Control; Alt; Delete: Dr. Stundel's Program To Reboot Your Dangerous Teen.

Welcome to Episode 5 of the audio drama, “Control; Alt; Delete: Dr. Stundel’s Program To Reboot Your Dangerous Teen.” Eddie begins Dr. Stundel’s program hoping to elude the danger that he’s preordained to become. But for him and Angela, Stundel’s “Intervention and Assimilation” proves to be disconcerting. As a warning, some of the language and situations presented may be offensive to some, perhaps even triggering. Discretion is advised. If you’re interested in the novel, the paperback and digital versions are available on all major bookseller platforms ( Goodreads , Amazon , Barnes & Noble , Google Books , Apple Books , World of Books ). Thanks for listening and subscribing! And if you’re enjoying it, please share it with others! Get full access to Monkie Business at monkiebusiness.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Episode 4 of the audio drama, “Control; Alt; Delete: Dr. Stundel’s Program To Reboot Your Dangerous Teen.” The students at Clintock High School take the Dr. Stundel-mandated test, and Eddie’s results are quite alarming. As they reel from the news, Eddie and his parents must face what comes next. As a warning, some of the language and situations presented may be offensive to some, perhaps even triggering. Discretion is advised. If you’re interested in the novel, the paperback and digital versions are available on all major bookseller platforms ( Goodreads , Amazon , Barnes & Noble , Google Books , Apple Books , World of Books ). Thanks for listening and subscribing! And if you’re enjoying it, please share it with others! Who is Dr. Stundel? You’ll find out more about the character as the story continues, but rather, who is his inspiration? With most everything I write, you’ll discover trace elements of the late filmmaker, Stanley Kubrick. In fact, I would point to Kubrick’s film Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb . Dr. Stundel… Dr. Strangelove… not a stretch. However, I don’t think it was a conscious name choice. That is, I don’t recall ever creating the name as an homage to Strangelove. Perhaps it was the actor who played Strangelove— Peter Sellers . When I think of Dr. Stundel, I imagine Sellers. He’s a touch of the various characters that Sellers has played (including the three characters he portrayed in the aforementioned Kubrick film): He embodies the sinister and mischievous Clare Quilty of Kubrick’s Lolita , the bumbling and inquisitive Inspector Clouseau from Blake Edwards’ The Pink Panther , and the innocent cluelessness of Chauncey Gardiner from the Hal Ashby film, Being There . Like Sellers, known for being somewhat of an enigma, Stundel is a baffling contradiction. Seemingly human, yet an automaton the likes of AI. As Sellers claimed not to have an identity outside the roles he played, Stundel may think he knows who he is, but as you’ll discover, even that truth remains hidden from view. Thanks for subscribing! This post has bonus content for paid subscribers. Upgrade to get full access. Get full access to Monkie Business at monkiebusiness.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Episode 3 of the audio drama, “Control; Alt; Delete: Dr. Stundel’s Program To Reboot Your Dangerous Teen.” The terrifying event that occurred at Clintock High School has left many demanding that safety measures be implemented. Enter Dr. Damon Stundel, who offers a test and program that will provide those assurances and much, much more. As a caution, some of the language and situations presented may be offensive to some, perhaps even triggering. Discretion is advised. If you’re interested in the novel, the paperback and digital versions are available on all major bookseller platforms ( Goodreads , Amazon , Barnes & Noble , Google Books , Apple Books , World of Books ). Thanks for listening and subscribing! And if you’re enjoying it, please share it with others! If there was ever a hesitance or concern about publishing this story, it has always been the portrayal of school violence. Many years ago, when I began working on Control; Alt; Delete , the term “active shooter” wasn’t as commonly used as it is today. Little did I know that the level of gun violence and threat of harm has become the culture we’ve almost become inured to. Although my story is satirical and at times darkly comedic, I don’t make light of the horrors those affected by these real-life events endure. I intended to focus on the hyper-vigilance and hysteria of those who seek panacea solutions to a problem, while overlooking the damaging methods. Adapting my screenplay into a novel, and now this audio drama, has allowed me to focus more on self-identity and the question of who determines it. Can a person control who they are and their path in life, or is it predetermined by others? I’m hopeful that, as you immerse yourself in the story, these are questions you’ll ponder. Until next time! This post has bonus content for paid subscribers. Upgrade to get full access. Get full access to Monkie Business at monkiebusiness.