Subject: Read A Lot and Widely ❤️

🚀 Specializing in supporting science fiction, fantasy, and speculative fiction writers. 🐉

Read A Lot and Widely ❤️

Podcast highlight + Upcoming events!

This week's How To Write The Future podcast episode:

Ep. 144: African Heritage Meets Interstellar Travel: Why Nnedi Okorafor’s Binti Trilogy is Essential Afrofuturism

https://writersfunzone.com/blog/2025/03/17/african-heritage-meets-interstellar-travel-why-nnedi-okorafors-binti-trilogy-is-essential-afrofuturism/

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Friday, Mar. 21, 2025

Hi Friend,

The headline says it all.

Read a lot and widely.

Feed your creative self.

What are you reading these days?

This week's episode is a love note to Nnedi Okorafor's Binti series. Highly recommended!

❤️

Help shape the podcast, How To Write The Future

Take this poll here:

https://bethbarany.com/htwtfpoll25

I talk about the topics in brief in this previous episode.

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See some fun pics from our fundraising party last weekend taken by supporters. (Facebook) (Instagram)

Support us! We're taking donations and raising funds to finish the film and support our crew with stipends.

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Henrietta The Dragon Slayer film A short film of adventure fantasy: magic, friendship and a chimera monster fight. Not a damsel in distress. This heroine saves the day.

L to R: Justin Justin Eitoku-Wong (Actor for Franc); Beth Barany (Writer, Director, Producer); Val Flores (Actor for Henrietta)

The cast and crew of Henrietta The Dragon Slayer

On to the weekly podcast...

African Heritage Meets Interstellar Travel: Why Nnedi Okorafor’s Binti Trilogy is Essential Afrofuturism

Elizabeth Moon: Crafting Strong Female Protagonists in Science Fiction

“I think it’s really important that we read books and we read authors who aren’t similar to us, who are very different from us culturally, come from different backgrounds, different parts of the world.”

In this How To Write the Future episode, I share why you need to read the Binti Trilogy by Nnedi Okorafor, plus why I believes readers need to explore books that are different to our own cultures and backgrounds.

I also invite listeners to share their favorite authors, including a sneak peek at a topic for a future episode.

Note: The audio-only version has long pauses where I show the book covers. Go to the YouTube version to see Okorafor’s beautiful covers.

To listen or read this episode's transcript, go here (Writer's Fun Zone):

Or listen on YouTube

Apple Podcast

Spotify

The How To Write The Future podcast is for science fiction and fantasy writers who want to write positive futures and successfully bring those stories out into the marketplace.

Enjoy!

In the next episode, Ep. 145, I'm sharing 3 books that are great learning resources to uncover the history of women in science.

Stay tuned on How To Write The Future podcast.

(All previous episodes listed here.)

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Wherever you listen to your podcast, if you're so moved, please Like, Subscribe, or Share the How To Write The Future podcast.

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Thanks! And since we have an international listenership: Merci , Muchas Gracias, Obrigada, Prego, Arigatō

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Student Upcoming Events!

Fellowship of the Pen Writing Sprints

2nd and 4th Sundays

This Sunday! Next sprint: Sunday, Mar. 23, 10am PT/1pm ET

Gather on Zoom to check in and write for 2 20-minute sprints.

-- I email you day-of and I post reminders in Fellowship of the Pen Facebook group. Click to join Fellowship of the Pen group, if you haven't already.

Happy Writing!

Best,

Beth

PS. Want to have a short coaching session and market your books live on my podcast? Check out the Story Success Clinic details and sign up here. Spots limited. Dates open through early June.

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When you're ready to work together, here's some more ways we can do that:

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Beth Barany
Creativity Coach for Writers

Teacher, Speaker, Workshop Facilitator

Creativity is the answer.

bethbarany.com

I not only teach and coach novelists, I am one too!

Author of *Magical Tales of Romance, Mystery, and Adventure*
author.bethbarany.com

Award-winning science fiction & fantasy novelist.

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Beth Barany is an award-winning science fiction and fantasy novelist, and certified creativity coach for writers.

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The Solar System. → Carina–Sagittarius Arm in the Milky Way galaxy. Milky Way subgroup → Local Group → Local Sheet → Virgo Supercluster → Laniakea Supercluster → Local Hole → Observable universe → Universe.

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