Randolph Randy Camp

Randolph Randy Camp
SCREENWRITER/ NOVELIST

Saturday, August 30, 2014

The Wishful Traveler


I grew up poor in rural Spotsylvania County, Virginia. I was a nerd and absolutely loved going to school because it was an escape from my sometimes dismal surroundings. I loved reading books about different cultures around the world and I would dream about going to these exotic places one day.
When I’d joined the US Air Force (after high school) I was able to travel the globe and actually visit some of the places and cultures I’d read about as a child.
I was fascinated by the Australian Aborigines, and when I was fifteen years old, I took part in my own ‘walkabout’. Let me explain: When I was 15, I went on a ‘journey’ from my rural hometown in Virginia to the bustling City of Philadelphia. Well, the juvenile court system said that I was a ‘runaway, and you should’ve seen the look on their faces when I tried to explain to them that I was simply on ‘my walkabout’.
Thank God for the US Air Force because during my numerous overseas tours, I was very fortunate to visit one of my favorite places, which is Japan. Not only did I visit mainland Japan while traveling in the Air Force, but I also got a chance to see the Island of Okinawa, Japan as well.
I certainly know what it’s like to ‘want to see the world’ but you maybe stuck in a financial bind and unable to fly and travel at will. Please take a lesson from me and just go to your local public library and you’ll be amazed at how far those books will take you. - Randolph Randy Camp


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Those Rappahannock Dreams

RAPPAHANNOCK DREAMS
Leaves fallin' down and tears in my eyes
I sit by this river and cry and cry
But just like running water...running water
These Rappahannock dreams keep passin' me by
But some day soon I'm gonna get away from here
Just like running water...clear and clear
I sit by this river and cry and cry
Somebody please...please
Tell me why these Rappahannock dreams keep passin' me by

*RAPPAHANNOCK DREAMS was written for the character Robbie in 'Wet Matches: A Novel', an award-winning story about a colorful group of homeless teens getting a second chance at a better life.
US Copyright Reg# PAu003585960 R. Camp

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'Vehicles': A Song About Being Used

'VEHICLES'
You pick me up…take me around
You use me up when you’re feelin’ down
Just like vehicles goin’ around and around
Just like vehicles in my town
You only need me when you’re down
Next time when you’re passin’ by
I’ll remember you…and the smile and the lie
‘Cause you’re just another vehicle goin’ by and by
Yeah, just another vehicle goin’ by and by
You hold me… You kiss me
You give me a ride
Maybe some day…maybe some way
We may collide.
"Vehicles" was written specifically for the character ‘Teki’ in his novel ‘29 Dimes: A Love Story’

'Vehicles' is about people who pretend to love and care about you only to get to where they're going. In '29 Dimes', the character Teki is confronting this issue with her brother Vince and somewhat with her classmate Kalib. - R. Camp  

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Monday, August 18, 2014

Understanding Turtles

A few years ago, I remember telling my friend that I was thinking about writing a story about a character named Turtle. She misunderstood me and replied, "Randy, I know that you love to write but I didn't know that you wrote children's books also." Our conversation was brief but ended on a positive thought so I left it as that and didn't bother to explain myself further. Actually, Turtle is one of the main characters in my novel FALSE DANDELIONS, a Southern tale about the lives and dreams of underdogs. Turtle is an aging street dog who is tired of always being somebody else's errand boy and struggles to break out on his own.
Sometimes, we all may find ourselves in a place where we don't want to be. And at times, there's no difference between people like Turtle and you and I. Every single day of the week somebody is struggling to climb out of their hole. I believe that there's a little Turtle in all of us, and that's why I wrote False Dandelions. The better we understand people like Turtle, the better we can reach out and help them.
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Saturday, August 16, 2014

Creating Teki

I love it when people have the courage to just be themselves, regardless of outside pressure from others or society in general. When I created the character of 'Teki' in my novel '29 Dimes', I wanted her to represent everyone who strives to be themselves no matter what.
Teki is a free-spirited, young Chinese girl from a very wealthy family, who is sent to a prestigious music academy for gifted musical prodigies and is later kicked out for playing a cool reggae rhythm during her first classical Beethoven piano recital. A few years later, as a teenager, Teki has dyed her hair and fronts an all-girl progressive reggae band in Silver Lake, California. - Randy Camp

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Staying Humble

No, I don't drive a fancy car or have an assistant or an entourage. Instead, my riches come from my readers who take the time to send me an email with a question or two about my writings and sometimes a question or two about myself. It always brings a smile to my face when I check my email and there's a long list of messages from my readers. Coming from humble beginnings as a child I try not to let my head swell too much when I'm getting any attention or requests for an interview or a book talk.
A couple weeks ago, I'd received an email from a young lady in Amherst, New York, which is a very affluent area outside the city of Buffalo. She'd explained to me that her small book club had just read one of my novels and they would like to have me come in person for a meet-the-author book discussion.
A few evenings ago, I went to this young lady's residence (which actually is a mini-mansion) in Amherst and I took part in their book club's very lively and engaging discussion. When I first arrived there I saw colorful finger foods and appetizers that looked so delicious but I surely didn't know what they were or how to pronounce their names, and I was treated like I was really somebody.
The very next day, just to keep myself in check, grounded and down to earth, I went to volunteer at the popular soup kitchen near Utica and Main Street in Buffalo, and I helped the staff there with serving lunch to a sizeable crowd of homeless and street people. I truly know what it's like to be standing in line at a soup kitchen, and sometimes I have to physically revisit that reality just to keep myself humble. - Randolph Randy Camp

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