The 13 Secrets To Great Characters
How many secrets does it take to create a great character? In this post, we look at secrets and why they make for good characters.
The 13 Secrets To Great Characters
In a recent article, psychologists claim that the average person has 13 secrets at any given time – five of which they’ve never shared with anyone.
It’s an intriguing premise – and it got me thinking. What are the secrets I’ve never shared? Well, I don’t think I’ll share them here.
But, as a writer, it’s exciting to give a character secrets. It’s a challenge. I think it’s a great exercise to apply to a new or existing character.
The Secrets Exercise
- What are the 13 secrets your character harbours?
- What are the handful they’d never share with anyone?
- Take a page and jot down the numbers 1-13 along the side.
- List the secrets you think your character may be keeping from others.
And, after you’ve grabbed a coffee, tea or glass of wine, look for the five top secrets – the juiciest, the most telling, the ones that would shock the reader and the other characters in the story.
Can you use those to start building a fascinating character?
TOP TIP: Use our Character Creation Kit to help you create great characters for your stories.
by Anthony Ehlers
If you enjoyed this post, read:
- 5 Things You Can Learn From People Watching
- Gender Benders – A New Way To Look At Characters
- The Love Child – Mashing Up Wild Plot Ideas
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