The Definitive* Guide to A Real Kaz Brekker Heist

*not definitive this is a lie

By:Not Leigh Bardugo (Specifically, Mod Anathema)

We all love a good Kaz Brekker Heist™. The man knows what he’s doing and what he’s doing is being cool as hell. But for those of us mere mortals who are not, in fact, Leigh Bardugo, how do we write a cool Kaz Brekker style heist? Well your humble mod has come up with a basic formula that will help you get close. Read on, dearly beloved, and between us all, maybe we can figure out how to give Leigh a run for her money.

1. Identify at least 3 points of interest from your story that are completely unrelated to the heist. This can be as simple as a character you included, or as complex as a series of conflicting motivations that have already caused trouble earlier on. Just find the stuff in your story that you think is fun and interesting and want to use. Pocket these for later.

2. Start your actual heist with a basic plan. Point A to Point D, via Points B and C. Something fun and interesting but not hard to understand.

3. Figure out the points of interest in the placesyou’re using. If the heist takes place in Ketterdam then what are the features of the parts of Ketterdam you’re using? The gabled roofing of the barrel? High street up on the lid? Pick some places you can use to your advantage.

4. Now here’s the fun part. Figure out at least 3 things that Kaz would know, but the audience would not. These are going to come up in the latter half of the heist. At least one of these should be something that Kaz figures out during the heist for maximum Cool Factor.

5. Now order these around so that they all fit together. How does your basic plan go wrong and how does it relate to the info you collected earlier? How can Kaz (or someone else! Wylan’s good at this too) use new information to get back on track, or to figure out a new and better track than before? How do the features of the location of the heist work both for and against your team? You have all the pieces, now put them together in a way that will shock your audience!

6. Now that you know the order of operations, get to writing! Cram in some high emotional stakes, make sure at least one of your characters has no idea what’s going on so the reader has someone to relate to. Choose your POV character based on how the story is best told. Do you want the POV character to not be aware of what’s happening? Maybe your POV character is Kaz and he’s calm in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds because he knows something more. You know how it all works, so now you get to tell it in the most compelling way you know how >:3

Congrats! Now your heist has gone from simple fare to twisting and turning in ways no one will expect! Use these powers for evil, my friends, and happy writing <3

[Disclaimer: not meant as The Correct Way to do anything, merely a fun and hopefully helpful guide to adding complexity to a heist. Love y'all]