Write on Time ~ R.Y. Swint
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Gratitude is Always a Good Look

9/26/2013

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Thanks, so much, to everyone for supporting my 2nd release of The Other Side of 30 (TOST2). I'm pitching it as "a little saucy, seedy story of a good girl with bad intentions."  We'll see how that grabs folks.
I got some good feedback on my most recent elevator pitch, too.  I'm going to post it here.  If any of you want to offer feedback, I welcome it, as always.  Here goes:

The Other Side of 30 is a story about a woman who, after what was supposed to be this one last fling with an old boyfriend, a few weeks before his wedding to someone else, decides that she wants a second chance at what might have been.  Sebrina Cooper finds herself in unfamiliar territory on the other side of right, the other side of betrayal, the other side of friendship, and she also happens to be on the other side of the age of thirty.  

With all of these moral and ethical dilemmas embattling her biological clock, she's driven and manipulated most by whichever one is speaking the loudest at any given moment.  Sometimes, it doesn't matter that his new wife is a friend of hers, which was a complete accident.  It doesn't matter that glass house that she's unwittingly constructed for herself is only one misstep away from shattering into a mess of jagged little pieces.  Other times, it does.

No matter what happens with this title, if it takes off or not, people need to know that I'm thankful for their support and encouragement.  Without that, I'd surely have given up on this dream of writing something that matters to somebody besides me.  I think that gratitude is always a good look.  It's important to acknowledge people.  Period.  So again, you all are super awesome. Thanks, for reading, commenting, and spreading the word!
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To Thine Own Self and Others

9/13/2013

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Whoohoo!  The Other Side of 30, 2nd Edition (TOST2) is on track to go on sale this Monday, 16 September 2013. To say I'm excited about that would be nothing but the truth.

I find that with the release of a second effort of the same story, I see myself striving ever more for a close to perfect product.  Oh well. That's not going to happen, but it's nice to shoot for that goal. 

I just want to give people what I've asked them to expect of me:  Good, solid, entertaining writing.  If I call myself true to the craft, and true to myself , then the truth to others will follow. At least, that's the motto by which I tend to live. 

It's not an easy path, but I trudge along.  Some days, I skip. Some days, I run.  Some days, I ease on down the road, like Michael Jackson's Scarecrow in "The Wiz," though not nearly as gracefully.  Some days, eh.  I just stop and give myself time to regroup.

In any case, I always look forward to and feel energized by the support of my friends and family.  As with the first release, I'm dedicating this book to the memory of my Uncle Harvey, and as with the first release, 90% of the profits, if any, will go to selected charities, specifically, the Army Wounded Warrior (AW2) Program, and the Wounded Warrior Project; so, of course, I hope folks will continue to support the book, even if the subject matter may not necessarily be to their liking. 

I have to laugh at myself for my constant "apologies" for the content.  I can't count the number of times I've told a friend or coworker who is planning to support me, "It's not very wholesome," or "It's a little seedy. Brace yourself." And then, I follow up with, "But I still think it's a good story."

At the end of all of this, I just want to be read.  Being read by lots and lots of people would be really awesome, too, because that means that not only am I making some good money for charity, but I'm also increasing my chance of getting on somebody's bestseller's list.  Dare I dream?  New York Times?  Essence?  Yes. I dare dream.

I think some folks think I'm nuts for not caring about making money, but the truth is, I'm comfortable and blessed with everything I need, and most of what I want.  I'm in a good place.  It's the right thing to do to give back.  To the community, by donating money, to other writers, by launching my
publishing house, and to my family and friends, who believe in me, even when I doubt myself.  My sisters are convinced that I should be hearing about a movie deal, soon.  That would be pretty awesome, I must admit.  One can only hope. And dream.  And work.

Anyway, the positive energy that people give me is so powerful, because it's genuine.  I am tremendously humbled by that, and I want to continue in that energy.  I'll never stop trying to be a better writer, for the benefit of others and myself.  Who knows?  Maybe, one day, I will actually be I'm as good as I think I am.  Wouldn't that be sweet?

As always, good luck, to all writers and artists to put out the best products possible.  We have to remember that no matter how hard the work is to get to quality, junk peddling is not an option. Love the craft.  Truly.
BUY NOW
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The "Let's Write for a Change" Initiative

3/31/2011

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Tomorrow, 1 April 2011, marks the beginning of a new creative content contest I'm sponsoring.  The contest will run through 31 May 2011.  It's called "Let's Write for a Change."  I'm trying to get writers and artists to come forward and contribute to a book project that I'd like to put together for charity, but the wheels have been slow in turning, so far.  But hey, at least the wheels are turning.

Last year, I introduced the idea of a project called "Up from Here," which sought contributions of all creative forms for this book.  I guess the catch was (and may still be) that I plan to donate all (if any) proceeds from the sale of the book to charity, specifically a non-profit organization called Teaching for Change, based in Washington, DC.  Folks don't seem to be as generous as I'd  hoped with their gifts.  Or maybe they're suddenly shy.  Or maybe their time and best efforts are just committed elsewhere.

I pitched it (then and now) as a collaborative effort from a wealth of talent that has yet to be discovered, recognized or fully appreciated.  Trust me when I say that my blogging and writing experiences over the past few years have exposed me to quite a large pool of talent.  Something that if we parlayed it just right, we might increase our credibility and visibility as up and coming artists and writers, all while making a positive difference in our collective human conditions by lending ourselves to the upward movement we all seek through continued and better education and more empowerment for our youths, families and communities.

There were a few contributions last year, but due to my PCS move and soon-after deployment, I wasn't able to really screen them as I would have liked.  I hope they will resubmit, but we'll see.  Not even sure if those would have made my critical eye's cut, but at least some folks came forward to support the project.

Frankly, I'm baffled.  I know so many talented people, and yet, I can't seem to get their interest.  I just don't get it.  Altruism aside, something like this could put a bunch of unknowns on somebody's Best Sellers list, and who knows where that could lead, right?  So much for a master's degree in Project Management.  *Sigh.*

Anyway, I've revisited the idea and put a different spin on it.  I offered money to contributors who win the contest:  $1,000 for 1st prize in short-short story, $500 for first prize in poetry, $200 for first prize in creative imagery (photos, drawings, paintings), and another $1,000 for cover art.  Plus, some other smaller prizes for 2nd place winners.  We'll see if anyone bites this time.  My thought is that the prize money that will be awarded is easily comparable to, if not more than most of us will likely make with our first book.  Seems like a good deal to me.  If it weren't my contest, I would enter it.
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