How to Write Romantic Suspense Without Sacrificing your Characters or Losing Your Plot

by Andrea Kane

The following article appeared in the January 2006 issue of The Heartline Herald, newsletter of the New Jersey Romance Writers. Permission is granted to sister RWA Chapters to reprint with credit to author (including bio)and chapter.

It's always the characters. Always has been, always will be. If you don't care about them, you won't care about their lives, the people who impact them, or the dangers that threaten them.

My novels begin with, end with, and stem from the characters who fill the pages--heroes, heroines, villains and, yes, animals. To me they are real, intense-with their own unique stories filled with joys and sorrows, goals and achievements. The challenge for me is to bring to life their vibrant, individual personalities without sacrificing an iota of their potential or compromising an iota of their stories.

There always seems to be a war between the desire to delve deeper into each character, and the desire to keep the pace fast and the danger ever-present. I'm impatient by nature, so I understand firsthand the need to keep the reader's attention.

The best way I know to manage this balancing act is planning. Planning-with an emphasis on inverse proportions. In non-mathematical terms, never have character peaks occur simultaneous with plot peaks. One ebbs, the other flows, each propelling the other forward. Achieving this balance is an ongoing challenge.

Planning Phase 1: The Big Idea

I'm often asked how I get my ideas. -- Usually it starts with the proverbial "what if.". -- Sometimes it's a news event triggering a thought, an interesting factoid gleaned off the Internet, a book, even a magazine or newspaper. -- However, in almost every case, one or more characters appear first. -- I get a fuzzy image of a person. -- As the character "marinates" a personality and background develops, and the fuzzy picture become clearer and clearer. -- Once the character is born, I then apply my favorite question. "What if she?" -- From there, all hell breaks loose. -- New characters appear. -- New plot situations present themselves. -- All this needs to be organized cohesively into a book. -- So it's time to flesh it out in an outline.

I hate outlines. -- Everyone hates outlines. -- That said, I never write a book without one. -- Main character descriptions, a rough evolution of the story (plot) from beginning to end, any background information important to keep in mind while writing and any TBDs (areas that need to be resolved either before or during the actual writing of the book) are elements of my typical outline. -- Other writers have different approaches. -- But this one works for me. -- That doesn't mean the outline's hard and fast. -- It changes. -- But it's a map to consult every time I'm lost.

Planning Phase 2: -- The Backers

Now that I have a story, is it compelling enough? -- Does it have all the ingredients I need to make it everything I want it to be?� -- This is where a writer needs a strong team of backers-people s/he can trust to honestly and constructively provide feedback. -- For me, they're my agent, editor and husband. -- (My husband is my plotting partner and my organizational compass.) I value their input in different ways-each coming from a unique vantage point, with his/her own strengths and personal biases.

Often the feedback I receive causes the story to take a different direction or evolve with different nuances. -- But ultimately, we (the book and I) emerge stronger from having endured the process.

Planning Phase 3: -- Reality Intrudes

My dog needs to be walked and fed. -- After that, armed with a solid outline (and a happy hound), the research begins. -- Typically, it takes months. -- Here's where my fantastic team of experts comes in-law enforcement, medical, and book-specific consultants who help me infuse my books with realism. Fortunately, I've been very lucky and work with several expert consultants. -- They breathe life into what would otherwise be tentative, flat descriptions. -- They also help me create characters who are very real and three-dimensional.

Research does play an important role in my characterization. -- All of my protagonists have intense careers, and like the committed professionals they've become, this is a large part of who they are. -- Therefore, I need to dedicate time to make sure I can accurately portray every detail of their craft. -- This kind of research is essential. -- In many cases, it has opened up new avenues for my hero and heroine to meet or interact. -- In WRONG PLACE, WRONG TIME, my research into veterinary medicine allowed my protagonists to meet and eventually work together toward solving a murder case.

However long the process takes, it is worth the effort. -- The more research you do, the easier it will be to spot any problems before you start writing. There's nothing worse than reaching page 400 and realizing that a major plot point is completely unrealistic.

Planning Phase 4: -- Execution

Three simple steps:

1-Create a new document.
2-Insert the best damned novel you can write.
3-Type the words "THE END"

[Note: Number 2 is a lifelong quest I still struggle to master.]

There's nothing more satisfying than being able to unravel a rich tapestry of characters and through words, share their lives with my readers.� -- That being said, there's also nothing more difficult than weaving these characters into an intense suspense plot. -- Remember my rule of inverse proportions. -- Don't peak when you peak or ebb when you ebb.

Conclusion

If you remember only one thing from this entire article, remember this. -- Never forget that both your characters' relationships and your plot need time to unfold. -- The balance you strike between the two is up to you. -- Just keep in mind you want maximum impact. -- Figure out your unique way to derive that, and you're on your way.

Andrea Kane is a NY Times Bestselling Author. Her second hardcover romantic suspense thriller, WRONG PLACE, WRONG TIME, is a January 2006 release, together with the mass market paperback of her blockbuster hardcover debut, I'LL BE WATCHING YOU. You can learn more about Andrea, her writing, and all her previous novels at: www.andreakane.com

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