An Interview With Ian Benke
Use the 5 senses to describe what the character experiences, use thematic elements to create subtext of why you’re writing the story, mold the tone to emote the reader, and have the opening images set up the mirror images of what the character will have to walk into upon his/her adventure — the normal world before they enter the STRANGE NEW WORLD.
Science Fiction and Fantasy are hugely popular genres. What does it take for a writer today, to write compelling and successful Science Fiction and Fantasy stories? Authority Magazine started a new series called “How To Write Compelling Science Fiction and Fantasy Stories”. In this series we are talking to anyone who is a Science Fiction or Fantasy author, or an authority or expert on how to write compelling Science Fiction and Fantasy .
As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Nzondi.
Nzondi (Ace Antonio Hall) is an American horror author and is the first African-American to win a Bram Stoker in a novel category. His novel Oware Mosaic won the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in Young Adult fiction; one of the most prestigious awards given to horror writers in the world. His latest novel, Lipstick Asylum, won Book of the Year and Thriller of the Year awards from SW Book Reviews. It also received a 5-star rating from Readers’ Favorite.
Among his many short stories that were published in anthologies and print magazines, Nzondi’s short story, “Raising Mary: Frankenstein”, was nominated for the 2016 horror story of the year for the 19th Annual Editors and Preditors Readers Poll. Additionally, three of his short stories were on the Horror Writers Association Reading list for the 2017 Bram Stoker Awards.
A former Director of Education for NYC schools and the Sylvan Learning Center, the award-winning educator earned a BFA from Long Island University.)
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive into the main focus of our interview, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share a story about what first drew you to writing over other forms of storytelling?
I remember when I was eight or nine, I discovered blood droplets on our front steps and followed the trail of blood out onto the sidewalk where it led to my neighbor’s homes. That was the first official time I was instantaneously drawn into a feeling of terror and a desire to explore my imagination. It’s the wonder mixed with fear that intrigues me. I love how an ordinary person can endure extraordinary atrocities and somehow survive. Urban fantasy and horror is all about that. Actually, a lot of genres are like that but urban fantasy, science fiction and horror taps into the part of my imagination that I love writing about.
You are a successful author. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
I believe an author has to be insanely mad with the passion about reading and writing. I actually read to inhale and write to exhale. For example, I’ve said many times I used to go to Starbucks on Shoup Avenue in Woodland Hills at five in the morning and stayed there writing until it closed at eleven p.m. on weekends. Also, I read fifty science fiction and horror books in the first year before I wrote my first horror novel. It was important for me to be completely absorbed in the genre.
Another great trait for especially pre-published authors is to develop a habit for learning. I took formal classes on writing fiction in class, and I studied in online classes. In conjuncture with that, I joined a writing group called the Greater Los Angeles Writing Society and volunteered to work for hundreds of writing events from LOSCON on Thanksgiving weekend to WonderCon out in Anaheim, CA. Building relationships and experiences in those environments was priceless.
Can you tell us a bit about the interesting or exciting projects you are working on or wish to create? What are your goals for these projects?
My award-winning novel Oware Mosaic lives in a world where my characters solved homicide cases in the metaverse. I would love to create a project in that world. Seeing Travis Scott and Ariana Grande do concerts in the Fortnite universe was exciting. I’d love to see us science fiction and horror authors work in that environment at some capacity.
Wonderful. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview. Let’s begin with a basic definition so that all of us are on the same page. How do you define sci-fi or fantasy? How is it different from speculative fiction?
Sci-fi is a genre of fiction that explores the possibilities of a future world with technological advancements and sociological disruptions to civilization and its environments. Fantasy typically involves magical elements, sometimes grounded in folklore or mythology. Both fall under the auspices of speculative fiction, which taps into the supernatural, futuristic and other imaginative elements that typically don’t exist in the real world at the time the work of fiction is/was published.
It seems that despite countless changes in media and communication technologies, novels and written fiction always survive, and as the rate of change increases with technology, written sci-fi becomes more popular. Why do you think that is?
As a writer, I’d like to think that is so because everyone loves to read, and escape in the worlds we authors create, but I think it’s more because we have an esoteric hype person who markets our stories to the mass population and the name of that cheerleader is called Film & Television. Through those mediums, our stories have been exposed to generations who don’t read until they fall in love with the stories and therefore novels and writings of fiction are able to transition flawlessly into any medium that technology can develop to tell stories.
In your opinion, what are the benefits to reading sci-fi, and how do they compare to watching sci-fi on film and television?
It’s like comparing biscuits from scratch to store-bought canned biscuits, there’s not even a plausible comparison. Written fiction allows the reader to gain depth and backstory that is lost in value when transformed cinematically.
What authors and artists, dead or alive, inspired you to write?
