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Mary Reed McCall on Gamma’s
A couple of posts back we had a huge chit-chat about different types of heros. Well it seems Mary Reed McCall (a past guest here) has a very detailed opinion on what a “Gamma” type hero is. And who am I to not allow her the stage to post on this hot topic.Thank you Mary Reed McCall for dropping back by and visiting us.
What A Gamma Hero Is (In My Book)…
By Mary Reed McCall
This is an interesting topic for me, in large part because there IS no real definition of “gamma” heroes in terms of romance literature. Oh, there are hypotheses and conversations, message board posts about the topic, and statements of opinion. There are many who talk a great deal, after all, about the beloved “alpha” hero type. Not as frequently, you’ll come across a hero who is described as a “beta” - though this kind of romance guy doesn’t seem to be as hugely popular as the alpha.
In the end, an opinion about what makes a gamma hero is all I am going to be able to offer you in this blog: What I can assure you of is the fact that that opinion is based upon years of reading books and literature of all sorts and of course writing my own slew of heroes…most of whom I would define under my perception of the gamma male.
So, in preparing this blog, I did a quick dictionary search of the word “gamma”, to see if I could discern why it began to pop up a few years back during internet conversations about hero classifications. Here’s the kicker: All it means, in even a remotely literature-based sense (since it’s literally a Greek letter and/or a scientific term) is the classification of “third” in a grouping. Third, can you believe it? It doesn’t sound very exciting for the most powerful type of hero, does it? But I assure you, it is.
My reason for calling it the most powerful hero type stems from my own personal definition of a gamma hero: A gamma, IMO, is a hero who takes all the best qualities of an alpha and all the best qualities of a beta and merges them together (hence the third designation). When a gamma hero is created, what you get is a natural-born leader who can mete out justice, matching and overcoming any rival or villain with deadly force (though the use of razor-sharp intelligence can be sexy too!), all while possessing the wherewithal and sensitivity never to abuse his position of power (stated or unstated) with the heroine. In fact, he understands and appreciates the heroine for her own individual talents and strengths. Over the course of the story he comes to recognize her special qualities and quirks and (eventually) gives in to the often difficult-to-admit realization that she is the perfect “other half” for him as well as the love of his life.
A pretty heady combo, wouldn’t you say? A man who is tough, skilled, and deadly to the bad guys, while being tender, sexy, and sweet to the woman he loves. In other words, the perfect romance hero.
Another thing I like about what I call “gammas”…one of the alpha aspects they often take on (at least in my books) is the dark mystery of a wounded and tormented past. Gammas can be great “tortured heroes” because they can carry with them all the emotional baggage and wrenching torment that an alpha often does - and yet instead of using that tortured past as an excuse to lash out at those weaker than himself (which for a straight alpha is pretty much everyone, including the heroine), the gamma hero tends to be a “manly-man” who keeps that darkness locked away deep inside, only finding the strength and motivation to drag it to the surface, confront it, and deal with it through the love of the right woman.
A wounded hero, healed by love…all without using the heroine as a scapegoat, blaming her for all his past ills (or if he does place some blame on her when she deserves it, as in the case of Damien and Alissende, in my latest, Sinful Pleasures: The Templar Knights, his anger toward her doesn’t last too long), or otherwise putting her through an unfair wringer in the process.
Sigh…
So that’s my definition of a gamma hero, in a simplified nutshell. There are many other little details that make up a gamma for me, and I could probably describe how every hero I’ve ever written falls under the classification of a “gamma”…but then this blog would go on for six or seven pages, LOL. However, I’ll be glad to address any questions or respond to anything anyone wants clarified or explained (with examples, if appropriate) in the comments section.
Thanks for inviting me back for a little visit to Romantically Inclined - I feel like I’ve come home and Ma’s put on the tea for a cozy chat - very welcoming!
–MRM
p.s. sorry I missed my post yesterday, busy getting boxes together.
Mary, thank you for your explanation of how you see a gamma hero! I agree with you fullheartedly.
I think that gamma heroes are probably what the people that say they like alpha *really* like. Because I can’t see how anyone could really like the abusive kind of personality that an alpha tends to get. Either that, or some people just write alpha wrong.
I find it difficult to put someone in a box. As a writer, I just write a character. If someone then wants to put that character in a box labelled Alpha or Gamma (or even Beta) that’s up to them. I don’t purposefully set out to write any certain kind of personality group.
In the MS I just finished my hero actually labels people and put them in boxes himself, only to eventually find out that he’s not as good a judge of character as he thought himself. He’s not always spot on (especially not where the heroine is concerned!)
June 25th, 2006 at 6:28 amEmily
Very informative, Mary. Thank you!
June 25th, 2006 at 9:37 amMary, welcome back to RI. Thanks for guest blogging with us here today.
