MPN: How
were you able to become an expert in your field? What were the challenges
you had to overcome?
Robinson:
I continue to learn the craft of writing by reading well-written books and
by taking courses in creative writing. I went back to school for some
evening classes when I first got serious about finishing my novel,
Between Brothers. The "re-education" process was a couple of
years but it is a continuous one.
MPN: How did you become a book author? What have you done to
perfect how you practice your craft?
Robinson:
I became a published author by first showing faith in my own work
and publishing it myself. The hardest part was traveling and promoting
it, in order to build positive buzz and word of mouth through bookstores,
book clubs, and media. I practice my craft mainly by writing new
material, critiquing it myself, and then soliciting feedback from my agent
and other knowledgeable readers.
MPN: As dynamic as your field can be, how do you know what to
include and what to exclude in your writing?
Robinson:
I think anything that feels like real life and is also entertaining is
desirable for inclusion in my books, as along as it
contributes to forward movement of the plot and people's understanding of
the main characters.
My book is about four young, male college students
attending a historically black college. Brandon Bailey, a religious
zealot, is struggling with his vow of celibacy; Larry Whitaker, the child
born with the silver spoon in his mouth, is running for student council
president; Terrance Davidson, the poorest member of the group, is
struggling financially to stay in school; and O. J. Peters, the aspiring
preacher, is leading a double life. The roommates come together to save
the Ellis Community Center when its public funding is cut. As the boys put
their plan into action, a war is waged against them to halt their efforts.
The neighborhood drug dealer and his associates are exploiting each boy's
weakness to sabotage his commitment to the center.
MPN:: How will the topics you are writing about be different in
five years? In ten years? If
you could dictate the direction of this topic, what would you like to see
happen?
Robinson:
I suppose my genre would be contemporary relationship fiction. I think
it's a field that has already changed a lot in recent years. There is a
much more well-rounded range of male and female voices contributing today,
telling the stories of people that cross gender, race, and religion. I
think the more diversity we have in the field the better, although I hope
in the end that most books continue to have some sort of theme a reader
can take away.
MPN: What books have you read in the last year?
Robinson:
I've been reading an increasing mix of nonfiction, though I have to stay
plugged in to novels to keep up with the field. Recent reads have
included Thurgood Marshall: American Revolutionary by Juan Williams, Ron
Brown: An Uncommon Life by Steven Holmes, Fearless Jones by Walter Mosley,
and J'American Connection by Sandra Ottey.
MPN: In addition to writing, do you participate in any other
activities or interests related to the topics you write about?
Robinson:
I like to do speaking engagements at churches, community organizations,
high schools, and colleges. It's an opportunity to promote my work but
also help encourage others to pursue their own dreams and callings,
whether it's writing-related or something different altogether.
MPN: What do you expect one would glean from your writing
that one cannot get from other books on the same topic?
Robinson:
My novel Between Brothers adds to the field of relationship fiction
by presenting a diverse range of young Black men and taking you inside
their heads, so to speak. They are well-rounded characters who give you a
sense of their history, their hopes, their fears, and what's most
important to them in life.
MPN: What would you say to new minority authors seeking to break
into the publishing industry?
Robinson:
Keep working at whatever stage you're in - writing your first manuscript,
seeking an agent or publisher, or becoming a self-publisher. There can be
a lot of disappointments, but if you're honest with yourself about your
writing quality and keep yourself open to feedback and constructive
criticism from readers and other authors, you will find an audience on
some level.
