YA Outside the Lines

Regardless of genre, I think early every work could benefit from a dose of suspense. What else is going to keep us turning pages? One way I like to add suspense is with a secret.    Does your character have a secret? What are – or could they be – hiding from the world?    How would they hide this secret? In what way would this secret motivate your character, influencing their action, dialogue, and desires?    How could the secret raise the stakes? What would happen if key players found out about this secret?    Does your character have to lie to keep the secret? Do they confide in anyone? Does that end up being a mistake? Or how does that decision spin the narrative?    The answers to all of these questions keep the reader turning pages. We’re hooked in the suspense of how this secret will be revealed and what its effects will be. How will this secret impact the present-day action?    As an example, in my Dark House series, the main character, Ivy, has a secret. Six years ago, her pare