How to Create the Beta Hero/Michele Bardsley

HOW TO CREATE THE BETA HERO Michele R. Bardsley

About The Workshop Boring wimp? Pale shadow of an alpha male? Brainy guy with glasses who believes discussing the latest IRS tax laws constitutes foreplay? In How To Create the Beta Hero, find out who a beta hero really isand how to use beta characteristics to create a complex, likeable, and gasp!, nice guy who romance readers will love! About The Author Award-winning author Michele R. Bardsley has written articles about the Beta Hero for Writers Digest (September 2004) and for RT BOOKClub (December 2003). She has given workshops for numerous organizations including RT, OVRWA, Space Coast Writers Guild, STAR, and Celebrate Romance. She is the author of five romantic comedies and several erotic romances as well as the Grand Prize Winner in the 2003 Writers Digest Annual Competition.

Copyright 2004 by Michele R. Bardsley All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. Published September 2004
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How to Create the Beta Hero/Michele Bardsley

POP QUIZ: DO YOU KNOW YOUR BETA HERO?

Question One Beta heroes are: A. Wimps. B. Shy, silent, and/or sweet. C. Easygoing, but not pushovers. ANSWERS: A. 0 B. 1 C. 2 Question Two If a heroine starts crying, a beta hero will: A. Immediately offer comfort. B. Awkwardly offer to fix the problem. C. Cry with her. ANSWERS: A. 2 B. 1 C. 0 Question Three If the heroine asks, What are you thinking? The beta hero will reply: A. Nothing. B. How beautiful you are. C. What kind of beer goes good with Cheetos. ANSWERS: A. 2 B. 2 C. 2 Question Four A beta hero's home looks like: A. The cover of House Beautiful. B. The inside of a Hooter's restaurant. C. Dusty, but tidy with garage-sale furniture and a state-of-the-art entertainment center. ANSWERS: A. 0 B. 1 C. 2 Question Five A beta hero handles emotional pain by: A. Using physical activity to exhaust himself so he doesn't have to think. B. Using humor to deflect how he's really feeling. C. Discussing how he feels with his best friend or his dad. ANSWERS: A. 1 B. 2 C. 0 Add your score: 10 points: Beta Babe! 9 to 7 points: Beta-rific. 6 to 4 points: For beta or worse. 3 to 0 points: Needs Beta 101.

How to Create the Beta Hero/Michele Bardsley

WHO IS THE BETA HERO? Readers aren't interested in what names authors use to categorize heroes. They want believable, interesting, complex men that they can sighand droolover. Whether it's the tormented man with a past or the geek with a heart of gold, readers want heroes they believe deserve the heroine's love. In The Complete Writer's Guide to Heroes and Heroines: Sixteen Master Archetypes by Tami D. Cowden, Caro LaFever, and Sue Viders, the authors examine eight hero archetypes. Their definition of The Best Friend fits well with the concept of the beta hero. The following information is taken from an article by Tami Cowden posted on the All About Romance website. The Best Friend: This man doesn't enjoy confrontation and can sometimes be unassertive because he doesn't want to hurt anyone's feelings. But he'll always be there. We all knew this guy in high school and didnt appreciate him. If we were smart, though, hes the guy we married. He's a people person and he'll always put the needs of others first. He's practical so he'd assess what could be done and get to work. He'll be very determined because he's responsible for the heroine.
Source: We Need a Hero: A Look at the Eight Hero Archetypes by Tami D. Cowden, All About Romance Website http://www.likesbooks.com/eight.html

In line with his best friend qualities, a beta hero makes a great sudden daddyhe adjusts more easily to than an alpha male. He's also an excellent role model: Women think he's sweet, kids know he'll play catch or tea party, bosses know they can rely on him to get last-minute projects completed, and men know they can trust him with their girlfriends. Within these expectations lie the seeds for potential conflict! Beta heroes need to grow, change, and learn. Nice doesn't equal perfect. An easygoing guy who's funny and sweet hides his feelings more effectively and feels pain more deeply than an alpha hero (who will, when angry or upset, stomp around, growl, and hit stuff). A beta hero hides his pain behind a smile, a joke, or a quiet reserve. A beta hero is more likely to walk away from a confrontation or do what he believes the heroine wants than to stand his ground and fight it out. This isn't wimp behavior because he's not afraid for himself, he's afraid for the person he cares about.
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How to Create the Beta Hero/Michele Bardsley

