def save(keystorerc=None, keystore=None, files=[], verbose=False):
  '''create a keystore, compress and encrypt to file'''

  config = None
  if keystorerc:
    config = config_reader.read(keystorerc)
    if not config:
      print('No configuration found.', file=sys.stderr)
      sys.exit(-1)
  elif keystore and len(files) > 0:
    config = {
      'keystore': keystore,
      'files': files
    }

  if 'verbose' in config and config['verbose']:
    verbose = True

  keystore_path = None
  if 'keystore' not in config:
    print('.keystorerc needs to specify a keystore file path.', file=sys.stderr)
    sys.exit(-1)

  keystore_path = os.path.expanduser(config['keystore'])
  if os.path.isdir(keystore_path):
    print('keystore cannot be a folder: {}'.format(config['keystore']), file=sys.stderr)
    sys.exit(-1)
  elif not os.path.isfile(keystore_path):
    # If keystore file does not exist already, attempt to create one
    try:
      pathlib.Path(keystore_path).touch()
    except OSError as err:
      print('keystore cannot be accessed: {}\n{}'.format(config['keystore'], err), file=sys.stderr)
      sys.exit(-1)

  # iterate through keys and add them here

  keystore = {}
  try:
    for p in config['files']:

      expanded_path = os.path.expanduser(p)
      path = pathlib.Path(expanded_path)
      if verbose: print('Inspecting {}:'.format(expanded_path))

      if not path.exists():
        print('Error: File or folder does not exist: {}'.format(p), file=sys.stderr)
        sys.exit(-1)
      if path.is_dir():
        for dirpath, dirnames, filenames in os.walk(expanded_path):
          for name in filenames:
            fullpath = os.path.join(dirpath, name)
            if verbose: print('Adding {} ...'.format(fullpath))
            with open(fullpath, 'rb') as keyfile:
              b64_bytes = base64.encodebytes(keyfile.read()).decode('utf-8')
              keystore[fullpath] = b64_bytes
      elif path.is_file():
        fullpath = expanded_path
        if verbose: print('Adding {} ...'.format(fullpath))
        with open(fullpath, 'rb') as keyfile:
          b64_bytes = base64.encodebytes(keyfile.read()).decode('utf-8')
          keystore[fullpath] = b64_bytes

    if verbose: print('Added {} key(s) to keystore.\n'.format(len(keystore)))

    # prompt user for a one-time passphase for encryption

    do_passphrases_match = False
    passphrase = None
    print('This passphrase is used to decrypt your keystore. Please remember it.')
    while not do_passphrases_match:
      passphrase = getpass.getpass('Please enter a passphrase: ')
      passphrase_verify = getpass.getpass('Please verify your passphrase: ')
      do_passphrases_match = passphrase != '' and passphrase == passphrase_verify
      if passphrase == '':
        print('Passphrase cannot be empty.')
      elif not do_passphrases_match:
        print('Passphrases do not match. Please try again.')
    if verbose: print('Passphrase accepted. Encrypting ...')

    # serialise, compress, encrypt

    serial_keystore = json.dumps(keystore)
    compressed_keystore = gzip.compress(serial_keystore.encode('utf-8'))
    try:
      encrypted_keystore = simplecrypt.encrypt(passphrase, compressed_keystore)
    except simplecrypt.EncryptionException as err:
      print('You managed to bump into a very, very rare issue with AES.\nPlease contact the author. {}'.format(err), file=sys.stder)
      sys.exit(-1)

    # save encrypted keystore to file
    keystore_path = os.path.expanduser(keystore_path)
    if verbose: print('Writing to keystore file {}'.format(keystore_path))

    with open(keystore_path, 'wb') as keystore_file:
      keystore_file.write(encrypted_keystore)

    if verbose: print('Keystore successfully created: ')
    # if verbose: print(encrypted_keystore)

  except KeyError as err:
    print('.keystorerc config is missing `files` attribute: {}'.format(err), file=sys.stderr)
    sys.exit(-1)
  except TypeError as err:
    print('Error: {}'.format(err), file=sys.stderr)
    traceback.print_exc()
    sys.exit(-1)
  except OSError as err:
    print('The file system gave an error: {}'.format(err), file=sys.stderr)
    sys.exit(-1)
  except Exception as err:
    print('Serious error. Please report this bug to the author: {}'.format(err), file=sys.stderr)
    sys.exit(-1)