Speculative fiction is often dismissed as mere escapism, lacking depth and real-world relevance. However, the genre has a rich history of spotlighting injustices and challenging norms, as evidenced by the works of writers like Octavia Butler and Ursula K. Le Guin.

Ink & Impact: How to Craft Black Speculative Stories that Speak to Social Issues empowers writers to unleash their creativity while critically examining societal structures. This course guides participants through the journey from conceptualization to execution, teaching them how to create compelling narratives that address pressing social issues.

Attendees will learn to wield essential craft elements such as character development, point of view, and world-building, learning to weave these elements into nuanced stories that critique and explore societal concerns. Through targeted exercises, writers will delve deeply into the issues that resonate with them and consider how their intended audience might shape the way they tell their stories

Writers will receive guidance on how world-building can be used to heighten and highlight themes, and strategies for developing emotionally resonant characters who function as more than mouthpieces in the story. Discussions will feature the works of authors like Akwaeke Emezi, N.K. Jemisin, and R.F. Kuang.

Ideal for writers of both short fiction and novels, the course primarily focuses on speculative fiction but offers valuable lessons for authors across genres. While it is open to writers at all levels, those with a basic understanding of writing craft elements such as character, plot, point of view, and setting will find it particularly beneficial for enhancing their work.

All class meetings will be held via Zoom. The link to join your Zoom classroom will be provided on the morning of your class. Please check spam folders if you do not receive an email confirmation upon registration. For more information on how to download or use Zoom, please click here.

Meet Your Instructor:
H.B. Asari

H.B. Asari is a Niger Deltan writer and educator. Her work explores current and possible future climate realities, complicated familial bonds and the nuances of queer coming-of-age experiences. She facilitates creative writing workshops privately and as part of the SBMEN faculty. She has served as a mentor for the SprinNG Writing Fellowship. Her fiction was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Short Stories Prize 2023 and has appeared in Voyage, Strange Horizons, FIYAH, and adda. She is a Pushcart-nominated poet, has been shortlisted for the Climate Change Poetry Prize 2022 and won the Stephen A. Dibiase Poetry Prize 2024. Her poetry has been published or is forthcoming in FIYAH, Ake Review, Fantasy Magazine and Consequence Forum. She is working on a novel that seamlessly integrates all her interests. You can find her on Instagram at @draft_oroguitas.

Course Takeaways

• Have a deep understanding of how craft elements can strengthen the issues and themes you wish to explore in your work
• Know how to use your characters' lived experiences as a means of social commentary, and ensure they are compelling, three-dimensional beings who exist outside the bounds of the social issues explored in the story
• Identify how to use world-building to explore the social issues you are interested in
• Recognize how different plot structures can be used to deepen themes
• Recognize how different points of view can impact the issues explored
• Through writing exercises, set groundwork for a new story or progress on an old idea

Course Expectations

• Come with an open mind and a willingness to participate in writing prompts and generative writing exercises
•  There will be a small workshop component toward the end of the class 
•  Feel free to share your opinions and engage in lively discussions

Course Skeleton

• Week One-Introduction and Exploring Craft Elements: We'll discuss how speculative fiction can uniquely highlight social issues. Then explore a deep dive into how world-building and character can be used to explore social issues
• Week Two: Exploring Craft Elements:We'll continue our discussion of craft elements, focusing on the role of plot, point of view and theme

We offer full refunds for cancellation with written notice up until 7 days before your class start date. From 6 days to more than 24 hours before class begins, we offer a 25% refund. If you drop a class less than 24 hours before the class begins or after it has started, you are ineligible for a refund.