WEIRD AND WONDERFUL WAYS TO FIND YOUR HEROS INNER BETA Now that we've identified the beta hero, let's discuss how to create one. According to J. Madison Davis, who wrote Novelist's Essential Guide to Creating Plot: [A character] is a set of inherent qualities in the imitation of a human being. What we call a character in a novel, play or movie bears close resemblance to a human being but is not one. People are far more complicated than characters. People are far less predictable than characters. Characters are designed to seem complicated and to act in some surprising ways, but they are actually more consistent than people. The behaviors that seem surprising from characters are based upon a clear conception of their identities. In the simplest sort of story, for example, there are good guys and bad guys. The conception of their identities is very simple, and their behavior is predicted by what the author values as good or bad. Romance heroes are, in essence, the ideals of the author packaged in a tight pair of jeans and a sexy grin. To create a hero is to create an inherent set of specific qualities. Each hero type has general characteristics that are refined by the author. It's important to remember that your hero may not completely align with all qualities associated with the beta or the alpha or the whatever. He is first and foremost YOUR creation and he doesn't have to fit anywhere but in your story. Let's look at some qualities for our nice-guy prototype. The beta hero: Is kind, responsible, decent Doesn't enjoy confrontation, but wont back down on an issue he wants resolved Is always available to the heroine or to others who need his help Is an extrovert or an introvert Is practical, down to earth, assesses situations before making decisions Has a great sense of humor Tends to be Mr. Nice Guy/Everyday Joe Is the kind neighbor, the best friend, the good Samaritan So now we have a basic idea about what a beta hero might be like. Let's assess how he got that way.
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How to Create the Beta Hero/Michele Bardsley

Davis writes: People's motivations are very confusing and usually dimly understood. The newspapers are full of terrible stories about kids who grow up in brutal households. One kid grows up to become a killer; another grows up to become a tireless worker to prevent child abuse. What's interesting about this assessment is that you can create a hero or a villain using the same set of circumstances. Consider, too, that the same set of circumstances can create an alpha hero or a beta hero. In romance novels, a hero's motivations, while not always revealed right away, are not confusing and are understood. There is a clarity about why characters do what they do in fiction that is not evident for people operating in the real world. The background of your beta herohis childhood, his education, his relationshipsis very important in creating his motivations for being the person he is in your book. You have the freedom to create any kind of past that explains his actions and choices today. There are tools that may useful in helping you create the beta hero. Before I talk about these tools, I'd like to point out that there are a lot of people in the world who try to figure out and categorize human beings. For every technique discovered to determine behavior, there are not only exceptions to the so-called rules, there are other people attempting to discredit the technique. I don't want to challenge your belief systems, but I do want to give you some creative ideas you can use to make your perfect fictional man. Birth Order Beta heroes are younger siblingsmore than likely they are middle children. They can also be only children, but if they are, they probably have strong female influences in their upbringing. Characteristics of the middle child: Flexible, Diplomatic, Peacemaker, Generous, Social, Competitive Middle children are good mediators and have superior cooperation skills. They don't have their parents all to themselves or get their own way. Therefore, they learn to negotiate and compromise. Characteristics of the last born child: Risk Takers, Outgoing, Creative, Sense of Humor, Question Authority
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How to Create the Beta Hero/Michele Bardsley

Youngest children in the family are typically outgoing and great at motivating other people. They are also affectionate, uncomplicated, and sometimes a little absent-minded.
Source: Birth Order Fact Sheet --- http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/5000/5279.html

Names If you want to be extremely particular in your creation of a beta hero, consider the etymology of certain names. (Etymology is the study of the origins of words.) Beta heroes won't have a name like Rock. Try for soft-sounding names like Benjamin, Charles, John, Phillip, Seth, and so forth. At babynames.com you can look up names by meaning. I also suggest tooling around on behindthename.comit has a lot of interesting information and a huge database of names. You might consider naming your hero after someone in history or in mythology with whom you want him to be identified. Or maybe, he displays the opposite qualities of that historical or mythological figure it's entirely up to you. Occupation Sure, a beta hero can be a cop or a fireman or a paratrooper, but these types of jobs are difficult fits for him (unless he has some kind of desk job within these types of departments). Possible jobs suited for beta heroes: social worker, Forest Ranger, environmentalist, teacher, artist, counselor, politician, singer, doctor, novelist, nursing home director. According to a recent study, a child's place in the family birth order may place a role in the type of occupations that will interested him or her as an adult. One of the strongest findings was the fact that only children and first-born children tended to have more cognitive and analytical interests, while later-borns were more artistic and oriented to the outdoors.
Source: Birth Order Affects Career Interests, Study Shows http://www.acs.ohio-state.edu/researchnews/archive/birthwrk.htm

