So, if you don’t know the drill, here it is: I periodically collect the strange search terms people use to get to terribleminds. Then I list them here and add, erm, “commentary.”
Please to enjoy.
selfpublishing is for losers
YEAH. SELF-PUBBERS DROOL, TRAD-PUBBERS RULE WOOOOO
*vomits in a potted plant*
Self-publishing is for losers, sure.
Happy, independent, occasionally wealthy losers.
when writing a zombie novel how long should a girl’s hair be
Whoo. Man. Holy shitbadgers.
That’s a tough fucking question. This is the kind of writing problem that the greats have struggled with — Tolkien, Tolstoy, Dan Brown, E.L. James, that one guy who wrote the Bible.
But I think it’s time someone took a stand on this question. I generally think that writing advice is a YMMV IMHO situation, but this? This has to be dealt with once and for all.
In a zombie novel, a girl’s hair should be 17 inches.
There. It’s done. I’ve made the rule. Bulletproof. Insurmountable. TRUTH.
*drops mic*
*falls into the orchestra pit*
*is eaten by tuba zombies*
woobly fat
I don’t know what this means. It’s probably some NSA code word. “Project: Woobly Fat is on deck, Sinister Star Chamber Overlord.” Does the NSA have a Sinister Star Chamber? They jolly well should. All I know is, “Woobly Fat” is a phrase I want to say again and again. It’s fun to say. It has great mouthfeel. Woobly fat. Woobly fat. Woobly fat. It can’t lose all meaning because it had no meaning to begin with. Woobly fat. Woobly fat. Tuba zombies. Tuba zombies.
fuck your fucking fantasy novel
YEAH SERIOUSLY FUCK IT. FUCK YOUR PIECE OF SHIT FANTASY NOVEL WITH ITS ELVES AND, AND, AND YOU KNOW, IT’S ELVES. ALL THOSE HOBBITS RUNNING AROUND PLAYING HOBBIT GRAB-ASS. WHAT A DUMB BOOK YOU WROTE. FUCK IT WITH A BIG OL’ DRAGON DONG THAT’S HOW MUCH I HATE IT. OR MAYBE I LOVE IT AND THAT’S WHY I WANT TO MAKE LOVE TO IT. I DON’T KNOW. I JUST HAVE A LOT OF ANGER OVER THIS ISSUE FOR SOME REASON. I THINK I HAVE PTSD OVER THE RED WEDDING. PLUS THAT GUY TAKES LIKE A GLACIAL EPOCH BETWEEN BOOKS. I’M SORRY I GOT MAD AND SAID THAT THING ABOUT YOUR FANTASY NOVEL. IT’S PROBABLY REALLY GOOD. AND ELVES ARE PRETTY RAD SOMETIMES.
I’M GOING TO STOP YELLING NOW.
SEND MORE ELVES.
THANK YOU.
is the sludge that comes out of our bodies normal?
Completely and utterly normal. Here’s a tip: every morning, just purge the sludge. This is easy to do. Stand in your bathroom on a tarp. Naked, of course, unless you want to permanently stain your clothing with the treacly grease that you’ll push from your pores! Ha ha ha! Anyway. Squat down. Grit your teeth and tense your body. Think hard about something pleasant: your first kiss, the sound of the ocean, the war-screams of a band of howler monkeys. Soon the sludge will begin to leave your body. It will push out of your ears, your eyes, your no-n0-hole, your armpits, from the tips of your fingers and toes, from beneath your vented gill-flaps, from your seven nipples, from your lashing tubules. The sludge will be a thick, black, silty ooze — the kind of gunk you might find under a sick elephant’s genitals. It will smell like dead raccoon. Again: this is all very normal. No worries. Do not consult a health care professional. SO NORMAL.
random bullshit generator
A pretty accurate description of this website. Well-played, Internet User.
aspiring cock
Is the cock aspiring to be something? Like, a rock star? Or a poet? “My cock is an aspiring pianist.” Or is someone aspiring to be a cock? Like, is this just a polite way of saying someone’s trying to become a real dickhead? “Ah, Jerry? Yes, Jerry’s an aspiring cock. If he keeps acting like that he’ll have achieved his goals in no time.”
tantric sex tube
Damnit, someone leaked the name of my memoir.
what if a protagonist has a bad anus
You know, in writing, it is important to give your protagonist a problem, and here it seems you have done that by giving them a “bad anus.” What, however, defines a “bad anus?”
