Holy Shit and Toast
Sorry, this isn’t really a post. There will be no fat, white Buddha, no black, kindly God, no Snooki, no Zombie Papa Smurf, no Shapeshifter Tara Reid, no Rapture Reality TV, none of that. Instead, this is an eclectic mash up of disconnected ramblings which pretty much mirror the functioning of my mind right now. There will also be a joke:
What will the Green Bay Packers secondary be known as after today?
Grilled Cheese.
I thought of that all by myself but I have no doubt that the national media will steal it and run with it. That’s what they always do to me.
So why the Holy Shit title? Two reasons; The Steelers! Super Bowl!! Stairway to Seven!! Holy Shit! Those exclamation points are all well deserved!
Also Holy Shit because we booked our flights and are leaving Spain for America on February 24th. Karen’s rat-like dog, Luca Brasi, is going in a little airplane safe, Paris Hilton purse-like bag which can stay in the cabin, under the seat. My cat, Tunado, and my Dog, The Puppy, Big Pappy or Pablo Escobar depending on my inclination and her mood, are both going into cargo hold. I’m just praying that Big Pappy doesn’t chew through her crate and start eating random mechanical parts of the plane. This is a dog that chews cement steps and licks the paint off of walls in her down time. Fuck Snakes on a Plane, Samuel L. Jackson would meet his match with My Spanish Mutt on a Plane. On some real shit.
Before we even have to worry about her going all jihadist though we have to get the three of them from Cadiar to Madrid. I don’t know how many of you have ever ridden with a cat or one or two nervous dogs; but very, very bad things can happen. Usually they happen out of both ends of all three animals as well. After we get to Madrid, we’ll then have to try and get three pukey, shity animals somewhat cleaned up and fed in preparation for a twelve hour flight.
When we pick them up on the other end I fully expect them to be covered in excrement, vomit and possibly landing gear parts. From there we’ll just have a seven hour drive down alligator alley from Miami to St. Pete Beach. The problem with the Tamiami Trail is that if you stop to take a piss, you will be covered by mosquitoes from head to toe before you even undo your fly. Also you’ll probably be eaten by gators and/or stabbed by a Cuban coke dealer. That’s true of any road in Florida, honestly.
Once we get ‘home’ we just have to pick up the keys to the apartment we’ve never actually seen and start life over, pretty much from scratch. Again.
Still, I’m extremely excited and can’t wait to get back now that it’s actually happening. Since the apartment is temporary I don’t even know if we’ll have internet. With the move and all I will probably be absent from blogoland for a couple weeks/a month until we get everything sorted out. Don’t worry though, I still have two more (real) posts (which will be funny) after this boring ramble.
I have a few questions for you guys now though, so this is the interactive part. (See how current, modern and hip I am?) Even though I’m probably going to have to either get a real job or go back to painting houses on the side, I’m obviously going to continue all of my writing. I’m still writing my book but I keep going back and forth between it being a novel or a looser collection of humor stories all based upon three central characters. I feel like, since I’m not known, my only chance of success is for it to be a novel. Or can I just do a David Sedaris type collection right out of the gate? Would that ever sell? I look at the non-novel humor books that do sell: Stuff White People Like and Shit My Dad Says and they all had followings before the books came out. Which would you guys be more apt to buy? Right now I’m going along as if it’s a novel but I can simplify it easily.
Also; a few people have told me that I should put together a short funny book about being American in Spain, the time I spent here. The problem is that I didn’t do much as far as integrating into Spanish life. I’m not sure that I did enough period. I mean, who wants to read about a guy who downloads The Wire and Lost and watches his laptop like a TV for three years. The only thing I’ve done a lot of is complaining. But that’s pretty much true to my character.
What if I took a couple of my blog posts about living here in Spain, 10 or 20, and edited them and added to them. Maybe I could write a few more dealing with the major societal differences, some things about their unique customs seen through my American eyes. Describe how their way of life affected me, by making me mellower and less stabby. I’d keep everything humorous, obviously. I’d write a quick intro at the beginning and wrap it up neatly at the end. Maybe lessons learned(?) or something….? It’s something that I could do quickly and painlessly, that’s why I’m thinking about it. I could add some fantastic photos but that would drive the cost way up….
My question: would you guys buy that book? Not will you as my friends. But would you, as consumers? Would it be entertaining? And also will you as my friends? Like buying a date with an ugly chick for charity? But this wouldn’t be for charity. It would be for cocaine and hookers. Would you rather pay more and get photos? Is 50 or 70 pages enough?
