A Dangerous Novel

jmichaelfavreau

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So this may take some explaining so stay with me. I am currently writing my second novel and within the next year or two I will be done. I have already been kicking around ideas for book 3 which will be a departure from books 1 and 2 which were science-fiction/horror. Book 3 will be about a terrorist group made up of people who are living in/citizens of the USA and are plotting to carry out a terror plot using crude chemical weapons. The book will follow one person from inception of the plan to the aftermath of his actions.

Now for the question part. I work in a field where I have a lot of experience with what I will be writing about and that will be great for an authentic and very believable story. The problem is this (and if I'm totally off base, please tell me): I don't want my book, which would theoretically take the reader through the entire process of forming a terrorist group, making and then setting off weapons, to be an "Anarchist's Cookbook" for a real group of crazy people to do the same.

Does that make sense? Has anyone else been hesitant to write/publish a book that others could use as a blueprint for bad things?
 

asroc

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If that worries you, can't you just leave out key parts of the process or alter them?

My father is a great fan of Tom Clancy and he says in one of Clancy's books terrorists turn an old nuclear missile into a working bomb for a terrorist attack. The author intentionally describes the process incorrectly so that no one could use the book as instructions.
 

jmichaelfavreau

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If that worries you, can't you just leave out key parts of the process or alter them?

My father is a great fan of Tom Clancy and he says in one of Clancy's books terrorists turn an old nuclear missile into a working bomb for a terrorist attack. The author intentionally describes the process incorrectly so that no one could use the book as instructions.

That's not a bad plan. Being my ever-anal self, it never occurred to me to leave out a key detail or alter it in some way. That makes me feel a little better.
 

Namatu

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That's not a bad plan. Being my ever-anal self, it never occurred to me to leave out a key detail or alter it in some way. That makes me feel a little better.
I've also found that, as the writer, I need to know more of the details, but in the writing, a lot of those details get left out. Just retain the awareness that you don't have to share all the details or explain everything in full.
 

Jamesaritchie

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No, that does not deter me in the least. We're long past the time when this information could be kept out of anyone's hand by omitting the details from a book. Anyone who can type can learn it all in a few minutes. This isn't permission to do a huge info dump, but it is permission to get it right, and to leave out nothing that matters.

But if you get any of it wrong, you'll be blown out of the water, and I think you're off to a very, very bad start with the word "crazies".
 

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Stephen King wanted 'Rage' to go out of print because of similar fears. After Columbine, he thought it might cause more school shootings after students read it.

I say don't censor the details. Once you publish it and learn a terrorist group read it and used it to make chemical weapons, then let it go out of print. Your conscious will be clear then.
 

Jamesaritchie

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Stephen King wanted 'Rage' to go out of print because of similar fears. After Columbine, he thought it might cause more school shootings after students read it.

I say don't censor the details. Once you publish it and learn a terrorist group read it and used it to make chemical weapons, then let it go out of print. Your conscious will be clear then.

King is sometimes a (Insert not nice word).

As for terrorists. yep, novels are where they get all their how-to information.

Have you read The Anarchist's Cookbook? It's a manual for terrorism, and it's available at the internet near you.
 

JWNelson

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J. Michael,
your concerns are admirable. However, considering the number of "cookbooks" that currently exist (and have long existed) for creating clandestine weapons (WMD et al.), your worries may be unnecessary. If you do not reveal classified or otherwise previously unknown information, it seems unlikely that you will "give" anyone ideas.
Perhaps you could do a Bing/Google/Yahoo search on terms associated with your terrorist group's planned weapon and get a feel for the information that is already out there.
Good luck!
John
 

Jamesaritchie

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I'd even say that if you don't give someone ideas, you wrote a poor book. There's a huge difference between giving someone an idea, and actually advocating an act of terrorism.

If you intend to advocate an act of terrorism, then you have to live with your conscience. If all you do is write a realistic story using knowledge available to everyone over five, and with an IQ above room temperature, you have nothing to worry about.

Really, how is this any different that using real methods of using a sniper rifle, or real methods of setting up an ambush to kill a bunch of people, both of which I've read more than once? Most than a hundred times, probably.

If it masks you feel guilty, leave out a step, but it's the story that matters, not tings like this. Who are the good guys, who are the bad guys, and what message are you sending? Good grief, you can order everything you need to make thermite, including the magnesium fuse, directly from Amazon. You can order everything you need to make a thermite grenade, thermite powder, or thermite tape, all for a few bucks.

And who doesn't already know how to weaponize chlorine? It's easy. And sarin? Four very common chemicals, and full instructions are online.

You have to be pretty naive to think you're giving away any secrets. Worry about the story you tell, and the message you want to send, not about trivia.
 

Katrina S. Forest

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I'm going to go with the crowd saying to limit it to whatever makes you comfortable.

If someone thinks that makes you naive or overthinking things or whatever else, that's their opinion. As ironmikezero said, you're the one who has to live with yourself.

And for whatever it's worth, I've enjoyed quite a few books that describe a complicated process or event in incredibly vague terms and do a brilliant job of making it feel real with just a hint of detail here and there. Player of Games comes foremost to my mind, but I know there's been others.
 

Dave Williams

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Is it something your potential criminal or terrorist couldn't find in about five seconds with their favorite search engine?

Or even the entire print/TV slasher/adventure/murder genre, which might be viewed as "how to commit a crime" ?

Write what you want.