Para/Normal Alpha by Robin Matheson

Para/Normal Alpha

Character Skill Sets in Action

By Robin Matheson

In scientific terms, the word alpha is used to denote the top-ranking wolf within the hierarchy of the pack. Generally a wolf/dog pack is led by a dominant alpha male because of its superior strength. [Daniel Wood. Wolves, 1994]

In human fictional terms…“People fear what they do not understand.” (Dr. Lee Rosen)

Within the Alphas television show universe, alphas, humans with highly evolved brain structures that give them superhuman physical and mental abilities, do not lead any pack. They are led by the all too human neurologist and psychologist Dr. Lee Rosen (David Strathairn) and are, in fact, viewed with extreme caution by the government.  

Part of the internal tension within these ‘alpha’ characters is derived from the very fact that they themselves do not always understand their skill set—that is their innate but uniquely enhanced ability, either.

Bill Harkin (Malik Yoba) is a ‘hyperadrenal’ alpha—able to switch on his “fight or flight” response allowing him to acquire exceptional strength for short periods of time. Sounds great being able to morph into a superman, right? Wrong. The adrenaline rushes have an unwelcome side-affect. Harkin has anger issues that cost him his job; he’s a former FBI agent, and his family.

A ‘transducer’, Gary Bell’s (Ryan Cartwright) brain is attuned to the electromagnetic field, allowing him to collect and process all types of electronic signals. Cool as this may sound, the constant barrage of information makes Gary overly sensitive to stimuli around him and he’s withdrawn into a world of rigid regime.

These examples suggest that choosing a skill set doesn’t necessarily mean choosing separate abilities to denote strengths and weaknesses within our characters. In the case of the alphas on Alphas, their super-powered skill contains both a positive and a negative side that adds dramatic depth to their character.

But what if your alpha character doesn’t possess a paranormal ability? Is it still possible to choose a trait that embraces that duality of strength and weakness? The simple answer is, yes. All alpha characters share the same core skill set and any one of those traits comes with a positive and a negative side.

Consider Harriet Jones (Penelope Wilton) from Doctor Who.

Audiences first meet Harriet Jones in Aliens in London and World War Three [Season 1: Episodes 4 + 5, 2005]. A backbench MP with a forthright grasp of personal promotion (alpha trait alert!), her encounter with the Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) and Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) immediately establishes her, dare I say dominant, alpha traits. Trapped inside 10 Downing Street, Harriet Jones doesn’t hesitate to assume Executive command as the only elected representative. She is the one who orders the Doctor to initiate the launch of the (non-nuclear) missile that destroys 10 Downing Street and the family Slitheen, calcium-based aliens bent on initiating a world war so that they can exploit the Earth’s resources. Fortunately, the Doctor, Rose and Harriet all survive and Harriet’s reputation as a Protector of Earth is firmly established.

Little wonder then that the Doctor predicts Harriet Jones’s rise to The executive position, that of Prime Minister of Great Britain.

Alphas are, by nature, goal oriented, often to the point of stubbornness (another excellent alpha trait). In the 2005 Christmas special, The Christmas Invasion, the Earth is once again under invasion, this time by the Sycorax. The newly regenerated Doctor (David Tennant) engages the Sycorax leader in a sword fight. He wins despite the leader’s duplicity and compels the Sycorax to leave Earth and never return. But this “deal” does not satisfy Harriet Jones. Determined to protect the Earth, because she believes there will come a time when the Doctor cannot do so, she orders the destruction of the retreating Sycorax ship.

Harriet Jones stands behind her decision, despite the Doctor’s anger at being challenged. Alphas don’t always play well together! With six words, “Don’t you think she looks tired?” he begins the rumor that will bring down her government.

But that stubborn protective streak that led to her downfall becomes her greatest strength in The Stolen Earth [Season 4: Episode 12, 2008]. In the opening scene the Doctor and Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) discover that the Earth has disappeared and set off to investigate. The Earth, along with twenty-six other planets have been teleported within the Medusa Cascade by the Daleks, a cyborg race intent on universal domination and the greatest enemy of the Doctor. Their plan is to detonate a ‘reality bomb’ that can, potentially, destroy all matter in every universe.

