Character Interview: Declan Gates in the Hot Seat

I always interview my characters before I start writing. The process helps me discover unexpected facets of their character and makes them come alive for me.

The interview template I use is from eHarlequin.com and the example here is from my current book Black Sheep Billionaire. Sometimes the characters will change as I write. In this case, I think the Declan Gates who stared me down when I tried to delve into his psyche is very much the one who showed up for the book.

At least this is Declan before he runs into the heroine. Lily Wharton is the only woman he ever loved—and meeting her again changes everything.

Name: Declan Gates

Age: 32

Birth date: 1976

Height: 6’1

Weight: 180

Body type: Athletic, muscled but not heavy, the right kind of body for kicking ass.

Hair: Raven black, shiny.

Eyes: Ice pale, glittering, sometimes hard and reflective like a mirror, sometimes glittering with raw emotion.

Nose: Assertive but not long and aristocratic.

Mouth: Arrogant, mobile, secretive. He’s skilled at hiding emotion and he’s been honing those skills all his life. Good at telling people what they think they want to hear.

Clothes: Only the best. Sharp tailor made suits, high-tech sportswear for kicking someone’s ass in his free time. Has no leisure time and doesn’t want any.

Personality Profile:

Strengths: Fierce determination, grit, doesn’t care what anyone thinks, relentless energy, a fighter who fights harder when he’s down (which is rare), pursues everything with intense passion.

Weaknesses: Ruthless, determined to win at all costs, has shut off feelings as a weakness, can be cruel, hard, unrelenting.

Ambition: Achieved every ambition he’s ever had, which is getting boring.

Beliefs: To the victor go the spoils.

Self-Perception: Sees himself as a hard-nosed businessman, practical, hard-working, good at figuring out all the angles. Knows a lot of people don’t like him, but it’s always been that way and he has no interest in trying to butter them up, in fact it makes him want to give them a good reason to hate him some more.

How others see him: Ruthless, cold, scary, impressive. Woman go crazy over him because he’s gorgeous and rich. He’s not all that interested in them except for sex.

Hobbies: Loves one-on-one sports where there’s a clear winner and loser, ie. only likes boxing if it’s a knockout, not a decision. Will try anything that sounds intense, but is usually disappointed.

Moral values: Get yours before the other guy tries to steal it. It’s a dog eat dog world, make sure you’re the one doing the eating.

Eccentricities: Would deny that he has any, likes to think of himself as a machine.

Most defining characteristic: Loves a good fight.

Marital status: Single, never married. Has dated countless woman but usually loses interest after the first screw. Hates obligation, the feeling that he “has to” call someone or see them again, since he almost never wants to.

Educational background. Degree in economics from Dartmouth—ran his own business and bought several companies while there. Wasn’t there for much of his last two years but aced his courses anyway so they had to pass him.

Occupation: Corporate Raider—buys companies and usually breaks them up and sells the pieces

Food preferences: Steaks, rare fish, a carnivore.

Drink preferences: Neat iced vodka

Car: BMW

Pets: none, hates obligation

Present problem: Infuriating WASP ice princess Lily Wharton wants to buy his ancestral pile. Well, her ancestral pile, and he’s damned if he’ll let her have it. He’s looking forward to seeing it fall down.

How does this problem get worse—She’s very determined—this only fires up his fighting instincts and makes him want to tangle with her—he wants to steal her company, screw her, then watch the house fall down. But his plan isn’t working—he screws her and wants more. She’s taking over the house whether he likes it or not—she gets it powerwashed, clears weeds, repairs broken windows, etc—and people in town are starting to talk about it as hers.

How does this problem get resolved? She breaks open his hardened heart and shows him there is life outside of battle. He starts a new life with her, in their home which she’s transformed.

Synopsis about childhood:

Grew up in The Big House as member of despised Gates family. House reputedly cursed so that all the men would turn bad. His father drank heavily and was killed in a suspicious hunting accident. His mother was cold and unloving and ran their business in a way that made the townspeople hate her more. After her husband’s death she closed the factory, mostly out of spite and a lot of people had to move away to find work. Declan is the youngest. His mother drove her sons away—she hated men (and everyone else) and gave them no love and affection (or money). His older brother died of a drug overdose after living homeless on the streets of NY. His younger brother was killed in a barroom brawl in Bangkok. Everyone Declan has ever tried to love has hurt him and he has no interest in getting anywhere near that kind of sensation again. He’s thrown himself into his work and he’s happiest when he’s far too busy to think about anything else.

Whew, that was long! And he sounds kind of scary, doesn’t he? Really, he’s a lovely guy under that ruthless exterior, trust me :wicked grin: He just needs to get over his terror of intimacy… I think the only thing that changed from this interview is that Declan ultimately went to Yale, not Dartmouth. Funnily enough the heroine turned out quite different. The Lily in the book is much more down to earth and tough than the person I first interviewed.

Thanks to Sam for coming up with the idea for this blog and Bron Jameson for reminding me of it in her blog last Thursday! Someone (you have to be a registered user!) who leaves a comment will win a signed copy of Black Sheep Billionaire.

Jen