101 Writing Tips from an Exhausted Reviewer

The Alpha Werewolf

Now, a lot of people are very anti-this. Especially reviewers.

And honestly, I can't blame them! 

I think I must have read about twenty werewolf books last year, and I think they were usually my least favourite. 

But here's the thing: it's not because of the alpha werewolf trope. 

It's because of how it is implemented. 

Because, here is the thing! There is a reason the alpha werewolf trope is so popular. Part of it is, yes, we are young and hormonal and find men who have an inclination for biting very sexy. Part of it is simply what we see in the media -- like, hello, if I thought every werewolf looked like Dylan O'Brien, hell yeah, sign me UP. He's so cute. 

We also admire their strength, and, similar to the 'bad boy' trope, there's a sense of adventure and rebellion that really excites us. We get too nervous seeing dogs bite people, but having human-dogs with abs do it? Hot. 

And, like I always say, there is nothing wrong with people liking whatever they like. If you want to read werewolf books, go for it. If you want to write werewolf books, no one is stopping you! In fact, I've read a werewolf book or two that I have, quite simply, adored. 

But, as I always say, you need to be careful of how you implement it. You need to make sure you are not promoting toxicity. 

So, in this chapter, I'm going to talk about three certain things: 

- The Problematic Thingz (so you know to avoid writing them!).

- The Good Thingz (so you know why it's okay to enjoy writing and reading these!).

- The Thingz I Wanna See More (so if you're looking for werewolf inspiration ideas, please, take one of these and then tag me so I can read the book!).

First up: 

THE PROBLEMATIC THINGZ!

We'll start with the first one: toxic masculinity. 

It's quite straightforward, really. Because we romanticise this "Alpha Werewolf" who is usually a man, who is usually swooned after and adored, we can sometimes insinuate that men are only attractive when they are not vulnerable. Why? It's because The Alpha Werewolf is never vulnerable. He is always strong and fierce and brave. And he always wins the girl. 

In more scary terms, he can result to aggression. Because it's the 'animalistic predator' inside him. Again, we should not romanticise this! It isn't attractive (for most people) to be strangled! 

Now, let's talk about this 'animalistic predator' thing. Because that's my next big issue: 

Alpha Werewolves Do Not Represent Actual Wolves. 

Now. I know, we are doing fictional writing. Werewolves do not have to be anything like wolves. You can create your own lore. 

But so many authors excuse the concept of 'alpha' and 'aggressive, animalistic, grrrr' as something that we see in real wolves. Which is... absolutely not the case! 

Wolves are very intelligent, very caring, and very playful. There is a reason humans were able to work with them, before we even bred dogs. They make sure to educate their children, they take care of those who are injured, and they stick with their family. 

And the alpha isn't the "strongest" or the "sexiest" (though, can you imagine? real ass wolves lining up to see whose fur is the shaggiest?). It is basically the breeding pair of the pack. Not the hot, single one. The breeding pair. There is an alpha male and alpha female.