Unlocking Secrets: How to Send Hidden Messages with Constrained Writing

Constrained writing, a literary technique that imposes specific limitations on the writer, might seem like a purely academic exercise. However, it possesses a playful, often overlooked potential: using these constraints to encode and transmit secret messages. This article will delve into the world of constrained writing, exploring various methods you can employ to craft hidden communications, transforming ordinary text into a cipher. We’ll cover several techniques with detailed examples and steps to help you send secret messages with style and ingenuity.

What is Constrained Writing?

Constrained writing is any form of writing that adheres to a pre-defined set of rules or limitations beyond the usual grammar and syntax. These constraints can affect vocabulary, sentence structure, letter usage, or even the overall form of the text. The Oulipo (Ouvroir de Littérature Potentielle, or Workshop of Potential Literature) is a group of writers and mathematicians best known for exploring these techniques. Some classic examples of constrained writing include:

* **Lipogram:** A text that omits one or more letters of the alphabet.
* **Palindrome:** A text that reads the same backward as forward.
* **Tautogram:** A text where every word begins with the same letter.
* **Snowball Sentence:** A text where each word successively adds a letter.
* **N+7:** Replacing each noun in a text with the seventh noun after it in a dictionary.

While some constraints are primarily aesthetic or playful, others offer interesting possibilities for encoding secret messages.

Why Use Constrained Writing for Secret Messages?

Several advantages exist when using constrained writing for secret communication:

* **Steganography:** Constrained writing allows you to hide a message within plain sight. The message isn’t encrypted into gibberish; instead, it appears as normal text adhering to specific rules. This makes it less likely to attract suspicion than obviously encrypted data.
* **Customization:** You can tailor the constraints to your specific needs and the recipient’s abilities. More complex constraints offer greater security but require more coordination.
* **Fun and Creativity:** It’s a fun and intellectually stimulating way to communicate. The challenge of crafting a message within limitations can be incredibly rewarding.
* **Subtlety:** A well-designed constrained message can blend seamlessly into existing communication channels without raising red flags.

Techniques for Hiding Messages with Constrained Writing

Here are several techniques, ranging from simple to complex, for encoding messages using constrained writing.

1. The Lipogram: Omitting Letters for a Hidden Code

The Lipogram is arguably the simplest constraint to understand and implement. To use it for secret messages, assign a specific letter (or letters) to represent other letters or symbols.

**Steps:**

1. **Choose the Omitted Letter(s):** Select the letter(s) you will exclude from your message. The rarer the letter, the more conspicuous its absence will be. Common choices include ‘e’, ‘a’, or ‘t’ as they are frequent and omitting them makes writing harder.
2. **Create a Substitution Key:** Assign the omitted letter(s) to represent other characters. For example:
* If omitting ‘e’: e = 1, a = 2, t = 3, o = 4, i = 5
* Alternatively, assign letters to numbers sequentially: e=1, a=2, r=3, t=4, etc.
3. **Write the Message:** Compose your message using the pre-determined substitution key, omitting the chosen letter(s) entirely and replacing the desired letters with others in such a way that it still is readable.
4. **Share the Key:** Communicate the substitution key to your recipient through a separate, secure channel.

**Example:**

Let’s say you want to send the message “MEET AT NOON” and you choose to omit the letter ‘e’. Your key is: ‘e’ = number assignment such that e=1, a=2, r=3, t=4, o=5.

The encoded message might look something like this (depending on your skill at writing a lipogram): “M114 24 N55N”. This message, omitting ‘e’ and substituing according to key, is readable and contains hidden information.

**Pros:**

* Easy to understand and implement.
* Requires minimal technical skill.

**Cons:**

* Can be difficult to write a coherent message while omitting common letters.
* The absence of the letter might be noticeable, attracting attention.
* Limited information density (only encodes one letter per omission).

2. The N+7 Technique: A Dictionary-Based Cipher

The N+7 technique, popularized by the Oulipo, involves replacing each noun in a text with the seventh noun after it in a dictionary. While not inherently designed for secret messages, it can be adapted for this purpose.

