DeLaynna Corley is many things: a daughter, a friend, and a YouTube addict. But above all else, she is a writer. Originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan, DeLaynna attended Columbia College Chicago and earned a B.A. in Creative Writing: Nonfiction and a minor in Television Writing. She’s had two pieces published in individual issues of The Lab Review and one of her short stories, “Motel 6,” was featured in the New Mexico Review Spring Issue 2015. At Loyola Marymount University, DeLaynna earned her master’s for Writing and Producing for Television. At LMU, DeLaynna has had the opportunity to be an assistant director and producer for many of her classmate’s short films. She’s also interned for television and film development/producing companies such as Team Downey and Fremantle. DeLaynna’s stories are mostly inspired by her family, and luckily, they haven’t disowned her yet because of them. As a comedy writer, DeLaynna focuses on Black female leads and coming-of-age narratives. Her characters find themselves exploring themes of friendship, romance, and second chances. DeLaynna currently lives in Los Angeles, CA, wishing it would rain and finding something to eat.

DeLaynna was a top 20 finalist for the 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 Stage 32’s Black Boy Writes & Black Girl Writes Mentorship Initiative and a Story Production Assistant on The Fairly OddParents: A New Wish!. She hopes to join a writer’s room for a show that will allow other Black, people of color, and female characters to be at the forefront. She also aspires to one day direct her own pilot and feature, and to eventually *fingers crossed* be the showrunner of her own show.