STOP, Are You Sure You Should Write That Book? #amwriting #amreading

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Before you hit those keys and write that book ask yourself this-
1.Where do you work?
2.What are their policies on- damn any and everything? You don't want to be arrested or your thought process scrutinized to within an inch of your sanity.

Have you heard of Patrick McLaw, teacher at Mace's Lane in Maryland,  who was put on Administrative leave because of the fictional books he wrote?  They deal with a school shooting based somewhere in the far distant future.  Hmmmm, teacher+ school shooting= old adage 'write what you know.' 

You better think twice or you can end up with bomb sniffing dogs clearing your office space, your home and cavities searched. Lord forbid they dig into the creative recesses of your mind and run into the massive wall of voices screaming for attention.
Well, as of yesterday's update there is nothing found on this man. No police record, no registered or illegal guns or activities,  nothing. Oh, wait- he uses aliases to write books. Many authors use more than one. One book he wrote 3 years ago and he has worked in at least one school for a year.  While scrolling comments on one of the articles I read, someone mentioned he had maps of the schools where he worked - teachers are given those. 
Mr. McLaw may be in hiding.  I would be too if a village starts chasing me with pitchforks and archaic notions-books and authors should be banned in case their ideas are manifested. Too late on that, school shooting are things from which books are written, not the other way around.
Wait, didn't he help a 14 year old publish a book? Wasn't he nominated for teacher of the year?

I understand precautions and crazy zero intolerance, but geeze. This man has gone from teacher of the year to man without a country. Picture distributed and such. A lot of us authors would need psychological evaluation with the voices and things we write-scary.
More should be reported or this mess just looks like a witch hunt with a little color twist thrown in. As of now, they have just ruined this man's life forever. He'll never be able to live a normal productive life in his profession.

4 comments:

Anonymous said... Best Blogger Tips

That's what pseudonyms are for...along with a relentless attention to details, particularly in the area of obfuscation and variation.

Aside from that, store your work on your own devices and don't use your workplace's wi-fi to store or transmit anything personal. This is a post-1984, post Snowden world in which we live. Be careful!

Ey Wade said... Best Blogger Tips

I read no where that this fellow stored his works on school property. I do know his book concerning school shootings was published three years ago, years before he worked in that school system.

Unknown said... Best Blogger Tips

I'm thinking the school system went too far with it. Luckily for me my employers doesn't have any issues with me writing.

Ey Wade said... Best Blogger Tips

I think so, too. I haven't seen an update saying he has been set free.
Thank goodness for jobs with iotas of sanity.

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