Do your characters have secrets?
When developing characters–hair color, size, likes, dislikes, hobbies, background–do you think about what secrets they might have? Secrets can make your character more complex, human, and interesting.
For ideas on the types of secrets people have, listen to Frank Warren’s 11-minute Ted.com talk below about an art project he started back in 2004. He handed out 3,000 postcards and asked people to anonymously mail in their secrets. He has since collected over half a million secrets and posts them weekly on his website www.postsecret.com.
Warren says, “Secrets can remind us of the countless human dramas, of frailty and heroism playing out silently in the lives of people all around us.”
What secrets might your characters have?
4 Comments
Post a comment
onewildword 
I absolutely LOVE this. I mostly write children’s stories, but children (and animals!) have their own secrets, of course. Thanks, as usual.
Thanks, Jane. What age group do you write for?
At the moment, 3-8, the ages of my grandchildren!
That’s great…you have built-in critics. I bet they love your books. 🙂