Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Science Fiction And Fantasy Writer's Chat 5/18/11 with Nnedi Okorafor

BryanThomasS: Tomorrow in the #sffwrtcht column, a chat with author @brendacooper on www.graspingforthewind.com(Thu May 19 00:54:13 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: Upcoming guests #sffwrtcht 5/25/11@MBraneSF 6/01/11 @AndrewMayer 6/08/11 @catvalente 6/15/11 @portiriszine 6/22/11 @JenniferBrozek (Thu May 19 00:56:23 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: Upcoming guests: #sffwrtcht 6/29/11@PeterOrullian 7/06/11@JAPittsWriter 7/13/11 @MauriceBroaddus 7/20/11 @KenScholes 7/27 @HowardAndrewJon (Thu May 19 00:58:43 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: Welcome to Science Fiction Fantasy Writer's Chat. #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 00:59:46 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: Our goal is to talk w/ writers, editors, & others abt the craft of writing, specifically related to writing speculative fiction. #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 00:59:56 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: Our format is round table discussion. Please restrict ?s to writing craft, business of writing & the specific works of the guest. #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:00:07 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: Please wait until your question gets answered to ask another & use the hashtag #sffwrtcht for all questions and comments. (Thu May 19 01:00:17 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: It's up to the guest whether the question time will run longer than our allotted hour slot. #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:00:33 +0000 2011)
pattyjansen: oh, what they hey! #sffwrtcht is extremely jet-lagged today! (Thu May 19 01:00:40 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: Many of you may be familiar with tonight's guest as she's active on Twitter and FB. #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:00:42 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: Her "Who Fears Death" was a 2010 Locus Award Finalist for Best Fantasy Novel, a 2010 Nebula Award Nominee & a Tiptree Honor Bk #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:00:52 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: It won the 2010 RT Reviewer's Choice Best Book Award (Science Fiction), was a 2010 Goodreads Choice Award Nominee: Best Fantasy #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:01:04 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: & was chosen a Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2010, an Amazon.com Best Book of 2010 & a Library School Journal Best Book of 2010 #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:01:12 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: Our guest also a graduate of the 2001 Clarion Workshop. Welcome @nnedi Okorafor! #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:01:26 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: Our guest also a graduate of the 2001 Clarion Workshop. Welcome @nnedi Okorafor! #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:01:27 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @BryanThomasS glad to be here. :-) #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:02:38 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: So you were born in the U.S. to Nigerian parents, correct? And raised experiencing both cultures? #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:02:38 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @shadowflame1974 #sffwrtcht thanks. :-) (Thu May 19 01:03:16 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: It's clear that had a big influence on you since Africa infuses your work. How did your love for speculative fiction come about? #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:04:18 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: RT @Nnedi: @BryanThomasS yep. i was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. from the age of 7, my parents startd taking my sibs & me to Nigeria #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:04:39 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: RT @Nnedi: @BryanThomasS yep. i was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. from the age of 7, my parents startd taking my sibs & me to Nigeria #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:04:39 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @BryanThomasS #sffwrtcht so while i had my American experience, i had a Nigerian one, too. (Thu May 19 01:04:46 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: RT @Nnedi: @BryanThomasS #sffwrtcht so while i had my American experience, i had a Nigerian one, too. #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:04:57 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: RT @Nnedi: the magical & mysterious in my wrk is merely a reflectn of the way i see the wrld. been there frm the 1st stry i wrote #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:06:51 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @Nnedi But you grew up a fan of writers like Stephen King and Octavia Butler? #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:07:15 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: RT @Nnedi: the sf interest came later. when i started wanting to see Africa in the future & an Africa that reflected the one i knew #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:07:42 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @BryanThomasS oops. seems i need to use the #sffwrtcht . will do that from now on. :-) (Thu May 19 01:08:37 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @Nnedi No worries. I had your back. ;) #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:08:48 +0000 2011)
pattyjansen: @BryanThomasS: @Nnedi My #sffwrtcht is extremely slow today (Thu May 19 01:09:28 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @BryanThomasS #sffwrtcht but when i did, my world was blown. (Thu May 19 01:09:51 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: RT @Nnedi: not Octavia, i discovered her in 2000, while in a bookstore during Clarion. Lol! pathetic. but better late than never. #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:09:58 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: RT @Nnedi: @BryanThomasS #sffwrtcht but when i did, my world was blown. #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:10:06 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: Your debut novel Zahrah the Windseeker takes place in a highly technological world based on Nigerian myths & culture. #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:10:10 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: Where'd that idea come from? #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:10:17 +0000 2011)
