One thing that makes a character in a screenplay or novel interesting is their secret.
If you need proof of the power of secrets to attract us, notice how often people trying to sell you something use the lure of secrets, especially secrets that some hypothetical "they" supposedly don't want you to know.
SECRETS ARE NOT ALWAYS NEGATIVE
In character terms, we tend to think of secrets as being about negative things, but they can also be positive, neutral, or open to interpretation:
- The person who anonymously pays another person's bill;
- Someone who, even in middle age, still harbors dreams of becoming famous;
- The woman who lets her husband think their child is his, even though she knows it isn't.
HOW SECRETS INFLUENCE PLOTS
While it can be interesting to consider what secrets your characters might harbor, the important secrets are those that influence the story in some way.
A story typically confronts your protagonist with an internal as well as an external conflict, and a secret can be useful in both.
A dark secret may influence how open a character is about their background, and it can make them take drastic action to preserve the secret.
An embarrassing secret can be especially useful in a comedy.
A secret goal may suddenly set your protagonist on a new path if something happens to make the goal more accessible.
Sometimes the secret just helps us to understand the character better, other times the entire plot revolves around a secret. Let's look at some examples.
SECRETS IN MOVIES
If you think back to your favorite movies you may find that secrets played a significant role. Here are a few of mine:
Citizen Kane revolves around that secret of the meaning of "rosebud," Charles Foster Kane's last word.
In Sunset Boulevard, the young screenwriter hides his relationship to the old movie star.
In Schindler's List, Schindler has to keep his intentions secret from the Nazis.
In The Wizard of Oz, the Wizard has to keep it a secret that he's just a mortal.
In E.T., the boy has to keep the alien secret from the feds.
In Silence of the Lambs, the FBI cadet tries to keep her fear and her background secret, but Hannibal Lector figures them out.
In Some Like it Hot and Tootsie, characters have to keep it a secret that they are men pretending to be women.
In Romeo and Juliet, the young lovers have to keep their relationship a secret from their families.
In Hamlet, the Prince has to keep it secret that he suspects his uncle poisoned his father.
In A Streetcar Named Desire, Blanche tries to hide several facts about her past.
The list goes on!
WHAT'S YOUR CHARACTER'S SECRET?
You can start with a secret that could be the center of an interesting plot, or if you already have a plot, you can think about what kind of secret would be useful in making a character more interesting and what useful effect it could have on the plot.
A secret can also be useful when you know you need your protagonist to do something in order to advance the plot, but there's no obvious reason for them to do so. You may be able to plant a secret early in the story that justifies their later action.
And that's the secret of using secrets in stories!
