The Dearth of Heroine Models and the Evolution of the Alpha Heroine
https://interracialerotica.net/erotica/articles/232/1/The-Dearth-of-Heroine-Models-and-the-Evolution-of-the-Alpha-Heroine/Page1.html
By Tracy Ames
Published on August 24, 2010
Yesterday, my Super-Mega™ author gal pals and I were chatting about the dearth of heroine models and the evolution of the alpha heroines. Yes, there are the standard heroines: The airhead, the Regency fainter, the alpha chic, the doormat, the self-reliant cynic, the wounded dove, the strong yet inexplicably boring gal, the lip-smacking ghetto bitch, the social climber with a mattress strapped to her back, and the young innocent pleb.
I don't employ standard models. In fact, I don’t know a single Super-Mega™ author that does. Most of my heroines are hybrids; a pitch of this, a dash of that and bake until golden brown. Don’t get me wrong, I understand why some scribblers stay within the confines of conformity. According to an industry study, there are a great number of readers (male & female) who don’t cotton to alpha heroines (AH). So much for women’s liberation bitches—here, put this chastity belt on!
In a way I can see where the readers are coming from. If the AH isn’t written properly, she comes off as royal prick. The alpha heroine is the newest and most controversial of all the heroines because her very existence breaks the cardinal rules of romantic fiction. She kicks ass and doesn’t bother taking names. She’s proactive rather than reactive. She’s fearless and she doesn’t suffer fools easily. She can outthink, outmaneuver, overpower, and outrank her hero without breaking a nail. She wields a bloodstained 'get out of jail free' card she seized from the grasping hands of the last person who dared to cross her. Her road to glory is scattered with their contorted remains. ..she steps over them gingerly.
Lastly, she knows that one mind-blowing orgasm does not a housewife make. The hero’s Golden Boner won’t tempt her down the aisle nor trigger her quest for a deeper meaning of life. She, unlike the wounded dove and Regency fainter, understands that the hero’s cum doesn’t contain magic confidence that once injected into her cooter sets everything right her world. Cum and confidence both begin with the letter ‘C’ but that’s where their similarities end. They shouldn’t be confused or substituted for the other.
On the upside, she is unshakably loyal to those she loves. But it’s her fierce sense of loyalty which is often misinterpreted as scheming, manipulative, and coldhearted. A few of you are saying, “I like alpha heroines. Those soft women get on my nerves.”
*Cough* Bullshit *Cough*
Take Sydney for example. She was the textbook AH and some readers hated her in the beginning of “Beg Me”. Why is that? She did nothing an alpha male wouldn’t have been praised for. She ran a tight camp of loyal followers, she was demanding and self-centered for the betterment of those around her, the mention of her name gave pause to grown men, her accomplishments outshone Mark’s, and most importantly she brandished her womanly wilds over Sr.’s head like a whip…aka, she knew how to manipulate dominant men.
So what gives? Why are some readers turned off by alpha heroines?
Here’s My Take:
The mistake some scribblers make when writing alpha heroines is they fail to sprinkle in grains of femininity. Without them, the AH can develop robotic tendencies that even the hero would find difficult to pushing up on. That’s not a good thing. However, on the opposite end of the table, pouring in the whole box of femme salt at once is horrible. No, this has to be measured properly. Readers want to feel something for the characters; if they’re cold beyond reason, the readers will disconnect and wonder why the hell the hero is falling for this chic! You must show flickers of humanity…not much, just a little here and there.
Tip: Pour a teaspoon of femme salt in your hand, then pinch, sprinkle, taste…pinch, sprinkle taste. Once you’ve found your balance and engaged the readers, you can kick as much ass as you like. But first, you have to give them something to love about the AH.
Again, refer to Sydney. This is the formula I used when building Sydney’s character: I came hard, hard, hard, soft, soft, hard, hard, soft, soft, hard, hard, hard, and ended hard. Why? Because I could; by then the readers would've forgiven her anything. Think about it, if she had been Mark’s doormat in the very beginning, would you have liked her in the end? No. Sydney came hard, got harder, and then softened…then went hard again and you guys loved her for it. Don’t believe this formula works? Look at some of your favorite alpha heroines.
Anyway, I have to help a friend with a character outline. I’d love to hear what you think on this topic. Yes, we do listen to your opinions.
Cheers!