john_zeleznik: Sorry I'm late, had laundry to do! #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:10:24 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: RT @Nnedi: @BryanThomasS but yes, i've been reading King since I was 12. he taught me to love storytelling. #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:10:26 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: RT @BryanThomasS: @Nnedi He taught me to love it too! Masterful! #sffwrtcht (Ha ha now I forgot the hashtag) (Thu May 19 01:10:49 +0000 2011)
pattyjansen: I'd like to ask @Nnedi how she deals with the great variety of African cultures #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:10:59 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @pattyjansen Good question. #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:11:19 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @BryanThomasS #sffwrtcht the first book of his that i read (note, at 12) was It. scared the heck out of me but ...wow. (Thu May 19 01:11:28 +0000 2011)
pattyjansen: @BryanThomasS: I'm amazed my brain functioned that well ;-) #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:12:00 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @Nnedi I think my first of his was Cujo or The Shining. Ditto! #sffwrtcht(Thu May 19 01:12:01 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @pattyjansen #sffwrtcht i tend to keep the camera very close. Africa is a HUGE place. so when i deal with a culture, i deal with THAT. (Thu May 19 01:12:13 +0000 2011)
john_zeleznik: What are we talking about? #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:12:32 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @john_zeleznik @nnedis work #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:12:42 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: "The Shadow Speaker," a children's book "Long Juju Man" and then "Who Fears Death" followed which all have African themes. #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:12:51 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: Is spec fic a natural fit with African traditional religion and mythos? Are there popular speculative fiction writers in Africa? #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:13:22 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @pattyjansen #sffwrtcht WHO FEARS DEATH was in the future, after many culture had mixed, migrated, died, etc. it was a abt a new african ppl (Thu May 19 01:13:40 +0000 2011)
pattyjansen: @Nnedi do you deal with cross-cultural conflicts? #sffwrtcht Also, what would you consider good references on African cultures? (Thu May 19 01:13:40 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: RT @lewokes: @Nnedi @BryanThomasS His 1st book I read was Pet Semetary (at about 11). It felt like I was home... #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:14:24 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @BryanThomasS #sffwrtcht first time i heard Cujo was as an orally told story told by my uncle who'd read it on his flight from Nigeria, :-) (Thu May 19 01:14:42 +0000 2011)
kaolinfire: @pattyjansen "Who Fears Death" is very much about cross-cultural conflicts #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:14:46 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @kaolinfire Yes it is and fascinating #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:15:06 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @Nnedi LOL What a great campfire story that must have been! #sffwrtcht(Thu May 19 01:15:16 +0000 2011)
pattyjansen: @Nnedi: I'm writing a short story set in future Ethiopia, but feel a fraud bc I feel I don't know enough #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:15:20 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @pattyjansen what do u mean "cross-cultural conflicts"? #sffwrtcht that's a broad broad topic. references on "african cultures" are infinite (Thu May 19 01:15:42 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: How big of a role does speculative fiction play in African literature? Is that increasing? #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:15:50 +0000 2011)
pattyjansen: @kaolinfire He Who Fears Death is on my TBR list #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:15:58 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: RT @sffwrtcht: Is spec fic a natural fit with African traditional religion and mythos? Are there popular speculative fiction writers in ... (Thu May 19 01:16:06 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @lewokes @BryanThomasS #sffwrtcht i still won't go near that book. lol. once was enough. King knows how to scare, no doubt. to the BONE. (Thu May 19 01:16:29 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @pattyjansen Finally reading it right now. Amazing. Rich. Deep. Powerful. #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:16:40 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @BryanThomasS #sffwrtcht best "audio version" of Cujo ever. (Thu May 19 01:16:53 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @pattyjansen #sffwrtcht you hv 2 get yourself as close to ur subject as possible.also,remove ur ego and p.o.v.,which is harder than u think. (Thu May 19 01:18:00 +0000 2011)