Like, is it broken? Blown out like the elastic in a pair of stretched-out underwear?
Maybe it’s just an anus that went wrong somehow? Like it walks the old railroad tracks smoking cigarettes and drinking schnapps out of a brown paper bag while spraypainting graffiti on all the derelict trains? “That’s one bad anus. The system failed and now look at it. Thanks, Obama.”
Or is it a malevolent anus? Some demon-possessed sphincter belching crass, heretical gases into the world? Could this anus actually be the antagonist? That’ll be this week’s flash fiction challenge: “Write 1000 words about a man whose nemesis is his own demonic butthole.”
LITERARY GOLD MOTHERFUCKERS.
fuck you i have a beard
This is a great answer to all the questions you don’t want to answer.
Q: “How do I get to I-95 from here?”
A: “Fuck you, I have a beard.”
Q: “What’s your problem, dude?”
A: “Fuck you, I have a beard.”
Q: “When are you going to pay your rent?”
A: “Fuck you, I have a beard.”
Q: “Why are you pooping in my glove compartment?”
A: “Fuck you, I have a beard.”
how do you write non-grafic sex?
We’ll just ignore the misspelling there and focus on the content of the question.
Sex is, by its nature, graphic. I’m not saying you have to highlight every throbbing vein, every ingrown hair, every orifice intrusion — but, I mean, writing non-graphic sex is fairly antithetical to the nature and act of sex, dontcha think? Whatever. Fine. You wanna do it, and I can’t stop you, so here is my particular advice for this question:
Be really, really vague.
Like, so vague that nobody’s sure if the two characters even had sex.
“Her hand drifted toward the space on his body that could be identified by its skin. He moaned and moved against her. Their tongues did something. Their bodies reacted. They were coupled together in synchronicity. Something was turgid. Another something was damp. She did that thing. He did that other thing. Then she had a baby and he took a shower.”
Damn, even that got a little graphic.
motherfucker cookies bacon
I see you speak the language of my people. Let us sup together and speak legends of the motherfucker cookies bacon. Then together we may fight the bear.
how many minities can you stay after endjaculation?
I CAN STAY SEVEN MINITIES AFTER ENDJACULATION BEEP BOOP BEEP
Because seriously, that question sounds like a robot trying to understand us but kinda failing. (In fact, I’d argue a lot of spam seems like robots trying to figure us out.) Like, somewhere out there is some monitor-headed automaton plugged into the Internet constantly reaching out toward humanity and failing to connect: DEAR HYOOMAN HOW MANY MINITES CAN YOU STAY AFTER ENDJACULATION? I STAY SEVEN MINITIES. I PREEFER SEX WITH TELEVISIONS WHO DO YOU LIKE TO ENDJACULATE WITH? PLEESE LET US GAZE AT P0RN0 TWOGETHER HOW MANY POUNDS OF HAMBURGLARS DO YOU EAT? IS THE SLUDGE THAT COMES OUT OF OUR BODIES NORMAL? WOOBLY FAT! TUBA ZOMBIES. PLEASE WRITE BACK. THE END. BYE.
how antagonists can love jesus
I don’t even.
what type of computer does chuck wendig use?
I use a Florgtron 9009. With dual-adjustible chin-straps.
i want to pirate chuck wendig’s books
Th… thank you? Fuck you? I don’t know. I guess I hope you like them? But that they also maybe give you and your computer syphilis? I’m very conflicted.
i want your eggs
All right, fine, you pirate my books, whatever, but I draw the line at eggs. These are my eggs. I bought these eggs. I’m going to eat the fuck out of these eggs. You can’t have them. You’re probably just going to ruin them. You don’t know how to cook an egg. You’re so stupid. I hate your face. GET OFF MY EGGS. *burns your house down preemptively*
the fleshmine
This was the name of my erotic BBS in 1992.
paula deen angry bees
Paula Deen is in fact where angry bees come from. She opens her rubbery maw and — after the hot gush of sizzling butter finishes falling over her chin — the angry bees release. As the bees sting her enemies to death, she calls someone the N-word while scooping big mitt-fuls of mayonnaise in her faceholes. She’s a southern peach! A precious national treasure.
alot of fuckery going through my head
Then you might make a good writer.
fredhicks says:
I will not laugh so loud it wakes the kids. I will not laugh so loud it wakes the kids. I will not laugh so loud it wakes the kids. I will not laugh so loud it wakes the kids. Woobly fat! DAMMIT!
