We’ve all heard of the Type A personality, right? The competitive somewhat aggressive go-getter who knows what he wants and makes it happen, one way or another. The Alpha Male. Yep, I used “he” because this post is about romance heroes, not heroines, although women can certainly be just as driven as men.
The Type B personality, the Beta Man, is pretty relaxed and laid back. He’s much less likely to have a coronary, because he doesn’t let things stress him out.
This site also talks about personality types C and D, which aren’t as commonly discussed.
Our Type C hero is detail oriented like Type A, but not driven. Because he doesn’t assert himself to make things happen, he might operate under a lot of stress… and sometimes depression.
Type D? He’s the negative guy. He suppresses emotion and is somewhat of a pessimist. I suspect Eeyore is Type D!
Wow, it’s no wonder types C and D aren’t usually cast as romance heroes! As readers, we want a guy we can fall in love with, not a depressed guy who thinks the world owes him a living and/or can’t express their feelings. I think we all know men — and women — with those characteristics, but they don’t tend to be in a good emotional state for a giving romantic relationship.
So, back to Mr. A and Mr. B. I know some authors in this group (like JoAnn Durgin!) love their Alpha male characters. Her heroes are strong and decisive. They see the woman they want and set out to win her, not letting anything get in their way.
I like quieter men, both in real life and on paper but, until I got chatting with JoAnn, I didn’t give much thought to whether my heroes have a Type A personality or not. Looking back, I’d have to say mostly NOT.
But in Sweet Serenade (the third Riverbend novella, soon to release as part of the Splash! box set), I purposefully set out to create a Type B hero.
Reed Daniels is a reserved young man of principles. No pushover. But he’s also not pushy on his own terms. He loves the peace and quiet of nature. He builds cedar-strip canoes then uses those canoes to guide tourists on local rivers and lakes. His idea of a hot date? A bonfire on the beach. His idea of a cool date? Whitewater paddling!
I pulled some of my husband’s characteristics for Reed Daniels, but Reed’s definitely not a carbon copy of my hubby at 25. They’d probably like each other, though. They share a love for God’s creation, for paddling lakes and rivers, and for playing guitar and singing songs of worship.
I didn’t write dedications for the first two Riverbend novellas, Secretly Yours and Pinky Promise, but I couldn’t let the opportunity slip by for Sweet Serenade.
Beloved husband with a guitar and a canoe paddle,
with whom I’ve snuggled and watched the northern lights more times than I can count.
If you want to know why I mentioned the northern lights in the dedication, you’ll need to pick up Sweet Serenade! It will release singly in July, but you can read it a few weeks earlier if you pre-order Splash. You’ll get eight other summer-and-water-themed novellas (many by Inspy Romance authors) in the same box set.
Here’s a bit about Sweet Serenade:
River guide and canoe builder Reed Daniels stands by as his lifelong friends pair off. After all, he’s waited this long for the right woman… what’s a little longer? But when newcomer Carly shows up at the gang’s bonfire, he’s mesmerized. Could she be the answer to his prayers?
Water-sport enthusiast Carly Thorbergsen is starting over in Riverbend. Hired as a canoeing and hiking guide, she’s ready to focus on work and leave the personal stuff behind. That is until the competition, Reed Daniels, offers her a ride in his cedar-strip canoe. No resisting that!
But no matter how much they have in common, Carly can’t erase her past, and Reed is bound to discover the truth. When a date finds Carly and Reed running rapids on the outside of the canoe, they come face to face with the real reasons their new relationship might capsize.
Pre-order your copy of Splash! 9 Refreshing Romance Novellas Filled with Faith today.
Now over to you! Is your favorite romance hero the same type of man you gravitate to in real life?
LOL, Val. Yes, I do like my strong male heroes. However, I believe they also posses a few Type B qualities, as well. I’d also say my Kevin Moore is more of a Type B hero since he’s quieter and more laid back, plays guitar and leads worship in his church and during the TeamWork missions. So, you see, it IS possible for me to write a different type of hero every now and then (or a combination of the Type A and Type B). :) Reed and Carly sound wonderful and I can’t wait to read their story (and ALL the stories in the Splash! box set)! Great post, and thank you for sharing! Blessings.
Make that POSSESS, not posses. Forgive my typo! LOL. Blessings.
I agree, your Kevin is more B than A. I just got to thinking about some of the discussions we’ve had about male leads… and that somehow morphed into the backdrop for this post!
I have to admit my love for the alpha hero. There’s something about watching the heroine reach a tough-guy’s vulnerable heart that gets me every time. That’s maybe why my heroes tend to be cowboys, police/firefighters, or military men.
I tend to be a bit headstrong, so having someone like that would never work for me, we’d butt heads too much!! :-D But at the same time, having someone too laid back would drive me up a tree!! I guess for me, I got my perfect other half in my husband! He is more laid back than me, but yet strong in all the ways I need him to be; he doesn’t mind new ideas, I tend to be more resistant to new ideas (until I get used to them, lol); sees the best in any situation, I tend to be more negative! See, you get the idea ;-) In the end though, we balance each other out. Over the 18yrs we’ve been married, I’ve learned to be more of a “go with the flow” kind of person, seeing the positive even in the worst of situations, and more open to changes (still a hard one for me, but God’s working on it). I really do see how we compliment each other! In all the core matters though, we are the same….the same goals, values, morals, family values, etc. I think that is really the heart of the matter…..we are all different but as long as you can see eye to eye on core values, God can make it work!
I like all kinds of heroes and heroines in my book. I don’t think I gravitate too much to one type more than another. I think as long as the author balances them out, it makes for a good story. And any author who can do that, is worth their weight in gold!
Great post, Valerie. I tend to gravitate toward Type B heroes. It’s my heroes friends that seem to be Type A :) Guess I should try write a book with them in some time.
I can see why first responders and military men make good Alpha heroes. Cowboys could be real loners and nature lovers, though, don’t you think? They could go either way.
LOL, people think my husband is laid back and that I “always” get my way. That is so far from true it is laughable. He’s happy to let me make many decisions, but when it’s something he has a strong opinion about, his heels dig straight in and there is no moving him.
And man, I agree about core values needing to be aligned for a couple to make things work.
That’s what I was thinking. I need to start auditioning Type A characters for some future stories!
Val, great post! At the Romance Writers of Australia conference last year they had a debate on alpha vs. beta heroes. It was a very funny debate and quite theatrical in the way it was presented. Interestingly, the large audience of romance writers voted overwhelmingly for the beta hero team :)
Maybe we should print InspyRomance T-shirts that read TEAM ALPHA and TEAM BETA. What do you think? :) Good thing there are different authors and that readers’ tastes differ, eh? I’m especially thankful for readers that like both kinds of heroes! :-)
#GoTeamBeta!
Um, I guess I just cast my vote on Narelle’s comment! And I’m VERY thankful we (authors and readers both) don’t like the exact same thing. Imagine how few books there would need to be.
Also… No team for C or D? Hmm. We’re discriminatory!
I seem to recall in one of our discussions that you picked Marc Thompson as your personal favorite of all my heroes. And I’d have to say that he is the MOST typical Alpha male I’ve got in my series. So, you do like them every now and then. Love you and our discussions! Here’s to many more. :)
I doubt we’d sell many C or D T-shirts, so not cost effective. Not discriminatory, just trying to be fiscally responsible. :)
Ah, but Marc is a special case. He’d already won his woman and had to win her again!
Well, THAT definitely makes it all better. :P