Guest Post: Caridad Pineiro

 Pick up most books today and you will be treated to what seems to be the most popular archetype for heroes – the Alpha Male.  Dark, dangerous and sexy, the Alpha Male is apparently every woman’s fantasy.  Did I mention that he’s also perfect usually?  That he knows how to do just about everything and solve every problem that arises.  Which also makes him a guy’s guy as well.

            So you are probably thinking that it’s easy to write the Alpha Male.  You know he’s got to be drop dead handsome and intelligent.  An excellent lover and totally aware of what his mate would want. Easy right?

           

 If you’re going for a caricature of a hero, totally easy.

            If you want to take that Alpha Male archetype and turn it into something more, it’ll take work.  In fact, you’ll have to do something really radical – make him imperfect.  Give him fau

lts and make him uncertain.  Shake up all that perfection so that you can actually have some growth in him as a character as the story progresses.

            Give him a weakness.  An Achilles heel that makes him vulnerable and stick him in a situation that exposes that weakness.  That makes you wonder whether Mr. Alpha Male will be able to overcome that vulnerability.

            That’s how you are really going to create a character that’s interesting and possibly even sexier than a perfect hero.

            Mick Carrera from SINS OF THE FLESH is that kind of hero.  When we first meet Mick in the novel, we understand that he’s a hard ass and not above skirting the lines of legality in order to earn his paycheck.  You might not even like Mick at first, but as the story develops, you learn that beneath that hard exterior, there is a man who is respected by his former Army buddies and loved by his family.

            That makes you wonder just how bad he could be.  After all, so many people love and respect him.

            Peel away another layer and you learn that Mic

k actually has scruples, something he hides in order not to display any weakness in his dangerous line of work.  Peel yet another layer and you learn even more – that he’s skirting that legal line and willing to sacrifice himself in order to help the people he loves the most – his family.

            By then you are wondering what he will do when he enlists for yet another risky job – capturing a genetically engineered woman accused of a savage murder.  A job with a high paycheck, but possibly an even greater reward – the love of a unique and beautiful woman.

            Mr. Alpha Male facing the real ultimate challen

ge – finding a woman strong enough to stand at his side as his partner.

            So next time you want to write the perfect dark, dangerous and sexy hero remember this one trick – make him imperfect!