kaolinfire: @BryanThomasS trying to figure out if a question about it would be a spoiler or not :heh: oy. #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:18:16 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @pattyjansen #sffwrtcht and remember that the future is connected to the present which is connected to the past. (Thu May 19 01:18:27 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @pattyjansen I can give you some good references as well later on. I have done a lot of research/reading Afr writers #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:18:28 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @kaolinfire I'm going to be asking a few general ones later. #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:18:43 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @Nnedi So who are some popular specfic African writers? #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:19:03 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @shadowflame1974 #sffwrtcht yes, but it's not something i do consciously. it just comes.my father and his brother-both natural storytellers (Thu May 19 01:19:27 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @Nnedi Is spec fic a natural fit with African traditional religion and mythos? #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:20:21 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @Nnedi What themes from African tradition do you think resonate the best with outsiders for storytelling? #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:20:42 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: RT @Nnedi: @BryanThomasS ben okri, amos tutuola, nurudin farah, there are a few. the mystical is naturally a part of african lit #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:21:30 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @Nnedi I am going to look for their stories. Excited to read them. Thanks! #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:21:52 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @BryanThomasS #sffwrtcht i think all of it is relate-able in some way. it's very broad and diverse, so there is something for everyone. (Thu May 19 01:22:31 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @Nnedi I know the African's traditional sense of community, all members belonging to each other, appeals to me greatly #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:23:06 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @BryanThomasS #sffwrtcht ben okri's work is nuts. check out famished road. LOVE that novel. big influence on me. (Thu May 19 01:23:06 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: RT @Nnedi: @BryanThomasS #sffwrtcht ben okri's work is nuts. check out famished road. LOVE that novel. big influence on me. #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:23:18 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @BryanThomasS yes, the idea of the community being more import to the indiv. i struggle with that but am also fascinated by it. #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:24:09 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: If anyone's interested you can find the book @Nnedi mentioned here:amzn.to/lvXQIu #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:24:13 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @Nnedi It seems to me if we had more of a sense of community, we'd all get along better. Simplified, yes, but true I think #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:24:44 +0000 2011)
DrkHarlequin: @Nnedi #sffwrtcht Is there anything that you do during or before you begin to write?Something that relaxes you or focus? (Thu May 19 01:24:51 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @Nnedi Obviously your work has received positive recognition in terms of awards and such in the US. How's it received in Africa? #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:25:06 +0000 2011)
kaolinfire: @nnedi how much of Who Fears Death do you consider fantasy-based vs tech-based, and how did you choose to weave them together? #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:25:12 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @sffwrtcht #sffwrtcht it's also a good example of a story from the p.o.v. of a child that is for adults. (Thu May 19 01:25:20 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @Nnedi The Okri book? #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:25:50 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: @nnedi Is it harder to sell African themed stories and novels to publishers of specific? #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:26:20 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @kaolinfire #sffwrtcht heh, i can't measure such things. the sf and f aspects are organic parts of the story. always mixed, never separate (Thu May 19 01:26:37 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @DrkHarlequin @kaolinfire Thanks for the questions and for joining us! #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:26:43 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: RT @Nnedi: @BryanThomasS yep. #sffwrtcht Awesome. Gonna get a copy for sure and after I read it, we can discuss. (Thu May 19 01:27:30 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @sffwrtcht #sffwrtcht yes. many publishers assume your audience is instantly narrower. especially if you are black writing about Africa. (Thu May 19 01:28:00 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @Nnedi You've written both YA and adult. Besides the age of the protagonist, what differences must a writer be concerned with? #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:28:19 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: RT @DrkHarlequin: @Nnedi #sffwrtcht Is there anything that you do during or before you begin to write? Something that relaxes you or focus? (Thu May 19 01:28:33 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @sffwrtcht narrower audience = less$ and it's all about $, right? ;-) (Thu May 19 01:29:04 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: RT @Nnedi: @sffwrtcht narrower audience = less$ and it's all about $, right? ;-) #sffwrtcht Yes of course. So include lots of money talk (Thu May 19 01:29:24 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @BryanThomasS #sffwrtcht point of view. that's about it. such things vary from novel to novel. i do't get bogged down with labels. (Thu May 19 01:29:52 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @BryanThomasS @sffwrtcht #sffwrtcht money is boring. lol. (Thu May 19 01:30:23 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @Nnedi But Monopoly is wildly popular ;) #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:30:55 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: Where did the idea for "Who Fears Death" come from? #sffwrtcht(Thu May 19 01:31:08 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @BryanThomasS #sffwrtcht that game always bored me as a kid. i also felt there were better adventures to be had than making $ or losing it. (Thu May 19 01:32:03 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: Halfway through #sffwrtcht with @Nnedi but still time to ask your questions. Join us! (Thu May 19 01:32:23 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: Halfway through #sffwrtcht with @Nnedi but still time to ask your questions. Join us! (Thu May 19 01:32:24 +0000 2011)
