The Universal Error of Our Technologically Hypnotized Age
We like to focus on the tools we use to communicate more than the messages we are trying send. We don’t say, “I’m going to spread my message,” we say, “I’m going to send an email,” or “I’ll make a call.” It is the universal error of our technologically hypnotized age. And it makes things [...]
War Metaphors are Never the Answer.
Either Time magazine needs to be slapped or the US Army needs to change it’s strategy. Either way, I can’t advise using war metaphors for anything other than war.
Why the Seanachai had to Come to an End
There are three reasons.
1) Old projects have to end for new projects to begin.
2) A 10 minute funny/interesting little audio bit on the internet can’t really evolve. It will only ever be a 10 minute funny/interesting little audio bit.
3) The name was a problem, as so eloquently pointed out by Scott Sigler ==>Sigler
My First Book in Print
It’s got an ISBN number. It’s even available on Amazon. It’s all kinds of awesome.
It’s called “Stories I Told Myself” and it features the best of my work on the Seanachai Podcast. It also includes two never before released stories. “Getting Shot” the story of me, well, getting shot when I lived in L.A. [...]
A Wake for the Seanachai — March 24th 9pm
Download promo
So, I’m driving home one night and I get shot. Twice with one bullet, actually. It’s not a joke, it’s a true story. And like all true stories that don’t end in death, it is ultimately a comedy.
On March 24th at 9 pm I am going to read this story live on Stickam.com and [...]
George Orwell’s Six Rules for Saving the Language (and the World)
The world doesn’t make much sense to me. Or, more precisely, the sense that the world makes to others is not the sense it makes to me.
Nowhere is this more evident in the use and abuse of language. Language of any kind is a slippery, imperfect instrument at best. And if we want to get good [...]
Autumn Day
Autumn Day
by Rainer Maria Rilke
Lord: it is time. The summer was immense.
Lay your shadow on the sundials
and let loose the wind in the fields.
Bid the last fruits to be full;
give them another two more southerly days,
press them to ripeness, and chase
the last sweetness into the heavy wine.
Whoever has no house now will not build one [...]
The Pomodoro Technique (for writers)
So I’ve been using something called the Pomodoro Technique to help me in my writing. It’s been nothing short of amazing. On the surface, it’s very simple. You block out 25 minutes to work, crank up a kitchen timer and only focus on that task until the timer rings. But I have found it to [...]
Why is this doll winking at me?
So this little guy is the original weeble-wobble. His name is Daruma and this is his home on my desk. There is a weight in his paper-mache base, so if you knock him over he stands back up again. He is modeled after a legendary monk named Bodhidarma. Like all legendary characters, there are a [...]
The Toughest Trees Ever
I’ve become fascinated by trees. I’ve always liked them. But David Allen Sibley’s “Guide to Trees” has really sparked my interest. If you see me out and about, and I’m staring at a tree, it’s not because I’ve gone any farther off the deep end. It’s my new curiosity.
So the other day, on my way [...]
Update: The End is Never the End (at least not with this book)
So I’ve gotten a number of emails asking about a sequel. And yes, another book is coming. (With that ending, c’mon? There has got be another book.) But here’s a brief update on what I’ve been up to, and what I will be doing before book two.
I have completed a massive rewrite of the book. [...]
An Early Morning Update.
I’m up early this morning. And, for the hell of it, I decided to record a video episode. Now that How to Succeed in Evil the Novel is done, I’m compiling an anthology of stories from The Seanachai. It’s going to be titled, “Stories I Told Myself” As a learning experience I’m going to self-publish [...]
HtSiE:tN — Epilogue
In which all the loose ends are tied up.
You know, every once and a while…
I have take a pause and realize just how cool you guys really are. For example,
check out the comments on Chapter 70.
http://succeedinevil.com/2009/07/27/htsietn-chapter-70the-only-sane-thing-to-do/#comments
Helpful, critical, smart feedback. And a crapload of encouragement. It’s just awesome.
What's going on? Where's this ending?
It’s coming. I’ve actually reworked the entire last third of the book in preparation for submitting it to publishers, and am now working on a suitable epilog for these audiobook episodes.
Thanks for bearing with.
Oops, I forgot to kill the shark. (More ending to come)
So I bobbled the ending.
Well, that’s not completely true. The story has a great half an ending. See the story that really interests me is what would make a reasonable person decide that they need to take over the world? How does someone become an Evil Genius. Not in a “in the summer we made [...]
HtSiE:tN Chapter 70: The Only Sane Thing to Do.
It all becomes clear.
HtSiE:tN Chapter 69: Negatively Buoyant
Edwin takes action.
HtSiE:tN Chapter 68: Edwin Dresses for the Funeral
Elegant sadness.
HtSiE:tN Chapter 67: You Want Evil?
Edwin turns a corner.
keep looking »What’s in this coffee?
Take a Class.
Patrick's Tweets
- RT @SVAllie: Come and join us at http://bit.ly/df9kBy for @PatrickEMcLean's reading at 9:30 pm EST #dragoncant
- Getting ready for a reading on #dragoncant at 9:30 -- first few chapters of Unkillable
- @KatCutler Thanks for your kind words. Make those little kids into readers will ya ;-)
- Rule of Creation No. 5 -- The middle of everything is hard. #creating
- @Cianmm Safe travels my friend. You'll have a blast. Sadly, I will be unable to attend. But enjoy it to the hilt for me.