Invitation to Ron Harris to write a REAL bodybuilding book

[240 is Back]

240 is dead on when he says that the mags are targeted at a fairly unsophisticated average American male, 18-25, that probably doesn't read much higher than an 8-th grade level.

If you want to see what my 'real' writing is like, PLEASE check out some of my short horror stories here:
http://www.ronharrismuscle.com/horror/

Actually, Ron, what I think many of us would like to see is some of your bodybuilding writing at the 12th grade level and beyond.    You've interviewed and followed the sport for what, 2 decades?  And you are a good writer.  If you chose to write a book, focused for the more educated audience, it could be a wonderful thing.  Change names so no one gets sued or beat up.  But write about things you've seen and heard.  Write about what guys are really like.  Give them all fake names like we saw in Sam Fussel's 'Muscle'.  There are a lot of people who would like something more than a 500-word blurb about something we've read a hundred times before.

Ron Harris, this is your official invitation to write a real bodybuilding book!

[The Squadfather]

very good suggestion.

[Pazuzu]

Thanks and I appreciate the suggestion very much. Honestly, I have no interest in writing a 'tell-all' book about this sport. My real passion is in writing fiction. I basically started writing for the bb mags to make a little extra cash and it grew into a career. Fiction was always what I wanted to do. My role model is Stephen King. I've read everything he has ever written and his success story is inspirational. When he sold his first novel, "Carrie," he was living in a trailer in Maine and working at a laundromat.

[danielson]

Thanks and I appreciate the suggestion very much. Honestly, I have no interest in writing a 'tell-all' book about this sport. My real passion is in writing fiction. I basically started writing for the bb mags to make a little extra cash and it grew into a career. Fiction was always what I wanted to do. My role model is Stephen King. I've read everything he has ever written and his success story is inspirational. When he sold his first novel, "Carrie," he was living in a trailer in Maine and working at a laundromat.

There may be an opening in the little boy wizard market that you could take advantage of, that Rowling chick made a couple of bucks.

[240 is Back]

Thanks and I appreciate the suggestion very much. Honestly, I have no interest in writing a 'tell-all' book about this sport. My real passion is in writing fiction. I basically started writing for the bb mags to make a little extra cash and it grew into a career. Fiction was always what I wanted to do. My role model is Stephen King. I've read everything he has ever written and his success story is inspirational. When he sold his first novel, "Carrie," he was living in a trailer in Maine and working at a laundromat.

Maybe combine your love of bodybuilding and horror stories.  Write a horror story about some pro bodybuilder who likes to strangle, taze, drug, and burn young women in the desert.

[davidleiper]

My real passion is in writing fiction. I

Ok, so why not write a "fictional" bodybuilding book? You could have the main character be ,oh, let's say "Ray Gutler" and his adversary, the massive "Jonnie Soulman". I'm sure it would do well!

Just kidding! However, bodybuilding fans would eat up a tell all book, real names or not. It's well worth considering.

[240 is Back]

Just kidding! However, bodybuilding fans would eat up a tell all book, real names or not. It's well worth considering.

i agree.  I think they'd eat up a book that wasn't even "tell all", just a fictional story about some joe blow who juiced and jacked his way to pro stardom, followed by the long slide into obscurity.   

Bodybuilders do a lot of resting, cardio, cooking and crapping.  Good times to read.

[TheDoctor]

Maybe combine your love of bodybuilding and horror stories.  Write a horror story about some pro bodybuilder who likes to strangle, taze, drug, and burn young women in the desert.

Your Fucking Sick

[davidleiper]

i agree.  I think they'd eat up a book that wasn't even "tell all", just a fictional story about some joe blow who juiced and jacked his way to pro stardom, followed by the long slide into obscurity.   

Bodybuilders do a lot of resting, cardio, cooking and crapping.  Good times to read

Absolutely! I'm still waiting for the next descent bodybuilding book. Sam Fussels' "Muscle" was awesome (in my opinion) and captured a lot about the moddset of a wannabe bodybuilder. Other than that, I really can't think of much else that isn't either training or autiobilgraphical that is worth reading (admittedly "Muscle is semi autobiographical, but there is a fair bit of fiction in it too).

So come on Ron. You have the writing credentials, the will to write fiction and a whole career to base your subject matter on. Couple that with a captive audience of bodybuilding fans (assuming I'm not the only one who is looking fo a good read on the subject), and your going to be quids in!

[Pazuzu]

The problem is that there just aren't enough bodybuilders to make a good amount of $ from writing a book.

