Author Interview with Rachel Doherty
- Jun 9
- 3 min read
How did you become a writer? I've had a love of writing for as long as I can remember. Diaries, journals, short stories, poems, you name it. I even wrote a few songs when I was in elementary and middle school just for fun. English, language arts, and creative writing were my favorite classes, and I was always the weird kid who got excited about essay assignments and research reports, and that followed me into college. At some point, I decided to give novel writing a shot and instantly fell in love with everything about it.
What inspires you to write? Writing characters I can relate to and male love interests who are flawed but not toxic and completely emotionally unavailable inspires me more than anything else. I want to read more dark romance where the darkness doesn't arise from the relationship itself and the characters are morally grey but have a sense of humor.
How do you develop your plot and characters? I've learned that when it comes to fiction I'm a "discovery writer", so my plot development process leans more informal than structured (much to my inner English nerd's dismay). I use Save the Cat beats as a guideline and adjust as I go. For characters, I usually find inspiration from either songs, books, people I encounter in real life, Pinterest, etc. I'll jot some notes down in a blank document and slowly flesh out the details as they come to me. I try not to rush this process and let them reveal themselves to me until they feel like real people.
Could you share some of your challenges as a writer? I tend to be a perfectionist, so getting a "messy" first draft finished without being tempted to self-edit everything I wrote the day before is something I'm getting better at but still struggle with. Staying focused and motivated, not overthinking things, and finding the time to write can all be challenging sometimes.
Tell me about your protagonist. What's your favorite trait and/or weakness? Angel is the heroine I've always wanted to read because she feels like someone I'd love to hang out with. She's a no-nonsense, black cat district attorney who would torch the earth for the people she loves. I love that she is emotionally complex--underneath her barbed wire is a huge heart with an endless supply of love and devotion for the people she cares about. Maverick is my favorite, though. He's also emotionally complex, but his needs are very simple: to protect his family and to make sure Angel is always either smiling at him or just irritated enough for him to enjoy that pretty shade of red in her cheeks. He's ruthless and slightly unhinged, but he is 100% a golden retriever for her despite being a mafia king and alpha wolf shifter. Just don't call him a werewolf, please. He has feelings about that. Strong ones.
What are your current/future projects? Currently working on book 2 of the Fated in Blood series. Future: more planned projects from the same universe, a few more dark romances, a dark romantasy or two, and a "hear me out" cozy paranormal romcom.
Do you have a routine you follow when writing? Not really. I try to set myself a word count goal for each writing session, but I don't stress too much if I don't reach it. Depending on what I have planned for the day, I might re-read the last few pages I wrote to get the juices flowing for the next scene.
Do you have any advice for aspiring writers? Research and study the writing process, character and plot development, and storytelling as a craft. Save the Cat and Brandon Sanderson's lectures are fantastic places to start no matter what genre you're writing. Write the book and characters you want to read. If you love your story, others will too. But above all else, just keep writing no matter how messy you think it is. You can't edit a blank page.
* What is your preferred method for readers to get in touch with you?
Tiktok: @r_m_doherty
This was such a fun interview to read – I love how Rachel describes her writing process, especially being a "discovery writer" and letting characters reveal themselves over time. The way she talks about Maverick and Angel makes me want to read the book immediately, especially that dynamic of a ruthless mafia king who's a golden retriever for her. I also really appreciate her advice about just writing messy first drafts and not editing as you go – that's something I struggle with too. If you're into dark romance with morally grey characters and actual humor, this sounds like a series worth checking out. And if you need a break from all that reading, you can always check out win…