My latest post on Writer Unboxed is about how to handle the writing of secrets within a novel. Here’s a short extract:

A secret in fiction, as in life, doesn’t have to be a bombshell like the revelation of a State secret, the identity of a ruthless killer, or the true nature of a historical event. It can be a quieter but no less important secret, like the reason why a character no longer speaks to their best friend, or why they’ve quit their job, or why they behave badly in certain situations.

But how do you know, as a writer, if you’ve got it right? How many secrets are too much, or not enough? There’s the temptation to over-egg the plot pudding and mix in too many big soap-opera-style secrets around your characters. There’s also the fear of concentrating on just one major secret throughout the story but then letting readers down by fluffing the reveal. Trying to find a middle ground is not easy. You want the reader to feel intrigued, to want to keep turning the pages, even to gasp in surprise. But you also don’t want to ‘jump the shark’ and stretch credulity to such an extent that it snaps.

You can read the whole thing here. Hope you enjoy! And do feel free to join in the conversation on the WU site.

The fabulous pic below by the way is by Kristina Flour, available on the Unsplash site.