Character Secret Thesaurus: Fleeing a Crime Scene

What secret is your character keeping? Why are they safeguarding it? What’s at stake if it’s discovered? Does it need to come out at some point, or should it remain hidden?

This is some of the important information you need to know about your character’s secrets—and they will have secrets, because everyone does. They’re thorny little time bombs composed of fear, deceit, stress, and conflict that, when detonated, threaten to destroy everything the character holds dear.

So, of course, you should assemble them. And we can’t wait to help.

This thesaurus provides brainstorming fodder for a host of secrets that could plague your character. Use it to explore possible secrets, their underlying causes, how they might play into the overall story, and how to realistically write a character who is hiding them—all while establishing reader empathy and interest.

For instance, let’s see what it might look like if your character…

Fled a Crime Scene

ABOUT THIS SECRET: Fleeing a crime scene—on purpose or unintentionally—is a secret that clings like gunshot residue. The character might not have committed the crime, but being there at the wrong time makes them look guilty, or at the very least, deeply suspicious. Staying silent isn’t just about avoiding legal trouble, it’s about dodging the endless fallout—like being blacklisted from jobs, losing friends, or becoming the hot gossip at every dinner party.

SPECIFIC FEARS THAT MAY DRIVE THE NEED FOR SECRECY: Being Attacked, Being Unsafe, Being Watched, Government, Letting Others Down, Losing One’s Social Standing, Losing the Respect of Others, Not Being Believed, Rejection, Trusting Others

HOW THIS SECRET COULD HOLD THE CHARACTER BACK
Being fearful of situations similar to where the crime was committed
Avoiding public activities out of fear a witness may recognize and out them
Fearing that if they come forward, they’ll face legal and social repercussions or jail time
Close relationships being compromised due to the character’s dishonesty about what happened

BEHAVIORS OR HABITS THAT HELP HIDE THIS SECRET
Destroying evidence that places them at the scene of the crime
Avoiding the location where the crime was committed to prevent being recognized
Lying about their whereabouts during the time of the crime
Breaking off contact with anyone who may suspect the truth
Becoming isolated out of fear for their own safety

ACTIVITIES OR TENDENCIES THAT MAY RAISE SUSPICIONS
Exhibiting avoidance tendencies when the topic comes up with a partner or spouse
Lying “tells” being activated when topics around the event come up—e.g., excessive sweating, stammering, or not making eye contact
Becoming obsessed with the victim
Being unable to explain evidence that points to a crime (a crumpled fender, bloodstains on a shirt, bruised knuckles, etc.)

SITUATIONS THAT MAKE KEEPING THIS SECRET A CHALLENGE 
Being asked directly about the events surrounding the crime
An accomplice wanting to confess
Being connected to the setting or people involved in the crime in a way that others know about
Being roped into the investigation because of their connection to an involved party, one of the investigators, or another witnesses

Other Secret Thesaurus entries can be found here.

Need More Descriptive Help?

While this thesaurus is still being developed, the rest of our descriptive collection (18 unique thesauri and growing) is accessible through the One Stop for Writers THESAURUS database.

If you like, swing by and check out the video walkthrough for this site, then give our Free Trial a spin.

The post Character Secret Thesaurus: Fleeing a Crime Scene appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

The Bookshelf Muse is a hub for writers, educators and anyone with a love for the written word. Featuring Thesaurus Collections that encourage stronger descriptive skills, this award-winning blog will help writers hone their craft and take their writing to the next level.

Source: https://writershelpingwriters.net/2025/04/character-secret-thesaurus-fleeing-a-crime-scene/