BTW, the Super-Mega™ author gal pals are nothing more than my gaggle of seasoned writing buddies. We bounce ideas off of one another and generally chat about things no one cares about. Um, don't ask where the name came from. :)
The Super-Mega™ author gal pals chat about the dearth of heroine models and the evolution of the alpha heroines. Enjoy!
The Dearth of Heroine Models and the Evolution of the Alpha Heroine
Yesterday, my Super-Mega™ author gal pals and I were chatting about the dearth of heroine models and the evolution of the alpha heroines. Yes, there are the standard heroines: The airhead, the Regency fainter, the alpha chic, the doormat, the self-reliant cynic, the wounded dove, the strong yet inexplicably boring gal, the lip-smacking ghetto bitch, the social climber with a mattress strapped to her back, and the young innocent pleb.
I don't employ standard models. In fact, I don’t know a single Super-Mega™ author that does. Most of my heroines are hybrids; a pitch of this, a dash of that and bake until golden brown. Don’t get me wrong, I understand why some scribblers stay within the confines of conformity. According to an industry study, there are a great number of readers (male & female) who don’t cotton to alpha heroines (AH). So much for women’s liberation bitches—here, put this chastity belt on!
In a way I can see where the readers are coming from. If the AH isn’t written properly, she comes off as royal prick. The alpha heroine is the newest and most controversial of all the heroines because her very existence breaks the cardinal rules of romantic fiction. She kicks ass and doesn’t bother taking names. She’s proactive rather than reactive. She’s fearless and she doesn’t suffer fools easily. She can outthink, outmaneuver, overpower, and outrank her hero without breaking a nail. She wields a bloodstained 'get out of jail free' card she seized from the grasping hands of the last person who dared to cross her. Her road to glory is scattered with their contorted remains. ..she steps over them gingerly.
Lastly, she knows that one mind-blowing orgasm does not a housewife make. The hero’s Golden Boner won’t tempt her down the aisle nor trigger her quest for a deeper meaning of life. She, unlike the wounded dove and Regency fainter, understands that the hero’s cum doesn’t contain magic confidence that once injected into her cooter sets everything right her world. Cum and confidence both begin with the letter ‘C’ but that’s where their similarities end. They shouldn’t be confused or substituted for the other.
On the upside, she is unshakably loyal to those she loves. But it’s her fierce sense of loyalty which is often misinterpreted as scheming, manipulative, and coldhearted. A few of you are saying, “I like alpha heroines. Those soft women get on my nerves.”
*Cough* Bullshit *Cough*
Take Sydney for example. She was the textbook AH and some readers hated her in the beginning of “Beg Me”. Why is that? She did nothing an alpha male wouldn’t have been praised for. She ran a tight camp of loyal followers, she was demanding and self-centered for the betterment of those around her, the mention of her name gave pause to grown men, her accomplishments outshone Mark’s, and most importantly she brandished her womanly wilds over Sr.’s head like a whip…aka, she knew how to manipulate dominant men.
So what gives? Why are some readers turned off by alpha heroines?
Here’s My Take:
The mistake some scribblers make when writing alpha heroines is they fail to sprinkle in grains of femininity. Without them, the AH can develop robotic tendencies that even the hero would find difficult to pushing up on. That’s not a good thing. However, on the opposite end of the table, pouring in the whole box of femme salt at once is horrible. No, this has to be measured properly. Readers want to feel something for the characters; if they’re cold beyond reason, the readers will disconnect and wonder why the hell the hero is falling for this chic! You must show flickers of humanity…not much, just a little here and there.
Tip: Pour a teaspoon of femme salt in your hand, then pinch, sprinkle, taste…pinch, sprinkle taste. Once you’ve found your balance and engaged the readers, you can kick as much ass as you like. But first, you have to give them something to love about the AH.
Again, refer to Sydney. This is the formula I used when building Sydney’s character: I came hard, hard, hard, soft, soft, hard, hard, soft, soft, hard, hard, hard, and ended hard. Why? Because I could; by then the readers would've forgiven her anything. Think about it, if she had been Mark’s doormat in the very beginning, would you have liked her in the end? No. Sydney came hard, got harder, and then softened…then went hard again and you guys loved her for it. Don’t believe this formula works? Look at some of your favorite alpha heroines.
Anyway, I have to help a friend with a character outline. I’d love to hear what you think on this topic. Yes, we do listen to your opinions.
Cheers!
BTW, the Super-Mega™ author gal pals are nothing more than my gaggle of seasoned writing buddies. We bounce ideas off of one another and generally chat about things no one cares about. Um, don't ask where the name came from. :)