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Provide motivation, plot, character, even a setting
- Secrets provide motivation, plot, character, even a setting (a haunted house, anyone?) From Madame Bovary to Carrie, from Rebecca to Big Little Lies, from thrillers to romance, from mystery to women’s fiction to sci-fi, every story revolves around a secret.
annerallen.com › 2018/01/9-secrets-supercharge-your-fiction
Feb 2, 2019 · Secrets can be powerful tools in fiction. When readers sense a secret is in play, their ears perk up, and they’re drawn into the story to ferret out that secret—and to watch the consequences. Almost all characters keep a secret.
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Mar 2, 2024 · Secrets, when wielded with skill, can transform your fiction into a riveting journey of discovery and revelation. By strategically incorporating these 10 secrets into your storytelling, you can create a narrative that resonates with readers long after they've turned the final page.
- Secrets Revolving Around Guilt
- Secrets Revolving Around Shame
- Secrets Revolving Around Exploitation
- Secrets Out of Necessity
There is a deep fear that, if a secret comes to light, one’s reputation and value among those one cares about will be diminished or even destroyed. Secrets that tie closely to guilt are ones where the character has done something that crosses moral lines. As author David Corbett states in The Art of Character,“guilt is between you and your conscien...
When shame is involved, the worry that one’s secret will shatter the view others have about oneself is even more pronounced. Shame is not always logical or deserved. While it may be a result of an action or choice, it might also simply be the mistaken belief that one could or should have done something to avoid the eventual outcome. A few examples:...
Some secrets are kept simply out of the worry that if found out, another might take advantage in some way. A few examples: 1. Having a special power or exceptional talent (psychic abilities, super strength, etc.) 2. Being a Person of Interest (having fame or power due to one’s own success, or by association, such as being the daughter of a politica...
Many times a character keeps secrets because they feel they must, not so much for themselves, but to protect others. The reason may also tie into one of the above factors, saving someone unnecessary pain, guilt or exposure. A few examples: 1. Keeping the truth to oneself regarding an event because someone is too fragile to accept what happened, or ...
May 22, 2023 · Secrets work really well in a multiple POV story. This gives you the ability to show a character trying to keep something hidden, while also showing other characters figuring out that things don’t add up or coming close to discovering the secret.
- A strong hook: A great mystery should invite the reader to try to solve the crime, and a great opening is critical to piquing their interest. A mystery should start with just enough information about the crime to build intrigue from the first line.
- An atmospheric setting: Stories in this genre should create an ominous, uneasy mood through setting to support the anxiety of an unknown antagonist lurking in the shadows.
- A crime: A crime is the event that fuels the plot in a mystery novel. Revealed in the first chapter, a crime creates the central conflict that launches the investigation, sending the main character on their quest and spurring the narrative arc.
- A sleuth: At the heart of every mystery is a main character determined to solve the crime. Mystery writer Raymond Chandler created private detective Philip Marlowe to be a crime solver in his novels.
Aug 1, 2008 · Why does our brain seem to be wired to enjoy stories? And how do the emotional and cognitive effects of a narrative influence our beliefs and real-world decisions?
Jul 15, 2013 · So long as a director gives proper perspective on a fictional character—allowing us to both imagine their pain and to perceive their experience from a distance, as done in Forrest Gump —we can momentarily let go of the fact that that character exists only in the realm of fiction.
