Today we’d like to introduce you to Curtis Ward.
Hi Curtis, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
This all started from a 10 page story in a composition book when I was 19. I let my friend Mike Mike read it. He instantly fell in love with it and told me I should expand it into more than just the 10 pages and maybe a movie script. I took him up on his offer after letting my friend Bianca reading it as well and she also agreed that I should expand it into a movie script, so I did. At that time, Bianca was moving to California, LA to be exact, and she said she might be able to shop the movie script. Although that never fell through for us, I still held on to the movie script. Through some time I was incarcerated and during my incarceration I picked up urban novels and begin to read them. Everyone was bragging about how they loved them, so I wanted to see what all the hype was about. I checked them out and instantly knew when I got out that I was going to turn my script into a book. When I came home I twisted my plot up a little to change it from the script and searched for a local publisher and our deal was for him to edit my work and get y book set up but I wanted full control of my printing. We dropped the part one and everyone demanded a part 2. After 3 years of pushing my part 1 I dropped my part 2. And I’ve been pushing both books since then.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No, the road hasn’t been smooth but what road is? When I was in the middle of dropping my first book I was also going back and forth to court fighting a probation violation and new charges. It was a stressful situation but I was determined to finish my book and drop it. Of course, by me being an independent author I have experienced resistance trying to get my work in certain book stores. Some of them require you to be with a major distribution company but I print my own books and it doesn’t make sense for me to give that power away to get into those stores. So I have to do what works for me and my vision when it comes to that. I also have dealt with just life and all the ups and downs that comes with that but nothing is going to get in the way of what I am trying to do.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m an author but I am also a writer and I have done some small acting roles.. I strive to enter the filming industry to write, direct, act, and also produce projects. What sets me apart from others is my vision and drive. I bring a different style to writing and my vision for how I want to bring everything out. So far through my career I am most proud of how far I have come with my books. I have them both on Amazon as ebooks, they are in both Baltimore County and Enoch Pratt Libraries as well as 8 other locations (3 of them in Brooklyn, New York and 1 in Chelsea Manhattan, New York). I’m also in the process of sending my hard copies to Amazon for distribution as well. That’s my last piece of the pie and then I’m finishing the audio book.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I love the vibe of our city. It makes you what you are. This city will make you tough and hustle hard. I also love the support that this city gives. I receive a lot of support from everyone that I encounter through the city. It’s always love and that’s what this city will give you when you give it out. What I least like is that we get overlooked on the talent here. This city is full of talent and we deserve to be seen and heard like anywhere else but like I said we not that type of city that’s about to wait to be seen neither. We all kicking in the door at the same time.
Pricing:
- $10 Anything Goes
- $10 Anything Goes 2
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Curtis-Ward/author/B09DDH8JCJ
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/orr_tiny/profilecard/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/18PyRUmRPL/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@orrent3202
