Complex Characters: A deeper dive into writing grey characters
Jul 11, 2025
"THIS LOOKS INCREDIBLY STUPID," I said as I flipped on Netflix and the trailer to K-POP DEMON HUNTER started playing.
"This is something I'll never watch."
"This is the dumbest thing I've ever seen."
Fast forward to one week later...and I'm sitting, glued to the screen, watching K-pop Demon Hunter with my friend. I can't take my eyes off of it. I'm supposed to be working on a project, and this beautiful movie has my FULL attention.
Why? Well, artistically, it's a masterpiece. The part of me that remembers how difficult my film animation classes were can appreciate that.
But here's the bigger reason:
Secrets.
And that's what we're talking about today.
What's up with flawed characters
What stood out to me the most about this movie (other than the k-pop angle, which was unusual for my mid-western sensibilities, but actually quite cool) were the characters.
I was expecting something shallow and...well, stupid. I only watched it because my friend (who is much more open-minded than I am) wanted to, and I didn't want to let her down.
If anything, this is a lesson in open-mindedness. Noted.
Back on subject: the characters were flawed. Relatable. And a little bit grey.
The MC has a serious SECRET, and it got me thinking about how this little mechanic took something that seemed dumb and glued me to the couch for 90 minutes.
(If you're curious, I have crippling ADHD - so for ANYTHING to do that is a downright miracle).
Flawed characters, as a rule, are typically beloved. They remind us of the complexity of human nature, and we love them because they help us see ourselves in a different and more redeemable light.
And giving them secrets? Absolutely. Heck yes. This is great way to create intrigue and raise the stakes, which is 100% necessary if you want someone to read your book.
So let's talk about secrets - what to do with them, how to write them, and, most important, how they'll make your book even better.
Before we keep going, have you grabbed my free workbook on writing morally grey characters?
If not, click here to download it.
Also, if you need in-depth walkthroughs of character writing that ROCKS, I've got a great resource for you. This is my personal method for writing characters:
What you need to know about secrets:
Characters with secrets are not only fun, but they're realistic. Think about it. Most of us carry around something we don't tell people - even if it's innocuous, like my secret fear of bicycles - but it affects our behavior.
For example: why do I avoid bike paths? Why do I close my eyes when I see bikes on the street? Why do I get freaking PTSD to the degree that when my husband and I got married, he GOT RID OF HIS BELOVED BIKE?
(I didn't ask him to do that, btw. He did that on his own).
Are you intrigued?
There are lots of reasons people might keep secrets, and you can jot these down for your characters:
- fear of judgement, consequences, vulnerability
- hidden trauma
- their worldview
- mistakes
- shame
These are just a few of the reasons someone might keep a secret. Keep in mind that this isn't an exhaustive list - there are plenty of other (sillier) reasons - but these are a few to keep in your brain when you're working on secrets.
When you're writing characters with secrets, think about how heavy those secrets are. That emotional weight will dictate a lot of how your characters carry themselves (emotionally, but maybe physically, too).
To make sure that you're clearly communicating this weight, develop a strong why behind your character's secret: why do they have to make sure no one knows? Why do they have to keep this part of themselves locked away?
That will help you figure out EXACTLY how to tell the story that you're trying to tell.
What to do with your secret:
One of my favorite exercises to do with my writing students is to give a character a secret that you NEVER PLAN to give to your reader.
This is fun because it forces you to SHOW the secret instead of TELLING it - and because we love spilling the tea by nature, we'll "reveal" the secret in a hundred other ways (just not in words).
If you give your character a SUPER SECRET secret (hehehehe) then not only will your reader's intrigue-o-meter go up, but your writing will likely improve as well.
An example I love is Kaz Brekker from Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows duology. He's got a secret - and a gnarly one at that - and I read the entire duology in two days just to learn what it was.
Bardugo did eventually reveal it (and you might decide that you want to, even after you put all that work into NOT revealing it to anyone) but it took almost the entire story for me to figure it out.
The payoff was amazing - and that's what keeps readers turning pages.
Internal and external conflict:
The big thing to think about with secrets (the why and the how) is conflict. In this case, your internal conflict and your external conflict are going to be doing different things.
Internally, your character is likely to be constantly battling inner turmoil and anxiety (or a host of other emotions - depending on the why you figured out in the previous section). This will have a huge impact on how they carry themselves, how they treat others, and on all of their relationships with the other characters in their story.
To execute this effectively, you'll need to weave this inner conflict into everything they do, think, and feel, the same way you would with any other type of inner conflict. Super easy, right?
Next comes external conflict: this is where you'll stress the stakes of someone finding out the truth. Why do external forces care or not care about this secret? What will the external response be if this secret is revealed? That's the big idea of your external conflict.
In KPOP Demon Hunter, the external conflict was extremely compelling: if the main character's secret is revealed, her entire reality is threatened, including her relationships with everyone she loves. That's ultra-compelling, super clear, and a REALLY GOOD motivator for all of the decisions she makes (good and bad).
The tension between what the character wants to hide and what might be revealed (and what happens if and when it is revealed) amps up the drama and the stakes of the story. Drama + stakes = readers loving your book. Just make those stakes really clear.
To do that, create situations where the character's secret is at risk of being exposed. Make it super close.
You'll have everyone on the edge of their seats.
Balance flaws with relatability:
To make sure that you're writing a character who has secrets and isn't just a poorly written character, we need to go back to the laws of character flaws.
It's actually really simple: just balance the character's flaws with their vulnerability. If and when you decide to reveal the secret, you also can tell the reader why they kept it in the first place. This makes them relatable, and, in most cases, forgivable in the reader's eyes.
(This is important because you want your reader to keep cheering for them).
Readers want complex characters they can connect with, even if they don't entirely agree with their motivations, so when you dig into the why of your character's secret-keeping antics, make sure you keep it understandable.
At the end, how does the character feel? Do they regret their actions? Do they feel trapped by circumstance? Are they protecting someone or something?
It doesn't even need to be a super noble reason - it just needs to be understandable. You need to make your reader say, "ah, me too."
Build to a powerful reveal:
The last thing to think about with secretive character is the moment we all wait for: the big reveal.
If and when you decide to do this, it can be the most pivotal part of your story - and one of the most potent examples (in my mind, at least) is that moment in A Court of Mist and Fury when Rhys spills EVERYTHING about his experiences under the mountain.
I won't spoil it for you (although, to be honest, it's been out long enough...) but in the vaguest terms possible, this moment changes everything about the story. It's not just about Rhys (although we learn a lot about him). It changes our views of Tamlin, the world, the other character, Feyre...just about every aspect of this story looks different after THAT reveal.
It's so powerful that we still talk about it, long after it's been published.
AND it's so powerful that I remembered it - which is wild, given that I have the memory of a squirrel and don't even know what I ate for breakfast this morning.
But I digress.
In the shortest terms possible, the fallout from the reveal should add to the tension and push the story towards its climax - and after the reveal, nothing in your story should be the same.
What's up next...
If you haven't grabbed my free workbook on morally grey heroes, make sure to download that here!
Writing complex characters with secrets adds a rich layer of depth and tension to your story, and if you've never tried it before, give it a shot! This is a really fun exercise and at the very least it can help you create nuance with your character writing.
By the way, I can help you go even deeper with your characters, no matter their type or trope, in this massive guide.
Before you go...
Struggle with knowing how to plot your book? Click here.
Not sure how to create emotionally complex and deep characters? Click here.
Want my help creating a story world that is rich, full, and lively? I got you. Click here.
