Anthony Eddolls

If I get one question more than others during my brief career thus far as a mystery fiction writer, it would be, “How do you come up with your characters?” In the case of Special Agent in Charge David Stilley, the answer is easy: I know the guy!

I haven’t completed any writing courses since college, and after college, I spent over 45 years in the real estate industry. Since beginning my second career as a writer, I don’t subscribe to any formula writing methodology. And that absence of a prescribed writing process also applies to how I develop characters; the development of engaging, enticing, and believable characters is the essence of an excellent mystery novel.

So, in the case of Stilley, I cheated and used a good friend of mine by the name of, you guessed it, David Stilley. I used his name, physical description, and stories of his early years in college, and despite the fact he hadn’t spent a day of his life in law enforcement, I portrayed him as I knew he would be if he had.

A badass.

As a fiction writer, most of my writing is grounded in my past life. No, I haven’t murdered anyone. But I have read many books, viewed hundreds of movies, and read too many news articles describing the act in many forms.

I’ve also met thousands of people, traveled most of the nation, flown airplanes as a private pilot, have a family member who is an airline captain and spent plenty of time in Las Vegas. So, writing this book allowed me to use my own research library, the one between my ears. And that includes my knowledge of the protagonist. Despite the fact, he isn’t a cop.

While utilizing my good friend as the rough edges of this character, the same holds true for almost every character I have developed in my books. I knew someone to model them after, or I incorporated pieces of someone I have known. It just comes to me. There’s no formal development process; it typically flows from my mind as I think of someone to the keyboard.

Stilley is a great guy who has been successful at everything he has endeavored to do. I have no doubt that had he pursued law enforcement and a career with the FBI; he would be the guy I have developed in The Beast Within Us.

I hope you’ll grab a copy or read it on Kindle. You’ll enjoy meeting him!