diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 174aac6..c982a55 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,4 +1,38 @@
 scritcher
 ====
 
-glitch art "framework"
+glitch art "framework", ????????
+
+# how do?
+
+currently it can't do much other than running a selected LV2 plugin
+over bmp files.
+
+ - zig at https://ziglang.org
+ - libc, lilv and libsndfile
+ - an appreciation for glitched anime girls on your hard drive
+ - optional: imagemagick to convert from whatever to bmp
+
+```
+# build and install
+# assumes lilv headers are at /usr/include/lilv-0, check build.zig if different
+git clone https://gitdab.com/luna/scritcher.git
+cd scritcher
+zig build install --prefix ~/.local/
+
+# on your input image file
+convert blah.jpg blah.bmp
+
+# i THINK you can get eg-amp as one of the
+# default plugins in a lv2 install 
+scritcher -i blah.bmp -o out.bmp -c gain 10 http://lv2plug.in/plugins/eg-amp
+
+$your_image_viewer out.bmp
+```
+
+## todo
+
+ - search other plugins
+ - make a "scripting" language out of them (you can see some of it
+    in doc/ and examples/)
+ - conquer the world for glitchy anime girls