Behind the Scenes of Blood on the Veld: Researching and Writing a Wildlife Crime Thriller

From volunteering on a South African game reserve to covering my office walls with colored scene cards, here's how I turned years of research into a crime thriller.

Before I wrote Blood on the Veld, I knew that writing a thriller about wildlife trafficking would involve a considerable amount of research. What I didn't fully appreciate was how much time I'd spend figuring out how to turn that research into a story. There are facts to investigate, places to visit, people to interview, characters to develop, and plots to untangle. Then, eventually, you have to sit down and write the thing.

For Blood on the Veld, that process took roughly two to three years before the manuscript was ready for editing. Here's what happened behind the scenes.

First, I Had to Find the Right Story

When I begin developing a wildlife crime thriller, I start by looking at countries where wildlife trafficking is a serious problem. Unfortunately, there are plenty to choose from. I narrow the list to two or three countries, then investigate which animals are most frequently trafficked in those places. I like each novel to feature a particular animal around which I can build the main storyline.

In Blood on the Veld, that animal is an albino elephant. There are other animals in the book, but the elephant is central to the story. Once I've chosen the setting and feature animal, I begin researching the crimes, people, and circumstances that might provide material for the plot. This involves reading books, reports, and articles, watching documentaries, and speaking with conservation and wildlife experts.

It's a fascinating process, although the subject matter can be extremely disturbing. It's also where I begin discovering the possibilities for a thriller.

The criminal world surrounding wildlife trafficking is far more varied and complicated than many people realize. And from a novelist's perspective, complicated criminals make for interesting villains.

Why I Spent Two Weeks on a South African Game Reserve for Blood on the Veld

Researching a country from a distance can tell you a great deal, but there's a difference between reading about a place and experiencing it. For Blood on the Veld, I spent two weeks volunteering at a game reserve in South Africa. I wanted to experience the environment where my characters would be living and working. I also wanted to observe the wildlife, take reference photographs, and get a better understanding of the people and places that would appear in the novel. Those details matter to me.

Readers might not consciously notice every small description, but they can often tell when a setting feels convincing. And when I'm writing a scene, having experienced something firsthand makes it much easier to imagine what my characters are seeing and hearing. I try to do this kind of research for each book.

For the second novel, which has the working title Blood in the Sea, my travels have included Japan and Uganda. It's certainly one of the more enjoyable parts of the job.

The Organized Chaos of Plotting a Thriller

Once I've gathered enough research and developed the main storyline, I begin planning the novel. I should probably explain that I'm what you'd call a plotter with pantser-like tendencies. A plotter likes to know where a story is going before writing it. A pantser prefers to discover the story as they go along. I fall somewhere in the middle.

I need enough structure to know what I'm doing, but I don't want to plan every detail so thoroughly that the story has no room to surprise me. I use Scrivener to organize research, character profiles, reference photographs, timelines, and other information. I actually write in Word, but Scrivener is useful for keeping everything together.

I'm also a visual person, so I find photographs of people who resemble my characters. I use these as references for their appearance, making changes where necessary. I do the same with animal characters.

It helps me keep track of everyone, particularly when I'm working on a long manuscript with multiple viewpoints.

Building Suspense Before Writing the First Chapter

I usually have a fairly clear idea of the prologue early in the planning process. I like opening with an action scene that doesn't involve my protagonist, Christian Bekker. The scene introduces an important event, although readers won't necessarily understand its significance until later. I also tend to identify the midpoint of the novel relatively early.

This is a pivotal scene where something important is revealed, changing the direction of the story. Once I have a better understanding of the plot, I begin creating scene summaries in Excel. I usually plan about a quarter of the book in this way before I start writing. I also write possible scenes on slips of paper and arrange them according to the story's timeline. It's surprising how many new ideas appear when you can physically move scenes around.

Then comes the part that makes my office look as though I'm investigating a complicated criminal conspiracy. I tape long sheets of paper to the wall and attach colored scene cards. Each color represents a different viewpoint or group of characters. Christian's scenes are green. The villains are yellow. Supporting characters are blue. Each card contains information about the setting, viewpoint, intensity, opening hook, and what happens in the scene.

It's a rather elaborate system, but it helps me see how the story fits together. And yes, there's a certain irony in using an entire wall to organize a crime thriller.

The Actual Writing Takes Time, Too

Once I've completed the initial planning, I finally begin writing. I generally spend six hours a day writing from Monday to Friday, with another three hours over the weekend. I don't measure my progress primarily by word count. That's because I tend to rewrite as I go.

Some writers prefer to finish a rough draft as quickly as possible and revise it afterward. I find myself editing sentences and scenes while I'm writing them. It means I don't always produce enormous word counts, but my first draft tends to be much cleaner. By the time I've finished, it's closer to what might otherwise be a third draft. That makes the later revision process a little less painful.

Why All This Research Matters to the Reader

You might reasonably wonder why I go to so much trouble. After all, I'm writing fiction. I could invent the locations, criminals, and circumstances without spending years investigating them. But I want the world of the novel to feel believable.

Wildlife trafficking is a real criminal enterprise, and the people involved can be ruthless. By grounding the story in research, I can create situations that feel plausible while still allowing myself the freedom to invent characters, conflicts, and plot twists. The research gives the novel its foundation. The fiction gives it momentum. Ultimately, readers shouldn't have to think about how many reports I read or how many spreadsheets I created.

They should be too busy wondering what's going to happen next. That's the goal, anyway.

If you'd like to see what happens when years of wildlife crime research become a suspense novel, pick up a copy of Blood on the Veld.