Grow Your Writing with Ravynn
Dr. Ravynn K. Stringfield (she/her) is an author, editor and artist based in Virginia. Ravynn’s debut young adult novel LOVE REQUIRES CHOCOLATE was published by Joy Revolution in 2024. Recently, her second young adult digital epistolary, LOVE IN 280 CHARACTERS OR LESS, was published from Feiwel & Friends. Her book length fiction is represented by Leah Pierre of Ladderbird Agency.
Her writing practice also includes scholarship, blogging, crafting essays and short stories. Ravynn holds a PhD in American Studies and her scholarly work (articles, short pieces and reviews) has appeared in Digital Humanities Quarterly, Alternative Histories of the Digital Humanitiesand INKS: The Journal of the Comics Studies Society. Her freelance writing has appeared in ZORA, Shondaland, Greatist and Catapult. She was a columnist at Catapult, writing the column “Superhero Girlfriends Anonymous,“ from 2021-2022 and penned a column for University of Texas at Austin’s Department of Radio-Television-Film’s FLOW Journal from 2021-2022. Ravynn’s short fiction has appeared in midnight & indigo‘s speculative fiction special issue and she was awarded second place in the Voyage YA Journal First Chapters Contest, judged by NYT Bestselling Author, Dhonielle Clayton. She wrote the weekly blog, Black Girl Does Grad School, from 2016-2022, and now blogs at Reign of Ravynn on Substack.
Ravynn has taught and mentored in academic settings and outside the university. As an instructor of record, Ravynn has taught writing intensive classes that have focused on new media, digital humanities and comic books and guided students in producing creative final projects each semester. She has taught creative writing workshops for Catapult and midnight & indigo, and served as a 2024 mentor for SmoochPit.
Currently, Ravynn serves as a non-fiction editor for midnight & indigo, a magazine and publishing company dedicated to amplifying the voices of Black women.
When she’s not writing or making art, she can be found posted up in local coffee shops, tending her sunflowers or telling her dog, Genghis, all about her Lois Lane obsession. Connect with Ravynn on Instagram (@RavynnKaMia) or via her website, www.ravynnkstringfield.com.
Work with Ravynn
Apply to join the mentor’s small group of writers that they will lead through our unique 12 week mentoring and workshopping program.
Decide if Ravynn is Right for You with Our Mentor Interview
What excites you most about writing?
“I love when a character comes to me and takes root. I love letting them get comfortable on a couch on my mind while I figured out how they came to be. Creating that initial draft where I’m telling myself their story is thrilling; I love trying to understand why they feel what they feel. As a result, writing has become a way for me to deep dive into emotion…to wade into territory that other folks don’t necessarily want to go with me. But my characters will go with me and find out where there is to know. I’ve learned a lot about myself and how I operate in the world that way,” Ravynn said.
What mindset does a writer need to grow?
“I love when a character comes to me and takes root. I love letting them get comfortable on a couch on my mind while I figured out how they came to be. Creating that initial draft where I’m telling myself their story is thrilling; I love trying to understand why they feel what they feel. As a result, writing has become a way for me to deep dive into emotion…to wade into territory that other folks don’t necessarily want to go with me. But my characters will go with me and find out where there is to know. I’ve learned a lot about myself and how I operate in the world that way.”
What three words best describe you as a mentor?
“Inquisitive, generous, rigorous”
What makes a good writing mentor?
“An ability to center you, your work, and your career in any feedback they give. It’s important to understand the person you’re working with and what they want from their writing and what they want to do with it before offering suggestions for a path forward. It also helps to expect rigor from the language but be gentle with the person behind the words.”
What is your style of feedback?
“I tend to ask a lot of questions and offer observations about how I am receiving the work. I don’t demand changes or expect writers to acquiesce to what I believe are good modifications to the language. I do expect writers to know what their goal is in their piece so that when I ask questions about language choices or rhythm or character or anything, the writer can make a good decision about whether addressing the question or observation serves their purpose. I comment throughout and then offer something that distills the main editorial questions that I had into a paragraph or so.”
What was the most recent "standout" book you read?
“I’m cheating because it’s a series, but I recently reread Legendborn and Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn in preparation for the third in the series, Oathbound, which came out in March. The concept of the Legendborn Cycle—a Black girl infiltrates a modern-day Round Table to find out more about her mother’s death—is attention grabbing, but I am so rooted in Deonn’s love for language. Deonn writes with all five senses, so stepping into the main character’s (Bree) world, feels immersive. Because she is writing with this sensory depth, it makes her love of Black girls, mothers, North Carolina, history which she illustrates throughout the text, all feel visceral. I live for it.”