About Robert Nelson
Robert Nelson
Robert Nelson was born and raised in Garner, North Carolina where he earned the connections and street credibility needed to bring a sense of authenticity to his work. Consequentially, this lead to his stay in the luxurious NC-DOC where through a lot of retrospection he developed a strategy to defeat what he had become. Through the guidance of the Aryan Brotherhood and the variety of other hardened criminals he played cards with he focused his energy into developing his skills as a writer to keep the youth from making the same mistakes he did. If he can open just one pair of eyes through his writing, everything he's put into these pages would have paid off.
What is your favorite quality about yourself?
My ferocious yet over-active imagination and my willingness to broach boundaries in my work that readers hadn't even considered broachable.
What is your least favorite quality about yourself?
I'm restless and impatient most of the time. Always day dreaming on the future and wishing it would hurry up and get here.
What is your favorite quote, by whom, and why?
"Don't ask why, ask why not?" ~ Eminem. I value you this quote because a successful life can't be lived when bound by indecision and social expectations.
What are you most proud of accomplishing so far in your life?
Thus far my crowning achievement has been maintaining through the twenty five month prison sentence that spawned the Real Eyez Realize Real Liez series, and then committing myself to bringing the story to the civilized world to share with my readers.
How has your upbringing influenced your writing?
My upbringing played a large factor in the realism I utilized when developing my characters and story lines. Many of the ordeals they had to endure and the dialogue came from personal experiences I gained in and out of the penitentiary.
Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
I've always had twice the imagination I felt I needed growing up. Least to say I was never bored but often spacey and unsatisfied with the events around me. Then during my incarceration I dove into writing poetry, music and stories as a way to vent the angst and stress of prison life. It also played a large part in keeping me out of trouble with fellow inmates.
When and why did you begin writing?
I started writing in late 2008 as a way to occupy myself and to show my family back home that I was actually utilizing my time wisely and keeping my nose clean as it were.
How long have you been writing?
I wrote some in 2008, but didn't really take off until I came to study under a senior member of the Aryan Brotherhood in early 2010. Through the lessons I gained from him and a few others I developed the plot of Real Eyez, and found my own motive to teach the world what I had learned.
When did you first know you could be a writer?
My first piece of really impressive work could be called either a short story or a long poem. I spun a tale entitled the "Death of Seattle," and wrote the entire story in a 4 by 4 poem format. Needless to say my friends and loved ones back home were very impressed.
What inspires you to write and why?
The originality of my work and the need for the World to absorb the lessons I scribed throughout it keep me going. I feel that aside from entertainment my book could do some real good to the young men and women out there who are in the process of throwing their lives away for hood dreams and the illusion of a gangsta's paradise.
What genre are you most comfortable writing?
At this point I am most content writing Urban Fiction, Sci-Fi or Fantasy because they leave the most room for creativity and the space to stretch the imagination. Especially in the Urban genre, I can pull off of lifetime experiences and my time in the streets.
What inspired you to write your first book?
During my time in the youth correctional system I witnessed many smart and talented young men caught in the revolving door of the Penal System. Men who stood a strong chance in the modern world should they give up the life of crime they had dedicated so much time and effort to. If I can change just one person's mind so that they turned their life around and recognized the lies of the Rap Culture, then I would consider my work a success.
Who or what influenced your writing once you began?
My fellow inmates at the time were both a large encouragement and an inspiration to me as a writer. Not only did nearly all of them approve of my work, they considered it the "Rawest," and most "Potentially Dangerous" work of our time. When Original Gangsters were practically begging me to let them finish the story, I felt I was really onto something impressive.
Who or what influenced your writing over the years?
I became a big fan of Steven King, Dean Koontz, and several others which helped me develop a sense of mystery in my work along with suspense and a "jack in the box" theory on plot revelations.
What made you want to be a writer?
I wanted to write because it fast became one of the few things I am naturally gifted at. When hunkered over a computer or laptop I am utterly and completely absorbed into the world I create in my own mind. It's soothing and tranquil while all the same exhilarating and satisfying.
What do you consider the most challenging about writing a novel, or about writing in general?
The revision process and going over the book time and time again to weed out plot holes and typos is a lengthy and exhaustive process. This coupled with the need for mass publicity has fast become the most frustrating aspect of the writing business.
Did writing this book teach you anything and what was it?
This book taught me more about myself than I had ever intended it to. As I broke off sections of myself to complete my characters I began to fully diagnose who I am on the outside as well as on the inside, and who I inspired to be like.
Do you intend to make writing a career?
With the Lord's blessing and a little luck I do indeed hope to write full time from here on out.
Have you developed a specific writing style?
I prefer to call my style the "Blitzkrieg," because I intend to bash the reader's face into the pages until the very end. Every page, even every paragraph has to go that much harder and more extreme than the one before it.
