by Violet Nesdoly
Kathleen Kelly hates Joe Fox. He’s the owner of a big-box bookstore that sets up shop just around the corner from her independent children’s bookstore. As business dwindles, it becomes clear that she’ll be forced to close.
To distract her from her business problems, she finds sympathy in an online chatroom. There as “Shopgirl” she begins conversing with “NY152”, pouring out her woes. Shopgirl and NY152 become good buddies. Little does she know that her new friend is Joe Fox himself. He discovers her identity and realizes he’s falling in love with her. What happens next plays out in the beloved 1998 movie “You’ve God Mail” (Kathleen Kelly played by Meg Ryan; Joe Fox played by Tom Hanks). The plot of this movie is a wonderful example of the power of a secret in storytelling.
Dictionary.com defines the noun “secret” as “something that is or is kept hidden or concealed; a mystery; a reason or explanation not generally apparent.”
Some literary genres where you have probably encountered secrets are mysteries, romances, quests, and coming-of-age stories.
When employed well, secrets can be pretty powerful.
1. Secrets can enhance tension as we wonder, when will all be revealed and what will be the fallout?
2. Secrets can involve the reader in the action. Consider the various points of view the author can use when playing with a secret:
a. A secondary character may have a secret that the hero and the reader don’t know. Daphne Du Maurier’s novel Rebecca is an example of such a situation.
b. The protagonist has a secret that the reader knows but the hero does not. The movie “You’ve Got Mail” would be an example.
c. The hero has a secret that the reader knows but the protagonist does not. I used this setup in my book Under the Cloud, where heroine Zamri hides her first love interest from her husband, then gets found out as she is discovered weeping at her first love’s gravesite.
d. The reader knows the secret that none of the characters know. The Bible story of Joseph’s first encounter with his brothers when they come to Egypt for food would be an example of such a situation.
e. None of the characters or the reader know the secret. Only the author is privy.
Here are some more Bible stories that employ secrets. Which category, from the list above, do you think they would they fit into?
1] The secret of Samson’s strength.
2] King David’s rendezvous with Bathsheba.
3] Esther’s secret from King Ahasuerus and Haman.
4] Mary’s secret from Joseph.
5] Ananias and Sapphira’s secret from Peter.
How would you go about using the power of a secret in a story or play? Here are some elements to consider.
1] What is the secret?
– Does it involve a past event or situation (crime, child born out of wedlock, addiction)?
– Does it involve someone’s identity—they are not who they claim to be?
– is it a family secret?
– Is it a situation where someone sets out to deceive deliberately?
2] Who knows the secret?
Consider the options (listed above) about who knows the secret. If the story is told in first person, does the narrator even know the secret? Each vantage point will affect the way you tell the story, the tension created, and reader involvement.
Consider including a secret in your next story. Here are some plot ideas involving secrets from the website Creative Writing Now to get your creative juices flowing.
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“Story Ideas About Secrets and More,” from Creative Writing Now < https://www.creative-writing-now.com/story-ideas-12.html>, last accessed June 21, 2025.
by Violet Nesdoly
Violet Nesdoly lives in Langley, B.C. She has been a poetry columnist and editor, had poetry and prose published in print and online, and authored articles for children, adults, and two novels. Besides writing she enjoys making art, reading, and walking local nature trails with camera in hand.
I love the secret you shared from “You’ve Got Mail”. I love how a secret like this ratchets up the tension in the story. And I like how the secrets can be held by different characters or only by the reader. That’s so perceptive , Violet. I’d like to try adding a secret in to my next story. Thank you Violet!
Lovely! Thank you. I got the request to write this article early in the new year, just after I watched “You’ve Got Mail” for the umpteenth time – and it immediately clicked as a perfect example of how a secret enhances tension in a story.
👍