How to Create the Beta Hero/Michele Bardsley

Astrological Signs You don't need to be an astrologer to use the traits of certain sun signs as blueprint for your beta hero. I'm definitely not an astrologer, but I think the sun signs are very useful tools when it's time to create the good and bad qualities of a character. It also helps you determine a birth date for your guy. I chose the signs I feel most closely mirror a beta hero's personality. My source for the following information is http://www.astrology-online.com. You might also check into numerologya fascinating way to determine personality traits. Try Creative Numerology at: http://numerology.freesoul.com/ Taurus (The Bull) --- April 21 to May 21 Traits: Patient and reliable, warmhearted and loving, persistent and determined, placid and security loving Possible Flaws: jealous and possessive, resentful and inflexible, self-indulgent and greedy Cancer (The Crab) --- June 22 to July 22 Traits: Emotional and loving, intuitive and imaginative, shrewd and cautious, protective and sympathetic Possible Flaws: Changeable and moody, overemotional and touchy, clinging and unable to let go Virgo (The Virgin) --- August 23 to September 23 Traits: Modest and shy, meticulous and reliable, practical and diligent, intelligent and analytical Possible Flaws: Fussy and a worrier, overcritical and harsh, perfectionist and conservative Libra (The Scales) --- September 24 to October 23 Traits: Diplomatic and urbane, romantic and charming, easygoing and sociable, idealistic and peaceable Possible Flaws: Indecisive and changeable, gullible and easily influenced, flirtatious and self-indulgent Sagittarius (The Archer) --- November 23 to December 21 Traits: Optimistic and freedom-loving, jovial and good-humored, honest and straightforward, intellectual and philosophical
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How to Create the Beta Hero/Michele Bardsley

Possible Flaws: Blindly optimistic and careless, irresponsible and superficial, tactless and restless Pisces (The Fishes) --- February 20 to March 20 Traits: Imaginative and sensitive, compassionate and kind, selfless and unworldly, intuitive and sympathetic Possible Flaws: Escapist and idealistic, secretive and vague, weak-willed and easily led Doshas According to Health World Online: Just as everyone has an individual face or thumb print, according to Ayurveda, each person has a particular pattern of energyan individual combination of physical, mental and emotional characteristicswhich is his or her constitution. This constitution is determined at conception by a number of factors and is the same throughout one's life. Ayurveda identifies three basic types of energy or functional principles that are present in everybody and everything. All people have vata, pitta and kapha, but one is usually primary, one secondary and the third least prominent. Determining a dominant dosha for your hero is another tool you can use to create characteristics. Each dosha has physical attributes, too, that you can use when creating your beta hero, but for now, well go over the basic information and the internal/emotional characteristics. VATA is movement and its represented by the elements of space and air. Vata people are flexible and creative, alert and restless. They walk, talk and think fast, but are easily fatigued. They often feel unstable and ungrounded and lack confidence and boldness. Out of balance, vata people are fearful, nervous, and anxious. Vata types earn money quickly and spend it quickly. They are not good planners and as a consequence may suffer economic hardship. PITTA is metabolism and its represented by the elements of fire and water. Pitta people have many qualities of fire they have warm bodies, penetrating ideas, sharp intelligence, and good powers of comprehension. Out of balance, they are
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How to Create the Beta Hero/Michele Bardsley

easily agitated and aggressive and tend toward hate, anger, and jealousy. Pitta people like to be leaders and planners and seek material prosperity. KAPHA is lubrication and its represented by the elements earth and water. Kapha people have strength, endurance, and stamina. They are calm, tolerant, forgiving. They have sweet, loving dispositions and have an excellent long-term memory. Kaphas are good at holding onto their money. Kapha types can become lethargic. When out of balance, kaphas tend to experience greed, envy, attachment, and possessiveness.
Source: Ayurveda: A Brief Introduction and Guide to the Three Doshas Dr. Vasant Lad http://www.healthy.net/asp/templates/article.asp?PageType=Article&ID=355