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Episode 2 of the audio drama, “Control; Alt; Delete: Dr. Stundel’s Program To Reboot Your Dangerous Teen.” Eddie’s encounter with Pearl and Scottie in the previous installment has left him festering in a briny stew of revenge. Will he act upon it, or shall unforeseen forces dictate another outcome? As a warning, some of the language and situations presented may be offensive to some, perhaps even triggering. Discretion is advised. If you’re interested in the novel, the paperback and digital versions are available on all major bookseller platforms ( Goodreads , Amazon , Barnes & Noble , Google Books , Apple Books , World of Books ). Thanks for listening and subscribing! And if you’re enjoying it, please share it with others! When creating the audio drama, I knew I would want to include music. Good thing for me, I was a former music student. I graduated with an associate’s degree and changed career directions, enrolling in film school. With my keyboard, I recorded several original (and simple) musical motifs that I thought fit the tone of the story. Finding that tone was the challenge. In my mind, it felt like it had to have a twinge of unease, cheeky subversion, and sad sap vibes. Even as I wrote that, it was a struggle for me to articulate exactly that ineffable quality. Composer Elmer Bernstein came to mind. Specifically, the musical theme called Depression from the comedy film Stripes , starring Bill Murray. It has that languid, cartoonlike expression of sadness you picture hearing in a Bugs Bunny short. Bernstein is one of my favorite movie composers who brought a big orchestral sound to comedies such as Animal House . Keeping that in mind, I came up with a few themes that you’ll hear in this and other upcoming episodes. They’re far from inspiring, but I feel they serve the audio drama well, creating a texture that is hopefully pleasant and indelible. Here’s one example I call “Sprite.” This post has bonus content for paid subscribers. Upgrade to get full access. Monkie Business is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Monkie Business at monkiebusiness.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Episode 1 of the audio drama, “Control; Alt; Delete: Dr. Stundel’s Program To Reboot Your Dangerous Teen.” Adapted from my novel, it’s the story of sixteen-year-old Eddie Crowe. He’s a seemingly average teen who discovers he’s the antithesis of that. He takes a test that can foresee the future, and it doesn’t look good for him. With 99% accuracy, he’s predicted to become a homicidal sociopath. Episode 1 sets up Eddie and his high school life. Of course, he’s not perfect, nor is his high school experience. As you’ll hear, there are those he’d rather not interact with, but as circumstances have it, some encounters are unavoidable. Just as a caution, some of the language and situations presented may be offensive to some, perhaps even triggering. Discretion is advised. If you’re interested in the novel, the paperback and digital versions are available on all major bookseller platforms ( Goodreads , Amazon , Barnes & Noble , Google Books , Apple Books , World of Books ). For those new to my Monkie Business Substack, welcome! I encourage you to check out my articles, which highlight my writing and illustration work. Here I share insights, experiences, and my creative process in the hope of passing along what I’ve learned over the years. Paid subscribers: scroll down for more content. If you’re reading this, then thank you for taking this first step on this journey with me on something I’ve been putting together for almost a year. When I started it, I only had a vague idea of my end goal: to create an audiobook version of my novel Control; Alt; Delete: Dr. Stundel’s Program To Reboot Your Dangerous Teen . I’ve heard that a large portion of book readers opt for audio versions–an entire segment of book consumers I felt necessary to reach out to. Why, you may ask? My novel to date has not found its proper audience. If I doubted its merits, I would have chalked up the minuscule readership to a lack of narrative quality. I fundamentally believe it’s a story many will connect to. It touches on universal themes of identity, morality, authority, and forgiveness within a coming-of-age framework. The challenge has always been, as many authors will attest, to rise above the deafening din of the silent unknown. Therefore, the audiobook. The question was, how to create one. My initial consideration was to narrate it myself. Not that I imagine my voice is expressively compelling. Rather, as the author, to form a personal connection with the listener. I soon discovered what makes professional VO artists stand apart from me–they know what they’re doing. After mumbling and “umming” my way through multiple attempts, I realized I lacked the skills and experience to pull this off in a reasonable way. My thinking was, if not me, how about