Seriously, give me your advice and opinions about both books.
Go Steelers!!!
February 6, 2011 - Posted by Scott Oglesby | Uncategorized | Big Pappy, Dogs on a plane, Pablo Escobar, questions, Steelers, this is not funny, Wiz Khalifa
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This is a blog about my observations of the inane, insane, absolutely hilarious world we live in.
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holy hell i’m first! Eating breakfast so when i’m done i’ll go all analyzy on the books.
Somewhere, you made an Englishman’s head explode from that song. Word.
damn, beaten to it!
IMHO, whatever you write get it onto KIndle asap; the future of fiction is there.
Oh yea, I’ll have the Kindle option available as well. You can even put your blogs on there now too. Exciting times!
Thanks Dave!!
Ok, eat and analyze. I look forward to your opinions.
Thanks Lisa!!
Sorry called away will start now!
And people are going to be cool with you just painting a single side of the house? I hope you start (and finish?) with the front.
Welcome back! Go Steelers!
(I’ll come back with a real comment later. Something more insightful.)
A little off-topic, but do I spy a News Radio fan?
You do. In fact, my blog is titled “Fancy Plans… and Pants to Match.”
(The second choice was “Super Karate Monkey Death Car.”)
It’s a Florida thing to only paint the side of the house. There’s no use in messing with the front because as soon as you paint it, bullets and blood just mess it right back up anyway. All the salt air is detrimental as well.
Thanks CLT!!
Assuming I had the money (which is the tricky part here)…I would buy a book about you in Spain. Totally. Even if you didn’t integrate with them. In fact, I’m sure that could be even more interesting.
Maybe the fact that you stayed outside of that threshold is more insightful than you think.
Thanks for the input Cassie, I appreciate it. I do have the ability to tell a funny story at least. I’ve already written 10 or 15 so it would just be a matter of adding to that and editing. I think I’ll give it a shot.
Thanks for stopping by.
Thanks Cassie!!
Exciting times ahead!
Here is my opinion:
I would be more likely to buy a novel but I would not be typical of your target market. I think you would sell more if it was a looser collection. Some of the biggest sellers seem to have a bit of ‘how to’ in them like – ‘How to live abroad without losing your sense of humour’. Personally, I wouldn’t go with pictures, too many people can’t afford to buy those sorts of books so you would immediately limit your audience. In your case, I would put together the things you like first of all and add to it in the way you enjoy writing. Then, I’d think forward to the publicity stage and see what you have by way of controversy, what it is you might be able to play with that would get your name out there and talked about. You can then try to incorporate that idea into your book. Would I buy it under normal circumstances? Probably not (again, I wouldn’t be your target audience). Will I buy it because I ‘know’ you? Absolutely, as long as it is not over-priced.
Having said all of that, if you chose to go the novel route, I think you could write an absolute corker! If you had the confidence to go for it, you could write a best-seller. It would just be a matter of backing yourself.
Another suggestion is to see if you can solicit the services of an agent and get his/her opinion. If you lived in Australia, you would laugh at that suggestion because agents are simply not interested in unpublished authors but they tell me that things are a little different in the States. I think an agent would be able to steer you in the right direction.
I’m always happy to help a fellow writer, so keep in touch. Good luck.
This is all great advice, thanks Karen. One of the problems is that I never know my target audience. Look at how all over the board I am with this one blog. I have a hard time with organizing my thoughts and sticking to task. Which is one thing I’m going to have to work on for sure.
I agree about the pictures as well. My wife did one with pics on every page and the pictures made it way too expensive for commercial sale.
Fantastic insight!
Thanks Karen!!
Actually, I am rethinking one thing here. I just said on my blog that you and I were as far removed in our writing style and content as we are geographically but I think I might be wrong.
Whilst the content is quite different, you probably would connect with my style of little character ‘vignettes’ threaded together with one main character. Sorta goes with the whole ADD thing.
Anyway, make sure you keep in contact because I want to see your book on the shelves and I have no doubt that it will be a HUGE seller. I really mean that.
I’m sure that I would love it Karen. I’ll have to grab a copy after I get settled in on the fruited swamp.
I’ve made up my mind to definitely write the travel/Spain one as well but to keep it really short and simple.
Thank you so much for the vote of confidence!
I would absolutely buy your books – because I think you’re funny and I like funny – and I really like the “essay” format that Lori Notaro and David Sedaris and Tim Cahill use. Shortish funny bits that can be read in the can or the bathtub before the water gets cold. THEN the novel. If you could pitch yourself as a columnist to a local paper, that would help, too (that’s how Lori Notaro got started in AZ).