ChaosTheThird: @Nnedi #sffwrtcht Was there any intended symbolism in the red, black, and gold complexions of the three races in WHO FEARS DEATH? (Thu May 19 01:32:35 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @Nnedi And there so are! #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:33:07 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @chaosthethird Good question. Thanks for joining us! #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:33:18 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @ChaosTheThird the Okeke are African,the Nuru Arab,the Red People...simply other.got the idea when i saw a red woman in Nigeria. #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:34:30 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: @Nnedi Do any of the traditional views of the characters & their community reflect those of your family in growing up Nigerian? #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:34:49 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @ChaosTheThird seriously. she looked African but her skin was red. and i saw such a woman on another occasion in Nigeria, too #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:35:01 +0000 2011)
kaolinfire: @Nnedi #sffwrtcht how much work did you put into building the framework for magic? or was it a mostly organic thing? (Thu May 19 01:35:23 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @Nnedi I believe I saw a red person in Ghana as well. #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:35:31 +0000 2011)
ChaosTheThird: @Nnedi Doesn't surprise me, actually, given that Africa is the wellspring of all human diversity; I'd love to have seen her! #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:36:12 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @sffwrtcht Aro is a mash-up of several Igbo elders I've known in my life. I am of the Aro Igbo sub-group, that's where the name came from (Thu May 19 01:36:13 +0000 2011)
JulietteWade: @Nnedi Good to see you here, Nnedi. I think you deserve the biggest audience - everyone. I recommend you widely. #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:36:39 +0000 2011)
SheikYurbouti: RT @JulietteWade: @Nnedi Good to see you here, Nnedi. I think you deserve the biggest audience - everyone. I recommend you widely. #sffw ... (Thu May 19 01:36:56 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @sffwrtcht many of the women's and men's views in Jawhir, yep, straight from relatives. #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:36:57 +0000 2011)
kaolinfire: @Nnedi #sffwrtcht (one problem I see in a lot of the magic I try to write is it's either over-powered or over-analytic) (Thu May 19 01:37:02 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @kaolinfire much of the magic in Who Fears Death is simply Igbo traditional belief. #sffwrtcht. some things i tweaked. some i created. (Thu May 19 01:37:43 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @BryanThomasS ha! see! #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:37:54 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @ChaosTheThird she was beautiful! #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:38:09 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @Nnedi Onye is very complex. It’s fun to experience life thru her eyes. How much research did you do to get in the mindset? #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:38:10 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @Nnedi LOL yeah happens every week at least once or twice #sffwrtcht(Thu May 19 01:38:38 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @Nnedi I mean that because you're born and raised American so your world view is very different from hers, I'd imagine. #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:38:55 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @kaolinfire well, the fact that much of the magic in Who Fears Death is stuff i actually *believe* helped keep it in check. :-) #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:39:04 +0000 2011)
kaolinfire: RT @Nnedi: @kaolinfire well, the fact that much of the magic in Who Fears Death is stuff i actually *believe* helped keep it in check. : ... (Thu May 19 01:39:30 +0000 2011)
JulietteWade: @BryanThomasS @Nnedi And regarding the mindset, was it a head space close to your own, or very different? #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:40:12 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @BryanThomasS yep, my world-view would be quite diff. #sffwrtcht. but there would probably be some crossover, too. (Thu May 19 01:40:15 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: A note to those waiting, a transcript for the #sffwrtcht with @LouAnders will be posted by Friday on the blog. @renesears (Thu May 19 01:40:38 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @Nnedi I think most of us cross over world views with each of our characters at some point. Hard not to. #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:41:08 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @Nnedi You deal with a lot of tough issues in the book, including rape, female circumcision, and incest. #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:41:23 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @Nnedi In fact, you describe the experience of female circumcision. Did you actually talk with women who had experienced it? #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:41:37 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: RT @Nnedi: @JulietteWade Onye's rage comes from me. that i know. but in generl she was easy to write, once i stopped resistng her #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:42:03 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @BryanThomasS yes, that's the way into your character's head. #sffwrtcht you have to find that common thread n take it from there. (Thu May 19 01:42:09 +0000 2011)
Reginaijvmutwitter.com/sffwrtcht Error: Rate limit exceeded - please wait 1 minute before shortening further URLs. (Thu May 19 01:42:13 +0000 2011)
