It's Okay To Dream

Don’t be afraid to dream, big or small. Distance yourself from negativity and surround yourself with positive people. There will be setbacks and disappointments. Positive-minded, true friends will help you through rough patches and rejections. Whenever possible, hone your craft, practice, rehearse, and study the path you’re about to take until you’re fairly comfortable. And most importantly, believe in yourself and learn to turn rejections into your greatest motivation. I remember getting my first rejection letter years ago. Sure, it hurt. But, I kept writing. Don’t let anyone stop you from dreaming. Dreams give us hope, and hope keeps us going. – Randolph Randy Camp (Photo: Me making a point to an independent producer about one of the main characters in ‘Wet Matches’) Learn more at https://www.amazon.com/author/randolphcamp

Keep Going

Keep Going… Like any other year, 2024 had its fair share of ups and downs. Sometimes we smile when we feel like crying. There were moments when I felt like throwing in the towel. We’ve all had these moments. Sometimes they are fleeting, and sometimes these moments stick around a little too long. We all have wounds and scars that others don’t readily see. We’ve been told over and over to keep moving and keep going, especially when things don’t go our way. It’s not easy but that’s true. We each have different reasons, different motivations and outlets that keep us moving. We have to find a way to keep going. So, as we approach 2025, I sincerely hope that everything works out in your favor for each one of you. And I want to give a Special Thanks to everyone who have continually supported Randie’s Free Library and have kept my entire family in your hearts and prayers. Remember to smile if you want to smile. Cry when you need to cry, but no matter what, don’t ever give up, keep moving, keep going. Happy Holidays, Everyone! – Randolph Randy Camp

Glimmer of Hope

One of my childhood joys was riding my bike through the back roads of Spotsylvania County. Sometimes, my cousins, my brothers and I would ride together. I’ll never forget this one particular summer’s day when I was riding alone. I was slowly pedaling pass a white house with green-trimmed windows. I heard a young voice yell out “Randy! Randy!” From around the corner of the house one of my classmates was excitedly waving ‘hello’. I slowed to a stop and we chatted about how our summer break was going and how we both were wondering who our teachers would be once school starts in several weeks. We were both unapologetic book nerds and the kind of “weird” kids who couldn’t wait to go back to school. Our friendly chat was abruptly cut short when the front door hastily flew open and her angry, red-faced father yelled and ordered her to “Get in the house!”
Growing up as a Black kid in America certainly wasn’t easy. Many people of color could tell you countless stories of walking casually along the country road or city sidewalk and someone yells out a derogatory word from a passing vehicle. When I was a kid I would always wish and hope that things would get better between the races. It seems as though I was always looking for that glimmer of hope.
Nowadays, as I strongly advocate “start with one person at a time”, I wholeheartedly believe that things will get better, and my proof and example of my faith and hope stems from one of many personal life experiences. Remember the young White classmate who I was chatting with on that summer’s day and her racist father told her to “get in the house!”…Well, she had moved away from her racist father and now owns a small independent bookstore near the Virginia-Maryland state line. We still keep in touch, and she proudly has my four books on full display near the entrance of her store, especially ‘Wet Matches’, she says, as it carries the message of “don’t judge anybody.”
We’re in the fall of 2017 and America is seemingly regurgitating history, instead of moving wisely forward and learning from it. My message to everyone (especially to those kids out there who are currently wishing and hoping that things will get better) is to keep doing what you’re doing and please don’t fall into the trap of negativity. There are far more positive people in this world than negative ones, and you’re certainly one of the good ones. And that glimmer of hope for a better world will come from you. – Randolph Randy Camp
More at https://www.amazon.com/author/randolphcamp

Mile 19: A Runner's Dream

Don’t give up on people. There’s good in everybody, although in some it’s hidden. Often, a person just need someone to believe in them first, before they start believing in themselves.

My legs were close to giving out. It felt as though I was hitting the infamous runners’ wall. My breathing was heavy and my mouth was extremely dry. I was running the Los Angeles Marathon for the second year in a row. I’ve always loved running, and I ran the LA Marathon as a fundraiser for my favorite charity. I was slowly approaching mile 19 where a line of kids, wearing ‘I Have A Dream’ Foundation T-shirts, stood on the side with cups and small bottles of water in their extended hands.

While living in Los Angeles several years ago, I volunteered with The ‘I Have A Dream’ Foundation and worked closely with the “dreamers”, which are kids mostly from low-income, gang-infested neighborhoods who are promised college tuition or vocational school funds after they’d graduated high school. Soaked in sweat, I was turning the corner at mile 19 and noticed one of the ‘dreamers’ stepping out from the group of energetic, cheering kids with the cups and mini-bottles of water. She stepped into my path and quickly got my attention while wildly waving a bottle of water. She made sure that I was only getting water from her. This was a special moment for both of us. This particular girl would regularly roll her eyes and typically shrug off helpful advice and guidance from me for the past several months as she struggled to maintain a positive outlook within a household and neighborhood filled with school dropouts and gang members.

