Writing Dark Secrets

Your character is hiding something. Deep down inside, they have a secret, that if they revealed it to others, would make everything in the story come crashing down. That is a dark secret. (To be read in the voice of the narrator at the beginning of Aladdin.)

What got me thinking about dark secrets in the first place was watching Passengers. In the movie, Chris Pratt's character hides something major from Jennifer Lawrence's character. Later, of course, it comes out and their whole relationship goes to pot. And somehow, they managed to hide that secret in every trailer for the film. So I though, I wonder how we can write secrets like that?

Dark secrets can be a powerful tool, or a downfall to the plot. Today we're going to look at how you can write a dark secret that enhances your story, not take away from it.

Make the secret relevant

Adding a dark secret for the extra drama isn't worth it. Readers will see right through that one and call you out on it. Like any other story element, it needs to work with your story, not against it. One of my most hated character secrets is when they come out gay or something. That has ruined many a book.

But when a secret is used effectively, it can add extra tension to a book. You could also try to tie it into your theme. For instance, if your theme is trusting others, then your character could have a secret about a secret deal she has.

Decide what your secret is

Once you've decided to add a dark secret to your story, you need to decide what that secret is. Look through your plot and see where you can work it in. Could you add a betrayal? Have one character make a decisions without telling anyone else? Have the villain show up and tell the hero something that no one else knows? The possibilities vary with every story.

Work it in

Then comes the fun part. Actually working your tricky little secret into your story. This has to be handled with tact, or the whole thing could fall apart. First, the hero has to make a choice. And the decision they make has to be the not so great one. But at the same time, you have to still make readers like your character, not instantly hate them for making the wrong choice.

The second step is to allow time to elapse. There's no point in having someone hide something unless it has time to stew inside them, reminding them of their mistakes. Then comes the crucial step- allow the other people to find out. This will be a powerful scene if done correctly.

There are several ways for the big reveal to happen. Option one, the other characters find out on their own. Option two, the character with the secrete accidentally spills it. Option three, the villain reveals the secret. I'm sure there are others as well, but those are the major ones.

When you write the scene, make sure to have your characters react naturally. Having them be super dramatic or betrayed if that's not their character will instantly crush the scene. You want it to be distressing, not abnormal.

Then there's the recovery. The other characters have to decide how they feel about what happened and what they learned, and most of the time by the end of the story, they all join forces again. But between the reveal and then, some major character development can happen.

Some books and movies with dark secrets (if you need ideas) are Passengers, Catching Fire, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and Glass Sword.

Let's talk! Have you ever written a dark secret? Do you have any tips on how to do it? Tell me in the comments.