JulietteWade: @Nnedi I'm guessing she shares a significant degree of your passion. #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:42:48 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @BryanThomasS #sffwrtcht yes,i did speak with women who'd suffered it. (Thu May 19 01:42:57 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @Nnedi It's hard to admit sometimes because some characters take us to dark places within ourselves #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:43:04 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: RT @Nnedi: @BryanThomasS #sffwrtcht yes,i did speak with women who'd suffered it. #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:43:12 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @BryanThomasS what's funny is that i didn't really need to. what they told me, i knew intuitively. #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:43:13 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: @Nnedi Who Fears Death is being developed as a movie. How involved are you with that process? And how's that going? #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:43:24 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @JulietteWade @Nnedi Yes, your passion, rage and much more. #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:43:41 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @Nnedi That's interesting. #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:43:51 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @JulietteWade #sffwrtcht yes, definitely.and the slapping part, ha ha ha..i used to fight a lot as a kid and there was one boy i did that to (Thu May 19 01:44:04 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: 15 min left to get your questions in for @Nnedi on #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:44:23 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @JulietteWade #sffwrtcht after he called me a n*gger. lol. he deserved it. (Thu May 19 01:44:24 +0000 2011)
gudmagazine: RT @BryanThomasS: 15 min left to get your questions in for @Nnedi on #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:45:12 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @Nnedi Did your parents' have traditional beliefs which tested you & your siblings' American ideas growing up? #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:45:17 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @sffwrtcht #sffwrtcht i'm VERY involved. it's going...well.*knowing smirk* (Thu May 19 01:45:41 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: RT @Nnedi: #sffwrtcht that's the struggle i spoke of. u hv 2 opn urself up & admit things u might not want to in order to write the story (Thu May 19 01:45:43 +0000 2011)
followthelede: Who Fears Death is a novel that crosses lots of borders (genre & otherwise) Were publishers at a loss as to how to market it? #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:46:04 +0000 2011)
kaolinfire: @Nnedi #sffwrtcht a little left field, maybe, but your writing is very poetic (in a good way ;) ). Who are some of your favorite poets? (Thu May 19 01:46:22 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @BryanThomasS #sffwrtcht my parents are/were a bundle of contradictions. modern and traditional at the same time. drives me nuts, ha ha. (Thu May 19 01:46:41 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @Nnedi Besides Akata Witch, what future projects are you working on which we can look forward to? #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:47:05 +0000 2011)
ChaosTheThird: #sffwrtcht For those who haven't seen the first bit of concept art for the WFD film, look here: t.co/WUboob7 (Thu May 19 01:47:28 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: @Nnedi How's your work recieved by Africans? You've gotten great accolades in the US for it. #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:47:31 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @Nnedi No different than how most of us feel about our parents then. LOL #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:47:47 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: RT @Nnedi: the poets i'm most into are kanye west, mos def, & talib kweli. ha ha, i dont read much poetry but i love hip-hop. ;-) #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:48:05 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @BryanThomasS #sffwrtcht it's a secret. ;-). but an adult novel and two YA and oh some other stuff here and there. (Thu May 19 01:48:38 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @sffwrtcht #sffwrtcht so far, so good. more and more Africans are finding me. esp. Nigerians. got a fan letter from a 12yr old in Tanzania (Thu May 19 01:49:21 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @Nnedi What's your approach in writing? Do you start with characters? Plot? Do you outline or wing it? #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:49:24 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @sffwrtcht #sffwrtcht ive been invited to a literary festival in Nigeria later this year. that should be very very interesting. (Thu May 19 01:49:55 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: @Nnedi Oh how exciting! There's a picture on your website as well of you with a Nigerian poet & award there, right? #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:50:28 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @BryanThomasS #sffwrtcht yes and no. there's a specific issue of cultures that i think children of immigrants are more familiar with. (Thu May 19 01:50:36 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @Nnedi Oh absolutely. Sorry. Didn't mean to discount that. But the sentiment is not unfamiliar. #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:51:03 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @BryanThomasS i always always always start with characters. can't have a plot with out characters first. #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:51:06 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @Nnedi Do you do character sketches then? #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:51:23 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @sffwrtcht #sffwrtcht u mean the pic with Wole Soyinka? playwright, writer, poet, activist, Nobel Laureate. he is amazing. (Thu May 19 01:52:10 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: @Nnedi Yes that one! #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:52:30 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @BryanThomasS sometimes i do but most of the time, i know my character. he or she is real 2 me, speaks to me #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:52:49 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @Nnedi Do you have any plans to write anything without African themes? Or have