Greetings! I began my writing career in 2015 following the death of my beloved mother. The lessons and world views she instilled during my life as I grew and developed maintain a strong thematic presence throughout much of what I write. Her emphasis on the importance of love, kindness, and concern for all is the primary influence behind my material focusing on occasionally uncomfortable topics like emotional vulnerability, abuse, and existentialism. It isn't all mopey, though - I do like to let the hair down and writing about the fun things in life. Like owning an adorable dog that has enormous, "I just saw a ghost" eyes, for instance. While I use this website predominantly for hosting poetry and/or thought pieces, my primary commercially-marketed project is a sci-fi/fantasy series of novels which I originally self-published. The first is titled Continuity and was published in 2016. A sequel, Continuity: Coalescence, was released two years later. I'm thankful to say both were recently picked up by a traditional publisher, Wild Ink Publishing that will be releasing one, consolidated version of both in December 2024. Announcements on this moving forward will also be posted here. As far as the rest, I'm an ex-Vanderbilt baseball player (c/o '09) with a degree in Economics & Corporate Strategy who is ironically trying to forging a career that has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with either of those things. Before my scribbles began, I was an insurance agent for the better part of a decade. Other than that, I enjoy simple living along with my aforementioned co-author, Pip the Pekingese! Thank you for visiting the website. I hope you enjoy your stay, and I look forward to connecting with any and all. No matter who you are or what you believe, you are warmly welcome! M.E. Shao
Relief. Fear. Excitement. Disappointment. Intrigue. Just when we thought we’d reached a boiling point, emotions (and with them, tensions) are at an all-time high in this country of ours. The entire world looks to us as it wonders what we will do next as a nation which has historically set the example of how industrialized … More Well, This is Going to be Interesting
“It is what it is.” Don’t you hate it when people say that? As if we have no control whatsoever over what’s going on. Well, tonight, I daresay, that cliche will be all we have to turn to once the results of this election have been determined. My only hope is that the majority of … More The World Will Change Tomorrow – Or it Won’t
Life can seem like many different things at various points throughout our journey. Oftentimes we view it as a randomized collection of chaotic events over which we have little to no control. Other times, when things seem to be going our way, life appears to be a beast that we have worked hard to tame; … More Choices
I’ll never understand why life’s twisted sense of humor dealt me the hand I hold, but for whatever reason it blessed (more like cursed) me with an irritatingly restless mind that drives even me insane. Despite being assured by others that the ability to think is a positive trait, I often find myself envying the … More My Love of Writing & How it’s Changed My Life
I’ve always heard that it’s the quiet ones you need to look out for. You know the type – those soft-spoken, mysterious ones who are tough to get a read on. That sly snake in the grass that no one sees coming. Widely known as individuals of few words, it makes their voice seem all … More My Good Friend Johnny The Slick-Handed: A True Tale of Inebriated Halloween Hilarity
One day, the millennial generation will inherit the planet. If we take a step back and look at the world in a high level view, there are some things that become clear. There seems to be a generational disconnect on how things should work. Almost like the old, and the new. It’s like the world … More The Next America
Everyone feels the tension. There’s an inescapable, lingering stress that our country won’t shed until this election season is over and all ballots have been cast and counted. Regardless of where you stand politically, there is one, transcendant requirement that we all must bear in mind – at our core, we are one. Now obviously, … More When It’s Over: After the Election
This has been a long time coming. I should actually be somewhat ashamed of myself that I’ve had this blog for a year now and haven’t written anything committed to my best friend in the universe. The time has come to end this travesty. Today I commend my little friend here, Mr Baxter. He likes … More Mr Baxter
I always enjoy talking to creative people. After all, human creativity and ingenuity is what shapes the world we live in. I find it fascinating to listen and learn the creative process that people use during their brainstorming sessions. It’s interesting because it’s never the same. Everyone has their own, original methods that work for … More The Creative Process
There have been a lot of things in the past few years that have significantly impacted my life. Like, big things. Moving back to Nashville from West Virginia was one. Deciding to pursue writing was another. Breakups. Mom passing, obviously, was yet another. As I look back, all of these things have resulted in substantial … More Your Life, as a Book
How the World Should Work 