Have you heard of postsecret.com? It’s a site showing hand-made postcards on which people anonymously reveal a secret they’ve never told anybody else.
Here are a few examples (although they’re more powerful when accompanied by the images of the actual wrtiting, as on the site):
“I’m afraid the church won’t ordain me if I go to rehab for my depression but I’m afraid I’ll take my life if I don’t…”
“One donut has the equivalent of a better orgasm than I get from my husband.”
“I’m 49 and still waiting for my life to begin.”
“I fear that I will never be the person my dog thinks I am.”
I think these are wonderful brain-stimulators for any writer of fiction (and maybe also a source of ideas for article writers). A lot of people agree, or visit it just for the fun of it—more than 465 million visits so far and more than a million fans on Facebook.
There’s also a book collection, and Frank Warren, who founded the site, recently did a tour that featured a live multi-media presentation showing some of the secrets banned from the book and gave audience members the chance to come up on stage and share their secrets. Next up: a postsecret app, coming soon.
Another use: if you have writer's block or want to warm up with a bit of a writing exercise, select one of the secrets at random and write a scene in which the person with the secret decides to reveal it one other person. Who would they choose? What would be the reaction?
(You'll find a lot of other ways to stimulate your creativiy, in my book, "Creativity Now!" You can order it from Amazon or your other favorite book seller.)