a professional? And yes, I discovered there are many talented voice actors who, for a fee, can deliver a wonderfully interpretive performance! But I stopped searching for one before long. And it wasn’t for monetary reasons, as some might imagine. What gave me pause was the idea of a single voice narrating my story. I imagined each character with a unique voice, distinct from the narrator. Perhaps a single voice artist could deliver such a request, but the subtle nuances of how I envisioned it seemed almost impossible to convey. That’s when I learned about ElevenLabs , the AI-generated online software. What instantly grabbed my attention was ElevenLabs’ ability to clone my voice (or multiple versions of my voice) to deliver a clear, nuanced read that, more importantly, I can direct. Learning the software and navigating it took time, but I eventually learned how to use it for my needs (I look forward to sharing more with you, along with future episode drops). Of course, using AI gave me hesitation at first. I’m well aware of its deleterious impact on the arts, including my own career in it. But I also see it as a powerful tool that can be wielded to create that which otherwise would be unrealized. If you recall at the beginning of this writing, I mentioned that I intended to create an audiobook. You may be wondering why I’m providing 15 free episodes instead. I suppose the idea of CAD existing as a pay-to-read audiobook that may or may not get noticed seems antithetical to my objective. What excites me is an audio drama being experienced by as many people as possible- available free to all, in podcast form. Something to capture your imagination while driving, exercising, or working at your desk. So, with great enthusiasm, I look forward to sharing this story with you and providing some insights on how it was created–behind the scenes, so to speak. Below are some rough book cover concepts I came up with before I seriously considered publishing it as a book. This was me stumbling around trying to figure out how to sell the idea with one image. That’s it for now. Stay tuned for the upcoming Episode 2. Monkie Business is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Monkie Business at monkiebusiness.substack.com/subscribe

What if there were a test that could predict who would be dangerous, and in what manner, years before a crime is committed? What if you were a teenager and took this test, only to discover who and what you will become? And more importantly, what if there were a program to prevent this from ever happening? Would you owe it to society to participate? To accept this newly discovered identity and fate, subjecting yourself to corrective measures as a remedy? Control; Alt Delete: Dr. Stundel’s Program To Reboot Your Dangerous Teen is a story about such exploration–a glimpse into the future of what is predetermined versus the agency to change it. Based on the award-winning screenplay, Control; Alt; Delete tells the story of Eddie Crowe, an unassuming teenager from suburbia who discovers by taking a test that his future is sealed as a potential homicidal sociopath. This 15-episode audio drama, adapted from the novel, is a satirical, comedic, and darkly contemplative coming-of-age series that touches on universal themes of identity, morality, authority, and forgiveness. Kirkus Review: “An inventive tale that runs the gamut from delightfully comedic to disturbingly dark.” Episodes will drop weekly. Paid subscribers can expect supplemental content. Thanks for subscribing! Monkie Business is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Monkie Business at monkiebusiness.substack.com/subscribe

What if there were a test that could predict who would be dangerous, and in what manner, years before a crime is committed? What if you were a teenager and took this test, only to discover who and what you will become? And more importantly, what if there were a program to prevent this from ever happening? Would you owe it to society to participate? To accept this newly discovered identity and fate, subjecting yourself to corrective measures as a remedy? Control; Alt Delete: Dr. Stundel’s Program To Reboot Your Dangerous Teen is a story about such exploration–a glimpse into the future of what is predetermined versus the agency to change it. Based on the award-winning screenplay, Control; Alt; Delete tells the story of Eddie Crowe, an unassuming teenager from suburbia who discovers by taking a test that his future is sealed as a potential homicidal sociopath. This 15-episode audio drama, adapted from the novel, is a satirical, comedic, and darkly contemplative coming-of-age series that touches on universal themes of identity, morality, authority, and forgiveness. Kirkus Review: “An inventive tale that runs the gamut from delightfully comedic to disturbingly dark.” Episodes will drop weekly. Paid subscribers can expect supplemental content. Thanks for subscribing! Get full access to Monkie Business at monkiebusiness.substack.com/subscribe