The Doctor’s former companions, who have each met the Daleks before, scramble to hide from the Dalek invasion. In the midst of the chaos, each is contacted by now former Prime Minster, Harriet Jones via an undetectable sub-wave network. She instantly assumes Executive command, forbidding Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman) from using the ‘Osterhagen Key’, a last resort nuclear option in favor of her own plan:

Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen): “Oh, excuse me, Harriet, but— Well, the thing is, if you are looking for the Doctor, didn’t he depose you?”

Harriet Jones: “He did. And I’ve wondered about that for a long time, whether I was wrong. But I stand by my actions to this day because I knew…I knew that one day the earth would be in danger and the Doctor would fail to appear. I told him so myself, and he didn’t listen.”

She proceeds to explain her plan to use a combined force to boost the sub-wave signal so it can reach the Doctor. This will, of course, render the network detectible by the Daleks.

Harriet Jones: “Yes, and they’ll trace it back to me, but my life doesn’t matter. Not if it saves the Earth.”

Despite being deposed from office, Harriet Jones refuses to leave her post as Protector of the Earth. Even in exile in a little cottage, she is ready with the technology and plan to defend against alien invasion, even at the cost of her own life. (I believe I mentioned that alpha characters are stubborn and goal oriented.)

Part of the fun of working with alpha characters is this ability to use their core skills—those traits alphas rely on to define who they are—both for and against the characters themselves. Harriet Jones’s three-episode character arc provides a perfect example of an established alpha skill set that becomes a vulnerability during the Crisis point of her story arc and yet becomes her most powerful tool toward achieving her goal at the Climax.

Award winning author Robin Matheson holds an honors specialist degree in Classical Civilization and English and a Master of Education. She's taught numerous courses at college, overseas and, more recently, online courses on writing. One of Robin's greatest passions is traveling. In addition to their home base, she and her family have also lived in South East Asia and South Africa.

Visit her at www.robiemadison.com.

I hope you will join my class

ALPHAS: LEADERS OF THE PACK

Hosted by

Fantasy-Futuristic & Paranormal

Romance Writers

This 3 WEEK class starts Sept. 3rd

For more information click HERE

What Makes a Good Character? By Nell DuVall

Three major factors determine a character: the genre, the experience and expectations of readers, and the author's intentions. In romance and romantic suspense, readers like the alpha male, the strong silent type. They also like to see spunky heroines. In speculative fiction, which may or may not include a romantic subplot, heroes regardless of gender are essential and willing to fight overwhelming odds. In literary fiction, all bets are off and anti-heroes may hold sway. Mysteries vary greatly from doddering old people to smart youngsters. 

I like quirky characters and find that helps when defining secondary characters. I love writing villains and try to gain at least reader understanding of why they do what they do. That doesn't change their focus, and few of them change their intentions. They are seldom redeemable.

I have the most trouble with romantic heroes because of the patterns most editors want them to meet. As alpha males, mine start out goal focused. Often another woman has hurt them or a colleagues who almost destroy whatever they value—a business or success. They are ambitious, sometimes ruthless, with a strong desire to succeed. Most aren't seeking love. They may seek women who can enhance their lifestyle, definitely not the heroine. In the beginning, they often, but not always, prefer gooey woman or at least the image of a successful hostess. Over the course of the story, the hero changes and becomes more vulnerable and human. 

I don't write gooey women. Mine are spunky, logical to a fault, and determined to save the world, whether the hero's life or another alien world. They don't give up even in the face of overwhelming odds. They aren't good at relationships and rebel against alpha male types. Some lack confidence while others are overconfident. 

All my characters have strengths and flaws. Strengths when carried to extremes become flaws. Except for villains, my characters change during the course of the story and sometimes end up with goals they would not have originally considered. 

In my mysteries, the hero/ine unmasks the evil, but s/he is not necessarily caught, which some editors consider a no-no. I dislike mysteries where the evil doer when confronted, confesses all. I want them to stay true to their nature. However, it can also be fun to have them change and reform. This is often true in Young Adult stories. 

Another important aspect is to stay within character. This can be difficult in time travel romances, thrillers, novels with differing ethnic backgrounds, or alien worlds. Language, manner of speech, and mannerisms may and usually do differ. Characters may see each other and the story settings in vary different ways. These differences may create added conflict and add richness to the story. 