It would have to appeal to the mainstream somehow.

Anyone ever read "Chemical Pink?" I thought it was a pretty good read - wouldn't win any literary prizes, but then again neither would a best-selling autobiography of Paris Hilton.

[Nordic Beast]

The problem is that there just aren't enough bodybuilders to make a good amount of $ from writing a book.

It would have to appeal to the mainstream somehow.

Anyone ever read "Chemical Pink?" I thought it was a pretty good read - wouldn't win any literary prizes, but then again neither would a best-selling autobiography of Paris Hilton.

who wrote it?

whats it about?

[Pazuzu]

Katie Arnoldi wrote it. It's about an amateur female bodybuilder that comes out to Venice and hooks up with this rich schmoe that is a totally sick and twisted sexual deviant. He puts her on all kinds of drugs and makes her do a lot of humiliating things. Katie trained at Gold's Venice for years and has a much better grasp of the whole bb culture than most writers I have seen.

[240 is Back]

Katie Arnoldi wrote it. It's about an amateur female bodybuilder that comes out to Venice and hooks up with this rich schmoe that is a totally sick and twisted sexual deviant. He puts her on all kinds of drugs and makes her do a lot of humiliating things. Katie trained at Gold's Venice for years and has a much better grasp of the whole bb culture than most writers I have seen.

The Unauthorized Biography of Kelly Ryan.  I like it.

[thisiskeith12]

A book revealing a lot of inside stories and such could be a major hit. Bookworms love to read a good book, no matter the subject.

[Stark]

What you guys have to understand is that the market for such a book is very very small, look how many people are interested in the sport as such. And stories about Bodybuilders collapsing on stage or mouthing off beating up their wifes or killing soembody is only good to read when you know who he is talking about.
I bought the book muscle before I got interested in the PRo Bodybuilding scene, and I thought it was rather boring, I read it again a year later when I had an understanding what was going on who was who and so forth... and the book was brilliant fun to read.

[BIG ACH]

Ron, I've read all of your horror stories and they were actually really good!

Sadly though, there is hardly any money in being a fiction author, unless you are in the very very very top, chances are you won't make much money.  Its kinda like being an IFBB pro bodybuilder 

[Mr. Cortisol]

Sadly though, there is hardly any money in being a fiction author, unless you are in the very very very top, chances are you won't make much money.  Its kinda like being an IFBB pro bodybuilder 

actually most IFBB guys make their money being "on the bottom" if you catch me drifft.

[Pazuzu]

Writing in general is a tough business to make any money at unless you are at the top of your niche. Even now when people ask me what I do and I tell them I am a writer, they always make a weird face and say, "really?"

Even in the bb world, I doubt there are more than 4-5 guys in the whole biz that make all their money from writing, as I do. So I am fortunate.

[danielson]

Writing in general is a tough business to make any money at unless you are at the top of your niche. Even now when people ask me what I do and I tell them I am a writer, they always make a weird face and say, "really?"

Even in the bb world, I doubt there are more than 4-5 guys in the whole biz that make all their money from writing, as I do. So I am fortunate.

How much do you make? You write for MD correct? Doesn't it suck having to work with a bunch of freaks like Billy Guns when you are a normal guy?

[Pazuzu]

I make in the six figures, that's all I will say. I don't like to boast, and besides which, there are plenty of people out there that make a whole lot more than I do. I'm sure some of you guys earn more. Some of the owners in the supp side of the biz are multi-millionaires. I'm just happy to be financially comfortable, even if I am not wealthy.

And I work at home.

[Pete Nice]

I make in the six figures, that's all I will say. I don't like to boast, and besides which, there are plenty of people out there that make a whole lot more than I do. I'm sure some of you guys earn more. Some of the owners in the supp side of the biz are multi-millionaires. I'm just happy to be financially comfortable, even if I am not wealthy.

And I work at home.

Don't sound bad at all

[thisiskeith12]

Ron,

Why not have your own bodybuilding interview hour radio show?

[Cleanest Natural]

I think it's a great ideea....however...Ron and MD have no interest to bring to light what bb IS since their very livelyhood depends on selling supps to young impresionable teens and young adults who don't take creatine because they wanna stay natural..

[Pazuzu]

There are enough radio shows already - I think between No Bull Radio and Pro Bodybuilding Weekly they cover the sport pretty well as is.

[The Squadfather]

There are enough radio shows already - I think between No Bull Radio and Pro Bodybuilding Weekly they cover the sport pretty well as is.

hey Ron i'm assuming you have a pretty thick Boston accent, right?