Happy Friday, everyone. Today On Help From My Friends, the talented Kathleen Donnelly returns to share her story behind book three of her series. I love this K-9 mystery series and can’t wait to read Killer Secrets! Welcome back, Kathleen and you’re welcome! ~ Donnell
Playing the “What If” Game
By: Kathleen Donnelly
Author Kathleen Donnelly
Thank you, Donnell, for having me on your blog today! Often at book events, I’m asked if my books are based on real life. The answer is always, “Well, sort of.” What I mean by that is real life does trigger ideas, but by the time they get into a book plot, the real story is long gone and replaced by my imagination from playing the “What If” game.
I first heard about the “What If” game while taking a class with New York Times Bestselling author Grant Blackwood. Grant had the class thumb through magazines and newspapers to find articles that might spark a story idea. Then we started brainstorming by playing the “What If” game. The game was a fantastic way to get the creative juices flowing. I loved it and this is how the first nuggets of my plots form.
When I started writing KILLER SECRETS, the third book in the National Forest K-9 series, I knew it would be set in January in the Colorado Mountains. From there the “What If” game began.
A couple of years before I even started writing KILLER SECRETS, my friend Shelley had sent me a fascinating article about people disappearing in the Colorado mountains. Several cases had to do with people out hiking or running who were never heard from again. Or, tragically, their remains were found later. The article included the use of human remains detection (HRD) dogs. I already had a couple great “What Ifs” forming in my head.
I tucked away those ideas for later, but the idea of someone disappearing in the mountains and never being heard from again fascinated me because I love having the mountains play a character in my books. They’re beautiful and wild. They can also be dangerous and deadly. I started thinking, “What if the mountains didn’t just hide the missing, but also brought them back home? How would that happen?”
That was the start of a brainstorming session that produced the idea of college kids throwing parties in the mountains. When these parties were over, there were one or two kids that were never heard from again. What if there was a killer on the loose who managed to blend into a ski town and attend these parties? What if they could have gone undetected because so many ski towns have seasonal employees? And what if the mountains were the character that revealed this killer’s dumping grounds?
Rocky Mountain National Park’s Hallett Peak & Kathleen’s inspiration
All these what ifs created the beginning of KILLER SECRETS when two backcountry snowboarders trigger an avalanche. The avalanche rips down the mountainside and while tearing up rocks, trees, and other debris, it dumps a body near the snowboarders. This sparked more what ifs.
What if an HRD K-9 came along and found more bodies? What if the local Sheriff really didn’t want to investigate or spend money, time, and resources on these missing kids? After all, search and rescue missions are quite costly and even in real life, they are often discontinued due to the cost and weather conditions. But what if the missing person was a family member? How would I feel if the authorities stopped the search? Who would I go to for help?
The “What If” game helped me develop a character named Kay whose son went missing after attending a party in the forest. What if this was my son? How would I react? And what about my main character Maya Thompson, a US Forest Service law enforcement officer and K-9 handler. How would she react? How would she feel? Could she use her K-9 Juniper to help find the missing? By using the game, I could put myself in the shoes of my characters while developing the plot. I had fun playing this game and even thought about, what if I was the killer? What would be my motivation? Why would I be targeting these college kids? How would I commit this crime? What would make me think I wouldn’t be caught?
I continued from there and the plot started to unfold. I won’t go into more of the “What Ifs” so that I don’t spoil the book, but I enjoyed playing this game as the plot evolved. By the time the book was written, edited, and set to go to print, the fictional story was not even close to the original real stories I had read. This is why when I’m asked about basing it off real-life events, I don’t always have a clear answer. But I do know that I love playing the “What If” game.
How about all of you? How many of you write and play the “What If” game to develop a book plot? Do you enjoy it? Or do you have a different way of brainstorming? I’d love to hear your process.
About the Book: A small town’s deadly past is exposed in the newest installment of the suspenseful National Forest K-9 series by Kathleen Donnelly.
