Saturday, August 1, 2009

Who Yells At An Alpha Male?


I adore Serena Shay! Besides being a darn good writer, her blogs (as with my fellow blogger's Crystal, Savannah and Francesca) always make me think hard about some aspect of the stories we write. And they usually lead to my next subject, so thank you, thank you;-).

As romance writer's we are drawn to the alpha male and his bigger than life attitude. In real life we may be able to get away with yelling at him because he didn't put the toilet seat down or forgot to take out the trash, but not so much in fiction. Okay, now that I've said it I just envisioned a funny scene where this happens. Do you see what you guys do to me?

What kind of heroine would yell at an alpha male to remember to put the toilet seat down? An interesting one. A heroine who wasn't afraid to ask/remind her alpha that in the real world, respecting her was as important as slaying any dragon foolish enough to threaten her. In fact, she's probably been slaying her own dragons, which may be the reason the hero falls in love with her. He just has this little problem of wanting to protect her anyway.

But what about the heroine who has been kicked around by life and hasn't learned that she can yell at him to put the toilet seat down (I'm fixated on this because it's really more important than the trash--trust me). Her journey to get to that point could make me want to read her story.

So, my question is what do you think it takes to make an interesting heroine these days?

12 comments:

Serena Shay said...

Aah shuck, Paris, now I'm blushing! :)*hugs*

Heck yeah, she should yell at him! Then he could yell back and hoo ya...great angry/frustrated sex! LOL Plus wouldn't it be great to see a real life, heroine, rather than my man is always right, heroine.

What do I like in a heroine? A woman who can take care of herself, is funny and has problems just like anyone else. She should also be open to hero and the idea of love...I like to see heroines who want to find love and don't fight the idea 3/4ths of the way through the story only to say oh well, I guess I love you at the end.

Also, the heroines who think I can do sex for the sake of sex, but then wake up the next morning going WTH was I thinking! If it's done right, these can be very fun reads. If not, I tend to find myself thinking...geez hon, make up your mind! hehe

Wow, I guess I had a lot to say. Great topic, Paris!

Fran Lee said...

As long as it is safe...now, I wouldn't yell at a black leopard to put a toilet seat down, but in his human form...oh, yeah!

Savanna Kougar said...

What a loaded question, Paris.
I like what I call honest heroines. Honest here doesn't mean lack of lying if that's necessary in a certain scene. It means the heroines are honestly and genuinely who they are... if they're beaten down by life, or if they've lived a life being adored... that's who they are within the context of their personalities.
I have to admit an un-intelligent heroine leaves me cold as well as an overly whiny heroine.
As far as yelling at the alpha over a raised toilet seat, I would hope my hero would be intelligent enough to arrange separate bathrooms, or work out some clever way the seat closes itself.
Unless, as Serena said... he wants a riled woman and the hot sex that follows... oh, yeah...

Sandy said...

Paris,

A fun topic. I can't stand a heroine who is a wimp and allows herself to be used as a mop. Nope, she better get it together and stand up for herself.

Katalina said...

Shouldn't we be grateful some of these wild shape-shifters are actually using the toilet instead of the carpet? If I caught an Alpha shape-shifter leaving the toilet seat up. I'd chase him with a spray bottle of water to spritz in his startled face every time he tried to walk away from a raised toilet seat. He'd eventually learn! lol
XXOO Katalina

Francesca Hawley said...

A heroine who yells at an alpha about the toilet seat is one who's been around him awhile. With a new couple, most times a woman - even if she normally kicks ass - grits her teeth and wipes her wet ass. If she's gotten to the yell at him stage, then they are established and she can yell at him just like any other woman yells at her man. But I still like a heroine who will get to the point of yelling at him instead of gritting her teeth.

Fun post, Paris!

Hot Ash Romance Novels said...

I agree with what Serena said...well, actually with what everyone said.

The visual I had was so funny!

But the response I like most in an Alpha male to being yelled at is not to yell back, but to raise his eyebrows and then decide the whole this is either amusing or interesting.

Adele Dubois said...

Many alpha men are tigers at work and pussycats at home. They value their wives and don't feel in competition with them. Men relate differently to other men. A smart woman knows she's not in competition with her guy and relates to him on equal footing.

Best--Adele

EmilyBryan said...

The joy of an alpha male is in subduing him. And the enduring female fantasy about him is that the right woman is fully able to do it.

Paris said...

Thank you everyone for stopping by and letting me know what you think! Such interesting variations and I loved each of them;-)You guys are the best!

Minx Malone said...

I love the idea of a heroine yelling at an alpha or household chores or something! I think a heroine who has her own mind/goals/journey is what's interesting. Especially when she's strong enough to save the hero a time or two.

Minx

Paris said...

LOL! so do I. I love when the heroine has the opportunity to save the hero! Thanks for stopping by!