Thank you so much Ravena for the interview! I loved finding out about your novels. Ravena writes middle grade and young adult novels.

Interview

What was your inspiration for the Thief of Farrowfell?

I had this image in my head of this character running through a mansion having stolen some magic, and from there I started asking myself some questions – how would you be able to steal magic? Why would this character be stealing magic? What sort of world would she be living in, where magic is something that can be traded and stolen? I’ve always been interested in anti-heroes, or heroes whose flaws are quite large, and that’s what I wanted to write about in Farrowfell.

What was your inspiration for writing This Book Kills? What was your process for writing The Thief of Farrowfell? Did it change for This Book Kills?

This Book Kills was inspired by a mix of things – a love of murder-mysteries and Agatha Christie growing up, as well as my own experiences of entering the legal profession and navigating a world where I was questioning what we mean by “privilege” and confidence.  

I wrote The Thief of Farrowfell back in 2020 and I half don’t remember the process! I used beat sheets I found online (like Save the Cat!) which helped me structure it – but it’s gone through big rewrites and multiple rounds of edits since then, and the world became more fleshed out in those edits. This Book Kills was different – a different age-group, a different genre, so I approached it differently. I started with a paragraph pitch, and then kept expanding it until I had a page synopsis, and expanded again until I had a line-by-line summary of the entire book. I then drafted quickly, and layered in extra details through edits.

What are the differences in writing YA novels and middle grade series?

The thing that immediately pops out for me is word count! But in my mind, my MG and YA are so very different – Farrowfell is written in third person past tense, and This Book Kills was first person, so that naturally helped with the voice. They’re different genres as well – with my MG, I’m more likely to be whimsical, because I love whimsical fantasy. This Book Kills has drier humour, which I think suits the genre and age.

What is your approach to world and character building?

I underwrite my first drafts – to the point where they’re sometimes just incredibly detailed outlines. But it’s only when I have some semblance of plot on the page that I can start fleshing out the world and characters. 

How would you describe The Thief of Farrowfell in five words?

Magical, fun, dark, twisty, action-packed

How would you describe This Book Kills in five words?

Fun, twisty, dark (I’m seeing a theme with all my books, no matter the age-group or genre!), thrilling, tense

Did you have a favourite moment to write?

It’s a spoiler so I can’t say too much, but there’s a scene at the end of This Book Kills with Jess which I found really cathartic to write – and really powerful to write as well.

There’s also a scene in Catch Your Death, which is my new book coming out in December, which I just LOVED writing – and if you do read it, you’ll probably know EXACTLY what I’m talking about!

 What was your favourite book growing up?

I can’t pick just one! And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie really changed the game for me – and I loved The Hunger Games. I also really enjoyed Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer and His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman.  

Do you have a favourite genre to read?

It does vary! But my favourites (can’t just pick one!) are probably what I write – fantasy, thrillers, cosy crimes!