3×3 began as an experiment and side project. I didn’t want to embark on another massive endeavor like BTLG, but at the same time, I sought to challenge myself and write something unique – a piece that combines the elements I love from stories, movies, books, and riddles.
That is: mysteries that accumulate but are connected by a consistent thread, time travel, and a challenge to the reader: decipher what occurred beyond the pages of the book.
If you enjoy Saw, 4400, Cube, Primer, or the Zero Escape series, then this book is perfect for you.
Personally, I’m not a big fan of screaming “look at me” and just be louder than the others. There’s already a ton of marketing going on out there. You can’t beat the competition by copying it. So instead, I had some ads fine-tuned that I, as part of the target audience, may have clicked on.
The images below are intended to attract fans of Zero Escape (which you are, if my plan is working). Each ad has a little something, a hint that will be recognized by those I intended it for. Hijack nostaligia. Work smart, not hard.
9 Rooms. 9 People. 9 Doors.
Each of these formulas is real and in some way related to the plot.
A big part of 3×3 takes place before and after the events of the book. The keywords here hint at a complex world, don’t they?
Inspector / Frank Marble
For 3×3, I tried to create unique new characters with abilities that make writing good stories impossible. Imagine, for example, a detective who can see the past and detect lies. Could you come up with a case he couldn’t immediately crack?
I tried to do exactly that. I created characters, each with a unique plot-breaking skill, and then the challenge was to create a world in which even they are challenged.
Scientist / Bina
The goal of creating Scientist was to always have a clear “smartest person in the room”—someone who instantly sees every single possibility in an infinitely complex and detailed mental flowchart of what could be going on, why, and what might happen next. How would you write a story where even she is stuck sometimes?
Q / Quentin Garamond
What could ruin a deadly escape room more than a character who cannot die? Enter Q! He and I, Mr. Voice, as he likes to call me, cannot die. Nothing can happen to us. We’re safe, always. Some call it Quantum Immortality; I just call it our trump card. Who cares about what it is, as long as it works?
(But don’t let that fool you. We’re far from boring. Promise.)
Accountant
What would you do with a mentally challenged character who can think at infinite speed? It’s an interesting setup, isn’t it? The organizers certainly think so.
Wizard
To be honest, I just wanted to introduce a cool/scary character who could challenge Q. I ended up with Wizard, who also turned out to become a major plot twister. What can I say without spoiling too much… she’s the only one who knows what’s going on. Maybe.
There is a reason why there are two covers. It might not be the only difference.
Feel free to use everything you find here in any way you like, just don’t forget to mention where it came from.
Which cover do you like better?