I love the American in Spain angle. That’s a hoot. I think Americans actually enjoy laughing at themselves.
Skip the photos. You can refer people to your tastefully designed website for more “information.” All the cool writers do that.
There, of course, is always self-publishing and the tax-deductible book tour. If you come to Phoenix, there are a couple of excellent bookshops that are pretty good about hosting new authors.
I could keep rambling, but I’ma get ready to go to the Superbowl party around the corner where I’m going to watch Green Bay kick the Steeler’s collectives asses. Or the Steeler’s kick Green Bay’s collective asses. Either way, it’s gonna involve beer, so it’s all good.
The essay is definitely my strong suit. Like I said, my inability to organize makes it one of the only formats in which I can write well. Once I get beyond five pages things start to get muddled. I have no idea how Larsson was able to keep those three, phenonomal plot lines together like that.
I’m going to do, actually already am doing, both books.
I hope you had fun at your party. I had to stay up until 5am…. For that? Ugh.
Thanks Dessert Rat!!
I’d buy anything you wrote, Scott. I do hope you go with the humor route though and that it includes stories like ‘the girl with the messed up face.’ That’s one of the funniest stories I have ever read in my life:
http://zodiblog.wordpress.com/2010/07/24/the-girl-with-the-messed-up-face/
My sister lives in St. Petersberg. I have not seen her in 13+ years as she will not leave…I hope you are just as happy there. Welcome home and have a safe trip!!
Thank you Elizabeth, that means a lot coming from you. I respect your advice because I admire your big brain and obvious wisdom. That’s funny you mention that blog because it was one of my favorites of all time as well.
You’ll have to come visit her so you can come visit us me well! Otherwise I’m coming to Vegas.
Thanks Elizabeth!!
Oh yeah, the girl with the messed up face is a classic.
Classic; just like the girl herself.
My theory is that you shoot out that collection as a novel. I think you’ve got more of a chance to move it that way. There are a lot of thrown-together compilations out there but without a very, specific unifying theme, I don’t know how far it would go.
As for the Spain stories: that could work as a compilation. Or maybe someone, somewhere is putting together stories from around the world and is looking for something like your particular blend of outsider viewpoint and massive amounts of profanity.
Either way, I have yet to sell a book, or even write one for that matter, so take my advice with a block of salt.
That’s true. I’m going to have to tell you about the actually idea and plot soon. I figure that when I move back to the states in a couple of weeks, I’ll call you, if that ok. Shit, maybe you should take a Florida vacation this year?
Chicken Soup for the Motherfucking Ex-Pat’s Soul? Maybe I should get that ball rolling, it could be a winner.
Thanks CLT!!
Traveling with pets. Yeah. Good luck with that.
As far as the books go . . .
For the fictional one, I am drawn to the idea of a collection of stories that are all related in some way. It’s unique and I think that these days being unique is almost as important as good writing. However, if it works better as a novel, then it may be easier to market. Delimma.
For the non-fiction – go for it! Memoirs are always great sellers and yours would be a hit. Please write an Eat, Pray, Love for those of us who aren’t whiny white women with million dollar book advances and absolutely no sense of irony. If you wrote that book it would be a best seller and Huge, er, I mean Hugh (freudian slip, there) Jackman would beg to play you in the movie version. Seriously. If you don’t write it, I will never speak to you again.
Best of luck on your trip back to the states!
The ONLY reason I credit the ‘eat pray love’ phenomenon with any kudos is entirely for the spin-offs: ‘Eat, shop, shag.”… ‘eat, drink, vomit’… ‘eat, sleep, party’ and of course my favourite, ‘eat, eat, eat’!
I’m familiar with the classic, eat, smoke, snort but I’d have to add the shag to the end. Because I love carpet!
Thanks Mitzi!!
It’s definitely a unique premise but my main talent is comedy. Which ever way I do it, it’s all just a showcase to try to be funny. I don’t consider myself a literary mind as much as a comedian. So I’m going to follow a lot of this advice and keep it simple.
Would you believe I’ve never read it or seen it? There were a few benefits of living in Spain, after all.
Thanks Amy!!
Ah yes, travel with pets! Long hair cat, won’t eat the first day (just howls), eats the second day, shits two hours from home on the third. In the dark, in the back of friends suburban (litter box). Cleaning shit from cat in the dark with handy wipes and trimming hair with nail scissors. Yeah, thanks for reminding me, I have to trim his butt again.