My fellow readers and writers,
When I wrote last Sunday’s blog “Choose your hero” the idea came to me while reading Gaelen Foley’s Pirate Prince. It’d been a while since I thought of a male character as an alpha or beta, but with the hero of PP, Lazar Di Fiore the designation (in my head) came the moment he first appeared on the page. Then it got me thinking about what others call these heroes, including betas and gammas. I did little research on the matter when I wrote my blog, I wanted to see what others thought of the subject, morerover I really wanted to know what a Gamma hero was.
So we ended up discussing alpha and beta heroes, pros and cons, if you will. However, in the end, I had no real “definition” of a Gamma hero.
What did I do? I researched the subject and one thing led to another and I found Mary’s response to a similar question at a message board.
I was thrilled to pieces! Because finally I found an author who was talking about this very topic!
I contacted Mary and asked her to share her opinion on Gamma heroes (I didn’t know how busy she was at this time) here she is today helping RI out with this topic.
Feel free to ask questions and comments as Mary will be checking in periodically to answer them.
Again, Mary ,is pleasure to have you back at RI. We look forward to having you guest blog with us in the future as well
June 25th, 2006 at 10:34 amSincerely,
Isabel
Thanks for the welcome back - it’s great to be here again for a visit!
I just wanted to add another thought to my posted “gamma” definition: Many readers and writers have noted on other sites, message boards, etc, that alpha heroes (well, alphas other than the really brutal, old-school types) do indeed turn to mush and do eventually admit to the heroine how much she means to them. This is what makes them so attractive as characters…the tough, strong man, brought to his figurative or sometimes literal knees by the woman he loves. And it may be true, that alphas have the ability to declare their love to the heroine by the end of the story.
BUT…
A gamma (IMO, of course) is willing to admit how he feels about the heroine to the whole world as well. Some of the best scenes I’ve read (often at the ends of books) are where the gamma hero (who has acted all alpha, clashing swords and banging heads, usually in the defense of the heroine) stands up before the entire group present (whether it be his men, the people of his demesne, a royal court, the ton etc etc), and makes it very clear that he worships and adores the heroine. Sometimes it’s verbally (many of the heroes I write seem to have this penchant *g*) and other times it’s just through actions - but they’re not afraid to let *everyone* see how they feel, not just the heroine.
That, to me, is a distinction between a straight alpha and a gamma.
Just wanted to add that bit, as it slipped my mind when I was writing the blog, late Friday night.
–MRM
June 25th, 2006 at 10:56 amWell Gamma sounds good to me! Both in reading and in writing.
My heroes in my writing have been Alpha, but I am going to try gamma with my next hero Rafer.
It feels good to have you back Mary. Enjoy your stay…again!
Also, could you do a blog on “Does a romance novel always have to have a villain?” Sometimes I think just a story about the hero and heroine’s relationship and how they overcome obstacles, find love with each other, with some dramatic scenes involved as well would be nice, but I don’t know if I could sell a book like that? Thanks
June 25th, 2006 at 11:59 amMichelle,
Thanks for the welcome back - it Is nice to be back!
As for the blog about a romance novel without a villain…that depends on whether or not Haven invites me.
However, in the interim, I will say that yes, I think books without a physical villain can work, with certain adjustments. My first Templar book, Beyond Temptation, is that kind of book, in that the “villain” is the Inquisition - represented at various points in the novel by various people, it’s true - and I do have another minor villanous Templar brother thrown in. But the primary conflict is between the h/h and overcoming other internal issues, along with the Inquisition hanging over their heads.
I may have to wait to any more blogs, however, until after my deadline Sept 1 I’m waaaay behind where I want to be on the mss.
But I’m all yours (and everyone else at RI!) for the next two days.
June 25th, 2006 at 12:53 pm–MRM
Wow. Now the definition got a little bit initmidating! All that in 400 pages. I think I need another cup of coffee before I can fully absorb that…
And Michelle, there are plenty of novels without villains. How many of Julia Quinn’s books have villains? Not to say you are the next Julia Quinn, but then again, who’s to say you’re not?
June 25th, 2006 at 1:32 pmThanks, Mary! That’s a great blogpost. And I think Gamma’s are my favorite, I just never thought of grouping them until lately!
June 25th, 2006 at 4:25 pmAh Lacey, that Julia Quinn comment was cute!
Not to say you are the next Julia Quinn, but then again, who’s to say you’re not?
LOL. Thanks!
June 25th, 2006 at 8:43 pmMary, welcome back to RI!
Thanks so much for your thorough explanation for a “gamma” hero. I do so enjoy reading about those types and now I know exactly what to call them!
With this in mind, I would classify the hero in my WIP as a “gamma”. YAY!!
Again, thanks so much for this!
