The Lotus Eaters Forum EX#6: Icebergs

First--Write of a character that is an iceberg, that is 25% shows on the surface, that can be seen, and 75% is hidden to others.

If you want more direction to narrow it down a little, you may want to add how the hidden 75% causes destruction. For instance, a man hides the fact he was molested as a child. Because of that hidden past, he is unable to be intimate with his wife. This causes the destruction of their marriage.

We are all icebergs. It is important to note in narrative the external and the internal. Readers know the internal of characters in a way we can't know other people in reality; we can't enter into their minds. Similarly, other characters in the story cannot know the protagonist's or narrator's mind. A great source of portraying conflict is to have the internal and external of a character contrast.