Ottendorf cipher. An easy way to remember and keep your recovery phrase safe.

I had my seed phrase written down on laminated paper but that is only as safe as the place you are storing it. In my case, if my wife's underwear draw got burnt up I'd be fucking depressed. And if the shoebox under the bed burnt up in the process I'd lose my seed phrase. Engraved metal plates in safes are better, but modern day thieves are going to target those. Perhaps that plate is save in a bank deposit box? Maybe… But what if a member of the bank staff decide to look up the wallet? What if they decide that fleecing you is worthwhile given once the assets are gone there is no recourse. Basically any time you write your seed phrase down (IRL or online) you are vulnerable.

An elegant way around this issue is to use an old spy tactic known as the Ottendorf cipher. Pick a book known only to you. Doesn't matter if it is your favourite or one you can't stand (but make sure to remember the edition). The key thing is that it is rememberable. Then pick your seed phrase using words in the book. Note down the pages, lines, and position of the word on the line. This is your map to the seed phrase. You can save that wherever you want as noone can use that to guess your seed phrase without the book. That way you can save as many "maps" as you want and can never lose your seed. And noone can hack it without guessing the book and edition.