As for the book, go novel. Do a separate ‘Living in Spain’ type as a compilation, as someone else suggested.
The last time we took The Puppy out, to her vet 45 minutes away, she accidentally shit all over the back seat of the car. Which almost made me throw up. If my wife weren’t there and I had to clean it up, I definitely would have puked.
This is going to be fun!
Thanks Reb!!
You need to write a book where you ask for input from Americans living abroad and the funny stories about cultural mishaps. Then you sit back, let someone else to all the hard work and you edit it and publish it. Hell that is how those Chicken Soup books have made a cottage industry.
That’s a great idea Bearman but I’m decent at writing and shit at organizing, unfortunately. I wish I had the opposite talents. That’s also how James Patterson does business.
Thanks Bearman!!
write the travel book Scott… that’s the one I’d buy
I definitely am Nursie, it won’t even take me long!
Thanks Nursemyra!!
First, doesn’t Mary look like a 1920s actress?
But anyway…
I hear short stories have less of a chance of being published if you’re doing it as a book full of ‘em, so I’d say novel, but if the muse strikes you otherwise go for it.
A book on travel needs pics i think.
And seriously, try for mcsweeneys and if that fails find an agent. You deserve to be big. i mean at least for the great american novel.
The travels with Zodi book could be self pubbed if you do as nice a job as your dog did, I read the excerpts from his book and I loved it.
I really think you need to write your memoirs too. I’d love to hear your life story.
I keep meaning to write more of mine just to fill up space.
If it isnt personal, how many readers do you have?
I got 22 hit the sub button subbers, 1 unique email, 2 unique folks on networked blogs, and 10 folks on google reader. I cant believe that, nevr thought I’d have that many. I used to think people came cause i came to theirs or they felt bad for me or something. I tell you, ain’t nothing like somebody reading something of yours. And imagine if somebody like you started giving the world your writing on paper, how many folks would read it! You just gotta get in, man, to a big publisher.
Thanks for all the advice Lisa, I’m taking it all in. Well, everything but the McSweeny’s part. I can’t even get them to publish an essay, there’s no way in hell they’d publish a book by an unknown. I’ll probably have to self-publish and hope to eventually get signed.
My wife wrote that Dachshund Luke book for her little niece and nephew. She’s sold a few copies (literally, a few) into the children’s market and the dachshund market. Pick one up if you have a kid to buy for or like dogs or dog related stories. It’s a good book.
Thanks Lisa!!
Also I think you should try tweeting funny 1 liners and build a following. Follow people, interact. Tweet your posts, start stumble uponing, twirl like a ballerina.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/roba/4720190923/sizes/l/in/photostream/
PS, not that that worked for me much but ya never know. Oh and sign up with networked blogs. You dont have to syndicate it to your FB profile. I dont syndicate to my own profile b/c every now and then I write something I wouldnt want to advertise to one or 2 people. If they see it, OK, but doubt they would if I dont link up.
Yep, I have to do that too. I’ll save it all for after I have everything written and am trying to market.
Thanks Lisa!!
I know that I should get back to it but I am trying to spend less and less time online. The more time I spend online, the less I accomplish.
Soon…
Thanks Lisa!!
This I understand. Sometimes, we can get so caught up in building our ‘platform’ and making a ‘profile’ that we forget to do what it is we actually want to do.
And sometimes, I just waste hours on Facebook doing nothing worthwhile at all.
Ok, usually.
I’d read anything that contained ironic Hemingway-does-Spain references. In that your sitting outside sojourn has been less integrated than that late modernist kind of writer. You could call it, “Spain, no bull”; or, “Aren’t Flamenco’s pink?” or “Take me to McTapas”!
A book of short bursts of humour is good. Also a travel book. Give the novel more time.
Spread some crazy rumours about yourself and let it go viral! You could release the humour book chapter by chapter as an e-book on Itunes! (You’d have to record yourself reading it. Lock yourself in the bathroom with the mic for good acoustics.)
These are some of the best ideas that I’ve heard so far. I love them all. I could put a kind of drugged out (since I no longer drink) Hunter S. Thompson spin on it. Only instead of ingesting pounds of hallucinogenics I’d stick to opiates and trying to smoke opium out of a light bulb. Or was that coke? No matter.
Seriously Mitzi, I love them all except the voice recording. I sound like a retarded kid with a deviated septum who got hit by a bike with bells.
Jonzo Ex Pat-ing!
Thanks Mitzi!!