you & I missed it? #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:53:02 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @sffwrtcht #sffwrtcht i nearly fainted when i met him. one of the most overwhelming moments of my writing career. (Thu May 19 01:53:28 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @Nnedi What a great moment for you! I may feel the same if I ever meet Robert Silverberg. #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:53:59 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: @Nnedi What a great moment for you! I may feel the same if I ever meet Robert Silverberg. #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:53:59 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @lewokes #sffwrtcht i know them. and the more i write them, the more i know them. i dunno, i write stories rather subconsciously. (Thu May 19 01:54:13 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: @Nnedi Have you thought of doing any African space opera? #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:54:18 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @sffwrtcht #sffwrtcht well, when u do, don't pass out! lol. (Thu May 19 01:54:49 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: Get those final questions in for @nnedi on #sffwrtcht. 5 minutes left! (Thu May 19 01:54:54 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @Nnedi It'll be in Reno at WorldCon @Renovationsf I hope #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:55:12 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @sffwrtcht #sffwrtcht first i need to know what a "space opera" is. lol. but seriously...outer space makes me feel claustrophobic. (Thu May 19 01:55:27 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @Nnedi Ok, so you teach writing during the day/night. Do you set aside specific time for writing or squeeze it in as you can? #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:55:59 +0000 2011)
ChaosTheThird: @Nnedi What, if any, spec fic are you reading right now? Or any that you're eagerly anticipating? #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:56:13 +0000 2011)
DrkHarlequin: @Nnedi #sffwrtcht Do you ever get writers block? And if so how do you deal with it? (Thu May 19 01:56:13 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: RT @BryanThomasS: @Nnedi Do you have any plans to write anything without African themes? Or have you & I missed it? #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:56:42 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @BryanThomasS during the semester i write btw 10am-4pm. so no one try to call me at those times b/c Nnedi isn't home, ha ha. #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:57:13 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @Nnedi Have you read any of @ResnickMike's Africa inspired books? #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:57:15 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @Nnedi LOL Ok, I'll remember that. And not tweet then either ;) #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:58:03 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @ChaosTheThird i recently finished Cindy Pon's Silver Phoenix. I'm looking for something that suits my current taste right now #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:58:14 +0000 2011)
followthelede: @Nnedi Is it poss. to retain traditional cadences, speech patterns and mannerisms in characters w/o turning off Am. readers? #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:59:09 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @Nnedi When does "Akata Witch" come out? Soon, right? #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 01:59:20 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @DrkHarlequin #sffwrtcht nope, no writer's block. all i need to do is look in the news. stories galore. (Thu May 19 01:59:23 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @BryanThomasS #sffwrtcht no. (Thu May 19 01:59:46 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: Ok, all, a big thanks to @Nnedi for joining us tonight for a very enlightening #sffwrtcht. (Thu May 19 02:00:16 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @followthelede #sffwrtcht u have to find the balance. it's really tough. but u shouldn't shy away from it because it's tough. (Thu May 19 02:00:19 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @Nnedi I enjoyed his trilogy Paradise, Purgatory etc very much #sffwrtcht(Thu May 19 02:00:39 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @BryanThomasS AKATA WITCH was released on April 14th. It's out in the world causing mischief. :-) #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 02:00:49 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @Nnedi They resonated with my knowledge of African history. And my sadness of many events #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 02:00:54 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @Nnedi Oh sorry. I couldn't remember. Ok, look it up, folks. #sffwrtcht(Thu May 19 02:01:08 +0000 2011)
Nnedi: @sffwrtcht it's been fun! u all know where to find me. :-) #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 02:01:14 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @Nnedi I'm tracking down Zahrah the Windseeker next! Thanks so much for joining us tonight! #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 02:01:35 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: A transcript of this chat w/ @Nnedi will be posted on the blog later tonight. Look for a link under the #sffwrtcht hashtag. (Thu May 19 02:02:06 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: A transcript of this chat w/ @Nnedi will be posted on the blog later tonight. Look for a link under the #sffwrtcht hashtag. (Thu May 19 02:02:06 +0000 2011)
theapexp: @Nnedi cool interview #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 02:02:24 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: RT @Nnedi: @BryanThomasS Zahrah is a lot of fun. the world is dear to me. :-) it'll give u good dreams. #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 02:02:58 +0000 2011)
BryanThomasS: @Nnedi Well WHO FEARS DEATH is amazing me. As do our many discussions. Thanks again for your openness and wise words! #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 02:03:26 +0000 2011)
sffwrtcht: RT @Nnedi: k, folks, off to write. :-) #sffwrtcht (Thu May 19 02:03:40 +0000 2011)

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