**Steps:**

1. **Choose a Dictionary:** Select a specific dictionary that both you and your recipient have access to (online or physical). This is crucial for consistent results. Using the same edition is important, as different editions could have different word orders. A readily available online dictionary is a good option.
2. **Determine the Shift Value:** While N+7 is the standard, you can choose any number. A larger shift value increases the complexity but also the potential for nonsensical results. You and your recipient must know this value.
3. **Write the Message (Normal Version):** First, write the message without any constraint applied. This will form the template for your encoding.
4. **Encode the Message:** Replace each noun in your message with the noun found *n* positions later in the chosen dictionary. If you reach the end of the dictionary while counting, loop back to the beginning. If the word is not a noun, leave it unchanged.
5. **Share the Details:** Communicate the dictionary name and the shift value to your recipient through a secure channel.

**Example:**

* **Original Message:** “Meet me at the park near the old oak tree tonight.”
* **Dictionary:** A standard English dictionary (e.g., Merriam-Webster online).
* **Shift Value:** N+7 (7)

Applying the N+7 technique:

* Meet (verb – unchanged)
* me (pronoun – unchanged)
* at (preposition – unchanged)
* the (article – unchanged)
* park (noun) -> parchment
* near (preposition – unchanged)
* the (article – unchanged)
* old (adjective – unchanged)
* oak (noun) -> oatmeal
* tree (noun) -> trek
* tonight (adverb – unchanged)

* **Encoded Message:** “Meet me at the parchment near the old oatmeal trek tonight.”

**Pros:**

* Relatively easy to automate with a script or program.
* Can produce texts that appear somewhat normal.
* The shift value adds a layer of complexity.

**Cons:**

* Requires access to a specific dictionary.
* The resulting text can be nonsensical and difficult to read.
* Susceptible to frequency analysis if the shift value is small.

3. The Tautogram: Every Word Starts the Same

A tautogram is a text where every word begins with the same letter. Using tautograms for hidden messages involves a more creative approach: assigning a hidden meaning to the *number* of words or sentences.

**Steps:**

1. **Choose the Starting Letter:** Select a letter to use for your tautogram. The choice is mainly aesthetic, but some letters lend themselves to certain topics more easily.
2. **Define the Encoding:** Determine how the tautogram will encode the message. For instance:
* *Number of Words:* Each word represents a number. For example, 5 words could mean the number ‘5’. Multiple tautograms could be used to spell out a series of numbers
* *Number of Sentences:* The number of sentences represents a number or letter according to an alphabet.
* *Specific Words:* Assign a specific number or character to a limited subset of the words that start with the same letter.
3. **Create the Tautogram:** Write the tautogram adhering to the chosen starting letter and encoding rules.
4. **Share the Key:** Privately communicate the encoding method to your recipient.

**Example:**

Let’s say you want to communicate the number ‘7’.

* **Starting Letter:** ‘S’
* **Encoding:** Number of words = the number you want to send.
* **Tautogram:** “Sally sells seashells swiftly, silently, secretly.” (7 words)

Another example: You want to send the letter ‘C’ where ‘C’ = 3 (based on alphabet numbering where A=1, B=2 etc).

* **Starting Letter:** ‘B’
* **Encoding:** The number of sentences = the number representing the alphabet letter.
* **Tautogram:**
* “Bill bought bananas.”
* “Big bears brawl.”
* “Bluebirds blew bubbles.” (3 sentences)

**Pros:**

* Relatively easy to create.
* Can be disguised as creative writing.
* Offers flexibility in encoding.

**Cons:**

* Low information density (a lot of text for relatively little information).
* Can be challenging to write a meaningful tautogram.
* Relies heavily on pre-agreed conventions.

4. The Snowball Sentence: Building Letter by Letter

A snowball sentence is a sentence where each word is one letter longer than the previous word. While not immediately obvious, this constraint can be used to encode information through the letters themselves.

**Steps:**

1. **Choose the Encoding Method:** Decide how the letters in the words of the snowball sentence will represent the hidden message. For example:
* *Letter Position:* Assign each letter in each word a position and the letter at that position forms the message. (For example, if the first word is ‘I’, it contributes nothing. If the second word is ‘AT’, the first letter contributes ‘A’ to the message).
* *Alphabetical Order:* The alphabetical position of each letter within its word contributes to a numerical sequence that can be decoded into a letter.
* *Letter Sum:* Assign each letter a numerical value (A=1, B=2, etc.). Sum the values within each word. The total represents a letter in the message (perhaps with some adjustment or modulo operation).
2. **Craft the Snowball Sentence:** Write the snowball sentence, ensuring each word adheres to both the length constraint and the encoded message.
3. **Share the Key:** Communicate the encoding method to your recipient securely.