Andrea
p.s. Will you be at Nationals in Atlanta next month? If so, I’d love to meet you!
June 25th, 2006 at 8:47 pmMary are you kidding me? You are invited here anytime you wish. (p.s. I’ve sent you an email)
I have a quick question, how would you classify a hero who openly admits he is in love with the herione but isn’t exactly a push-over. My dearest Ashton knew he was in love with Lindsey from the first moment he saw her (which happens to be when she was young, hey he’s a vampire haha).
BTW ladies, I’m so jealous of the ones that are going to RWA next month. Paint me green already haha.
June 25th, 2006 at 10:20 pmOH drat, I forgot to mention something.
Thank you Isabel for being so curious hehe. Without that MRM might not have given us this great blog.
June 25th, 2006 at 10:26 pmHi desperate writer (waving)!
And hi AndreaW, too. Yes, I am planning to be in Atlanta (the airfare just about made me fall over, when I finally booked it). I’d love to meet you!
Haven, I think your hero sounds like a gamma as well. I agree with Emmie (Hi Emmie!) in that gammas are far more common than straight alphas - but most readers just don’t realize it. The fact that Ashton admits to everyone that he’s in love with her is considered (IMO) less of an alpha trait and more on the beta side. BUT, that he’s not a pushover is more alpha (leader of the pack, strong-willed, stubborn, protective etc).
My heroes are never pushovers either. If they’re sensitive, considerate, emotive, tell everyone they love the heroine, and pretty much let her run the show, they’re probably a beta. It’s the mix that I think is fascinating. A gamma is the best of both worlds (and lacey kaye, I know the definition seemed intimidating to you when you read the blog etc yesterday, but it’s really easy if you just think of combining some traits - not always the same ones, even, which is what gives a nice variety - of alpha and beta-type men. That produces a sexy gamma, IMO, every time.
)
Lastly, michelle, I have to say I love your Mel Gibson/William Wallace with Sophie Marceau/Isabel picture, attached to your blog below. That movie (inaccurate as it was in many aspects of history) really got to me when it came out. I was 8 1/2 months pregnant with my first child then, and I was so bothered by the ending (I hadn’t done my research yet, to know how WW’s life ended) that I was crushed. Naturally, I purchased the video and music cd, and my daughter, once she was born, would turn her head toward the sound any time the closing music would play - though she wouldn’t do that to any other piece of music, LOL.
Anyway, it’s a great picture. I love Isabel’s hair. My current Templar Knights series takes place in the early 1300’s as well - and the second in the series, Sinful Pleasures, which just came out in May, actually has two scenes featuring Isabel and her husband, the new King Edward II. The third and final book in the series, which I’m writing now, is set in the *Lowlands* of Scotland in 1309 (hey, maybe your characters know my characters, LOL) - though I did write one Highland romance set in the mid-1500’s…The Sweetest Sin.
Love those highland stories (and the market seems to love them, too, so you’ve chosen a marketable setting for your manuscript!
June 26th, 2006 at 7:28 am–MRM
Wow, you guys have been busy here!
Thanks Haven for mentioning my curiousity *g* but really it’s all of you fellow RIers, readers and MRM who brought this about. I think it’s a great topic and although not all heroes fit a specific mold I think it’s important to be familiar with these terms/labels.
Personally before all this I thought there was a fine line (actually a huge gap) between alpha and beta heroes, knowing more about gamma heroes makes more sense to me and fills in that gap.
I’ll throw this out there and say that a “true” alpha hero straddles the line between the good guy and the villain.
MRM ~ So if the “true” alpha doesn’t abuse the heroine (or if he does realizes he’s in the wrong) does that make him a gamma? *I may be running in circles here LOL
Isabel
June 26th, 2006 at 9:02 amLOL, Isabel…this is only my opinion, of course, but I see true alphas as follows:
Alphas don’t have to be abusive (though old school alphas can be - not necessarily physically abusive, except in 70’s and 80’s romance novels, perhaps) but often they’re so strong-willed that if their needs/wants/goals come into conflict with the heroine’s, it’s no contest, and an alpha will ensure that it’s his way or the highway, so to speak. So some people classify this as emotionally abusive. Topped with the fact that they rarely admit how they’re feeling, and then, only to the heroine and only once all seems lost - and you can see why an alpha can sometimes have a bad reputation for being a bit of a “bully”.
Still, an alpha can admit he’s wrong (grudgingly - and usually only when really pressed or at the make-or-break point in a relationship) and still be an alpha. The difference between an alpha and a gamma (again IMHO) comes in the willingness to see another person’s perspective…to walk a bit in their shoes. Alphas tend to see things only one way - their own. Gammas can more readily see others’ feelings and alter their behavior because of it.
