Dianne started daydreaming about being a writer in first grade, when she learned the joys a chunky pencil and lined tablet can bring. In her mid-forties, she finally attended a writers’ conference (Write-to-Publish, Chicago area). When the Warner Press editor read Dianne’s short piece about a spiritual lesson from her cat, she said, “I think you may be a natural devotional writer.” That meeting led Dianne to begin writing devotionals for the backs of church bulletins.
Two years later, at that same conference, Dianne received the 2001 Best New Writer of the Year award for an article published in Focus on the Family magazine. Five years later, her first book earned her the Writer of the Year award. The One Year On This Day (Tyndale House) is based on holiday origins, historical events, and pop culture trivia. It has since been updated and is available in eBook format as On This Day.
Since then, Dianne has published three other devotional books: The One Year Women of the Bible (Tyndale), Drawing Closer to God: 365 Daily Meditations on Questions in the Bible, and Designed for Devotion: A 365-Day Journey from Genesis to Revelation (both by Baker Books). Designed for Devotion won a 2013 Selah Award.
Dianne is one of ten authors who contributed devotions to Guideposts’ Mornings with Jesus 2013, 2014, 2015, and the upcoming 2016 edition. Other compilations include Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace, Christmas Classics: True Stories of Holiday Cheer & Goodwill, Writing So Heaven Will Be Different, and Christmas Moments II.
Her articles and devotions have appeared in The Quiet Hour, LIVE, The Christian Communicator, Focus on the Family periodicals, and Guideposts magazine. Dianne frequently writes guest posts for bloggers and content for websites including More to Life and CBN.com. She has also written Bible studies, newspaper features, and she even sold a poem once.
Dianne enjoys teaching at writers’ conferences, leading Bible studies, and occasionally speaking at women’s events. Represented by Chip at MacGregor Literary Agency, she is a CLASS graduate and a member of Christian Authors Network, Advanced Writers & Speakers Association, and Toastmasters International.
Teaching experience:
2015 Florida Christian Writers’ Conference: 9-hr. continuing class on writing devotions/devotional books; 1-hr. workshop on devotion writing; 30-min. critiques
2007 Write-to-Publish: 1-hr. class “10 Worst Mistakes I Made as a Beginning Writer/10 Smartest Things I Did Right”
2007 CLASS Conference at Glorieta: 1-hr. class on using Scripture in writing; 1-hr. class “10 Worst Mistakes/10 Smartest Things…”; served as mentor to two attendees in the Get Published Now class, helping them revise and polish their stories for inclusion in a compilation book
***In between these conferences, I’ve led workshops on an introduction to Christian publishing at public libraries and a Christian school.
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