What category: examination of alpha male archetype

[A_Little_Show]

Several years ago, a Literotica author I admire challenged me to write about the alpha male archetype. I wrote two stories, and I'm wondering where to put them.

The first studied on the appeal of an alpha man and the consequences of loving him e.g. He dominates every room, paternally protects, and gets his way, but other women want him too, and he's never content with just one lover. There's a lot of sex in the story and plenty of exhibition. However, it ends on a note of mild lament as the female protagonist realizes she's not enough for her man.

Options:
Erotic encounters - Can this category tolerate lament at the end?
Exhibition & Voyeur - The protagonist is exposed and exhibits herself, but the main story is pursuit and sex with the alpha male - the exhibition is almost incidental.
Fetish - Everything's a fetish, right? I don't know what to call loving a polyamorous man though.
There is a gradually revealed mystery. Is there a place for that? The protagonist is offered a possible future with a beta male at the end - her decision is left up to the readers.
Any other possibilities?


The second is a response to a very particular request for a non-satirical sympathetic depiction of an alpha male who is impotent. I like the story. Where could it possibly go though? There is some sexual contact and there are revealing memories of kinky sex described. There's a smoldering build-up to revelation. Romance? It's not exactly the ending I suspect romance readers crave. Fetish?

I appreciate you opinions. I don't have a handle on the category system here.

 

[GorgeousGeekGirl]

Being military I dated quite a few Alfa males. I can give you a bit of insight about them.

1. The younger ones are rowdier and more prone to fighting. The older ones have a really dirty trick up their sleeve that lets you know just how fucked you are.

2. They are very possessive about women. If she is his, hands off! And if he is dating a couple at a time, it's still hands off any he deems his.

3. They aren't really into female sexual humiliation. It's more like they are looking for her to be completely enthralled and think he's the best thing in britches. The kind of dirty talk they look for is more praise oriented: you like that big cock? Or I'm going to make you cum so hard you'll always think about me when you're with another man.

4. One key way they establish/prove Alfa male status is by pursuing intimidating women. Model gorgeous and out of your league? At least 20 IQ points higher than you? Has money and status? They will go forth and be bold. I had a 2nd job waitressing. One if my tables had 2 guys. One was flirty with me, in a kind of domineering way. He asked when I was getting off and what I was doing. I told him the time and that I was going home to bed. He said I should join them instead. So they are still there when I get off, so I let them know about the new girl who will be serving them. The Alfa asks my plans again, and I tell him. At that point, he grabs my wrist , pulls me into the booth and says "no, I said you're hanging out with us." So I stay to argue with him. 3 hours later, we are getting ready to leave and he asks my plans. I tell him calling my roommate for a ride home home, then shower and bed. He informs me that he is giving me a lift then we are spending the night together. I argued with him until he slid that monster cock into me. Got no sleep and felt bruised from ribs to knees for a week. I miss him every time I think of him.

5. Alfa males also pay for things. They know money is power. They don't throw money around, but do make purchases in such a way that it lets you know who is in charge. They also withhold paying for things, again as a power ploy.

6. Alfas usually aren't bullies, and will often stand up to bullies. Alfas want power and dominance, whereas bullies are sadists. Bullies are good targets for alfas because once a bully is his bitch, anyone the bully has harrassed will be under the Alfa also.

7. Brand names: tricky. An Alfa may wear a top brand, a middle brand, or even a generic, but will always give a reason that he chose it for a specific reason. If he wears/uses a top brand, you'll hear "it's worth the extra money for the quality." If it's a mid brand, you'll hear "I like this because its good quality. I'm not going to pay extra for just a label." If it's generic, you'll hear "it doesn't matter, one is as good as another, and there are a couple things that you want a certain brand because of the quality, so I'll save my money for that. I don't spend money in stupid shit to impress people that don't matter." The key is him making sure you know it's HIS decision.

8. Alfas are focused. When they do something, they are determined to do it very well. In order to be an Alfa, you need to be better than others. This is why almost all of them are in great shape. Which is more likely to be an Alfa, 6' with a paunch or 5'6" with chiseled arms? They will practice things relentlessly. One Alfa I dated had practiced a trick where he could shoot a bottle cap by snapping his fingers. He would snap it at someone's drink, and could often spill it. They do often offer to help with things because it gives them a chance to show strength, knowledge, prowess, etc, which again, garners power.

9. Alfas are dedicated and stubborn. Quitters are losers to them because quitting loses power. Staying to finish, especially when it's hard and others quit, gains power.

 

[GorgeousGeekGirl]

One more thing: women usually break up with alfas. The dominance and unevenness of the relationship are too much. Alfas tend to have short lived relationships because of this. When asked why, the Alfa will put up his hands and say, " you know how it is with women. No telling what they think."

 

[NaokoSmith]

Hullo sweet thing, welcome to the board.

Those sound like great stories. Do put a link to your submissions in your signature and come back to tell us when they go live, won't you.

I think your first is not acksherly a fetish story. I can see your difficulty, since there is no Loving Husbands category, LOL. However, if you make a good guess and then put in the submission notes box a note to explain to Laurel your difficulty, she may be able to help. She sometimes reassigns stories to different categories in any case - she put one of mine that I put as Fantasy in GM and it did fine in there, she was quite right, that was the proper place for it.

Would your second story fit into First Time? Or there is Non-erotic but it sounds like yours is an erotic story, just about someone inexperienced.

Have fun in here! There are great word games and you can have a nice chat 'n flirt in party threads. If anyone is a bit funny to you, go: "Oooh a troll sighting!" and just laugh merrily and skip away. People are very kind in here and you can get great advice on writing stuff, although there is a trolling now and then of an interesting and unusual kind.

 

[lovecraft68]

I'll add one point.

Any male that deems himself one, usually isn't.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Some interesting reading on the "alpha male" thing here. PUAs base a lot of this stuff on the "alpha wolf" thing - which, leaving aside the problems with using animals as a model for human behaviour, turns out to be a myth even for wolves.

 

[LadyVer]

Some interesting reading on the "alpha male" thing here. PUAs base a lot of this stuff on the "alpha wolf" thing - which, leaving aside the problems with using animals as a model for human behaviour, turns out to be a myth even for wolves.

Interesting website.

 

[cfuhrer]

It's been nearly twenty years since I took the class but as an undergrad I took a class that explored male archetypes through film.

I can only remember three of the four archetypes: Kings, Knights, and Jesters. I think maybe the fourth one was Thieves (whatever it was it didn't fit with the obvious theme).