Today I have a guest in the studio. OK, the studio is being liberal, more like my kitchen table. I have the honor of having Ryan T. Nelson with me today. *offers coffee* Thanks for stopping by today. Are you ready to get started? *waits for the sleep deprived nod*
1. Do you consider yourself a creative?
Absolutely. With all the worlds, people, creatures, legends, monsters, and every other imaginary thing swimming around in the twisted depths of my mind if I wasn’t creative I would be insane. So I’m gonna go with creative.
2. Haha, clever man. Noncreatives don’t understand that and would indeed question our sanity, but we know the truth. I think it’s one of the reasons we latch onto quotes from movies at times, they express various scenes or images that swirl in that vortex within us. What media do you use to express your creativity?
The written word. I couldn’t draw my way out of a paper bag so I write instead.
3. It’s true, I’ve seen his sketches folks. For drawings and illustrations, I’ll host Macie Snow. What inspires you? Discuss a specific time that inspiration struck.
Anything and everything inspires me if it catches me at the right time. I remember sitting in my economics class in my senior year in high school. The teacher was talking about President Bush considering opening up acres of untouched land in the Alaska wilderness for oil drilling in return for an estimated number of millions of gallons of oil. The exact numbers escape me at the moment but I remember the difference in the acres of destroyed land for the return was staggeringly disproportionate.
At that moment, sitting in class, I got a mental image of a child, a teen, huddled for warmth in an abandoned office building as torrential rain poured outside when a peregrine Falcon flew in through the shattered window and landed on the desk next to him.
I have an entire story built around that one mental image, all sparked by a discussion in a high school economics class.
4. Do you ever struggle for inspiration?
Yes and no. There are times I’m not feeling creative but I’ll just move on to another project until I can get back into my groove.
5. Another writer that has multiple projects going on at any given time. Which is more daunting, beginning or the perseverance to finish, or cutting the “umbilical cord”?
The perseverance to finish is my biggest flaw. I get distracted easily by- oh look at the kitty!
Honestly, I can be in the middle of a project and suddenly be hit by an idea for another project and I lose all interest in the first project until the new idea has been addressed.
6.Shiny! Describe your process from inception of the idea to conclusion of your work.
I have a process? Honestly, as it happens I get an idea. A line from a song, a picture, an overheard sentence from a conversation at the next table and an idea blossoms within the dizzying confines of my mind.
That idea is left to germinate and grow while I scribble notes in the dozens of notebooks that I keep for just such a purpose. Eventually, if I decide I have enough for a story, I’ll begin outlining. Designing characters, flaws, backgrounds, and histories. (OMG – another notebook junkie! No wonder we get along so well. We are kindred spirits! Well that and the leather.)
Then I discuss it with friends and family and bounce my plans off of them until it picks up something, like a ball of duct tape with the sticky side out, and the new piece adds a twist to the story.
When I think I have enough of a story I start writing. I have recently begun using outlines but my earliest work I kind of made up as I went. Now my outline may be a simple, few page synopsis or a detailed, scene by scene and chapter by chapter, storyboard.
By the time I am 1/4 to 1/2 of the way through the story I return to bouncing the project off of friends and family as I hash out details, hammer down nails, and file the rough edges off the plan.
Then I write some more. I write and continue to write. For weeks or months until eventually I reach a point where I can’t possibly write anything else but ‘The End’
At that point, I contemplate drowning myself in beer while I consider the immortal words of Socrates when he said, ‘I drank what?’
After I rouse myself from the toxin-induced stupor I beg, cajole, bribe, and blackmail those closest to me, or complete strangers, into helping me with the real work.
Editing.
Hahaha, and this is how we met – the editing. Although, ironically I had that whole demonic episode with my laptop not cooperating with Word and was unable to do any editing for several months.
7. Of the characteristics of a creative, which category most describes you? Which one least fits you?
Time Bandit absolutely seems to fit me.
I would say Entrepreneurial fits the least.
8. Do you struggle with discouragement, distractions, or lack of motivation?
Oh, Gods yes. When a scene isn’t going the way I feel it should be I get frustrated and disgusted with the writing and the book itself. And yes I do- Hey check out this funny article I saw on Facebook!
9. How do you fund your lifestyle, and how would you describe your lifestyle?
I have a day job as a motorcycle courier/Messenger. Yes, and thank you for showing up for the interview in your motorcycle leathers. It made my day! I may be inspired by a hero in a new romance story. I’m also looking for new work in the motorcycle industry somewhere. Sales or mechanics or parts.
I don’t know how I would describe my lifestyle. I get by. My family and I are fed and clothed and healthy. Otherwise, everything else is secondary.
10. I still think you ought to pursue that personal trainer thing – you could rock that as well.Tell me about two of your works that you are most proud of.
‘The Fifth Clan’ is my most recently completed work, in the middle of that horrific editing phase. It’s funny, bloody, and gritty in various spots and I personally got a great deal of enjoyment from telling these characters stories.
‘The Shadow’s Birth’ the first book of the Shadow Walkers fantasy series and the first book I wrote. I started the book 13 years ago in high school and I was encouraged endlessly to finish it and I did. I think I have grown as a writer since then and it will anyways be a special work to me as the place where I started.
11. Give me a brief bio about yourself, what you want readers to know, and where they can find you and your work.
I am a meat popsicle.
Is that right? No? OK.
I am 30 years old. I have been told that I am obsessed with motorcycles, I prefer the word ‘enthusiast’. I love to read, I love to ride and I love spending time with my family and my kids.
If I could do nothing else I would, gladly.
My Facebook author page can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/authorryantnelson
The Shadow’s Birth can be purchased at: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B007C7UU1S?cache=a98deb9bfad2d665a913410d0dc82e1a&pi=SY200_QL40&qid=1401495649&sr=8-2#ref=mp_s_a_1_2
‘The Fifth Clan’ is being released today! June 13, 2014 as long as my editing schedule continues as it has. Friday 13th.
12. What life titles do you hold?
These are titles? I am a son, step-son, brother, father, step-father, son-in-law, grandson-in-law, and a husband. I am a writer, motorcyclist, student mechanic, and aspiring grown-up one day.
13. What piece of advice would you offer other creative?
Write. Draw. Paint. Sculpt. Create music. Climb. Reach for the stars. You will stumble. You will fall. You will make mistakes. People will tell you you’re not good enough or you should give up.
Ignore them and do what you love. If you never make a living at it who cares? Most of us aren’t out to get rich. We create because we have to. Because we can’t not create something new. We have a story to share. A song to sing or to play. A picture to craft.
And if you enjoy it then no monetary compensation can compete with the satisfaction you will feel when you can stand back and say, ‘Look at that. I created that.’
That is a great piece of advice right there. Thank you for stopping by today, it’s been my pleasure!
Well, folks there you have it. Go now and get this new release!! It’s well worth the read. Ryan has a dark gritty storytelling voice with an innate sense of justice. I think you’ll enjoy this read, I did. Be sure to leave him a review!
Write on my friends, write on!
quotidiandose 
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