A beta heros dominant dosha is kapha. Like the elements of kapha, earth and water, hes very grounded, but he can also go with the flow. More Information About Doshas http://www.indianest.com/health/ayurveda/av014.htm http://www.pulsemed.org/ayurveda.htm http://www.lifepositive.com/Body/ayurveda/ayurvedic-treatments.asp#dosha Give Your Character A Dosha Test http://www.fortunecity.com/business/fleming/1319/minidosh.htm http://www.naturesformulary.com/doshatest.html http://www.shreedhanwantri.com/doshatest.php Schemas According to SchemaTherapy.com: Coping styles as normal attempts on the part of the child to survive in a difficult childhood environment. Unfortunately, we keep repeating our coping styles throughout adulthood, even when we no longer need them to survive. these coping styles lead us to act in ways that end up blocking our development In other words, an emotional schema equals inner conflict for your hero. SchemaTherapy.com puts schemas into three categories: 1. Surrender (Gives in to schemas and repeats them) 2. Avoidance (Finds ways to escape or block out schemas)
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How to Create the Beta Hero/Michele Bardsley

3. Overcompensation (Does the opposite of the feelings created by schemas) Specific information and a good overview can be found at the Advanced Cognitive Therapy of New York website. The Schema Therapy website also has a specific breakdown at its site thats valuable. (The websites are listed on the Beta Hero handout.) For our purposes, Ive taken certain schemas and their definitions from the Advanced Cognitive Therapy of New York to use for creating our beta hero, but chances are you can take any schema and make it fit with your hero. Here are the ones I choose: Disconnection & Rejection Abandonment/Instability: You expect instability, unreliability, or loss of anyone you are close to. Emotional Deprivation: You believe that your primary emotional needs for nurturance, empathy, affection, and protection will never be met by other people. Defectiveness/Shame: You feel that you are defective, bad, unwanted, inferior, or invalid. Other-Directedness Subjugation: You feel coerced to surrender your needs and emotions to other people, avoiding anger, retaliation, or abandonment. Self-Sacrifice: You voluntarily meet the needs of other people at the expense of your own gratification.
Sources: http://www.schematherapy.com/id30.htm; http://www.schematherapy.com/id71.htm; http://www.emotionalalchemy.com/; http://www.actofny.com/schema.html

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How to Create the Beta Hero/Michele Bardsley

THE BETA HERO IN ACTION Just a note here: Beta heroes are better suited for romantic comedies because their personalities are more capable of handling crazy circumstances and outrageous events. The difference between a beta hero and an alpha hero in a romantic comedy is that the beta hero will laugh at himself and the situation and the alpha hero won't. In other words, the reader laughs WITH the beta hero and laughs AT the alpha hero. Examples of Beta Heroes From Movies Jack (Bill Pullman), the nice younger brother, in While You Were Sleeping Example: He's playing cards with his comatose brother and says, Whoever gets the high card, gets Lucy. (No direct confrontation.) Shane (Keanu Reeves), the kind-hearted ex-quarterback, in The Replacements Example: He steps in to protect his deaf teammate from the insults of the teams former quarterback. When the quarterback hits him, he takes the punch then says, Had enough? (Protects his friends; wants to avoid confrontation; attempts to defuse situation with humor.)

Robbie (Adam Sandler), the heartbroken romantic, in The Wedding Singer Example: First clue he's a betahe's wedding singer. He takes an underage kid who's been drinking at the wedding outside to puke in the Dumpster. (Taking care of others who he perceives needs him.) This is when he meets the heroine, Julia. Sense of humor to deal with situations: No one could puke more than that kid. I think I saw boot come out of him.

Examples of Beta Heroes From Novels Peter, the lovelorn tongue-tied doctor, from GOOD IN BED by Jennifer Weiner Example: He offers constant support for her without demanding a thing. He doesn't even make his feelings known until almost the end of the book. (Patience, kindness, putting his own feelings/needs aside to meet the heroine's.)

