357: Layers of World Building in Epic Fantasy - Interview with Suyi Davies Okungbowa

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Suyi Davies Okungbowa.

Suyi is a Nigerian author of fantasy, science fiction and other speculative works inspired by his West-African origins. His new novel, Son of the Storm, is the first in the epic fantasy trilogy called The Nameless Republic, and he is also author of the acclaimed and award-winning godpunk fantasy novel David Mogo.

His shorter fiction and essays have appeared internationally in various periodicals and anthologies, including Black Panther: Tales of Wakanda and Year’s Best Science Fiction and Fantasy. He has taught writing at the University of Arizona and spoken at various venues and institutions in the US and beyond.

In this episode Suyi and I discuss:

• How to create intricate contradictions within characters and the plot of your story.
• The role narrator and point of view play in the meaning and importance of a story.
• Why he used a marketplace as a foundation for building his story’s world.

 

Plus, his #1 tip for writers.

For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/357