Writing

http://janefriedman.com/2011/12/12/win-a-pulitizer/

http://poewar.com/fifteen-craft-exercises-for-writers/

http://io9.com/5916970/the-22-rules-of-storytelling-according-to-pixar

Techniques

Zula's Key

Through much of Reamde Zula, unknown to her captors, has the key to the lock they are counting on to keep her in place. If she's left unguarded for even a few moments, she can escape, but that doesn't happen.

Asymmetric Knowledge

Let the reader know something important that one of the characters doesn't

Parallel Narration

Setup multiple convergent plots and jump between them

Sexplanation

In the HBO show Game Of Thrones, in order to work in all the explanation from the book, they have characters do it while in bed. Leverage some form of brain candy to sweeten the necessary back-story.

Cosmos Laundromat

Have characters working hard to complete some small task that's part of a larger task, but make the small task clear and give no hint of the larger task. Give the reader more questions than answers.

New Access

character gains new access or ability - Ari in Cyteen, Ender, the Matrix

Lach's Cats

In "Red Seas, Red Skies" there's a portion in the middle that feels slow and boring because the characters are resigned to go with what's going on around them. Despite the section being filled with plot development and new information, it's slow. But it instantly picks up when Lach forgets to bring cats on a ship (an omen of good luck) and has to figure out how to keep the crew oblivious to this fact. Giving the character a problem keeps the reader engaged.

Case Studies

• Harry Potter
• The Alquemist
• Hunger Games
• The Martian
• Da Vinci Code

Commonalities

• Simple writing, nothing a middle-schooler couldn't handle
• life-and-death; all these stories have nearly continuous life threatening conditions
• "heroic" characters, expecting having a scenario thrust upon them
• The Martian and Da Vinci Code make the reader feel like they're learning
• Structure; these stories all have rigid, clear structures that serve as guides to the reader where they are in the story
• most use a McGuffing
• all world builders; these are set in places, environments and cultures the reader does not know

Opening Line

• HP: Mr. and Mrs. Dursley of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.
• The Alquemist: The alchemist picked up a book that someone in the caravan had brought.
• HG: when I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold.
• The martian: I'm pretty much fucked

Ideas

Whistle-blower

After a Snowden/Ellsberg type incident a new hire discovers that they are sitting at the desk of the whistleblower, they are the replacement. They see that the whistleblower is telling the truth, the response is distorted and that tools are being used to suppress the facts. But there's also a focus on the agency doing good. The replacement is faced with the choice of following in the steps of the predecessor or helping to persecute them.

Thief

Oceans 11 meets Harry Potter. The story is set in the interleaved places where mystical creatures are real - goblins, vampires and the like. But unlike HP, there's not really magic, there a few additional physical laws. And it is a solidly modern world - internet, cell phones, reality TV.

The story follows the classic heist plot. Leader is putting a team together for the ultimate heist, but his motives are more personal than professional.

"it's the darknet" said the gremlin, "Sounds nice" said the vampire.

"They always have humans in green-face playing us goblins in these films. And the names they give us are just offensive, 'Girmgalore' or 'Maxrot'. "What is your name anyway", "Donald". "I shudder in the presence of true evil".

Cyber Intrigue

X	Chaff	Forge	FBI	NSA op. Fresnel
Chaff	Provide cover for crypto users world wide	Layered organization, hackers for hire to cover up foot prints of bad people	Don't care, they helped cover up terror planning	Exactly what they say, annoying but mostly harmless
Forge	Disagree with methods, confirms alliance with FBI	Use known exploits to prevent unethical use of crypto tools	Exactly what they say, annoying but harmless	Mostly what they say, but working with FBI
FBI	FBI, illegal	FBI	FBI	FBI group performing illegal and unsanctioned investigations and siphoning off funds.
NSA	Unknown new player	Chaff	Not NSA, part of Chaff	NSA

Alice Hopper

Main char (ZetaFn)

Crypto Bob

Contact from Chaff

Charlie Law

Contact from FBI

Doug Mann

NSA

Elliptic Eve

Forge

1. Online Chaff game (like Moth on Reddit)
2. Online contact form Chaff, given a task: encode this data, post it here
3. Chaff → Alice: stop posting "they're" on to us
4. Contact from FBI (Charlie Law) plainclothes, not under arrest, you're in the middle of cyber war. If we can find you so can they. Chaff is dangerous
5. Chaff(FBI)
6. Contact from Forge(ellipticEve). Chaff is trouble, double agent or GTFO
7. NSA: FBI is not FBI