Learn Technical Storytelling This Halloween at the Spells & Syntax Workshop

Hey Hackers,

Ready your candy buckets, we’re kicking Spooky Season off with a treat!

This October 30th, HackerNoon is teaming up with GadflyAI for a cyberpunk, Halloween-themed tech event that marries code, storytelling, and the open-source spirit.

Welcome to Spells & Syntax: A Technical Writing Workshop.

As a part of the hybrid event, Nightmare Before Coding, this workshop will be hosted at TESSL HQ, King’s Cross, London, and livestreamed globally via Zoom.

So, if you’ve ever wanted to write a great technical story, or are still stuck trying to figure out what technical writing even is, this one’s for you!

Event Details

Afternoon Session: Spells & Syntax

• Time: 1:00 PM BST
• Location: Online

Hosted by Asher Umerie, Senior Editor at HackerNoon, the workshop takes participants through a crash course on how to tell a great technical story.

You’ll learn the core principles behind clear, credible, and creative technical writing, from defining your purpose and knowing your reader to applying a simple 3-Act Structure that works for every great story.

We’ve built a Writing Template based on this same framework to help you plan, draft, and refine your own story.

:::tip Use it here.

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The session goes live on event day at 1:00 PM BST! Click the YouTube link below and tap the notification bell to follow along.

https://youtu.be/bxrJFLW5_8M?si=M193XMTLqzRM6D8s&embedable=true

During the workshop, you can also look forward to:

• Live Q&A with the Editor – Get real-time feedback on your ideas.
• A Shot at Publication – Go from idea → draft → editor review → published HackerNoon contributor, all in one day.

Themes we’re especially excited about include #sre, #cybersecurity, #devops, and #ai-ethics, but any creative technical story is welcome!

Evening Session: Nightmare Before Coding

• Time: 5:30 PM - 9:30 PM BST
• Location: On-Site at TESSL HQ

A cyberpunk Halloween tech fest featuring lightning talks and hands-on workshops from some of London’s most intriguing tech minds:

• Attack of the Killer Llamas — Richard Brough
• AI Will Wipe Out Our History: Securing AI in a Scramble for Africa — Zaira Rasool
• Debugging Bitflips at Scale — Igor Kanyuka
• Code, Chips and Control — Sal Kimmich (dressed as The Plague)

Workshops include:

• Building Assured Software Supply Chains — Andrew Martin, ControlPlane
• Minimal Viable Kubernetes — Jon Brookes, AJBC

Join the Fun!

Whether you’re joining online or in person, Spells & Syntax is a great chance to find and develop your voice as a technical writer.

Date: October 30, 2025

Location: TESSL HQ, King’s Cross, London + Global Zoom Livestream

Free and open to all — pizza, drinks, and cyberpunk vibes included.

:::tip Register Now

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