©2016 Raymond Alexander Kukkee
“In overview, SoWrite is almost a lifestyle“
SoWrite — a Writer’s Sanctuary
What’s a ‘SoWrite’ ? Perhaps the best definition is now “a successful website, no less than awesome”. Certainly more than the average website, SoWrite.us.com, if such a concept is even possible online, the weary writer’s sanctuary. A site which offers writers comfort and somehow, inexplicably, the ‘feel’ of a writer’s sanctuary. Doesn’t that sound a bit like a writing-escapist’s-destiny? Just a bit? It is.
This amazing writing website was built from scratch with nothing less than absolute smarts and dedication of the man behind the screen— a knowledgeable editor, publisher, author, creator and brilliant writer, family man, a skilled, meticulous designer and tradesman, a trusted business owner—you get the idea, an all-around awesome dude.
For R& R with his family and better half out in the great outdoors, he heads down the road dragging a camping trailer equipped with firewood, cave-man fire tools, coffee pot, grub, the laptop, a great pup named Layla, —and plenty of books to read. Seen him? Yep…that’s the guy. He’s probably helped you at one time or the other, too. That’s my friend Jim —Jim Bessey.
A Backgrounder
Jim Bessey and I plugged away together in a number of interesting forays. Meeting first as writers in 2007 at Helium, as many writers did, we naively generated articles for that once-popular content mill, —which subsequently failed miserably and disappeared, taking into the great unknown a lot of unpaid, copyrighted content, the work of many writers. For optimists and real writers, that disappointment and failure simply gave us more reason to persist, to grow, migrate, try blogging, and explore new prospects having genuine potential. One door closes, another opens, write on, Shakespeare —you know the routine.
Turning to blogging and other writing projects, we, in search of productive new ventures, got very busy. I started blogging on Incoming Bytes (Is that Incoming I hear?) and concentrated on literary fiction, getting my novels The Fires of Waterland and Morgidoo’s Christmas Carol, a Christmas classic for all ages, completed. And eventually published. With Jim’s encouragement to persist. What else?
It certainly wasn’t long before Jim found new and greater challenges. He was already far ahead on the blogging curve, scribbling another website Just Camping Out. At his invitation, we became involved in writing, planning and management of niche custom freelancing content for another client. The paying kind. Wow. IN the writing life, it’s not what you know, but who—the contacts you have.
We were soon exercising creative limits, hard at work making significant decisions on content for a specialized website. We became organized, creating lists of potential titles, taking original photographs for illustrations, writing and posting original articles, furiously trading edits —then after a few months, abruptly wondered what happened when the principal website owner stopped communicating, *disappearing* into the sunset. The project(s) stopped dead in their tracks.
( *Oops–one of the unknown perils of the writing life.
Jim didn’t blink. He boldly constructed his new website SoWrite.Us.com. As if that challenge was not enough, he also accomplished some serious writing, co-authoring, editing and producing a novel, Beyond The Blue and the Gray by Tony Verna and Jim Bessey— including the detailed and intricate process of recording an audio version.
Back in the ordinary world, a spec post of mine inevitably and proudly ended up on SoWrite. I am delighted to say Freelancing Pitfalls: *The Perils of Writing for Niche Sites, inspired by the Helium disaster and other events, coexists today with amazing, professional, insightful pieces written by Jim and others; thoughtful stuff which helps all writers turn the grit of the writing life into the real deal. There ‘ya go.
SoWrite Today
SoWrite is an attractive, friendly, well-designed, highly informative resource go-to reference for writing folk of all descriptions, ink-stained scribblers, editors, idealistic newbie dreamers, hard-bitten forgers of fiction, cautious experimenters needing mentoring, literary poetic-persons, and Jack and Jill freelancers, sharing skills and secrets with their colleagues. Independently-judged contests, new ideas, commentary, reviews, issues, advice. It’s all there.
In overview, SoWrite is almost a lifestyle—a polished comfortable website which most admirably, welcomes everyone. Jim fields, addresses, acknowledges, and includes discussions on books, articles, challenges, reviews, and the amazing writing life, including the common inevitable problems we scribbling types encounter daily.
SoWrite offers a wonderful environment for writers. Endless encouragement from Jim, a plethora of resources and information, –virtually anything concerning the writing life — makes SoWrite pretty much perfect and a must-visit destination —a writing sanctuary. A lifestyle. You get the idea. Check it out, see for yourself.
Here at Incoming Bytes, for Great Websites, we think kudos and congratulations should be going out to Jim Bessey at SoWrite. Great stuff, bud! Best wishes for 2016 and beyond!
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Is that Incoming I hear?
I know about SoWrite and enjoy it now even more that you have spotlighted it here in this post so well, Ray! How nice of you to shine a light on the hard work of Jim and to support the writing community in doing so. I wish you continued success with your books, Ray, and will continue to smile with you in 2016~!
Thank you for your kind comments and continued support, ChristyB –SoWrite does feel like a special website deserving far more recognition, just as your own website Poetic Parfait–the feel of your work and site too, is unique and inviting. There is so much to be appreciated –and a great 2016 coming up….I wish you the best with your book(s) ChristyB !…talk soon. Thank you for commenting “:) ~R