Conversations with Richard Scott

Today we’d like to introduce you to Richard Scott.

Richard, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My story is very unusual. If it was novel, it would be a boxed set. Haha. I have lived in eleven states all over the country and learned a lot from people in all regions. My family is all gone now and I am the only one left. It is a continuing journey with many twist and turns along the way. I guess that is what helps me in my writing. Life is never dull and always giving me new ideas to develop into interesting tales. Writing is the greatest passion I have had in anything though I have tried many things from acting to pro wrestling, bodybuilding and event planning. My story continues to be written everyday and new people come and go through my life. I’m just a writer trying to bring stories to people to enjoy and take them away from the stress of everyday life even if for just a few hours.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I think my biggest challenge was finding people to help me navigate through a new journey and learn as I go. A lot of the people willing to help you are not in a position to do so and the ones who are in positions who could, are not as willing to help unless there is a benefit for them. It’s harder to find people willing to help or give advice just to be kind and help you out. Life is full of obstacles. I guess the biggest challenge is choosing the correct path to overcome them.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
After losing my biological parents early in life, my grandparents adopted and raised me. I was very close to them and called them mom and dad. Most of my life was spent with the two of them as my only family. My dad was a bluegrass musician and I was around a lot of bluegrass and country music growing up. Those songs were my first inspiration. I would hear the country music songs and the stories they told in just three or four minutes and it inspired me to want to write stories but expand them with more detail into books. I wrote several stories through the years and won awards in school and local events, but I never pursued my dream fully. I think getting married and living everyone else’s dreams for me somewhat pushed mine to the side.
After losing my wife and family, I was trying to figure out what to do with myself. It was a life changing experience that suddenly left me alone in the world. I moved to a few different states and finally landed in Burbank, California. With advice of some of my good friends in the entertainment industry, I started writing scripts from my stories. I really enjoyed writing them and turned a few of my books into scripts. I have won several awards with them, but unless they make it to movies on the screen, nobody gets to enjoy them. That is when I decided to go back to my first passion and pursue the books.
One of my favorite stories that is based on the hit song by Waylon Jennings, is the story I have coming out this Fall. I heard the song many times and always loved the mystery of it and with my dad’s advice, I turned it into a story. Later in life, I also made a movie script of the story and it won several awards at film festivals. Now with the help of my publisher in New York, “My Rose in Paradise” will be a novel being released at Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Apple, Target and retailers nationwide in Hardback, paperback and eBook form. Later an audio book will join the line up as well. If you listen to the song, the mystery of the story is followed completely in the book. It’s a different kind of love story where Rose falls in love with a man who actually loves her too much. Yes, you read that correctly. It’s very different than what people are used to. The story shows that it is truly possible to love someone so much it is overwhelming.
My passion is to write good stories that will touch people in what ever way resonates with their life. Twelve people can read the same story and all get twelve different things out of it. I’m not trying to change the world. I’m just trying to give people things to enjoy while in it.

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Never give up on your ideas that you feel in your gut are the right direction. Remember this is your journey and you have to do what feels best for you and your situation. I think people tend to get off track by taking advice as a direction. Use it for what it is…advice. What works best for another person and their journey may not be the best path for you. I had several people tell me I would never get accepted in festivals or win awards, but I did what I felt was best and won several. People have told me I could never find a publishing company that would be interested in my book just starting out, yet I have a book being released soon nationwide. No matter what anyone says, always go with your heart.