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Hi! I'm a fantasy novelist. Here you'll find my short published works, a description of my current projects, and any upcoming announcements. Feel free to peruse my work and help yourself to my freebies, or sign up for my monthly newsletter for what I've learned about the nebulous and intricate world of writing!

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dianaceewrites

✨Fantasy MG, YA, & Adult and CNF Author
📓Lifelong notebook collector
👑secret Disney princess

For various reasons, I’ve been thinking a lot ab

For various reasons, I’ve been thinking a lot about weddings lately. About how they’ve changed from the weddings I attended to as a kid, what I love about them, how grateful I am that my husband and I had the wedding of our dreams. My favorite part about weddings is seeing how people create a day that is uniquely them, their story, and who they are. And maybe that’s exactly why I love writing so much.

Special shoutout to @cournmuffin , who created the literary quotes decor for my special day. They’re hanging above my desk now. ❤️

#weddingwhimsy #sliceoflife #writinglife❤️

Writing parenting hack: my toddler loves playing “desk”. She sits on my lap, working on her own little masterpieces. Sometimes I listen to an audio book. Sometimes I jot down some ideas or another 100 words (before she immediately wants the pen I’m using). Sometimes I check my email. More often than not, I sit and watch her create her magic.
📓
Knew I was saving all those stickers from old planners for a reason!

#writermoms #writermomlife #stickers #washitapelove #creativelifehappylife☀️

Two weeks later, and I’m ready to dive back in ✨

It might not seem like a long time, but I’m so excited to read and plan and dream and make a wonderfully long to do list of all the ways to bring this story of surprises more to life. ✨

#amrevisingfantasy #cozyfantasywriter #firstdraftproblems #kindlescribe

❄️🪄Cozy Winter Fantasy 🪄❄️ I gave m

❄️🪄Cozy Winter Fantasy 🪄❄️

I gave myself a week off, and I’m getting so excited to dive back into my cozy winter fantasy project. Think LEGENDS & LATTES meets GILMORE GIRLS!

Vibes:
💎jewel-based magic
🕰️enchanted antiques
👯‍♀️rivals to besties
🧙🏼‍♂️adventuring grandpa
⛸️ winter fun
☕️hot chocolate
💜learning to forgive yourself

If you’re interested, come along for the ride 🪄

#wip #moodboardaesthetic #cozyfantasy

65k words, 41 chapters, 4 months, 2 days ahead of

65k words, 41 chapters, 4 months, 2 days ahead of my goal. I can’t wait to dive back into this story and make it shine ✨

#cozyfantasy #amwriting #timetorevise #writinglife

My (self-imposed) goal was always to finish the fi

My (self-imposed) goal was always to finish the first draft of cozy winter fantasy by June 1st. I might achieve it. I might not. I’m not going to rush or scribble words just for the sake of scribbling. But I am going to push myself onward because I know I’m ready for the next step. I’m itching to dive in and fix all the problems, smooth out the plot, do whatever it takes. But I can’t do that until I finish this. So… here we go. 10 days, 12 chapters.

#amwriting #writinggoals #writerlife☕ #firstdrafts

True story. 😂 All jokes aside, he’s super sup

True story. 😂 All jokes aside, he’s super supportive of my writing dreams. Although he’s one of those “I like to read but don’t actively seek it out” people, he’s always willing to let me bounce ideas off him, edit my query drafts (he’s a very concise writer), or support whatever writing related activity (retreats, programs) I want to do. Plus, whenever he has extra time in the mornings, he tells me to go write— he’s got our daughter.

Becoming a published novelist is my lifelong dream, but so is he, and I will never lose sight of that.

#husbandappreciationpost❤️ #writersupport #myromanempire #writingdreams

Maybe it looks like a win because my total was hig

Maybe it looks like a win because my total was higher than the goal, but at least 2k words were ultimately discarded. What the 0 days don’t reflect are the days that matter the most: my toddler being sick and hanging with friends. My birthday was in there somewhere, too. The zero doesn’t reflect the days I spent brainstorming and prewriting and diving into notes and craft books to figure out what wasn’t working.

But it’s a win. Because it’s about progress, not perfection.

#wordcountgoals #wordcountwednesday #amdraftingfantasy #writerlife☕

I don’t think I’ve ever struggled so hard to w

I don’t think I’ve ever struggled so hard to write a scene. To be honest, I still don’t know what the block was, other than I knew what I needed to have happened in the midpoint and it just wasn’t happening. But I brainstormed, I reread save the cat!, I sent countless rambling voice notes to friends, I wrote by hand, I talked to @writtenbysky on the phone, and FINALLY I have something for the first draft.

