Story Ideas: 15 Secrets Your Characters Could Be Hiding

One of the biggest things we need for a great story in addition to a compelling concept is having strong, three dimensional characters. Aside from the physical appearances of our characters, the surface stuff we can see on screen — what are some things that don’t always show up right away? What drives our characters to make decisions they otherwise wouldn’t make in certain situations? Our characters should be just as complex and unique as people are in real life. Otherwise you end up with flat, predictable and forgettable characters that bring your story down. That’s why the story ideas listed below can help give your character more depth.

By giving your characters a secret, you will notice they may have to act different given the scene they are in. They may even have to avoid certain topics or just find the closest exit depending on the type of secret they’re hiding. Below are fifteen secrets you can use and hopefully enhance that will add some additional depth to your characters.