As a young girl my friends and I used to pinky-swear that we wouldn’t share each other’s secrets. It became a sign of loyalty if you could keep the secrets of others, but a sign of a traitor if you could not.

The adult world also has a large interest in secrets as well. Tabloids, spies, politicians, journalistic sources, countries and even pleading the Fifth Amendment in court centers around the secrets we keep.       

We all have secrets and usually they are something that we hold close to our heart. We keep these secrets for a variety or reasons like embarrassment or vulnerability. With our characters secrets can be a way to show their inner self and the level of trust they have built with their friends and loved ones.

Once you get to know someone better you begin to reveal small pieces of yourself until full disclosure.

Will there ever be a person you trust with full disclosure? Maybe, Maybe not, but we can build intimacy between our characters through the slow revelation of secrets.

Brainstorming Secrets That Build Relationships

There are lots of secrets that we keep from others, but not all secrets have a deep impact on relationships. That we secretly stole daisies from our neighbor’s flower garden would only have impact on our story if the character is still having some issues with theft or being blamed for theft.

To Brainstorm Secrets that build relationships ask the following questions:

•  What secrets scarred the relationships of my character both past and present?

If a hero/heroine is confused by a character’s behavior in the relationship, the

Sharing of this secret would build understanding and trust.

•  What secrets does your character keep because they feel vulnerable?

If a hero/heroine loves to paint, but their own father told them they could never

Make a living that way, or they were never any good at it. This character might

Hide this secret to avoid being hurt again. By revealing this secret, they are

Showing a deep trust.

 Brainstorming Secrets That Build Conflict

Secrets that build conflict are great additions to your manuscript, especially if the middle of your novel is sagging. These secrets can be the source of unexpected character actions that build conflict.

To Brainstorm Secrets that build conflict ask the following questions:

• What are the reasons why my characters do not fit together?

Picking secrets that would feed into this reason would build conflict.

• What would jeopardize my hero/heroine’s job, family, or livelihood?

Pick a secret that if revealed could ruin one of these areas of the hero/heroine’s

Life. For example: a dishonest resume, criminal record, cheating photos, etc.

•  What secrets could jeopardize my hero/heroine’s dreams for the future?

If your hero/heroine has always wanted to go to college, but they cheated on an

ACT test years ago, they may fear that if someone knew it would keep them

From college.

•  What secrets could jeopardize the future of my hero/heroine’s family members?

Love for family prompts us to do many things to cover up old secrets that

Protect our family from ridicule and embarrassment.

Brainstorming Stakes That Intensify Secrets

Secrets are more important to our characters if we develop what they have to lose if someone discovers their secrets. It is essential to brainstorm the stakes of the secret for it to carry maximum impact.

To Brainstorm Stakes that intensify secrets ask the following questions:

• How can I make this secret threaten something important to the character?
• How can I make this secret threaten something important to the reader?

Summary

Brainstorming secrets is a powerful way to deepen your story. It can create unexpected action by your character, conflict and show a budding trust in our character’s relationships. Intensifying the impact of the secrets by brainstorming stakes that threaten something the character or reader care about allows for the strongest impression. Try brainstorming secrets for your characters that will deepen your story.

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Our Huddle Coach, Michelle Lim semi-finaled in the 2011 Genesis with Death’s Apprentice and received Bronze Medal Recognition in the 2010 Frasier contest with Singed. She is the vice president of MN N.I.C.E., a local chapter of ACFW. At My Book Therapy she coordinates the e-zine’s Genre Java Column and is the Brainstorm and Huddle Coach,our program for local craft groups. Michelle taught elementary school for eleven years. She lives in Minnesota with her husband Hui Hong and four rambunctious kids that keep her life full of laughter and suspense. Contact her at: huddles@mybooktherapy.com.