By Sara Beth Williams @WilliamsSaraB

What makes a great story? 

A well-developed plot.

What helps drive the plot forward, besides a character’s strong, identifiable goal?

Secrets. 

When a character harbors a secret on purpose, it creates conflict, misunderstandings, and high stakes, and often keeping the secret is woven into that character’s goal. Characters can keep massive secrets, or simple, little secrets they think are insignificant (Hint: a character’s secret should be significant to someone in the story when it’s revealed). Below are some examples of stories where characters are harboring secrets. 

Spoiler Warning Ahead!

Examples of Secrets:

(Almost) Every Superhero Story Ever Told

Whenever you have a superhero who wears a costume or a mask, they must ultimately hide their superhero identity and maintain a regular life outside of the mask and costume. Having to maintain a Secret Identity creates conflict throughout the entirety of the plot. If a superhero’s secret identity is discovered, then their families, and other loved ones’ lives are at risk.

In Spiderman, Peter Parker’s identity is discovered, and his girlfriend’s life is put in jeopardy. 

In The Incredibles, the entire family is at risk anytime one of the family members slips up and uses their powers without wearing a mask. They’re forced to relocate every time someone discovers they are “supers”.

Number the Stars: a novel by Lois Lory

Set in Denmark during the German’s mission to “relocate” all Jews, this entire story revolves around secrets; The Johansen family takes in their daughter, Annemarie’s best friend, Ellen Rosen, who is Jewish, and conceals her as part of their own family. They must keep her true identity a secret at all costs, or it could mean the life of the little girl—and their own lives.

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Sometimes a secret doesn’t have to be dire, life threatening or heart-wrenching. Sometimes a secret isn’t a secret that the character keeps all to themselves, but that the character longs to discover. And when they do discover said secret or mystery, as little Mary does in the Secret Garden, it can transform their life for the better. 

Frozen

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention at least one children’s movie. 

The premise: in case you don’t hang out with children regularly… A princess (Elsa) with the ability to create ice and snow accidentally hurts her baby sister (Anna) with her ice powers, and to keep Anna from becoming frozen solid, a magic troll removes the magic and erases Anna’s memory. Now, Elsa must keep a terrible secret from her sister, and the rest of the world, closing herself off from the entire kingdom.

Her secret ice powers drive the entire plot of this story. Without that Secret, and the result of everyone finding out said secret, there would be no story. And no merc and no incredible profit, and no hundreds of little Elsas and Annas running around every Halloween. 

The Count of Monte Cristo: by Alexandre Dumas

This classic novel is chock full of secrets. Secret identities, secret treasures, secret infidelities, a child who thinks his father is one man, when it’s really someone else. But what drives this story, and gives it the beloved title everyone knows so well, is the secret treasure that Edmond Dantes finds on the island of Monte Cristo. Without finding that treasure, he would not have been able to create his identity as the Count of Monte Cristo and use his riches to both give back to those who were good to him before his incarceration, and enact revenge on those who framed him. We would not have the story of the Count of Monte Cristo, but of some unfortunate soul lost in a political prison for life, which is infinitely less interesting.

Secrets can take on many forms and can easily be implemented into every genre. The bigger the secret, the higher the stakes. A story with high stakes is a story that your readers won’t be able to put down. 

What’s your favorite story with secrets?

Sara Beth Williams is a published author, an ACFW and CIPA member, wife, mother of two daughters, and dog mom of a lovable, spunky Pomeranian-Shih Tzu mix. Her third novel, Anchor My Heart, was a 2022 Selah Award finalist. She lives in Northern California and also works as a freelance publicist. When she’s not held hostage by the keyboard, she enjoys playing guitar, reading, and spending time with her family. Get to know her better on her website, www.sarabethwilliams.com