The most important thing to remember: readers must become vested in the characters and root for them to succeed. Every writer wants the readers to believe in the characters.  

There are many books on character traits and motivation available, especially those from the Writer's Digest. Ultimately though, one of best methods is to take a book in the genre that you have enjoyed and analyze the characters. Why do you like them? What are their strengths, weaknesses, and flaws? How do they change over the course of the story? 

Above all, write characters the reader can understand and empathize with. All readers may not love the characters, but they should be able to understand and root for them. Barry Longyear accomplished this in Enemy Mine. If you haven’t read it or seen the movie, it has a lot to teach writers. 

www.nellduvall.com

When Lilacs Bloom (ebook and paperback)

Beyond the Rim of Light by Alex Stone (Nell DuVall and Steven Riddle) (book and paperback)

Train to Yesterday (ebook and hardback)

Selvage (ebook and paperback, Aug. 2012)

A bank scam, a series of accidents that end as murders, and police too ready to accept simple explanations for deaths push freelance writer Brooke Beldon and systems programmer Paul Counts ever deeper into a tangled conspiracy. She struggles to clear her brother’s name. Paul, a sucker for a blue-eyed blonde, initially wants to help her, but also ends the chief suspect in murder. He must clear his name and unravel the bank theft to identify the culprits.

The only clue they have is the name of a sleazy strip club. Paul gets stonewalled at the club, so Brooke enlists the help of a sympathetic hostess. Going undercover, she tries to learn all she can about her kid brother Stan and the woman who left with him the night he died.

Bio:

World traveler Nell DuVall has visited all the continents except South American and Antarctica. She has participated in marine surveys and archeological expeditions in Scotland, Ireland, and Turkey. Living for a while in the Appalachian foothills of southern Ohio gave her the inspiration for the "Corpulent Chiropteran" in Curious Hearts and her four Halloween tales in the ebook Teaching Man and Other Tales.

As Mel Jacob, ahe also regularly reviews speculative fiction for www.SFREVU.com and mysteries for www.Gumshoereview.com.

Five Tips for Writing Paranormals by Rebecca Zanetti

Happy July, everyone!  I wasn't able to find somebody to post today at FF&P, so guest what?  Yep.  You get me.  :) 

I think the key to writing a good paranormal is to make the world somehow normal for your reader.  Through the last year, I've come up with five tips for writing a paranormal romance:

1)      Remember even if your hero is a six foot genius vampire with huge pecs and perfectly rugged features who single-handedly has saved humanity three times…he has to have a flaw somewhere.  And no…being too kind, endowed, or brilliant don’t count.  My favorites are when the character has to fight his own flaw, usually in the nick of time to beat the bad guy.

2)      Remember that your reader probably isn’t a six foot genius vampire…nor is she dating one.  So it’s crucial to find a way for your reader to relate to the characters.  I have two sisters and a strong family life, and so my vampires deal with family life daily.  The Dark Protector Series is about five brothers and how they not only find love but work together to save their race.

3)      Remember that whatever exciting, complex, deep world you build in Book 1…you’re stuck with for the rest of the series.  Leave yourself some wiggle room.  Also, you don’t have to build your entire world in book one.  You just need enough of your world for that book to make sense.

4)      Remember that there are tons of paranormal books out there—make your world different.  Put your unique spin on it.  I’m a lawyer and things have to make a sort of logical sense to me.  So I had to figure out HOW a male vampire (who in my world is very much alive) could make his mate immortal—turns out genetics and the mutation of chromosomes made sense.  It was a different spin, at least enough of one that my editor was intrigued.

5)      Finally, don’t hold yourself back.  As writers, we often stop and think about how the next editor/reader/reviewer/our first grade teacher/our neighbor…etc.  will react to our secret little worlds.  Don’t worry about them.  Let yourself go and have some fun with creating.

BIO:  Rebecca Zanetti is the author of the sexy Dark Protector Series from Kensington.  The fourth book in the series, CONSUMED, released on July 5^th.  To find Rebecca on the web or to read an excerpt, drop by her website:  http://rebeccazanetti.com/