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How to Create the Beta Hero/Michele Bardsley

Nick, the math teacher, from HOUSEWIFE FOR RENT by Michele Bardsley Example: He helps the heroine out of a sticky situation with a persistent suitor by announcing hes engaged to her. (An alpha would just punch the guy in the face and be done with it.) Race, the thief with a heart of gold, from RACE AGAINST TIME by Justine Davis Example: The heroine leaves out food for the anonymous burglar who's been stealing food from the homes of people living in a small mountainside community. In thanks, he picks wild flowers and leaves them on her dining room table. MAKING THE MAN: BETA HERO WRITING EXERCISE Your hero is trapped in a 10-item, cash/credit card-only line at the grocery store. The woman in front of him has about a hundred items in her cart, she has her checkbook out, and shes talking on her cell phone. The woman behind him has 5 items in her cart, but shes dealing with two twin boy toddles. Shes wearing an unmatched pair of shoes and gray sweats and her hair is sticking up because of the jelly mashed into it. Shes dealing with the kids in a manner that suggests she is unfamiliar with children. You get to decide which of these women will be the heroine. Using the beta characteristics, write the dialogue and actions of the hero. You can do anything with the scene you wish. Good luck!

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How to Create the Beta Hero/Michele Bardsley

EXAMPLE OF BETA HERO BEHAVIOR EXCERPT FROM HOUSEWIFE FOR RENT BY MICHELE BARDSLEY "This is Mira Millridge's home, is it not?" "Yes." "These are for you, my adored one." Goodness gracious. Who did she know who used such atrocious vocabulary and had a deviated septum? She slid cautiously opened the front door. "I know it isn't our planned day to be together, Mira," said the nasal-man. "But you said that you loved surprises ... so here I am." The roses parted to reveal a dough-faced, balding man whose height left him breast level to her. "I know this is going to sound silly, but I fell in love with you when I received that first adorable letter. I hired a private detective to find you." The same heavy feeling she'd had at her Aunt Betty's weddingwhen she'd drank too much champagne and ate three pieces of cakesettled over her. "Mister, er, mister...." "It's Howardyour darling Howie, remember?" "Am I interrupting something important?" The male voice sounded familiar. Mira looked across Howie's shiny head straight at the man who had saved her from spending the morning trapped in the oak tree. And here he was again, bearing witness to another embarrassing situation for her. Howies gaze focused on her. "I want you to marry me." Mira blinked down at Howie. "What?" A diamond the size of a marble appeared among the roses. "You're the one for me," he said with a happy sigh. "No, I'm not. Im really not." "I've purchased a place in town, so that I can be close to you. And I'll propose every day until you say yes." He was too pathetic to be a serial killer or even a really effective stalker. But visions of Howie appearing on her doorstep every day to propose marriage panicked her. Who was this guy? And why did he think she knew him? "I mean I can't becausebecause..." "I'm her fianc," said her rescuer, who had settled against the porch railing. Howie looked at her for confirmation and she realized that it was either a sudden engagement with the high school teacher whod saved her or seeing the short, bald
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How to Create the Beta Hero/Michele Bardsley

guy on her porch every day. She pushed past the roses and stood next to the teacher. "Yes. My fianc," she repeated. Her tongue thickened with the lie. "Please meet" She looked up, realizing he'd never told her his name. "Kade," the man said. "Nicholas Kade." You can find out more about HOUSEWIFE FOR RENT and my other romantic comedies through Hard Shell Word Factory: www.hardshell.com.

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How to Create the Beta Hero/Michele Bardsley

AUTHOR BIO Award-winning author Michele R. Bardsley has written articles about the Beta Hero for Writers Digest (September 2004) and for RT BOOKClub (December 2003). She has given workshops for numerous organizations including RT, OVRWA, Space Coast Writers Guild, STAR, and Celebrate Romance. She has written five romantic comedies for Hard Shell Word Factory, several erotic romances for Elloras Cave, and now writes for New American Library. Her first NAL title, Cupid, Inc., is due out in August 2005. Her articles have appeared in numerous publications including Writers Digest Magazine, RT BOOKClub Magazine, and Byline Magazine. Michele has won many awards for her work, including the Grand Prize for A Mother Scorned in the 72nd Annual Writers Digest Competition, Best Romantic Suspense for Midnight Intentions in the 2002 EPPIE Awards, and the Top Winner for Housewife For Rent in the 1996 Silhouette Yours Truly Contest. Michele lives in Tampa, Florida with her husband and their two children, and two Bengal kitties. Email her any time at michelebardsley@yahoo.com or visit her website: www.michelebardsley.com

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