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My OC Edward, who I thought of quite a while ago but haven't done anything with, is a professional cyber spy and hacker. He's employed by an organization (in the future, of course) that is basically trying to curate all the data in the world, including that which is not readily available, which is where people like Edward come into play. This organization hires people who can access hidden data, like unreleased tax returns of corporations or deleted emails of suspicious politicians, and cover their tracks so that there's no proof that the organization is invading privacy or doing illegal things, and then anonymously release the data onto a site called Vox Populi.

Obviously, I'm not a hacker or a cyber spy. So how do I write this guy's profession? I've tried to research hacking and cyber warfare before, but I mostly get fake BS on conspiracy blogs or cliched portrayals of hacking in the media (nerdy friend taps on the keyboard a few times and exclaims, "I'm in!). I'm excited to expand on this character and plot line, but I can't do it if I'm totally ignorant of the whole theme that the novel revolves around.

Whenever a character is an expert on something the author isn't, there is only one way out: research.

However, some expertises are easier to research than others. For example, one can much more easily research specific medical areas to 'fake' a doctor character than a hacker. I know, because I've been there. Although the question is not about what makes some areas trickier than others, I think looking at it will help direct us to the right path.

1) general vs. arcane knowledge

When a certain expertise is very common, it's easier for an author to have a general idea of what and where to research. Of course there will also be plenty of myths around, but there will also be plenty of texts and videos of actual experts talking about it and busting common myths. On the other hand, some areas of expertise are focused on things the average mortal has barely considered. The general public may have a tendency to imagine the silliest things about them.

2) true vs iffy science

Some areas of expertise are simply 'high brow' and generally deemed more worthy. Those will have a greater abundance of papers circulating, allowing amators and authors to get a more general feel for what it's really like. Then there are all the other so called sciences that are deemed subjective, inaccurate and, for some, barely science at all. Those underdogs may be under-represented in terms of papers.

3) jargon

Some expertise areas are heavy in jargon. To make it worse, that jargon is sometimes connected to hard to understand concepts.

4) fake facts

Some expertise areas seem to breed large amounts of 'fake facts' and myths, a lot of which may have their origin in the artistic licence of films and books. After all, what does the reality of a programmer (hours on end typing code) or a spy (95% of the time waiting and acting like boring normal people) have to do with a cool action story?

So, how to research the most arcane, iffy, jargonic, myth ridden areas of expertise?

With difficulty.

The first thing is to try and get a general feel for the area in question. Wikipedia may offer an overview that allows one to understand the core of the matter. The general feel should then be used as the starting point for a more in-depth research.

Secondly, identify why the area is looked down upon. This may help one spot blank statements that are less than true. For example, programming is often equated with 'not a real job', playing on the computer and hours of isolation in front of the screen. This ties in with the general misconceptions lots of people have about programmers (lazy, unhealthy, asocial geeks).

The third step concerns jargon and is trickier. The ideal would be for one to study the topic and learn as much as possible. Naturally, that is not always possible. Still, learning the basics is the minimum one should strive for if the main plot depends on the twists this particular expertise can spring up.

Once the basics are grasped, it may be a good idea to try and get an actual expert willing to work as a consultant. This option becomes a must if the plot relies on the 'science' of the chosen area. One wouldn't want our expert to say that the opposite of a proton is an electron (tip: it isn't) and then somehow use that 'fake fact' as the basis for dismantling an atomic bomb (because, you know, atomic bombs are about atoms and atoms have protons and electrons).

Where it comes to debunking myths and fake facts, you have to go to the source.

One could start by looking for blogs and videos of actual experts as they debunk myths. Or, if those experts simply use the medium to talk about their area, ask them specific questions (make sure you've understood the basics before, you won't help yourself if you ask a salesperson how they sell). Show you've done some research, be humble and always ask if they can point you to amator-friendly sources.

