Exploring Life & Business with Toretha Wright of WrightStuf Consulting

Today we’d like to introduce you to Toretha Wright. She shares her story with us below:

Toretha Wright is a professional writer from South Carolina and the owner of WrightStuf Consulting, LLC. She started writing at the age of seven, penning letters to her imaginary pen pals. Her third-grade teacher encouraged her to continue writing, and she started with her first journal. Her love for literature was further inspired by the afternoon trips to the Aiken Public Library with her sister, Sadie. There, she found some great American literary icons – Countee Cullen, Claude McKay, Arna Bontemps, and Langston Hughes – who furthered her interest in creative literature. But she credits her mother with her literary acuteness. She said, “My mom provided us with books of all genres to read and learn from.”

Wright remembers a bookcase filled with books from Erskine Caldwell’s God’s Little Acre to the Encyclopedia Britannica. Her most prized book possession was an old copy of Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass, purchased from an estate sale when she was 14 years old. Wright attributes her oldest sisters, Georgia and Shirley, to honing her writing skills as on many occasions, she edited their school papers and book reports.

After high school, Toretha entered the University of South Carolina, where she declared majors, first in psychology, early childhood education, and finally in business administration. Neither clicked for her, so after two years, she joined the workforce. She worked as a commercial lines insurance underwriter for several years while writing poetry and short stories and dallying in the creative arts. She loved the theater, and while working at Aetna Insurance Company in Saginaw, Michigan, she met her friend, Lynn Brummell, who introduced her to the Kuumba Actors. Kuumba was a group of fine arts enthusiasts who helped feed her soul with multi-disciplined creative arts – dance, theater, poetry, and visual art. Their newsletter published her first poetry piece. That’s when she knew she had found her calling.

Although she continued writing short stories, years passed before she published her first novella, “Ties That Bind Us: Ivy’s Passion,” in 2002. Later that year, Toretha started writing and editing professionally. She was the Editor-in-chief for Midlands Live Magazine and later worked as the Publications Writer for Benedict College. After years of writing short stories and poetry, she settled into a worthwhile writing career – writing books, theatrical plays, and short film scripts.

Many of Wright’s literary works are set in small towns where her characters capture the charm of the South. Her writings have been brandished in many venues, winning awards and captivating audiences with her own style of literary license.
Toretha has received recognition in honor of Women’s History Month for her literary accomplishments and was honored twice as a “Living Legend” for her “phenomenal writing.” Her body of work includes novels, poetry, children’s books, theatrical productions, short films, and several published articles and essays on the human condition.

Known for her insight into the literary discipline, Wright was selected by Richland Library (Columbia, SC) to participate in a writing project with several local authors (2018). Their compilated work was published by the Indie SC digital collection in a new young adult book, “Make Your Own Adventure”, in January 2018. In addition, Richland Library chose her as a local author to participate in the Deckle Edge Literary Festival in February 2016. Wright was most recently honored (October 15, 2020) as the recipient of the 2020 International Afro-American Historical and Genealogy Society (AAHGS) Book Award for her novel, The Secrets of the Harvest, in the category of Historical Fiction Romance/History. The AAHGS Book Award is a competitive contest established to recognize, promote, and honor authors of high-quality publications that accurately examine and portray African-ancestored family history and genealogy.

Her poem, If Her Apron Could Talk, was delivered at the Lavinia Corley Thompson (1844-1928) Service marker dedication on October 14, 2018. The piece was later published in the December edition of the Aiken-Barnwell Genealogical Society of South Carolina News and Journal VOLUME XXXIV Number IV. In May 2018 and again on May 15, 2019, Wright’s poem, A Mother’s Love, was performed to audiences celebrating Mother’s Day. She participated in the Sumter Evening Optimist Club’s Annual Reading in the Park event in April 2018 where she read three of her children’s books to the outdoor audience.

On May 18, 2019, in collaboration with Tapp’s Arts Center (Columbia, SC), Wright sponsored A Book Tasting, A Celebration of Writers and Authors. Literary artists engaged actors to highlight their books and plays, so their works evolved from the page to the stage in a series of dramatic readings. The actors performed works from two of Wright’s books. On February 22, 2020, she presented readings from her books, “Shadow People” and “Black Misery and Other Slaves Songs”, at the Martha Schofield Founders Day Program (Aiken, SC). In February 2022, Wright was honored with a “Working the Legacy” Martha Schofield Founder’s Award for her community service.

