Author Q&A: Diane Wing

Today we're interviewing Diane Wing, M.A., who writes dark fantasy fiction, cozy mysteries, magical realism, and enlightening nonfiction.

Wing is a multipublished author whose work helps people see the magickal, spiritual, loving side of life with a practical edge. Her books create a transformational experience for the reader while incorporating a bit of the unexpected.

Wing is an avid reader, bibliophile, and a lover of trees and animals. She and her husband are pet parents to a Shih Tzu mix and a Chihuahua.

SADYE: How did you come to see yourself as a writer, and what inspired you to seek publication? 

DIANE: As a child, my books were my prized possessions. My favorite day in school was when we had the book fair. The smell of books filled the auditorium, and I got to pick up my order.

They sparked my imagination, so I wrote my own stories and poems since the age of seven years old. I’ve wanted to be a professional writer ever since.

During my twenty-five-year corporate career, I wrote policies, newsletters, and documents for consumption by employees. On the side, I wrote short stories and poetry.

When I published my first novel in 2007 (Coven: The Scrolls of the Four Winds), I asked colleagues to read it, and got an enthusiastic response.

I found a publisher and am currently working on my twelfth book, the fifth entry in the Chrissy the Shih Tzu cozy mystery series (Housebroken Honeymoon).

SADYE: Tell us something about your writing process that’s unusual or that you haven’t revealed before.

DIANE: For my nonfiction and mystery books, I write a formal outline before beginning the manuscript.

With short stories and dark fantasy novels, I come up with a what-if concept and then follow the characters and the circumstance and let it take me wherever the path leads.

When I get stuck at a plot point, I either back up to where the problem started and fix it, or I use tarot cards to guide the storyline.

I’ve also written a guidebook on tarot, The True Nature of Tarot: Your Path to Personal Empowerment, 10th Anniversary Edition, so I’m comfortable using it as a tool for writing.

I have about seventy decks and select one that fits the energy and the genre of whatever fiction manuscript I’m working on.

SADYE: What has been the most touching or memorable piece of reader feedback you’ve received?

DIANE: When people thank me for articles and other nonfiction I’ve written, saying it’s exactly what they needed, how it came at the perfect time, that what’s written expresses what they’re going through, and how it helped them to get better in tune with their real self.

To hear that my work has helped people is the best compliment I could receive. 

SADYE: What message or theme would you like readers to take away from your work?

DIANE: Every experience, choice, and interaction transforms us. Change is inevitable. We can resist or flow with it and see where it takes us.

Life is a mystery not meant to be solved, but to learn and grow from. We don’t know what’s around the bend. Stay open to find love, adventure, your shadow self, or to reach your greatest potential.

SADYE: What advice, as relates to your writing career, would you give your younger self?

DIANE: Learn as much as you can. Study. Seek out unique experiences. Be inspired by the mundane encounters and transform them into something extraordinary. Observe people. Exercise your imagination.

Read everything you can get your hands on and write, write, write!

* * * 

Learn more about Diane Wing on her website, where her books can also be purchased; like her page on Facebook; and follow her on Twitter. 

Know an author you'd like to see featured? Email us with a recommendation!