We’re heading into our next exploration post and staying on topic with this month’s theme.

Stonework by definition is the use and presentation of stones for building and other materials. And what better example of this than the one thing that shows up in countless castles, keeps, halls and dungeons:

Secret rooms.

Whether it’s a hidden armory or an escape tunnel, secret rooms and passages provide a way for characters to resupply, hide or even escape as they struggle.

Maps as Writing Tools

Maps are invaluable for tracking locations and where characters are. Not only do they give you a visual reference for where things are, they’re helpful for figuring out the choreography of a scene; where each character is in relation to one another matters when handling action scenes or if they can reasonably hide under that table without giving themselves away.

You don’t have to be an artist to draw up a simple map either. There are dozens of tutorials out there if you want to learn to draw a map (specifically you may want to look for fantasy map making or even dungeon mapping). Alternately, one of the best resources you can find again comes from fantasy roleplay and gaming resources: dungeon and game master books often have maps and locations.

Bonus exercise Draw a basic map of your home (use a pencil!). Mark out where the doors and windows are. Then, insert ‘secret’ rooms and figure out how you would enter those secret rooms as if they actually existed in your home.

Part 1: What’s Inside?

This exploration comes with a two-part writing exercise.

To begin, decide on a secret room you’d like to build. You’ll need to know where it’s located and how it’s hidden.

Most rooms are built with an intention in mind. That might be something like the speakeasies of the 1920’s, or a hidden panic room in some houses. Whatever the reason, if you’re going to have a secret room, you need to know what it was originally used for. Decide on what your secret room was built for and write a short, 2-3 sentence on its use and history.

Once you’ve figured out what it’s for, consider what inside might still hint at its previous usage. Make a short list of things that might have been left behind either from the last time it was used or when it was cleaned out by the original builders.

Part 2: Keep it Secret

Part of the allure of secret rooms is that they maintain some of their secrets.

Take the list of abandoned items from Part 1: What’s Inside? and write down a second or even a third reason for them to have been hidden in the secret room.

You can also write down how these items might have been damaged over time (rust, cobwebs, dust, etc.).

Now, write a scene in which a character discovers a secret room and has to guess at what it was for using only the items left behind.