**Example:**

Let’s say you want to send the message “OK” using the *Letter Position* method, extracting the 1st letter of each word:

* Snowball Sentence: “I am one cat run fast going!”
* Extracted Letters (first letter from each word, skipping first word): a, o, c, r, f, g.
* Encoding: `a = O` and `c = K` to send “OK”.
* So the updated sentence is: “I as our rat from gasping!”

**Pros:**

* Can create seemingly nonsensical sentences that still adhere to the constraint.
* Offers a good balance between complexity and subtlety.

**Cons:**

* Extremely challenging to write a coherent sentence.
* Difficult to encode complex messages.
* Requires a significant amount of planning.

5. Custom Constraints: The Most Flexible Approach

Beyond the established techniques, you can invent your own constraints tailored to specific needs. The possibilities are limitless.

**Steps:**

1. **Define the Constraint:** Create a unique rule or set of rules for your writing. This could involve:
* *Specific word counts in sentences.*
* *Using only words from a specific source (e.g., a particular book or website).*
* *Alternating vowel and consonant patterns.*
* *The number of syllables in each word.*
* *Specific rhymes to indicate letters.*
2. **Establish the Encoding Method:** Determine how the constraint will encode the message. This is tightly coupled with the constraint itself.
3. **Write the Message:** Compose the message adhering to both the constraint and the encoding method.
4. **Share the Key:** Communicate the constraint and encoding method to your recipient securely.

**Example:**

Let’s create a custom constraint.

* **Constraint:** Each sentence must contain a specific number of words.
* **Encoding:** The number of words in each sentence, modulo 26, represents a letter of the alphabet (A=0, B=1, etc.).

To send the message “HI” (H=7, I=8), you could write:

* “The dog barked loudly this afternoon.” (6 words. 6 modulo 26 = 6 -> ‘G’ – not what we want!) Change to: “The dog barked loudly this day.” (7 words. 7 modulo 26 = 7 -> ‘H’)
* “Cats purr softly during evening.” (5 words. 5 modulo 26 = 5 -> ‘F’ – not what we want!) Change to: “Cats purr softly during these evenings.” (8 words. 8 modulo 26 = 8 -> ‘I’)

**Pros:**

* Maximum flexibility and control.
* Can be highly secure if the constraint is well-designed.
* Allows for personalized and unique communication.

**Cons:**

* Requires significant creativity and planning.
* Can be difficult to implement.
* Risk of creating overly complex or easily broken constraints.

Practical Considerations

Regardless of the chosen technique, consider these factors when using constrained writing for secret messages:

* **Complexity vs. Readability:** Find a balance between security and ease of understanding. Overly complex constraints can be difficult to work with and may arouse suspicion.
* **Information Density:** Some techniques are more efficient at encoding information than others. Choose a method that suits the length of your message.
* **Context:** The surrounding context of the message is crucial. Consider where the message will be placed and how it will be perceived. A seemingly normal text within an unusual context might attract unwanted attention.
* **Security of the Key:** The security of your encoding key is paramount. If the key is compromised, the message can be easily deciphered. Use a secure channel to share the key and change it periodically.
* **Practice:** Before using constrained writing for important communications, practice with your chosen technique to become proficient and identify potential weaknesses.
* **Agreement:** Agree on the rules and parameters beforehand. Avoid ambiguity.

Examples and Inspirations

* **The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco:** This novel uses subtle literary constraints and symbolism to convey deeper meanings.
* **Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn:** This epistolary novel is a playful exploration of lipograms, as characters gradually lose the ability to use letters of the alphabet.
* **Georges Perec’s *La Disparition***: A famous novel written entirely without the letter ‘e’.

Ethical Considerations

While fun and intriguing, using constrained writing for secret messages also carries ethical considerations. It is crucial to use these techniques responsibly and avoid using them for malicious purposes, such as spreading misinformation, harassment, or illegal activities. Always consider the potential impact of your actions and ensure your communications are ethical and lawful. The power to conceal information comes with the responsibility to use it wisely.

Conclusion

Constrained writing offers a fascinating and creative way to encode secret messages. By understanding and mastering various techniques, you can transform ordinary text into a sophisticated cipher. Whether you choose a simple lipogram or a custom-designed constraint, remember to prioritize security, readability, and ethical considerations. With practice and ingenuity, you can unlock the secrets hidden within the art of constrained writing.