Generally speaking, I’m pretty good at secret keeping.
Professionally it’s a non-negotiable but even in my personal life I’ve got a lock box and know how to use it. There are limits, of course, especially when it comes to safety but that’s not where I’m going. I’m thinking about the burden of keeping secrets when you’re writing fiction. That whole business about building suspense and keep readers on edge – with wonder or worry. Or intrigue.
I attended a terrific workshop for writers yesterday and had the pleasure of learning from Libby Fischer Hellman, the author of eighteen thrillers. I took several pages of notes that I’ll be relishing and rereading for a while. Pivoting, perhaps, from reading her latest book, “Max’s War” to my workshop notes.
Unlike other authors who offer broad generalities couched as writing tips, Hellman was specific in her advice – prompting an a-ha that reminded me of a Neil Gaiman quote:
“Fiction is a lie that tells us true things, over and over.” – Neil Gaiman
Oof! I remember reading those words about a year ago when I began writing fiction – in earnest – for the first time. Gaiman’s simple sentence helped me reverse-engineer a scene to be more coy, less demonstrative about a character’s actions. In the first, tenth and ninety-ninth drafts of the passage, I gave away the store. Oversharing, over resolving; poking the air out of the balloon before I’d filled it. Before I’d given the reader a chance to soak up the notes of dread and tension I tried – so artfully – to add.
Gaiman’s thought about telling the lie, over and over helped me. As a writer, I need to do what I’m unlikely to do in real life – allow a problem to fester on the page, open-ended and without conclusion.
If you’re a writer or a reader of fiction, you’ve heard the advice that building – and maintaining – tension matters. Strong opening lines and great sentences concluding each chapter can and should play with readers’ emotions. Pulling strings, conjuring the what-ifs and the wonder in their heads and hearts.
Hellman offered a unique spin on the topic of intrigue:
“I know the wisdom about building tension, but think of it this way, when you’re writing. Just prolong revelations as long as you can. Literary slo-mo.” Libby Fischer Hellman, Barrington Writers’ Workshop, June 7, 2025
It was another way of thinking about Gaiman’s advice. Prolong the revelations. Tell a lie (that’s fiction, after all) and stick with it. Build the world around it, offer those rich descriptions and sensory details but don’t resolve the big questions too quickly.
So very un-Vicki-like. I enjoy problem solving and the pivot to hold pain, fear, disgruntlement, anxiety as I write is a growth opportunity for me.
Hugs and good wishes to you…no matter what you’re creating, writing, mulling. I’m in your corner, cheering you on!
Vicki 😊
Hi – I’m Victoria, Vicki, Dr. Vicki. I hold a doctorate in Adult Education and I’m a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), and author of Surviving Sue | Eckhartz Press.
Check out this link to learn more about my book “Surviving Sue” – all about resilience and love.
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Victoria Ponders 
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