The first novel I read as a tween was Escape From Witch Mountain by Alexander Key. After I read that, the spell was cast and I was a card-carrying lifetime member of the science fiction and horror fan club. Additionally, Octavia Butler and Richard Matheson have to be two of the major influences in my life. It’s hard to find a better novel about vampires than Fledgling, and Matheson’s work with Rod Serling is legendary. I’d have to say Stan Lee was also one of the biggest influences for me creating that unending sense of putting fantasy and adventure in my writing. Seriously, I’ve been collecting Spider-Man and Hulk comic books since I was eight. Have you ever heard of Machine Man? I also used to love his and Howard the Duck comic books! Also, if it wasn’t Marvel Comics I through my head into for hours, it was also E-Man comic books. He was dope and his partner, Nova Kane, was probably the first female character I had a crush on as a kid! She was beautiful!
If you could ask your favourite Science Fiction and Fantasy author a question, what would it be?
Would you co-write a book with me?
We’d like to learn more about your writing. How would you describe yourself as an author? Can you please share a specific passage that you think exemplifies your style?
The way I’d describe myself as a writer is one who is always evolving. Since I taught middle-school English for over a decade, I have a desire to write stories that show the pain children fight through as they’re growing up and the struggles that adults have in communicating with them. Here is an example from my novel, Oware Mosaic, where a police officer who is the main character’s brother, is trying to get a young girl to feel more comfortable before he interviews her.
Kofi chuckled and said. “Shoot, I used to stream games on Twitch Prime, I’d play RPG’s like Diablo VII and Monster Hunter.”
Frankie mumbled. “Monster Hunter has glitches with research points.”
“What’s that?” Kofi asked.
“That game sucks balls,” she said.
“Francis!” Meredith said.
“Yet, you still play it,” Kofi said.
Frankie looked up at my brother and smirked. “Only because the graphics are good.”
They entered the interrogation room. A sign above the door read INTERVIEWS.
“Just the graphics are good or do you like the storyline, too?” Kofi asked.
Frankie smiled for an instant but then it faded. “Don’t try to butter me up. You don’t care about me! You just want to dig info out of me.”
Kofi shook his head. “That’s not true, Frankie. I’m a people person, it’s in my nature to care. Especially for someone who has seen such horrible things like you have, today. That’s got to be hard on you.”
My brother shoved his hand in his pocket and pulled out the chocolate bar. “See? I got this for you.”
Frankie didn’t hesitate to take it. The wrapper was halfway open, the second it was in her hands.
Based on your own experience and success, what are the “Five Things You Need To Write Compelling Science Fiction and Fantasy Stories?” If you can, please share a story or example for each.
- Create a conflict that shows high stakes so that if the main character doesn’t succeed, death or perhaps something even more haunting is imminent.
- Reveal the ghosts of the protagonist. What pains the character? This information is not only good to allow the reader to empathize with the character but also allows the reader to relate to the character’s pains. Needless to say, the pain must be an emotional one that most people in your target audience can relate to. Remember: The thought process that many publishers and literary agents have is, “Show me something I’ve seen before, but differently.” I always say during my keynote speaking addresses at writing conferences that if you’re going to create a chocolate chip cookie, just do it so that when we taste it, it’s like familiar, yet spectacularly unique. Also, you must insert, masterfully (or as best as you can), the internal/external conflict of the character, thus showing the beginnings of the arc, which sets up the arc’s path and destination.
- Use the 5 senses to describe what the character experiences, use thematic elements to create subtext of why you’re writing the story, mold the tone to emote the reader, and have the opening images set up the mirror images of what the character will have to walk into upon his/her adventure — the normal world before they enter the STRANGE NEW WORLD.
- Be careful of info dumps. Unless, you’re writing hard science fiction, spread the information out into the plot as smoothly as butter on toast — not all in one spot but evenly throughout the chapter or story. This can help tie up each chapter together. The more the plot moves (but there are strings tying each scene together) the more fluid your story will be, even if you change up the pacing of your writing to create suspense and mood.
- Be bold. Write bold new imaginative ideas. Create new worlds and astonishing beings we’ve never seen before but do the homework: make sure the cultural, social, political, and moral/immoral attitudes have an unseen backstory that glues their ‘why, how and where’ of the situations together.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Entertainment, Business, VC funding, and Sports read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we both tag them 🙂
I’d love to have breakfast or lunch, for that matter, with Kristin Nelson. She once came up to me at StokerCon on the Queen Mary after I asked one of her clients some interesting questions. I think we’d have a very productive time talking stories and fiction.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
You can follow me on my Instagram account Nzondi (Ace Antonio Hall) or on my Twitter account @Nzondi3.
Thank you for these excellent insights, and we greatly appreciate the time you spent. We wish you continued success.
About The Interviewer: Ian Benke is a multi-talented artist with a passion for written storytelling and static visual art — anything that can be printed on a page. Inspired by Mega Man, John Steinbeck, and commercials, I.B.’s science fiction writing and art explore the growing bond between technology and culture, imagining where it will lead and the people it will shape. He is the author of Future Fables and Strange Stories, the upcoming It’s Dangerous to Go Alone trilogy, and contributes to Pulp Kings. The CEO and Co-Founder of Stray Books, and an origami enthusiast, Ian is an advocate of independent, collaborative, and Canadian art. https://ibwordsandart.ca
Nzondi On How To Create Compelling Science Fiction and Fantasy Stories was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.