Until an avalanche ripped down a mountainside, exposing a serial killer’s dumping grounds, Antler Valley, Colorado, was a quiet town. Now Forest Service officer Maya Thompson and her beautiful K-9, Juniper, must catch the murderer before they become the next targets.
With the neighboring town’s new overconfident sheriff deterring the entire investigation, a murderer on the loose and heartthrob deputy Josh Colton racing through her mind, Maya is at a crossroads. Josh is ready to go all in, but Maya has one foot out the door. As she lets her guard down, she needs to accept that she’s falling deeply in love with him, no matter how risky it may be.
When evidence from the Antler Valley victims links the murders to deaths in other ski towns, secrets long buried are unearthed. Maya and Juniper must run toward an answer, though finding it might lead them directly into a fatal trap…
National Forest K-9
Book 1: Chasing Justice
Book 2: Hunting the Truth
Book 3: Killer Secrets
You can also Pre-order from your favorite retailer.
Book Launch Party: Come celebrate the release of Killer Secrets March 30th at the Loveland Barnes and Noble from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm.
For more information and to sign up for a monthly newsletter, please visit: kathleendonnelly.com
Kathleen, I love your game and want to play. I’ll add a sequel to it. Let’s call it “And then!!!” 🙂 So exited to read this book.
Thank you so much and this is a fun game to play! 🙂 I love your sequel too! Shall we play? 😉
Fascinating article, Kathleen. Thanks for sharing the insights on your process! I’m so looking forward to reading KILLER SECRETS.
Thanks so much, Barbara! 🙂
Kathleen, I’ve loved all your books, and I was so interested to hear your “What if” game process for building your plots — it certainly has been a fruitful game for you! And I think your game is a great example for other writers, not only to spur their own process but also to remind us that creativity in all its forms should be fun!
Thanks so much, Marjorie! I’m always curious how many other writers start their plots this way. Thanks for stopping by! 😀
This is awesome, Kathleen. I love this method of plotting and will incorporate it ASAP! Congratulations on the new book and I’m very excited to read Maya’s and Juniper’s ongoing story. Thanks for hosting, Donnell. And beautiful photos and cover!
Thanks so much, Margaret! I appreciate all your support! 😉
Great article!! Most of my ideas start as “what ifs” as well. It’s so fun to sit with an author as they recount the journey from “what if” to “what is.” Can’t wait to read Killer Secrets!!
Thanks so much, Marie! I love it that your stories also start with “what ifs.” It is fun to hear how every author develops their stories and their process. Thanks so much for reading Killer Secrets! I appreciate all your support! 🙂
I’m reading Chasing Justice now, Hunting the Truth arrived in my mailbox last week and I can’t wait to read Killer Secrets!
I play the What if game and then ask why now?
Hello Patricia,
Thank you so much for reading Chasing Justice and ordering Hunting the Truth! I hope you enjoy the books. I love your addition to the “What If” game. Why now is a great thing to ask! 🙂 I think between all of us, we have some fun ways to start brainstorming our books.
Thanks Kathleen for your informative “What if” article. As writers, noticing plays an important role in What if. Some years ago while being pummeled by my massage therapist, I noticed her hands and fingers seemed exceptionally aggressive. She apologized, explaining that an older man had made unwanted advances to her niece. After the session I wondered, what if a massage therapist could harm or kill a “baddie” by misusing her therapy skills? The what if all those years ago resurfaced this winter as the theme of a manuscript I’m working on. I’ll share your series with a retired U.S. Forest Service officer.
All the best,
Bailey “Skip” Herrington
Hello Skip,
Thanks so much for stopping by and I found your “What If” story fascinating! What a great premise for your manuscript. Thanks so much for sharing my series with your friend and retired Forest Service Officer. I appreciate it! 🙂
Kathleen & Donnell,
This posting is an eye-opener about Killer Secrets birth after an amazing gestation. Killer Secrets is a killer read. I highly recommend it. Now if I could only master What If.
Thanks so much, George! And I’m so glad you enjoyed Killer Secrets. I appreciate you taking the time to read it! 🙂