I’m writing this piece today because the girl at mile 19 who’d handed me the much-needed water is now all grown up and doing quite well for herself. She keeps in touch with me, and recently had sent me an email, whereby she referenced the LA Marathon and our special moment at mile 19, and then she went on further, thanking me for not giving up on her and always believing in her.

I hope that all of you have someone believing in you, or perhaps, you believing in someone else. – Randolph Randy Camp

More at https://www.amazon.com/author/randolphcamp

Shine On Baby, Shine!

Ever since I can remember I was always attracted to stories that had a bit of truth in them and the ones that left me with a sense of hope that things will get better. And, to this day, when I write my own original stories, I try to embed bits of hope and a sense of truth in them as well. Without a doubt, the book ‘The Little Engine That Could’ changed my life as a kid, and certainly lit the first spark of inspiration for me becoming a successful writer one day.


What are your favorite books or movies? In the movie department, ‘Imitation of Life’, ‘To Kill A Mocking Bird’, ‘Butterfield 8’, ‘Billy Jack’, and ‘A Patch of Blue’ are my personal all-time favorite films. Each one of these movies had touched me in a special way when I first watched them so many moons ago, and each of them definitely had a hand in giving me the audacity to dream and possibly think that one of my very own stories would ever grace and come alive on the big silver screen some day.


As 2017 continue to roll out, I sincerely hope that all of you, especially my dear fans,  readers, friends, and followers from all around the globe, become one step closer to your own goals and dreams, and that your life will continue to shine with an abundance of  inspiration, hope and truth.  Yes, indeed, I hope you all shine brightly in 2017! Shine On!- Randolph Randy Camp


(PHOTO: Independent Film Producer Rachel Rand with Screenwriter Randy Camp, 2017)
Learn more at https://www.amazon.com/author/randolphcamp

Spotsylvania Dreams

We're fast approaching 2017 and Christmas is just a few days away. A lot of us are still filled with anxiety and uncertainty as we observe so much trouble in the world and watch top governments change hands. One of the hardest things to do is to maintain a positive outlook in the midst of negativity. I've always used my childhood memories and dreams to get me through some of my most bleakest periods.


In the midst of this cold, wintry day, I sit at my kitchen table and begin to reminisce how certain books and stories warmed me up and gave me enough hope to believe that things will get better. As a kid, one of my brightest days came on a journey through Snell, a section of rural Spotsylvania County in Virginia.


Growing up with limited resources, we made good use of the discarded items people had thrown away at the dump in Snell. During the summer break from school, my brothers and cousins would sometimes make a day trip going to the County landfill. Sometimes we would walk and at other times we would ride our bikes. If we were lucky, we would stop by the Finney and Daughters Store in Snell and would pool our money together and buy a bag of Wise potato chips and a bottle of NeHi soda for the whole group to share. Man, those were the days!


I'll never forget this one particular day at the dump when I found not only a fancy banana seat for my bike but also something else that have had a profound impact on my life as a writer. After finding the banana seat, I continued scrimmaging through the pile of recently-dumped items at the edge of the landfill. My eyes widen in awe at the familiar blue train! Yep, the blue train on the cover of the popular book 'The Little Engine That Could'. When I'd excitedly pulled the book from the pile, I noticed that the cover was a bit faded and torn around the edges and that most of the pages inside were heavily marked up with crayon or ripped out. Although the book wasn't in mint condition, I was smiling cheek to cheek, thinking that it was my best day ever! Ever since I first heard the story 'The Little Engine That Could' during story time at Robert E. Lee Elementary School, it touched a certain nerve in me and ignited the spark and gave me the courage to become the writer I am today.


As I'm getting older now, I've noticed that my childhood memories and dreams have become much more vital to me. It's these Spotsylvania dreams that keep driving me and giving me hope. Have a Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year, Everyone! - Randolph Randy Camp


More at https://www.goodreads.com/randolphcamp

Your Time

Many of us have spent the last 18 months following the latest developments of the  primaries, presidential campaigns, and debates, all leading up to the grand finale, which was last night’s election results. It’s just amazing how much time we’ve devoted to following the lives and the news surrounding the candidates. And now that the election is over, what will we do with all of that extra time?
Can you imagine if we spent 18 months devoted to our own lives. What if we spent a year and a half enriching ourselves? Maybe we could spend some time on building our job skills to ask for a long, overdue raise. Why do we spend so much time following the lives of others, especially those who are making 6-figure paychecks while we’re fighting to earn every dime above minimum wage?
Now that the election is over, make a commitment to spend the next 18 months enriching yourself. You deserve it. It’s your time now. – Randolph Randy Camp
More at https://www.amazon.com/author/randolphcamp

