What secret is your character keeping? Why are they safeguarding it? What’s at stake if it’s discovered? Does it need to come out at some point, or should it remain hidden?
This is some of the important information you need to know about your character’s secrets—and they will have secrets, because everyone does. They’re thorny little time bombs composed of fear, deceit, stress, and conflict that, when detonated, threaten to destroy everything the character holds dear.
So, of course, you should assemble them. And we can’t wait to help.
This thesaurus provides brainstorming fodder for a host of secrets that could plague your character. Use it to explore possible secrets, their underlying causes, how they might play into the overall story, and how to realistically write a character who is hiding them—all while establishing reader empathy and interest.
For instance, let’s see what it might look like if your character…
Pursuing a Personal Goal
ABOUT THIS SECRET: People are mostly above-board about their goals—unless what they’re pursuing won’t be accepted by others or the character has misgivings. Examples include working toward a certain career, converting to a different religion, locating birth parents, or working toward something others think is a waste of time. Note that while the goal itself may not be negative, the character’s fears (of ridicule, failure, judgment, or disappointing others) may drive them to secrecy.
SPECIFIC FEARS THAT MAY DRIVE THE NEED FOR SECRECY: Being Judged, Being Unable to Achieve a Dream, Competition, Conditional Love, Conflict, Criticism, Discrimination, Failure, Humiliation, Letting Others Down, Losing the Respect of Others, Putting Oneself Out There, Rejection
HOW THIS SECRET COULD HOLD THE CHARACTER BACK
Not getting encouragement when its needed
Not having the benefit of useful advice from others who have achieved the goal
Struggling to bear the financial burden alone
BEHAVIORS OR HABITS THAT HELP HIDE THIS SECRET
Deleting their search history
Keeping supplies around that make it look like they haven’t deviated from their stated plans (textbooks, receipts, wardrobe choices, etc.)
Confiding in one supportive person so they have an outlet and someone to bounce ideas off of
ACTIVITIES OR TENDENCIES THAT MAY RAISE SUSPICIONS
A family member or roommate opening a delivery package (thinking it’s something they ordered) and finding a suspicious purchase
Developing a new friend group consisting of people who all share the same passion or interest
Showing persistent interest in something they’ve never been interested in before
Becoming visibly uncomfortable when the topic of the goal comes up
SITUATIONS THAT MAKE KEEPING THIS SECRET A CHALLENGE
Someone arriving home unexpectedly while they’re working on their goal
A financial change that requires the character to ask for financial help to achieve the goal
Needing to temporarily relocate (for training, to take a class, for an apprenticeship, etc.)
Other Secret Thesaurus entries can be found here.
Need More Descriptive Help?
While this thesaurus is still being developed, the rest of our descriptive collection (18 unique thesauri and growing) is accessible through the One Stop for Writers THESAURUS database.
If you like, swing by and check out the video walkthrough for this site, then give our Free Trial a spin.
Becca Puglisi is an international speaker, writing coach, and bestselling author of The Emotion Thesaurus and its sequels. Her books are available in five languages, are sourced by US universities, and are used by novelists, screenwriters, editors, and psychologists around the world. She is passionate about learning and sharing her knowledge with others through her Writers Helping Writers blog and via One Stop For Writers—a powerhouse online library created to help writers elevate their storytelling.
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