Rionna Morgan has been recognized as an icon in the Web3 literary space. She is the author and creator of The 7 Love Stories, a digital collectible collection making literary history. Just recently she had a digital poem showcased at a gallery in Paris. Through her work, Rionna strives to show how literature, storytelling, and publishing are being revolutionized in the digital world.
Since entering the space, Rionna has become a leading creator, educator, and speaker. Her passion for the beauty of the written word and the voices of those who write is powerful. As Editor-in-Chief of Vagobond Magazine and Community Lead for PageDAO, she is helping to establish a vibrant community where writers and creators in the space are celebrated, supported, and honored. As owner and CEO of Whitney Morgan Media, she educates and empowers authors, publishing works where tradition meets the future.
After such an introduction, how would you describe yourself?
Well, beyond all the formalities, I am in love with words and reading. I have always been a writer, a creator, a dreamer. As a writer, an educator, and a reader, I believe that words and literature have the power to change lives. There is hardly anything more thrilling to me than a beautiful turn of phrase or the imagery created by a writer’s pen. The characters in literature are some of the best friends of my life. They are ever waiting, patiently waiting for me to pick up their story so they can once again greet me and welcome me into their life.
What topics and genres do you write about?
The topics and genres of what I write all depend on my mood, what I am experiencing, and what I am doing in my professional writing life. At some moments, I am a poet, ready to bare my soul with the raw and powerful. Sometimes I pen short stories where the pockets of time in the world of the story, can be impactful and authentic. Sometimes I’m a novelist - gosh that is the dream - sinking into the images and characters. The pages of empty paper are so inviting. I still, after all these years, get the most thrilling, honored feeling knowing that I can bring to life the world, the people, the time, the feeling–the story. I am drawn to stories that evoke rich emotion, whether it be a terror or a deep, encompassing love. Yet, sometimes, I’m an essayist, a reporter, an educator, or a lawyer (truly. I have the law degree and everything). Whatever I am, I am always a woman of letters.
What inspires you to write?
Everything inspires me. People. Experiences. Places - airports, cemeteries, restaurants, museums, galleries. There are so many things to imagine there among everyone. I wander along, eavesdropping, of course, making up stories from the little snippets of things I hear and see. Sometimes, I’m struck with a sweet lover’s story, sometimes a mystery with a hidden murder, sometimes a ghostly narrative, but always something where the characters are strong and brave. Something where they face the worst and come out on the other side a little tattered maybe, but stronger and wiser than when they went in. The women in my stories, they always save themselves.
What's your goal as a writer?
When I set out on my writer’s journey, I had many goals: get published, be a best-selling author, speak at conferences, sit by a fire and pen my next book. What a dream! And what a set of dreams come true. I love knowing that the goals I set so many years ago have been achieved and yet, like all things, my goals have evolved.
Now, my biggest goal is to help other writers. I want to help inform and educate about not only the process of writing, but the future of writing as well. I want to honor writers and other creatives, celebrate them, and advocate for them. I want to show them the possibilities that await in the future of writing, publishing, and reading. I want to help them achieve the goals they set, help them be a voice their readers adore, and above all help them use the current technological tools to ensure that their publications remain protected in their permanent author legacy, and that the publications can be collected, sold, and traded by their readers.
I want to help writers who are frustrated and saddened by the current state of publishing see and understand how the future of publishing is more than they could ever imagine. I want to help readers find their next favorite authors. I want to give those authors the voice and the ability to guide their own writing journey.
How do you see technology impact writing and publishing?
Today’s technology is the best thing to happen to writing and publishing since the invention of the printing press. It opens the world of writing and publishing to so many possibilities for writers and creators. Not only does it lend itself well to how a writer writes something for publication, it expands the way in which readers experience reading.
Currently, writers can collaborate with other creatives, artists and musicians in ways they never have before. Readers can actually purchase and own the digital publications they wish, not just lease the right to read them. In addition to these two huge milestones, the publications can be whatever the writer wishes, whatever the writer can dream - to some extent of course. (I have a very good writer friend who is looking forward to the day we can “step” into the book and join the characters. I cannot wait for that!)
What are you writing now? What project are you currently working on?
I have a few things in the works. For Vagobond Media, I am working on the next month’s article. For PageDAO, I am working on an agreement to have a new designer join our marketing team. For Whitney Morgan Media, I am finalizing the last bit of content for the new website. For The 7 Love Stories, I am collaborating with one the illustrators on a new, still secret project. For Rionna Morgan, I am tossing around the idea of serializing the first few chapters of my newest novel for Friends Who Write: Season Two.
What makes you write on t2?
When I first entered the Web3 space, I was in explore mode. I traveled from one platform to the next experimenting and familiarizing myself with how this place or that place was running their organization. When I was first invited to speak with the t2 team, I was very curious about their approach. During our conversation, I really was pulled in by their philosophies - celebrating readers as well as authors, looking for ways to make reading and writing rewarding in so many ways. Those wonderful attributes are being continually built upon and are definitely worthy of connection and interaction.
However, it was really the people at t2 who inspired me to invest time and care with them. The people of t2 are why I am a writer there. I am inspired by them and so honored to call them friend. I am so very impressed by the community they are building and how they keep finding more ways to engage and honor writers and readers in the space.
What’s your favourite feature on t2?
I really love the uniqueness of the platform. As a writer, the interface is really easy to use. It’s familiar, similar to other platforms, which is nice for the ease of transition. But really, it feels more sturdy somehow, like it has this underlying strength that lends itself to a sense of longevity and growth. As a reader, the time points are fun to collect. I feel like I’m a kid at the arcade collecting tickets for winning a game! It’s so enjoyable and masterful - t2 has created a way for me to enjoy something that I already love - more!
Use one sentence to describe the writing communities on t2.
So welcoming–it is really a lovely place to be!
Here are some of Rionna Morgan’s recommended reads:
FROM THE JOURNAL OF A MURDERER - release October, November, December 2023: https://app.t2.world/u/0x1cd031ced1d63ac57592ca291f9c5c4772fe7549
THE 7 LOVE STORIES - release on Manifold March 2023: https://linktr.ee/the7lovestories
I DIDN’T KNOW - release with https://nwscty.xyz/ November 2023: https://app.cent.co/collection/nfts/1327461
FOR MIDNIGHT WRITERS - Arts and Poetry Anthology Vol. 1 - release March 2023: https://objkt.com/tokens/KT1S8rMTH8xwbSmwGxS1HRUYjdYMUT23DAcx/0
LOVE IS - Arts and Poetry Anthology Vol. 2 - release September 2023: https://objkt.com/tokens/KT1S8rMTH8xwbSmwGxS1HRUYjdYMUT23DAcx/2
NFT.NYC TOP 10 LIST, Vol. 2 Issue 5 – release May 2023: https://objkt.com/tokens/KT1BVEv63f8DknpNrDWAnsW4Q23yk5wURBBV/3
ROVING WITH RIONNA: TRAVEL EDITION, Vol. 2 Issue 5 – release August 2023: https://objkt.com/tokens/KT1BVEv63f8DknpNrDWAnsW4Q23yk5wURBBV/4
Rionna's work is available with Vagobond Magazine, t2, Paragraph, Mythic North Press, BlockBook, and Simon & Schuster. Rionna has been a speaker at NFT.NYC, The Academic Web3 Conference, and has been featured on Fortune.com.