I also suggest heading to reddit or forums (inhabited by the experts one needs) and asking them directly three main questions:

1) what do films, stories, etc get wrong about your area (especially the things that really annoy you)?

2) what do films, stories, etc get right about your area?

3) what part of your job do people have more difficulty understanding?

(some people can't wrap their mind around some tasks that are part of a teacher's daily life which, keeping in mind how common teachers are, is quite strange... now imagine hackers!)

The answer is research, research, and more research. I'm not an expert on horseback riding, or sword-fighting, or ruling a country. The only way I can write convincingly about those subjects is by doing research.

Research can take many forms. It can be reading about the subject, both guides and first-hand accounts. It can be talking to people who do the thing. It can be finding the relevant experts on youtube. It can be going and doing the thing yourself, to get at least some idea of what it feels like. Obviously, not all methods are applicable to all things you need to research. I don't get to "try running a country". But you get as much tidbits of information as you can, and then fill in the blanks with good writing.

Things you want to focus your research on:

• The big picture: how is the thing done at all?


• Details: as many as you can. Small colourful details can make the picture come alive. For instance, a horse needs to be praised, and if you're doing a long journey on horseback, you're going to be alternating walk and trot. That's details writers who treat horses as "slow medieval cars" ignore.


• Problems that might arise. Problems generate conflict. Conflict makes your story interesting.


• Jargon. The very specific language of the particular field of interest again makes your work come alive. Your character would be using those specific terms. A knight wouldn't be talking of a "horse", but of destriers and rounceys.

For your particular character, you won't find anything useful by googling "how to hack a website". Or at least, I don't think you would. But try searching for the opposite - for how computer security works. Talk to someone who works in the field, or at least read up on that. By learning about the defence, you can learn about the attack.

Ask an expert.

Obviously, research is an important first step. But there's only a finite amount of research you can do, and without intimate knowledge of the subject, you have no way of knowing whether the research you're doing is the right research.

So find an expert, and convince them to be a beta reader. They'll be able to spot the things that stand out as unrealistic, and give you insights into what would actually happen in those spots. As a bonus, experts are good primary research sources as well, but it's as beta readers where they shine, because the rough spots that are obvious to them won't be obvious to you.

Find a single detail, and explain it in depth.

If your readers see your character demonstrate a deep and accurate understanding of a small portion of their field, then they will assume that your character has a similar understanding of all the other aspects of their job.

As long as you don't make any egregious errors, the trust you earned from the initial proof will allow you claim that your character has expertise on similar subjects with very few details that you need to learn.

I heartily recommend the Writing Excuses episodes "Characters who are smarter than you are" and "Learning to listen as a writer", especially when Mary Robinette talks about how she wrote the Calculating Stars and dealing with the things she didn't know about. Each episode is 15-20 minutes long, and very educational.

Assuming your aim is to target as broad of an audience as possible, there's two ends to weigh. On the one hand, if you do some cursory research into cyber security and try to regurgitate something back, you might sound knowledgeable to a casual reader, but run a high risk of sounding foolish to people who are actually knowledgeable on the topic. On the other hand, you don't want to go overboard and inundate your non-expert readers with so much unfamiliar jargon that their eyes glaze over.

If you have at least some knowledge of the subject matter, then what I suggest you try is finding someone who is an expert to advise you on the finer points. That doesn't mean you won't need to research on your own, of course, but it does give you a place to refine your ideas and get advice on how to approach things. There is also a great Stack Exchange community here for network security topics; you might get some ideas from perusing it.

However, if you don't have any real knowledge about cyber security at all, try flipping through some rudimentary books on it. You may need to start with the very basics of networking before moving on to security concerns. In any case, you won't need to earn a certification yourself to write a character that's convincing enough to appeal to both ends of the spectrum, just be prepared to do a lot of learning.

Keep in mind that people who actually are experts in a field don't necessarily expect a work of fiction to blow their minds with advanced concepts. The key is being interesting and coherent, while avoiding mistakes and incongruities -- and one might say that of any story.