Remove The Labels

In response to my recent piece ‘Finding Happiness’, one of my readers sent me an email yesterday explaining that she’s having trouble finding her true passion because she feels “stuck”. I understand where Janice is coming from because I’ve been there as well. Janice went on to explain that she lives in a small town with limited job opportunities, and most of those jobs are low-level entry types.
One of my favorite quotes is ” Don’t let others define you — You define yourself.” Too often, we let our current job define us. We have to learn to remove these labels because we are much greater than our current job title. About a year ago, I wrote a piece entitled ‘A Janitor’s Dream’. Janice’s email gave me the notion to re-post it. Janice, and anyone feeling ‘stuck’, this is for you:
A Janitor’s Dream:
Regardless of what job you’re currently doing to pay your bills, support your family and yourself, always make sure that you’re also taking some time to nurture and cater to your own personal dreams and goals as well. Every day, in some form or another, we work and do things to make other people rich or happy, especially those who work within the service industry. What are you doing to make yourself happy?
Every day, we devote approximately eight hours toward someone else’s business or dream, indirectly making their dream a reality. How many hours (or minutes) per day are you devoting to your own dreams or goals?
Don’t let your day job define you. I understand that you must clean the toilets or bus the tables in order to pay the rent, but don’t let the designer in you, the artist in you, the executive in you, the inventor in you, or the store owner in you wither away or tire you out due to your devotion to someone else’s dream. Be the person you want to be. Define yourself! Empower yourself!
In my own personal life, I’ve cleaned many toilets, and I’ve been on various factory floors working on the assembly line. However, while I was cleaning the toilets or mindlessly checking the parts and products as they traveled along the conveyor belt, in my head I was simultaneously working out my characters’ dialogue for my manuscript, which I tirelessly typed up in the wee hours of the night, sometimes two or three pages on a good night.
No, everyone doesn’t know my name, but this janitor’s dream has come true. Today, I’m so very grateful to all of my fans, followers, and readers from around the world who have bought my books, read my articles, and recently made ‘False Dandelions’ one of my bestselling novels. From the bottom of my heart, thank you all. – Randolph Randy Camp
More at http://www.goodreads.com/randolphcamp

Beautiful You

Beautiful You...

There’s beauty in each one of us. There’s something special about you. From this day forward let your beauty shine! -Randolph Randy Camp

(photo: Author Randy Camp with high school students after a classroom book talk)

More at https://www.amazon.com/author/randolphcamp

Do What You Love: Be in Charge

Do what you love to do. Be in charge of your own life, otherwise someone else will. I used to be a talker, always talking about what I wanted to be or what I wanted to do. A few years ago, I stop talking and put an action plan together to take my love of writing to a higher level. My first novel won the Quarter-Finals Prize at the 14th Annual Writers Network Screenplay and Fiction Competition in Los Angeles, and currently it’s my top selling book of my four published works. There’s a certain inner peace that comes from doing something that you truly love, and I hope that each one of you have this already or will take steps toward finding your inner peace.
And don’t let your day job define you. I understand that you must do whatever in order to pay the rent, but don’t let the designer in you, the artist in you, the executive in you, the inventor in you, or the store owner in you wither away or tire you out due to your devotion to someone else’s dream. Be the person you want to be. Do what you love to do. – Randolph Randy Camp
More at https://www.amazon.com/author/randolphcamp

Always Reaching

What drives you? What keeps you going?
I recently received an email from one of my young fans who had asked me, “Do you think that you would ever stop writing?” Her question made me think about many things, one of which was the reasons behind my constant drive to attain and achieve certain goals in life.
I’m a firm believer in doing whatever you’re capable of doing, especially if it’s something constructive and positive, because you’re setting an example for others around you. And in my case, my persistent drive to accomplish certain goals comes from my true love of writing and a deeper belief that even though I can’t always shower my own children with material things and wealth, I can, however, always provide them with a sense of hope and inspiration simply by watching me achieve tiny accolades from time to time.
It’s my greatest wish that my own children and grandchildren go much further in life than myself, and that’s why I’m always reaching higher and higher. Giving a child a sense of hope is extremely valuable, and God bless all of you who are, every day, setting a great example for those around you and those in your personal life as well.
By the way, in answering the young lady’s question, I simply told her, “No, I can’t stop writing — I have a lot of kids and grandchildren.”  – Randolph Randy Camp

More at http://www.goodreads.com/randolphcamp