As a playwright and director, her works have been widely performed and well-received. With the help of her actor husband DeVon and NewLife Production’s Artistic Director, Leasharn Hopkins, Toretha Wright’s Dramatic Reading of Two Men, based on the writings and speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Minister Malcolm X, debuted on February 28, 2015, at the Benedict College 26th Annual Harambee Festival. This One-Act performance was repeated at the Black History Month Talkback with Congressman James Clyburn at Richland Library in January 2017 and repeated at the Renaissance Foundation’s African American History Tour (Columbia, SC) in June 2017.

Theatrical productions written, directed, and produced by Toretha Wright include The Christmas Recipe (2012 and 2019), What is Christmas (2018), A Look at Calvary (2017), A Walk through the Bible (2017), Who Took the Christ out of Christmas (2015), The Christmas Family Reunion (2013), and Mrs. Bowers Finds Merry Christmas (2001, and 2011). Mrs. Bowers Finds Merry Christmas premiered as a short film in December 2021. Her latest work, A Crazy Day at the Charleston County Historical Society Wax Museum, will soon be produced as a short film.

Wright’s stories have been presented in the ‘Readers Theater’ style, as well, with positive reviews. For the Love of the Arts, Readers Series performed The Truth About Michael and Jaylen in 2012 and 2016. In 2019, a staged version was performed at the Book Tasting.

Books by the author include:

“Ties That Bind Us: Ivy’s Passion”

“Ties That Bind Us: Cleo’s Song”

“Souls on Fire”

“Reflections in a Faded Mirror”

“Secrets of the Harvest”

“Shadow People”
“Flat Shoes II”

“Dates and Nuts & other recipes for Romance and Madness” Volume 1

“Dates and Nuts & other recipes for Romance and Madness” Volume 2

“Black Misery and other Slave Songs”

“It’s About Time,” A Collaborative Make Your Own Adventure Story

Children’s books in the Red Scholar collection include:
“Jordin the Crawfish is a Very Fine Scholar”
“Cory the Frog Finds the Missing Alphabets”
“J’me and the Butterflies Can Count to 10”
“Teach Me About the United States Constitution”,
“Teach Me About the 50 United States”
“The Candy Store Owner”

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has been a smooth road, with a few bumps and potholes, but we’re enjoying the ride.

We’ve been impressed with WrightStuf Consulting LLC, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
WrightStufco celebrated 20 years in business this past April. We started as an anchor for editing papers for college students and books for local authors. It developed into a full-fledged editing service for other publications. Since then, we have evolved into a thriving publishing service for authors nationwide. Through our professional services, we help new and seasoned authors get their works published. Over the years, WrightStufCo has used its unique talent to help clients get their books published – 120 books and counting.

In 2005, KP Productions was added to the WrightStufco enterprise as a performing arts venture out of which KUUMBA, a small group of theater enthusiasts, was formed. Not only do we collaborate with some of the most celebrated theatrical performers around town, but we also provide guest speakers, artists, and literary enthusiasts for events.

To bring the organization full circle, we launched our IT consulting services in the summer of 2009. As a solutions provider, we dedicated our brand to providing quality, innovative IT consulting for our insurance clients. Our skills included software development and implementation, business requirements, and business specifications for product development.

In 2019, however, we retired this arm of WrightStuf ventures and replaced it with short films and documentaries. Be on the lookout for new stuff coming soon.

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love the theaters and museums. Columbia has so much art and culture. We’re never lacking things to do. Each weekend, you can find somewhere to go to enjoy the theater, a film, music, or art, or drive/walk through the city’s historic areas. I would love to see more nightlife in downtown Columbia again. People can walk up and down Main Street, choose a restaurant, and listen to a live band or a poetry reading.  Like Greenville, SC had before Covid-19. I know things have changed since the pandemic, but I’m hopeful.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.wrightstuf.com
• Instagram: writinsista
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/torethawrightauthor/
• Twitter: @WrightStufCo