goal on my WIP. It's amazing what someone can accomplish when there's a push on.

I've set another 15 page goal for myself for this week. Maybe I won't leave things to the last minute this time. :)

Goals

I'm very luck to be a part of two absolutely wonderful writing groups. Having recently moved and joined the Romance Writers of Atlantic Canada (RWAC), I've been granted the opportunity to join their Goals loop. The idea is to set a writing goal for yourself for the week, tell the group, then try and live up to it. I thought this would be a great way for me to buckle down and get some serious writing done.

It hurts.

I set a goal of 15 pages for the week. So far I've written 4.5 and only have until tomorrow to try and meet my goal. It's not looking good. I know having the goal and outside accountability is important, especially for someone like me. I was the kid in school in wrote the 20 page essay the night before it was due. It looks like I haven't changed much :).

It's interesting to come to the realization that I haven't changed my writing habits much since those days. As a writer, I need deadlines and hard goals to keep me focused and motivated. Every insight we get about ourselves as writers, gets us one step closer to becoming a better writer.

That said...I need to get some pages written. :)

Book Review - Broken

On my flight back from Toronto on the weekend, I was able to finish reading Kelley Armstrong's book Broken. I think I bought this the week it came out, but have been holding on to it. I tend to read her books quickly and hate it when I don't have anything else to read.



Broken returns us to the character of Elena, the lone female werewolf of "the pack". This time Elena, Clay, and Jeremy find themselves on the train of Jack the Ripper. To make matters much more complicated, Elena is pregnant and not up to her normal wolfish self.

I don't want to risk ruining the book for anyone, but I have to say it was excellent. We have the return of a few other characters, in particular Jaime, and we can see how their very presence is changing how the members of the pack deal with the outside Otherworld community. The relationship between Elena and Clay has evolved, but isn't any less complex than before. The mystery kept me guessing, but it is Kelley's use of the first person narrative that kept me reading.

I give it five out of five claw marks.

The only downside to reading Broken is I now have to wait until May for the next Otherworld book. The next one will centre around Jaime and Jeremy. I can't wait!!

If you're not familiar with Kelley's Otherworld series, check out her website.

Planes, Cars, and Weird Al

I'm back!

I'm not a fan of flying. There's something unnatural about a bunch of people piling into a tin can and throwing it 35000 feet into the air.

*shudder*

The one good thing about flying is that I need to distract myself. On the way to Toronto, I managed to write seven pages of my current WIP. I didn't stop! It was wonderful and I solved many problems that I was having with my story. I'm ready to barrel through the rest of the manuscript now. I'm going to disappear into the laundry room, do my laundry and write. Odd I know, but I do what I can.

While I was on my business trip I got to drive a PT Cruiser. Now I'm not a big one for cars. If it gets me to where I need to go, then awesome. But I have to say...I liked this car. It was zippy! Driving a rental that was zippy on the 401 between Waterloo and Toronto, well, lets just say I'm glad it was 5 am when I was on the road. No RCMP to check up on me :). I think the next story I write will have a white PT Cruiser in it.

Just a note on Weird Al. He has a new CD coming out shortly. The man is brilliant! Yes, I said it - Weird Al is brilliant. He has an amazing singing voice, and his lyrics are so perfectly written, I shake my head in amazement. If you haven't heard his new songs, go check out his site. He has free songs and the lyrics posted for all to see.

Through the creative road block

I'm so happy right now because I managed to burst though a minor creative block I was having with my current WIP. Woot! It was literally keeping me up at night. However, my little brain figures out what was wrong the night after my first RWAC meeting. See folks, it pays to belong to a group. :)

On another note, I'm flying to Toronto for a business trip this week. Since I HATE flying, I'll get some serious reading/writing done on the plane. I have two books for my journey: Kelley Armstrong's Broken, and Julianne MacLean's Portrait of a Lover. Loving both of these women, I can't wait to sink my teeth into them...the books that is. I'll post a short review of each when I get back.

Waiting...

I have to say I'm not the most patient person in the world. I know, what am I doing trying to break into the publishing world. Twelve weeks really isn't so long is it?

*cry*

So other than check your email twenty thousand times a day and drive [insert name of appropriate person here]nuts, what can an author do to pass the time? Here is my list of things that can help make the waiting easier!

1. Write a new book. Obvious, but hard to do when you're not sure the status of the current book. Why? What if I make the same mistakes again? Oh well, onward and upward. :)

2. Blog. An excellent way to keep fresh, explore things that are on your mind (that are not the status of your book), and generally have fun! Fun it is good, right?

3. Paint a room. I know, this isn't for everyone. But there is something relaxing about physical labor and seeing the colorful results splashed on the wall. Substitute your favorite task (mowing, laundry, gardening, etc.)

4. Read. I think I've gone through six novels in the past twelve weeks. Not very much, I know. But on top of everything else going on, it's not too bad. :)

5. Find your favorite TV show on DVD and watch it. Every single episode. Trust me, you'll love the show even more with the marathon viewing. I've watched the entire series of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Stargate SG1, and CSI this way.

6. Browse the net. Some of my favorite sites I have linked on the side. Great for hourse of time killing :).

Well, that's what I do. What are some things you do to make waiting easier?

Helpful Reads

There has been quite a bit of talk on my writer's loop recently about the basics of writing. People are looking at improving their skills by taking classes. That's not always a possibility for some people, due to time, money, or what is available in their location.

I tend to do a lot of reading on craft and have found some books that I've considered quite helpful. One of those is from the Gotham City Writers Workshop, Writing Fiction: The Practical Guide. I like the way this book tackles specific areas of writing. Through the use of a story (which is actually published in the book), each chapter author looks at how the story approaches things such as characterization, pacing, dialogue, etc.



I found this to be an excellent book, forcing me to practice the skills that they discussed. With each chapter written by a different author, you get differing views that all seem to come together and make sense. If you are looking for something to add to your library, this is a good one. It can be purchased at most major book stores across Canada and the US, or can be ordered online from Amazon.

I had planned to work on my WIP this weekend, but that quickly turned into painting my daughters' bedrooms. Now my hands are so sore it's hard to type. But the rooms look great!

One of the hardest challenges of the unpublished author is to find time between life and writing. It was hard to pass up the opportunity to work on my story, but yet I didn't have any other time for the next little while to do the rooms. As usual, my children won out in that debate. :)

Finding balance when you're unpublished is hard. I know I'm not alone in that challenge. I used to get up at 5:30 am and write for an hour and a half before work. I haven't done that in a while, but I think I may start doing that again. Consistency is the key. But you have to make sure you can keep at it.

I think for myself a more reasonable goal is to write a minimum of an hour a day. If I get more done, fantastic. But at the very least I can squeeze the hour in. My lunch hours give me at least that time.