For now.

Bad guys close in, here we come.

#amwri̇ti̇ng #firstdraftproblems #savethecatwritesanovel #stillwriting #writerfriendsarethebest

Late, but still writing. Traveled, but still wrote

Late, but still writing. Traveled, but still wrote. Fell short, but kept going.

#amwriting #wordcountgoals #perseverancenotperfection

Some days, I don’t count my words. But that does

Some days, I don’t count my words. But that doesn’t mean I’m not writing. I watch webinars, plot chapters, plan my newsletter, talk writing with my friends. Shop (mostly necessities, sometimes a little self-care.) I travel. But no matter what, I’m always giving my all to my perfect little family. ❤️

#writermoms #writerlife #wordcountgoals #sliceoflife #grateful

Week 2 Word Counts: I’m chugging along! One of t

Week 2 Word Counts: I’m chugging along! One of the reasons I love having a word count goal is that it helps me stay motivated. On the day I wrote nothing— a day in which we took our daughter to a children’s museum and had a day full of adventures—I knew I’d make up for it (or try to) the next day. And I sure did.

11 days left until the end of the month… let’s go!

#wip #amwri̇ti̇ng #wordcounts #wordcountgoals #writinggoals

I love discovering a free little library… and I

I love discovering a free little library… and I love leaving a book encouraging people to find a sustainable, individual way to become civically engaged. It’s the little things. @emilyinyourphone

#freelittlelibrary #democracyinretrograde #bookrec #civicengagementmatters

I read this to celebrate Black History Month (I’

I read this to celebrate Black History Month (I’m aware it’s now April), and it was such a fascinating read. Originally published in the 80s, it spoke a lot about activism in the 60s and 70s and the future, their writing process, and of course, race. I’ve learned a lot about both humanity and writing, and I’m so glad I took the time to read this.

#womenwhowrite #blackhistorymonth #ᴡʀɪᴛɪɴɢᴄᴏᴍᴍᴜɴɪᴛʏ

Only 2 days out 7 did I technically hit my goal. A

Only 2 days out 7 did I technically hit my goal. And that’s okay. What the numbers don’t reflect? The two hours I spent sending out queries, or the half hour prepping my sub for my writing group. It doesn’t reflect the two characters I created or the beta reading.

Progress is perseverance, not perfection.

#writinggoals2025 #wordcounts #amdrafting #allthewriting #progressnotperfection

My newest discovery with novel planning: using tab

My newest discovery with novel planning: using tabs to color code my notes! I love using a blank page notebook, but not having everything in sections can be tricky. The tabs have made it super easy to find the pages I want.

I’m curious— do you organize your notes?

#writingtips #novelplanning #notebooktips #writerhacks

April Goals ✨🌺 My main goal is to reach the m

April Goals ✨🌺
My main goal is to reach the midpoint of my draft by the end of the month (to ultimately finish the draft by June 1st). Will it be messy? Yes. Will 40k words be enough? (Note that I’m starting at about 12k from March. I promise the math checks out.) I sure hope so. Will I write every day? Unlikely. I’m a mother. A wife. A human. But my goal here is perseverance, not perfection.

So here goes.

#aprilgoals #writinganovel #wordcounts #writinggoals

Of course I thought February and March were hard m

Of course I thought February and March were hard months, but now that I think about them, all I can do is marvel. Marveling at our family together again, now that my husband is home from overseas. Marveling at how I’m rebuilding my writing practice, at the newest way I write a novel. Marvel at my writing philosophy, which I didn’t know I had. Marveling that I won’t give up.

After all, I am a creature of spring.

#flashnonfiction #aprilvibes #amwriting #gogetyourdreams

We’re three months into the year, querying is ha

We’re three months into the year, querying is hard, and I’m very slowly starting a new project. Growth is growth 🌱

#wordoftheyear2025 #growaswego #amquerying #amwriting

New house, updated desk set up. It’s simpler, qu

New house, updated desk set up. It’s simpler, quieter. This time, my desk is exactly where it was in the first townhouse we moved into five years ago, where I started querying my first novel, where I wrote my second and third and started my fourth. This time, I’m querying my third novel, writing my sixth novel, and holding on to the fact that no matter what happens, this is where I’m meant to be.
(—-> to see my desk set up from 2020!)

#desksetup #deskdecor #whereiwrite #writingspaces

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