The Brain of Shawn

I like the idea about your accident. Your a very religious person, you could a write it a true story with a religious side, of God holding your hand and helping you deal. So its a true story and a inspirational religious book too.
And you are good at writing fiction!! I remember you writing when you were in high school, you can write fiction!!!
Computer book, only problem is I can’t wait to read what you write, but I don’t follow computer language.

I’m new to your website. I picked up a copy of Linux Journal a month ago, checked out their website and saw something stating you were from Michigan.
“Hey, I’m from Michigan! That’s cool!”
So I found myself checking out your website, videos, and Twitter. I just read the story of your accident and it’s amazing. I think other people would find it very interesting.

I’m trying to decide. I would read a book about your accident. I would read a fiction book. I have read stuff you have written and its real good. I wouldn’t want to be the english teacher who proof reads your work cause they’d try to correct but you’d be right. Now if you wrote a computer wizzard book, I’d always be in your dust and most likely never make it through, nobody ever translates computer jargon they take you by the hand through the maze and there you are. So if you want me to read your book don’t do computering. But I don’t have a lot of time for reading anyway so …here we are again. Couldn’t I just give you a bandaid? Maybe you could write short stories and write all three!! If I think of a good solution I will let you know. Love MOM

Shawn, I adore your mother. MomOfShawn, you are A W E S O M E.

I clicked “car accident,” but I have a hunch you could write some really good sci-fi/tech fiction. You’re inventive, humorous, energetic, weirdly intense on the geekery. In other words, you’re a bit Iain Banks, a bit Neal Stephenson — in other words, you’re Bruce Bethke. If you haven’t read “Head Crash,” go do so and see if it sparks something in your imagination. If you instead opt for the crash story, give “Me, Myself, and Bob” by Phil Vischer a read. I imagine your voice in a book would be like his.

Regardless, whatever you write is going to be fast and funny and sincere all at once. You’re just like that, I think, and it’s going to come through.

I know that you already know my opinion… but for the rest of you, my vote is for the car accident. I am a little sad, however, that you never mentioned the one thing that really carried us through it all and that is our family coming to know Jesus. You are a great Christian husband and father! It is because of His blessings that we are where we find ourselves today.

Candy that’s a good point.
If the book got stuck in the Christian inspirational section I would never notice it.
I would probably still read it just because it’s Shawn but it would be the first and probably last book from the Christian inspirational section I ever read.

Oh.

What I forgot to say in all that is that you should write for yourself, not for anyone else.

Car accident. I’m new here as well, but it seems to be by far the best option. Fiction… saturated market. And as much as I would love to see a book on thin clients, my guess is that that area is already saturated as well.

I keep seeing people say they are new here. Hello to all the new people!
Did you guys find Shawn’s site because of the article on digg?

Memoir.

I think your particular brand of irreverence mixed with the serious nature of the topic would mesh well. I’m kind of assuming that in spite of the seriousness of the topic, we wouldn’t see you taking yourself too seriously.

Oh, and Hi new people.

Hey Shawn,

I voted for the tech book because based on what I’ve seen I think you could write a tech book that would be informative, but would also be a fun read, something people wouldn’t read to cure insomnia.

On the other hand, your car accident and subsequent rough period and recovery make a compelling story.

If you want to try your hand at fiction, I too would recommend NaNoWriMo. I have an idea for a novel, but I’m waiting for NaNo to get started. I know I wont get it done before hand and last year I actually managed to get to the 50k words.

In the end, though, you should write for yourself, like Michelle said, and do what you want to do.

You could also write a fictional book about car accidents and thin clients

Oh, and Brad, I’ve been following Shawn ever since I started freelancing for Linux Journal.

And Digg him

What might be interesting is, in addition to your accident, how you came back from your accident and rebuilt yourself professionally, choosing IT and Linux as your direction to go. That way you can satisfy your ambulance chasers and your technical groupies. (I say that with fondness because I fall into both camps)

Also, you need to have a big ol’ stamp on the cover that says “hot blogger”.

Donna, I respect that your faith is a central part of your family’s life - and a nonjudgmental and open discussion of how it helped is probably an important part of the story. If the story is about recovery as a whole, body, mind & spirit - then it’s interesting to me. If the story becomes primarily a vehicle for the religious message, then suddenly the apeal becomes much more limited. That’s why I personally detested the LaHaye books, the story got lost because the message was so shrill.

Regardless of which section of the store it lands in - memoir, tech journal, or inspirational, I’d still read it because it’s Shawn and he’s a friend.

Shawn,

I’ve read through all of the comments and my vote goes to you writing a book about how to be THE IT staff. There are tons of 1 man tech departments out there, and I think a major problem is that there isn’t enough communication between those one person sects. It would be interesting to see how someone who atmits to poor time managment manages to be the server administrator, (for every single service) the user support,(email, web, calendar, moodle, hardware and software problrms) and everything in between

I think someone in your position would have to come up with a number of creative ways to effictively support a whole school system basically single handedly. Also I can back up that claim because I am one of the few to have worked with you

As for the car accident book… I’ve heard the story, and you’ve answered all the questions I’ve had about it so I’d rather have the book I suggested

As for fiction, I’ve come to a time in my life(I’m 23… I know its pathetic) where I don’t care about imaginary stuff, and I don’t like sci fi much at all, and I’d assume that’s what you’d be writing.

This was all written on a blackberry. My thumbs be tired

Ryder

I say car accident. Even though I’ve heard the story a billion times, I’d be interested to go more in depth with what you & your family went through. But I would definitely like to see something about how you & your family became Christian.

Ultimately the choice is your. I am sure anything you write will be lighthearted yet insightful.

If you consider doing the tech book I would be more than willing to help out.