But I want to be clear that being alpha doesn’t equate with being cruel. Alphas can come across that way, it’s true - but it’s not a neccesity of the type. The only hero I’ve written who has primarily alpha tendencies is probably Duncan from my Scottish book The Sweetest Sin. He tends to see things on the straight and narrow path of his own perceptions (and so he misunderstands or makes mistakes where his heroine, Aileana, is concerned on several occasions). He never admits how he feels about her to the world at large…though he does confess it to her in private.
William Wallace in Braveheart is what I consider an alpha-leaning gamma. He’s a leader and capable of violence for the sake of justice, and all that he does is governed by his own sense of what he wants, his goals, and what he thinks is right. And if you’ve seen the movie, you know that he’s very, very persistant in his pursuit of Murron, his eventual wife, against the will of her father. He’s persuasive with her as well - single-minded almost. But he takes others feelings into account and apologizes for his actions. When Murron is killed, he voluntarily kneels before her father at her graveside, asking forgiveness for his part in her death.
Also, when it comes to his love affair with Isabel, later (which was an historical impossibility, BTW, as Isabel didn’t even enter Scotland until after WW’s execution), he pursues it on his own terms - but with consideration for her and her needs. Later, when she tries to offer him the drug to ease his pain during his coming execution, he appears to take it to offer her some comfort, but then spits it out once she leaves. He’s alpha in that he’s single-minded in doing what he feels is right, but he’s beta in caring about how his actions affect others…which makes him gamma in my opinion.
Does any of this make any sense?
It’s a complex issue, shaded with so many variations, that it’s surely arguable. These are just my opinions, and I offer them only to give some insights on how I see the whole hero-type conundrum in the hopes of helping you all form your own opinions on the issue.
–MRM
June 26th, 2006 at 9:56 amI guess one of the things that makes writing fun is precisely this: there are so many facets to people’s personalities. When I said the explanation was intimidating, I did mean that it seemed there was a lot to keep track of. And if one chose only a handful of these characteristics I’m sure a fully-developed hero could still be created. But on paper–in words–wow! There are so many to choose from, it seems like it would be hard to create a single personality from any three or more.
To jump in the conversation here, though, the very aspect of the hero’s personality is what started me writing my own ms to begin with. I wanted to try for an unconventional hero–which may come back to bite me in the ass later on! But I am fascinated by the contrast between Alpha and Beta and so I tried to make a play on those two differences. In other words, I was not trying to create a “grey” Gamma hero, but a true Beta struggling with true Alpha problems. I can’t say any more without giving away my concept, so I won’t–although it’s killing me! But this is a great topic & always fun to dissect.
June 26th, 2006 at 11:00 amMary, this helps me out quite a bit, thanks for going into so much details with examples
There’s no need for the hero to be abusive to heroine, IMO.
I’ve read romances from the early 80s with the super alpha jerk heroes and I must admit I stopped reading romances for a while after one disturbing read
Thanks heavens for the new alpha, beta and gamma heroes!
Isabel
June 26th, 2006 at 1:37 pmWow, you just wrote the perfect description for the hero in my novel. And I didn’t even start out writing a “gamma” hero–that’s just the way the character materialized in my head.
If there is any problem I’ve had with my gamma hero, it’s that some of my CPs complain that he’s not dark or tortured enough, LOL. But I personally have trouble relating to heroes who are very dark and tortured and then experience a miraculous change because of the heroine. I just never buy it, so I knew I could never write that sort of hero!
June 26th, 2006 at 2:25 pmBarbara, welcome to RI
Look forward to your comments.
Isabel
June 26th, 2006 at 2:45 pmMary, it was lovely having you drop by to answer questions for these two days. It’s awesome to see how our characters can mold our story. No matter how we imagine a scene if the H/H play it out right it can make a mess of everything.
Hope you have a great week.
ps. Thank you for dropping by Barbara.
June 26th, 2006 at 10:27 pmIt’s been fun and informative having you here, Mary. Hope you blog with us in the future!
Hugs,
June 26th, 2006 at 10:34 pmIsabel
Thanks, everyone at RI for inviting me back and for being so welcoming. I’m sinking into deadline writing now, but Haven and I have e-mailed back and forth, and it looks like I’ll be back for another visit sometime in the early fall. Looking forward to it!
I’ve enjoyed my time here with you all, as always…
Mary RM
June 27th, 2006 at 7:23 amAwesome, Mary! I look forward to your next visit
June 27th, 2006 at 11:11 amIsabel
Thanks for the welcomes!
I’ve been reading for a while, just don’t comment often. Lacey’s one of my CPs, which is how I came across the site in the first place.
June 27th, 2006 at 11:58 amBarbara, as the saying goes, the more the merrier
It’s good to have you join us.
Isabel
June 27th, 2006 at 12:45 pm