Radio Commercial: This is a fun spot that I wrote and voiced for Michael’s Construction. I love the sketch commercials with two characters talking about something. It’s kind of Saturday Night Live-ish.
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Podcasting on iTunes!
May 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment
This
week, my goal is to get my butt in gear and set-up things so I can have my podcasts/audiobooks available in the iTunes Store for everyone. Almost there! I’m just setting up the feed and testing things out. My plan is to start recording my forty short stories and making them available online to listen to for free, as I continue to write my novel. Once the novel is finished, I will offer free weekly recorded episodes of each chapter from the book before I publish it. Little by little, I’m getting there! How cool!
I’ve Pretty Much Seen Everything
April 23, 2012 By Leave a Comment
I guess it shouldn’t b
e that much of a surprise that I’ve seen some crazy things happen at wedding receptions; I’ve entertained at over 2000 of them. How can I forget that groom who knocked his wife unconscious after smashing the wedding cake into her face. Or the even more memorable kick in the balls he received from the Bride’s sister, directly after the incident. I have fond memories of the sloppy-drunk Maid Of Honor who fell over while dancing, sending her legs flying in to the air, and unknowingly letting everyone in the room know that she prefers Brazilian bikini wax jobs over the traditional. I’ve even had three wedding receptions where someone had a heart attack.
But one of my favorites was the reception where all of the groomsmen jumped into the swimming pool of the hotel, with their tuxedos on, before the reception actually started. The Bride’s father threatened all of them, saying if they were not back to the reception with new tuxedos within an hour, he would kill all of them. Very God Father-ish and very memorable. That particular story of mine was published in the book OMG! Wedding Stories: Hilarious, Outrageous, Embarrassing, Shocking, & Bizarre Wedding Stories“.
My First Rejection Letter!
April 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment
I am officially a writer because I was rejected! How cool is that? Sure, I got plenty of advice from people telling me I needed to have very thick skin if I wanted to be a writer. Well, hey, look at me! I’m a big fat lizard! Yeah, I know what you’re thinking: Hey Rich, let”s see how you feel after your 100th rejection letter. And you know what I say to that? Bring it on baby! Here’s the actual letter (e-mail) that I received after submitting one of my short stories for publication in The New Yorker!
Dear Mr. Amooi,
We’re sorry to say that your piece, “Pissing For Dummies,” wasn’t right for us, despite its evident merit. Thank you for allowing us to consider your work.
Best regards,
The Shouts Dept.
New Stanford Class Starts Today!
April 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment
I’m so excited! I started a new Stanford Class today with Author Seth Harwood
. It’s called, “Getting Your Story Out There.” Seth received an MFA in fiction from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and went on to build a large readership for his first novel, Jack Wakes Up, by serializing it as a free audiobook online.
Seth will teach us about marketing the stuff we’ve written using podcasts, blogs, and social media. The class will also focus on self-publishing, eBooks, and much more. I’ll post some things I’ve done in the class soon, as I take this journey towards becoming a published author. I do need to keep in mind that it is not only the end result that will make me happy. I need to enjoy the journey and live in the present. And I am! This is so exciting, I almost peed my pants. Oh please don’t get all grossed out, I said “almost.“
This is a friggin test.
March 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Yeah, I know, this friggin website is missing a few things. Okay, maybe it’s missing everything. Don’t give me crap about it, I’m friggin working on it. I just need to test out a few things and then I’ll start adding some friggin delicious content. I hope you’re friggin hungry.
In the meantime, here’s a picture of a friggin giraffe. Amazing friggin animals, aren’t they? Check out that friggin neck. And the friggin ears. And that friggin mouth. Don’t forget the two friggin gear-shifts on top of the head! Yeah, take it all in, that’s nature. That’s it. Now take a deep friggin breath. And another. And another. Very good. You are getting sleepy. Very sleepy. Don’t be friggin scared. Enjoy every friggin moment, every friggin breath. When you wake up, you will feel alive and amazingly refreshed. You’ll feel motivated to do so many friggin things. Fear is no longer a part of your friggin vocabulary. You are a new friggin person. You’ll have the urge to change your friggin life and do the things you’ve always wanted to do. You’ll also have the urge to send me a friggin boat-load of money. Don’t friggin fight it. Just write the friggin check and pop it in the friggin mail. We’ll both feel friggin better after you do it. Especially me.
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