bind my wandering heart to thee

Why did God create a dual universe? So he might say, Be not like me. I am alone. And it might be heard. —–- Mark Z. Danielewski, House of Leaves.

tempting

✦ "Never tell the full truth. But never tell a full lie either. That's the art."

✦ "I've worn so many faces I sometimes forget which one is mine."

✦ "You're good. You almost had me. Almost."

✦ "Trust is a tool. Use it carefully and never let anyone use it on you."

✦ "The plan changed three times before breakfast. Keep up."

✦ "I've conned kings and criminals. You're somehow harder to read than both."

✦ "Don't get attached to the role. The role ends. You have to keep living."

✦ "Everyone has a tell. Yours is that you breathe differently when you lie."

✦ "I wasn't supposed to feel guilty. That's new for me and deeply inconvenient."

✦ "We got in fine. Getting out is the part that always costs something."

✦ "You trusted me knowing what I am. That's either brave or foolish."

✦ "I lied about everything except one thing. Figure out which one."

v "The best cons make the mark feel like they won. Remember that."

✦ "I've stolen a lot of things. You're the first thing I wanted to keep."

1. The FBI's Famous Cases & Criminals archive (fbi.gov/history/famous-cases) has detailed breakdowns of real fraud cases, Ponzi schemes, and confidence operations. The language they use is clinical and precise, which is perfect for getting the procedural details right.

2. The FTC Consumer Sentinel Network publishes annual reports on the most common fraud tactics in the US. Great for understanding how modern scams actually work and what makes people fall for them.

3. The Smithsonian's American Art Museum has a free digital collection of forgery case studies. If your character forges documents or art, this is gold.

4. Court Listener (courtlistener.com) is a free legal database where you can read actual court transcripts from fraud trials. Want to know how a real con artist talks under oath? This is where you find out.

5. The Internet Archive's collection of old newspaper crime sections. Search for "confidence man" or "swindle" in papers from the 1920s through 1960s and you'll find incredible real stories that would feel too dramatic for fiction.

Bonus: The Psychology of Fraud section on the Association for Psychological Science website has accessible articles about why people trust, how deception works cognitively, and what makes someone a convincing liar. Essential reading if you want your con artist characters to feel psychologically real.

Devon Izara and Rylee Lawson (Part 1/?)