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writershelpingwriters.net/2019/11/conflict-thesaurus-entry-family-secrets-being-revealed
Conflict is very often the magic sauce for generating tension and turning a ho-hum story
into one that rivets readers. As such, every scene should contain a struggle of some kind.
Maybe it’s an internal tug-of-war having to do with difficult decisions, morals, or
temptations. Or it possibly could come from an external source—other characters,
unfortunate circumstances, or the force of nature itself.
It’s our hope that this thesaurus will help you come up with meaningful and fitting conflict
options for your stories. Think about what your character wants and how best to block
them, then choose a source of conflict that will ramp up the tension in each scene.
Examples:
A parent’s extra-marital affair is uncovered
Discovering the existence of half siblings
(say at the reading of a will or when
someone shows up at the door claiming to be related)
Finding out a crime was covered up (someone was paid off, a family member was “sent
away to school” to avoid consequences, etc.)
A family member is outed for drug abuse, alcoholism, or a gambling habit
Discovering a family member has a fetish or unconventional sexual preferences
A hidden pregnancy
Discovering one’s ancestors were war criminals, racists, or supported such things
Discovering ties to the occult
Finding out one is adopted (or a sibling is)
A discovery that the family’s wealth, property, or power was obtained illegally or through
immoral means
The truth coming out about a family business (that it’s almost bankrupt, that it was won in a
poker game, that it was built on deceit or through the hard work of others, etc.)
The discovery of a forced marriage
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Uncovering the source of a feud
Family abuse coming out into the open (physical, emotional, or sexual)
Finding out that mental illness or another disease runs in the family
Finding out an ability runs in the family (psychic sensitivities, a gift that has always been
suppressed or hidden for safety, etc.)
Minor Complications:
Strained relationships
Awkwardness now that another’s secret is out in the open
Family members taking sides
Family members pressuring others to let it go to keep the status quo
Needing someone to talk to but having no one due to broken trust
Unwanted publicity if word gets out
Guilt trips to stay quiet
The burden of knowledge erasing their innocence and changing how they view family
People Who Could Be Negatively Affected: family members, people who were victimized
by someone in the family, the person(s) responsible for the transgression should word leak
out, anyone whose reputation could be damaged due to their association with the one at
the heart of the matter
Positive Outcomes:
If the secret reveals a truth the character has always suspected, there can be relief in
knowing
The discovery that a condition or struggle they have is shared by another may lead to
feeling validated
Once a past wound comes out in full, there is the opportunity for everyone involved to begin
to heal
If information has been kept from a character, having access to it means they can make
informed choices moving forward, regaining control
Once a person knows about a past wrong they can step up and work to make things right
again
Once a secret is out, it steals the power of those trying to use it to control the behavior of
others
here.
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