  Romance/Love
This week: Edited by: StephBee  
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Thanks so much to everyone for the warm welcome to the Romance/Love Newsletter. You've made me feel right at home. Time to grab some coffee, settle in, and have some fun.
 I can't believe it. I joined WDC on 4 April 2005 and I just hit my 5 year anniversary here at WDC. ((hugs)) and birthday cake for all!
Now, pivotal to the romance story are characters. Your female and male leads have to be characters that your readers can really identify with. So I thought I'd take a look at the different types of heroes in romantic writing - the alpha, beta, and omega. Omega is one type of male I learned about just recently. |
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THE OMEGA MALE
Think of this man as being the opposite of an alpha male. An alpha male must be perceived as the toughest, smartest, strongest man by his peers and those around them. An omega male cares little for the recognization - but he knows he's all those things and then some.
Omega males have no desire to belong to a group or to be a leader of a group. Now, an omega man does need support on occasion, but he only really has one or two intimate friends. Omega men tend to shun shallow acquaintances, whereas alpha males thrive on having a large crowd around them.
An omega man is just as handsome as an alpha male. They have the same striking physical build, it's just that the omega male is more subtle in what he does and the relationships he cultivates.
THE ALPHA MALE
The alpha man is confident in his abilities. He's powerful, assertive, masterful, and superior. (An omega male is all those qualities, but in a quieter, more subtle way.) The alpha is somewhat ruthless, and perhaps a touch dangerous. The alpha is the quintessential male type character in romance writing, but there is a growing trend for omega and beta males.
THE BETA MALE
A beta male is good looking, charming, affable, and a family type guy. He's got lots of friends, (unlike the omega). Think of "Gone with the Wind." Ashley Wilkes is a beta male while Rhett Butler is an alpha male. Beta's don't enjoy confrontation, but won't back down from one either. An alpha would relish a confrontation. An omega would meet the challenge head on with an even temper.
Beta males are also known as practical (alphas can be hot-headed). Betas are down to earth (alphas are larger than life, and omegas walk in the middle, able to capture a down to earth presence or a larger than life presence depending on the situation). Betas have a great sense of humor (alphas are generally more serious, and omegas strike a balance between seriousness and having a great sense of humor).
Let's use the word: INTENSE.
Alpha: Very intense
Omega: Intense
Beta: Not so intense, easy going
When putting together your romance story consider the following: Is your story set in the past? If so, an alpha or omega hero might be more appropriate. Is your story a contemporary or inspirational romance? Then a beta hero might have more appeal. Remember, ultimately the hero has to be a character that your readers can find interesting. You want your readers to fall in love with them.
As you put your story together and create your hero, think of the qualities you want him to posses. What career do you want him to have? Then fit that into the type that suits your hero best.
NEXT: I'll be taking a look at writing the female heroine. Is there such thing as a alpha female?
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Here are some picks from around the site:
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Here is a fun little romance story from the male perspective. I have many more romance stories in my port!
Thanks for a great newsletter - I always enjoy your contributions! Thanks for sending it i - Steph!
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Here's some Feedback from my 10 MAR 2010 newsletter:
oregonboi
I enjoyed the article except for:
#3 - I've Only Got Eyes For you. When the hero and heroine meet, they should only have eyes for each other. There's no room for a third party love interest.
I am very new to romance writing but it seems to me a third party love interest could be part of the challenge/conflict that must be overcome.
You do want conflict in a romance novel, but you don't want it to come from a 3rd party. After all, you don't want your hero or heroine to come across as "wishy-washy" if a 3rd person interferes. You want them to be decisive, to know their mind. Conflict sould come from a short term and long term problem. The short term problem brings the couple together, the long term problem is one they must overcome if they want HEA. (happily ever after.)
Incurable Romantic 
StephB,
Your column on the basic rules of romance was excellent. And welcome aboard as a full time editor! You'll be getting a link or two from me in a short while. Nice work on the newsletter! Keep it up!
Thanks so much. 
Grace
Great to have you on the newsletter Steph! I enjoyed reading and look forward to future additions!
Thanks, much
StephBee is a 911 Dispatcher for LAPD. Her short story, "Matchmaking Amusement" is included in the "Be Mused" Anthology which contains 5 lighthearted humorous short stories about muses, their writers and love. It is available at Desert Breeze Publishing as an ebook and in the Amazon Kindle store.
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Romance/Love: April 07, 2010 Issue [#3637]
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