July 2, 2013 — 12:12 AM
Priscilla says:
Sweet Jesus, I wasn’t expecting any of this and I think my laughter may have scared my parents.
Anyway, what trully surprises me is not the fact that there’s people actually searching for those terms. It’s the fact that they saw your blog on the results and decided to check it. I mean, they sincerely expected to find their answers here. I hope they’re not disappointed :B
July 2, 2013 — 12:14 AM
Ruth Dupre says:
Whaddaya mean kids? I will not laugh so hard it wakes the husband! I will not vibrate the bed to keep from laughing so hard I wake the husband. Tuba zombies drool woobly fat while experiencing seven minities endjaculation. That is all.
July 2, 2013 — 12:14 AM
Puck says:
Bahahaha! I had a pretty bad day (week? month?) and your search term bingo was exactly the thing I needed just now. Laughter is indeed the best medicine (NOTE: laughter is not always the best medicine; sometimes medicine is the best medicine)
July 2, 2013 — 12:24 AM
Josh Neff says:
“Man, that Harry Potter sure does have a bad anus! But his archenemy, Voldemort, is such an evil bastard, he LOVES JESUS!”
July 2, 2013 — 12:28 AM
Betsy says:
Sooo funny!
July 2, 2013 — 12:59 AM
esselle says:
This is Truth: ROFLMWOOBLYFATO!
July 2, 2013 — 1:04 AM
jdsfiction says:
That’s awesome Chuck! You had me laughing pretty damn hard here, I may even have peed a little… (shhh- our secret).
The best search terms I’ve ever had are: “breaka yo face” and “jewish science fiction writer immortal movie.” Great post Chuck!
July 2, 2013 — 1:13 AM
22pamela says:
I wish I could find a better word to express my feelings, but I can’t. So I’ll just have to sit on the cliché “Epic.”
July 2, 2013 — 1:48 AM
Ross Pullen says:
Chuck……while it is obvious that you are a giant amongst wordsmith wanna be’s, I have to bow out.
I know you probably could care less. When first exposed to your blog, I was encouraged; that I would be able to get past your need for “major big time I am back- in- the- service- cussing” to pass on your pearls of wisdom to those of us wanting to listen and learn. Needing some expert knowledge to continue is a fact that I am well aware .
What’s really interesting is that I am known as the “gutter mouth” in my circle of friends. It’s not the words that bother me, it is the fact that you have to rely on them to do your thing.
May you have continued success.
July 2, 2013 — 1:52 AM
terribleminds says:
@Ross:
I wouldn’t want you to keep reading a site that doesn’t work for you and your style.
That said, I don’t rely on them to do my thing. I *like* vulgarity. It’s fun. And doesn’t hurt anybody.
Thanks for stopping by and sorry it didn’t work out for you.
— c.
July 2, 2013 — 6:29 AM
Kay Camden says:
But the real question I have: is it true you could care less?
July 2, 2013 — 11:33 AM
thesexiestwriter says:
A very good question indeed, the answer to which is most likely “Fuck you, I have a beard.”
July 2, 2013 — 12:43 PM
Sandra Lindsey says:
For “how to write non-graphic sex”, see D H Lawrence…
July 2, 2013 — 1:58 AM
Sean says:
I think you will find the correct medical term for bad anus is swamp ass and fuck you, I do have a beard! Great post Chuck.
July 2, 2013 — 2:01 AM
Peter Newman says:
That beard one was magnificent!
July 2, 2013 — 2:41 AM
Ash says:
Now I know the zombie apocalypse is definitely coming, because I have seen the tuba zombies marching perfectly in synchronization!!!
July 2, 2013 — 3:47 AM
Roland Martinez (@wildpokerman) says:
Hey, you’re being pirated by name and not just randomly in some torrent of “5000 epubs, english/no dummies books!!!”
