Shhh… I want to tell you a secret! 

Here’s my secret writing tip:

Tell your reader your secret!  

We love knowing other people’s secrets – it makes us feel connected to that person. Knowing their secret–something that no one else knows–is forming a bond between people.  Think of a time when someone asked you: “Can you keep a secret?”  Usually this makes us feel closer to that person; they trust us with a secret.  Either that or we feel instantly horrible knowing we will tell our other friends as soon as possible even after we promised we wouldn’t. As writers, we can use this as a way to form a bond between your character and the reader instantly.  

I recently read books where the main character has a major secret that only the character and me, as the reader, knew. Maybe also a best friend in the book (because that way the best friend might accidentally tell the secret at the wrong time).  I’ve notice how this achieves two effects: (a) increased tension.  OMG.  What if someone found out about it and when will someone find out this secret (because of course, eventually it will come out) and; (b) I care more about the character because I have become their “secret keeper”.  Telling a reader a secret that only the reader and one character knows increases the stakes for us. 

Books about spys use this to great advantage. Knowing the main character is a spy and in “enemy” territory creates the “secret” we readers know and increases tension. 

This is a different effect than the writer (or character) keeping a secret from the reader; and when the secret is revealed, it creates a twist the reader never saw coming. A good example of this is in mystery novels where the “killer” is kept from the reader until the end. Another example may be when the characters knows that something important is inside “a suitcase” but doesn’t tell the reader.  You know it’s important but have no idea what it is. Could it be the murder weapon? Money? The missing will? The mystery keeps the reader engaged.  

There’s a third kind of “secret”: one that only the reader knows and the main character does not.  Classic horror and thrillers can use this device as the reader yells at the book: “Don’t open the door! Joe is a vampire!”  Of course, the main character always opens the door.  

I learned that these types of “secrets” actually have names and are considered different types of narrative tools about controlling information: who knows what when.  There’s basically three types:

1. Suspenseful – this is when both the character and the reader learn information or reveals at the same time.

2. Mystery – when character knows something but the reader does not. 

3. Dramatic Irony – when the reader knows something before the main character.  

Here are some tips in writing a “secret” into your story:

1.  The secret has to have a purpose.  It has to relate to the main plot in some way.  Making it intergral to the plot will increase the tension.  If the secret has no connection to the plot then there’s no point to it.   

2.  The secret should reveal something about your character. It should allow the reader to gain a better understanding of your character or provide a greater depth to your character.

3. Think about the impact the secret will have on the other characters: will they react with anger or be hurt? Will they shun the character or maybe cover up for them?

4.  Timing is everything: Knowing when to tell your reader the secret or when to keep it hidden depends on what effect you want to create.  You want to place the reveals at critical points in your story, to turn your story, perhaps as part of an inciting incident or at the “all is lost moment” near the end of your story.   

5. You can overdo it.  Like all good tools, you can do more damage if not used properly. For example, if you use dramatic irony in scene after scene in your story, your reader might get frustrated. 

6.  The tools can be used over the entire manuscript or from a scene to scene.  Be conscious of when and how you are using the tools to create the effect you want. 

Happy Writing!