A Wicked Welcome to K.D. Richards
by Julie, staying warm in Somerville
I am delighted to welcome K.D. Richards back to the blog today. She writes the West Investigations romantic suspense series. Book 8, A Stalker’s Prey, was released this week.
Character – It’s PersonalI’m often asked whether my story ideas begin with character or plot. To be honest, I’ve had ideas come to be both ways. Sometimes the plot comes first, often driven by an important scene. Other times it’s a character that pops into my head, clear as a bell. But whether the idea for a story starts with plot or character, to me the characters are what really drive the story.
The characters mold the plot. A main character that is outgoing, maybe even a little aggressive, is going to pursue solving a mystery in a much different fashion than a reserved, introverted character. And importantly, they are going to think and feel about things differently. And it’s those thoughts and feelings that make a character believable and relatable.
To me, creating a character that feels real is particularly important in the procedural type novels that I write. It is usually pretty easy to explain why at least one of the protagonists is involved in the mystery. My West Investigations series revolves around a group of private investigators. Of course they find themselves in all kinds of suspenseful investigative situations! But if the only reason the characters are involved in solving the crime is because they are paid, well, that’s not all that interesting is it? Giving the characters a personal motivation, something that goes beyond a paycheck, is what really hooks readers.
In my first novel Pursuit of the Truth, my PI starts investigating when the woman he’s been crushing is almost killed multiple times. In my second novel, another PI at the firm jumps in to help his former flame find her sister. Both, of course, have the skills necessary to do the job in a believable way, but it’s personal, not professional, reasons that really drive their actions and that connect the reader to the character.
Of course there is a lot more that goes into creating well-rounded, believable characters. But if you start with what drives them personally, you’ll be on the right track.
Readers, what do you think is the most important aspect of crafting relatable characters? What draws you into a story?
About the Author
Daphne du Maurier Award finalist, K.D. Richards writes pulse pounding romantic suspense and thrillers. K.D. was born and raised in the Maryland suburbs just outside of Washington, D.C. A writer since a young age, after college she earned a law degree and worked as an attorney and legal instructor for fifteen years but never stopped writing fiction. She currently lives in Toronto with her husband and two sons.
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About the A Stalker’s PreyHollywood actress Bria Baker has all that comes with worldwide fame…including a stalker who’s followed her to a New York City film set. To assure her personal protection, the superstar hires bodyguard Xavier Nichols—the man whose heart she once broke. As the stalker’s threats escalate, so do Bria’s feelings for Xavier. But the stalker has a special role for Bria: his and his alone.