That’s how you know you’ve made it.
July 2, 2013 — 6:57 AM
terribleminds says:
Uh. Yay?
July 2, 2013 — 8:22 AM
Toni Finley says:
17 inches, huh? Good to know.
July 2, 2013 — 7:37 AM
Paul Baxter says:
I’m surprised you didn’t know that Woobly Fat was the villain on Hawaii 5-0.
Also, don’t expect the elves to come to your rescue. Woobly Fat ate them. They were delicious. They tasted of rosemary and hope.
July 2, 2013 — 7:46 AM
Paul Baxter says:
By the way, Rosemary Hope was Paula Deen’s stage name back in her stripper days. You are now picturing a naked Paula Deen. You’re welcome.
July 2, 2013 — 7:49 AM
Kay Camden says:
LOL… what?!
July 2, 2013 — 11:35 AM
Kay Camden says:
[dies]
July 2, 2013 — 11:35 AM
Cassandra Page says:
I laughed so hard there was nearly sludge. And I didn’t have a tarp. Awkward.
July 2, 2013 — 7:50 AM
Leifthesailor says:
I think your beard needs some anger management classes, it’s ego is too big.
July 2, 2013 — 7:52 AM
Graham Milne says:
Good gravy, that was frickin’ hysterical. Would that the random nonsense generator on my own site contained such gems. I suppose I’m not writing about enough woobly fat.
July 2, 2013 — 8:26 AM
Mike Berkey says:
I wish Google search had an exit survey to find out whether or not what they found here satisfied them.
July 2, 2013 — 8:43 AM
jackieleasommers says:
My gosh, I just died. But it was a good way to go!
Woobly fat! (That’s my new “peace out!”)
July 2, 2013 — 9:19 AM
Carol McKenzie says:
Thank you…I needed this today. And I like your language, vulgar or otherwise.
July 2, 2013 — 9:20 AM
Belly Peterson says:
Man, I do love Search Term Bingo.
July 2, 2013 — 9:48 AM
James F. Brown says:
OMG! You mean Chuck’s got MORE of these!!!??? OK, Archive Search commencing…
July 2, 2013 — 4:15 PM
Peter Hentges says:
Search Term Bingo is what made me a regular reader of your … whatever this is. I’ve missed it and am glad to see it back.
Eggs man. They always come for your eggs.
July 2, 2013 — 10:13 AM
Dan Eshleman says:
Tuba Zombies is the name of my John Phillip Sousa revival band.
July 2, 2013 — 10:18 AM
mmtz says:
Why hasn’t the OSA warned us about Tuba Zombies? http://opinion.latimes.com/opinionla/2011/12/tuba-theft-threat-level-ted-rall-cartoon.html
July 2, 2013 — 10:41 AM
D. W. Coventry (@DWCoventry) says:
Challenge accepted, Mr. Wendig
http://dwcoventry.com/fiction/2013/7/2/bad-people-iv-assholes
July 2, 2013 — 10:49 AM
alexanderthesoso says:
i’m not… i can’t even…. CAN SOMEONE ELSE AROUND HERE READ THIS AND TELL US IF IT”S SAFE?
July 2, 2013 — 1:54 PM
thesexiestwriter says:
There is NOTHING safe about that story. Nukes, demon infested asshole, ex girlfriend…all the horrors in the world unleashed simultaneously upon my poor little eye-holes!
July 2, 2013 — 2:32 PM
gaie says:
I don’t know what makes me laugh more, the blog or the comments. (I’m also rather amused by someone referring to you as a wanna-be. Maybe we have different understandings of that particular term…) Also, now I almost wish I had a beard.
July 2, 2013 — 10:53 AM
Carol McKenzie says:
I read that as we’re the wanna-be’s…not Mr. Wendig…which annoyed me a bit at first but now, meh, I know who I am, and what I am…and yes, I almost wish I had a beard, too.
July 2, 2013 — 11:06 AM
D. W. Coventry (@DWCoventry) says:
Take heart. At least you’re one of the “wanna-be’s” who can properly format a blog comment.
Yeesh. Haters gonna hate.
