Shh . . . It's a Secret . . . Society

Writing hit novels and stuff

Photo by Kristina Flour on Unsplash

Back in 1798 in the United States, Christian churches across New England told their worshipers that the Illuminists were going to eradicate Christian. The Illuminsts were a group filled with European intellectuals and they were dangerous and secret. They’d annihilate the government, too.

Sound a little familiar?

Us vs Them where the “them” is secretive and hell-bent on destroying the “us” is a really big tool of political pundits, conspiracy theorists, some news outlets, social media posts, and propaganda.

There’s a reason it works: it’s about fear.

It’s often about a fear of change, a fear of secrets, a fear of something that isn’t us, of losing what we little we already have—our way of life.

Battles are often pitted as preserving one way of life by both sides.

Groups feed on this fear and this hatred. Bloggers—even news bloggers—will use it to get clicks and likes, to rally up the troops to support their causes or buy their merch.

All of this? Well, it can help you when you’re creating the conflicts and themes in your novel. So, let’s get to it.