Write on Time ~ R.Y. Swint
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To Thine Own Self and Others

9/13/2013

2 Comments

 
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.
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2 Comments

Red Tails Made Me Want More

1/21/2012

4 Comments

 
I thoroughly enjoyed Red Tails, a film about the incomparable Tuskegee Airmen, last night.

It's an action film to rival any of its contemporaries, without being glitzy and over the top, which I know is usually the order of the day by many of today's audiences.  Of course, I love my share of the Independence Day, G.I. Joe, Transformers type of in-your-face fare, but that kind of zoom and boom would not have done this work its due justice.  I think the way they did it was done just right.

I'll admit that seeing the actors Cuba Gooding Jr., Terrence Howard, and even Method Man (aka Cliff Smith), all closer to my age in real life, portraying the seasoned vets of the day among so many of the younger, lesser known cast made me feel old.  Nate Parker, whom I loved in The Great Debaters, delivered a superbly flawed and vulnerable squadron leader, CPT "Easy" Julian, with the finesse and demeanor of a young Denzel Washington's PFC Melvin Peterson, ala A Soldier's Story.  If I had a school girl's crush on Denzel, then I seem to have developed a cougar's crush on Nate.  But, oh well.

Well, this is no soldier's story.  It is an airman's story.  Or rather, the story of several airmen.

It was a well-directed and well-acted. The lead and supporting performances were all subtle, but strong.  You will likely see several faces that you know you know from somewhere, even if you can't immediately place the names. 

The script was powerful, but understated, in my opinion. Despite my emotional attachment to the story, I wish the script writing had been stronger. I think the dialogue fell flat in some places because the movie was so short and seemed cheated.  Hopefully, the actors' delivery won't get the blame for that. 

It felt like a very abbreviated film for it to have been 2 hours long; but maybe that's because I was enjoying it so much. I wanted to know more about and see more from all of the characters. I'd love to one day see the deleted scenes that landed on the cutting room floor. I've heard that there may be a prequel and/or a sequel coming out. That would be great.

Of course, like any movie "based on true events," I probably would label it historical fiction.  Yes, based on true events, but obviously laced with many Hollywood touches.  It is not without its flaws and historical inaccuracies, but that's no reason not to enjoy it. 

It's a respectfully done and respectable effort.  It would be nice to see it do well critically, if not financially.  And it's great for starting and continuing a dialogue about these men and their stories.  I remember that  A Soldier's Story, in its time, wasn't all that well received, but today, it's a classic to many, even with its flaws.

Basically, watching Red Tails made me want to see more.  I guess that's a good thing in Hollywood.  Maybe that's the way they set it up for the sequels and prequels, to make you want more.  I hope that's the case; and hopefully, the story will be fleshed out more in future movies.  Always leave 'em wanting more.  I do hope there is more, and very soon!  From what I've heard, it took over 20 years for this film to finally be made.  Twenty more years would be way too long. 

Thanks, Mr. Lucas and Mr. Hemingway.  Well done.
4 Comments


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