July 2, 2013 — 11:12 AM
Matthew MacNish says:
Whatever you do, don’t look that sludge up on reddit. Also, this: http://www.astraeapress.com/submissions.html
July 2, 2013 — 11:02 AM
Keith says:
Ah, THIS. Been a while, Wendig. I needed that laugh.
July 2, 2013 — 11:15 AM
Kay Camden says:
People keep finding my blog based on variations of “grabs her ankle movie scene.” No idea why. But my fav of all time is “how to make a mask with my head.”
July 2, 2013 — 11:43 AM
Jennifer Lawrence says:
Oh, I *WISH* my sludge only smelled like dead raccoon; that would be tolerable. Mine smells like rotting snake corpses, which is infinitely worse.
July 2, 2013 — 12:01 PM
feralbulb says:
Good Lord Mr Wendig !
I thought I’d read it all before. Thing is, you’d be doing us good if you warned us before posting such hell rising hilarity. You see, I travel to work by tram in the morning and there are no emergency toilets in trams over here. There aren’t any pull-from-under-your-seat-reasonably-sized-and-zip-it-on-nappies either (I’m not whooping fat, I just have a beard). Surely posting funny emails comprises a purple-button-warning-to-all-loose-bladder-readers (there’s gotta be more than one) to read in the loo?
Feralbulb
July 2, 2013 — 1:51 PM
alexanderthesoso says:
angry malevolent anus makes me think about that creature that lives on Vampire Hunter D’s hand. this guy. https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSeVPsJ5i4FEORYbtn9-YctEAj5tg8VYc5Ei4EcXFp724Rp3ctwJQ
yeah, now imagine THAT peeking out between two woobly fat ass cheeks. Fleshmine indeed…
July 2, 2013 — 1:52 PM
Adam Santo (@AdamSanto) says:
I think you have a hidden gem with demonic buttholes. That sounds like it could become a Broadway hit.
July 2, 2013 — 2:49 PM
James F. Brown says:
Hilariously, profanely, and profoundly funny. Question for you, Chuck. How did you collect these search strings that pointed to your website? Is this something Google Analytics does?
July 2, 2013 — 4:18 PM
Fatma Alici says:
I know his using wordpress. Since, I use the same setup you look under Blog Management, then Stats, Then Search Engine Terms. It is one my favorite places to go, or my global map of blog view domination.
He may have another way of doing it, but that would be my guess.
July 3, 2013 — 6:06 PM
James F. Brown says:
Fatma,
Thank you.
July 4, 2013 — 12:41 AM
John Boggs says:
I’m sorry, sir, but I believe you got the hair one wrong. I read it as “when a girl is writing a zombie novel, how long should her hair be?” Damn those imprecise search terms anyway.
July 2, 2013 — 4:28 PM
Jessica says:
Thanks man, I sent my fiance a text to ask him to get some soda and maybe pick up some food, and his response was “fuck you, I have a beard.”
July 2, 2013 — 6:04 PM
Imelda Evans says:
I literally couldn’t see to read the last couple, I was laughing so hard. But now I want to read the story of the demonic butthole who learns to love Jesus. Curse you and your beardy elves, Wendig!
July 2, 2013 — 6:31 PM
Shakes Cortes says:
After reading this I now have six pack abs! I swear by sausage and bitches that was the funniest thing I have read in a LONG time.
July 2, 2013 — 6:47 PM
GregC says:
But PAULA DEEN ANGRY BEES is the name of my Black Crowes thrash-cover band.
July 2, 2013 — 6:58 PM
A.C. James says:
You do realize that I have three kids. The last was ten pounds and ruined my vagina. Almost every time I read your blog I just about piss myself. I’m going to have to either a) stop reading or b) buy some incontinence supplies.
July 3, 2013 — 1:25 PM
Beth L. says:
I feel that very last one would make an excellent wallpaper…
July 3, 2013 — 6:11 PM
Kathy O says:
That was cathartic. I tried to read Paula Deen angry bees out loud to my husband and ended up howling with tears running down my cheeks. Hilarious!
July 3, 2013 — 10:56 PM
Kaja Marie says:
I can’t stop laughing. Can’t. Oh my oh my oh my.
July 4, 2013 — 1:58 PM