If it is true that ‘seriousness is a disease of the ego’ then I reckon the purpose of life is simply to find your funny voice.
What could be more spiritually rewarding than not taking oneself too seriously? Or the world, for that matter?
Sure, there is suffering and pain and repeat television but what of the bigger picture? What about the fact that we are in this ‘life’ game both alone and together. We are one and we are many.
What? Am I writing lyrics for pop anthems now?
No. I am writing a blog. And the purpose of this blog is to have an outlet. A reaching hand. A virtual conversation between me, a guy sitting at his computer late at night (after watching Mad Men with the Missus, while downing a Don Draper’s worth of drinks) and you, a mildy interested web-surfing dude-ess (or dude—I know I’m not the only boy blogger in the world).
But what have I got to say? What is the conversation today?
What I would like to talk about is how, even in what can seem a saturated story ‘market’, I think there are still great stories out there waiting to be discovered. If watching Mad Men has taught me anything it is that first impressions can be wrong and stories I thought I might not be interested in at first can turn out to be gripping, uplifting and…yes, funny.
So, that’s how it went (and goes) with me and Mad Men. Maybe that’s how it might go with you and Zippin Pippin.
Elvis always delivers!
Zippin Pippin is the name of my second novel, my first comic novel. Writing Zippin Pippin I drew from my love of Elvis, my many years of songwriting (in the wilderness—of Camden, London and Melbourne, Australia) and a road-trip across USA with my wife and two of our best-friends.
Before that trip in 2009 I already had the idea for my story but I hadn’t, in any way, polished it. When our friends told us about their plan to do the old Route 66 thing—with a bit of a diversion to Memphis—my wife and I jumped at the chance to join them. And boy am I glad we did. It was probably the best holiday of my life. I felt truly touched at Graceland. But then again, that might have been my friend Glenn: he has a good sense of humour and has often commented on my fine arse.
No he hasn’t. But he was part of the inspiration for Zippin Pippin, a novel not based on a true story like my first novel, The Last Great Day, was but a novel based on a fun premise that Elvis had a son, a son born on the day Elvis died.
And thanks to my friends, this blog (and my feedbackin blog buddies) and my belief in the Zippin Pippin character, I feel like now, with my new novel, I’ve taken another step closer to finding my funny voice.
Some people are even saying I’ve found it.
And nothing’s more rewarding than that.
PS. I don’t have a publicist yet but one copy of Zippin Pippin made it to a local arts magazine called Inpress. You can read the whole review for Zippin Pippin from them HERE. And below is a few early-bird reader reviews for Zippin Pippin:
“I really did not expect to like this book very much.. In the end I didn’t—I loved it! lol. This (Zippin Pippin) was a great read.” K, Goodreads FIVE STARS
“A keeper.” A, Goodreads FIVE STARS
‘K’ also gave it a Goodreads FIVE STARS
And this (from a blogging buddy)
“Dear Ben,
I was a bit apprehensive. I ordered the book because you’d written it. I like to support my friends, blogging and otherwise. But I’m not an Elvis fan. I’m not a country music fan. I’m not big on books about road trips.
But I loved it. It was fun, lighthearted, cleverly written.
Well done, Ben!”
E, Bloggin buddy reader of Zippin Pippin
How about you? Are there stories—books, films, TV shows—you didn’t think you’d like at first but ended up loving? Love to get your comment.
