Creative Writing Prompts: Character Secrets and Lies

Nothing is better (or more fun for the writer) than story-relevant character secrets or lies. Give some dilemma beneath the surface story to give your character depth, add suspense and tension, and keep your reader turning the pages. You can drop hints throughout your writing and when the reveal comes—you will surprise, shock, and delight your reader.

Creating a character with a strong internal conflict, secret, or burden makes for one compelling read! (To see more on writing a compelling protagonist, check out  The Compelling Protagonist Part 1 and Compelling Protagonist Part 2.) It’s vital to have conflict in every scene, and when the action is quiet in your book, internal conflict will keep a reader turning the pages.

Below are writing prompts to help you find some ideas for internal secrets, lies (and therefore conflict) for your characters. Or, to find characters and stories, begin by writing about secrets and lies. These exercises are great prompts for journal writing, or will help your work-in-progress fiction as well.

Write about a broken promise.

• What is the promise?
• To whom was the promise made? Why is it important to this person?
• Who made the promise? Why? Was it something they were forced to promise, or did they want to make it?
• Why did they break it? What was so important, they had to break it?
• Now go deeper, why did they really break it? (Look to a character fear, want, need, something that is so painfully vital they can’t keep their word.)
• What happens when it is broken?
• Who finds out? What is their reaction?
• What are the repercussions of breaking the promise?

Write about a character secret.

• What is the secret?
• Who is keeping the secret?
• From whom is the secret being kept?
• Who are the people involved? (Are there more than just the two?)
• Why does it need to be kept? What will happen if it is uncovered?
• Who will it hurt?
• Is someone digging to figure it out? Why? How are they involved?
• What happens when the secret is found out?
• What does the discoverer decide to do? Keep the secret? Let it out
• What are the risks and rewards of each?

Write about a character lie that protects.

• Who tells the lie? Why? What or whom are they trying to protect?
• Why?
• Who does the lie benefit?
• Who does the lie hurt?
• Who is involved?
• Who will be hurt if the lie gets out?
• What is at stake? (list each person and write what each has at stake)

Write about a character lie that is told to hurt.

• Who tells the lie? Why? What or whom are they trying to hurt?
• Why?
• Who does the lie benefit?
• Why did they tell it? What is so important that they told a lie? Now go deeper, why did they really tell it? (look to a character fear, want, need, something that is so painful, they tell this lie.)
• Who is involved?
• What is at stake? (list each person involved and write what each has at stake)
• Who will be hurt if the lie gets out?
• Will the lie hurt who told it? Why? How?

Do this brainstorming throughout the writing of your work in progress. Play with character secrets and lies. What they uncover may surprise not only your characters, but you!

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Award-winning novelist Kathy Steffen teaches fiction writing and speaks at writing programs across the country. Additionally, Kathy is also published in short fiction and pens a monthly writing column, Between the Lines. Her books, FIRST THERE IS A RIVER, JASPER MOUNTAIN and THEATER OF ILLUSION are available online and at bookstores everywhere.