You’re coming down the home stretch now! Maybe your vet can prescribe some sedatives for the pets. Or at least some antinausea meds.
My input…I’ve only read one David Sedaris book, which I borrowed from a friend, BUT I own Stuff White People Like.
Almost!
They actually aren’t allowed any sedatives anymore. They have to be fully awake so that they don’t injure themselves flopping around. I, on the other hand, will be nicely Xanex’d up.
They are both great aren’t they?
Thanks Thoughtsappear!!
I’m so sorry about the Steelers!!
I was rooting for them
You make the trip “home” sound crazy exciting
all animal puke and danger and shit
love the Sam Jakson line
as your friend I think anything you write, say, or belch/fart forward is fucking brilliant
as a consumer with melting brain cells and the attention span of a gnat I see myself drawn to a collection of short stories or essays
but what the hell do I know
I’m still writing three different books and feel that they all suck
I know. They came out flat and never were able to recover. Oh well, it doesn’t really affect my day to day life.
It will be as exciting as an orderly’s job in a nursing home. And on top of that, now I’ve been sick for weeks.
Thanks for the advice, I’m going to keep them both simple. I might work on the Spain one for a while now, while it’s still fresh.
Thanks Dianne!!
OK, I am a book freak, can’t stop buying them. If you want your book to sell, start with a great title. One of my fav travel books is No Shitting In The Toilet: The travel guide for when you’ve really lost it.
Think about starting with an eBook (don’t need a publisher).
Get someone well known to write the foreword (I hear Denny is available).
A lot of authors start first with a website eg Fuck You Penguin so they can build up a fan and data base.
When writing always think of movie rights (that’s where the big bucks lay). I’d go novel, with a unique main character.
Loon, did anyone ever tell you how cool you are?
You’re both too cool for public school.
or as Pink would say Scotty, too school for cool
I love pink. I also love Pink.
Blahahaha Lisa, nope just a friggin loon
That’s really good advice Loon, thanks. I already bought the website for the novel type book. Originally it was only going to be a blog/hopefully book but it grew from there into this ‘Whole Other Thing.’
I’m just going to use this site to promote the Spain book, I think. I get a shitload of views and a lot of them are using Spanish travel humor-ish type keywords.
Thanks Loon!!
Travel home safe dude…we’re happy to have you back.
It’ll be long and arduous but hopefully worth it.
Thanks Candy!!
Holy shit, that raptor looks like it means business
The raptor is serious. The shark, on the other hand, is much lighter hearted.
Thanks Artswebshow!!
Are you sure St Pete is ready for this?
St Pete definitely is. St Pete Beach is not. (They hate conflict.)
Thanks Micky!!
I could be wrong, but I think that was a picture of a ‘Raptor holding a rocket launcher, riding a shark.
It’s my favorite raptor picture. Even better than the one Jesus rode.
Thanks Dr. Ken!!
I’m just checking in to make sure you didn’t shoot yourself in the face due to the Steelers loss.
I might have, but only if I had a can of Ready Whip nearby. I’ve finally come to the point where those outcomes don’t affect my day to day life.
Thanks Candice!!
You know what I think. I would buy your book even if it was just about you reviewing a book. You’re lucky in that you’re good at many different types of writing. My question is, what do you feel the most passionate about doing? What genre/style/subject will hold your attention long enough to finish it? I don’t mean because you have a short attention span, I only mean because that was something I had to figure out for myself recently.
Whatever you do, it will be awesome. You just have to believe it as much as we all do!
ps. For some reason I’m really excited for your move?
Well now that’s a whole other option. I could write a book that is nothing but me reviewing books, comic books even. That would mesh well with my work ethic.
My problem is that I’m passionate about a lot of things for a short amount of time. And then my mind wants to move on. I do have a horrible attention span. I know exactly what you mean though, and I have to figure that out.
I can’t wait to talk to you about all this. And visit soon…?
Thanks B!!
Definetely a book about an american living in spain would be funny..start out as fish out of water then turn into eat pray love story hehhee…i would love to live in spain..beyond me, why you would move back..but i am sure you have a good reason..least i hope so….good luck on the move…zman sends
I am definitely going to write the Spain book now. The only question is how far I want to take it. As for moving back; there is mainly my daughter and wanting to see her. But even without that, three years has been fantastic. I miss home. I miss Florida anyway.
Thanks Z-Man!!
“I also sat outside a lot….crazy exciting”?! lol…you kill me Scott.
I actually do that almost everywhere I live. Unless it’s cold or bullety. Next week!
Thanks Trish!!