Classes – DIANE ZINNA

The June Magic Circle

Weekdays in June 2026, 9–10am ET

A June Magic Circle will be happening…just a little differently this time!

The wonderful writer Lynne Squires has offered to coordinate the month of June for people to gather, keep their momentum up, and keep writing together! I have led 24 of these circles over the past 6 years, but I won’t be able to lead this one, as I’m getting ready for a kidney transplant. I WILL try to be on as often as I can because I love this space so much!

Beginning June 1, this group will meet every morning to check in, set intentions, write in supportive quiet, and sometimes even share aloud. There will also be opportunities for you to lead, to create portals for your friends, and read during fun “salon-style” days.

Come for warm community, lots of inspiration, and a fresh, imaginative writing portal every morning if you need one.

Registration is $50 for the full month or pay what you can.

Payments can be made via Zelle (preferred) using dianeyzp(@)hotmail(dot)com) or Venmo (@zinnaliterary). I will make sure that Lynne receives your confirmation and email address once you register.

I hope you can join!

Warmly,
Diane

Hear what people are saying about the Magic Writing Circles:

“The practice of starting each day thinking of myself as a writer in the company of other people who think of me as a writer is the best gift I’ve ever given myself. This practice is carving out a space in my brain that I haven’t been able to create on my own. I have always put writing after…after work, after the family, after errands, after after after, contingent on so many things. I thought I’d feel cramped in my day fitting this in, but honestly, it is reducing my anxiety because, finally, I am starting the day seeing myself the way I want to see myself. And the rest of the day falls into the cracks around that writing core rather than the other way around. I am so grateful.”
–Sara Dovre Wudali

“The writing portals you provide and that we yearn for are calls to our subconscious looking for answers. The fears that might have had us trapped in paralysis are gone because a group of engaged, caring people is watching, hearing, but most importantly: listening with their hearts.”
–Juana Rodriguez

“This has been the most generative, inspiring, and supportive space for me. I truly have loved every second of it.”
–Rachel Lola Wolfe

Love Your Book 2026

A 6-Month Editing Course to Deepen Your Novel or Memoir
February 21 Through July 18, 2026
Registration: $1200

Are you nearly finished with a draft of your book but need some help to make it all you really want it to be? Join me for a strategic editing journey and see how much you can truly love your book in six months of devoted editing time.

Our class will run from January until June 2026, ending at just the right time to start preparing your book for submission to agents and publishers in the fall!

Each month, we’ll come together for a “Love Your Book” Saturday. We will meet for class 10am–12pm Eastern Time. During the first hour, we will discuss specific editing strategies for the month. The second hour will be devoted to writing and group readings; writers who wish to share from their book in progress can read aloud and receive immediate feedback from the class.

This course also includes a 30–minute, 1:1 meeting with Diane every month, which you can set to fit your own schedule. As part of those meetings, Diane will review up to 25 pages of your revised work. You’ll receive a total of 100 pages of close edits by the end of this class.

Our Class Schedule

February 21: Evaluating past feedback and organizing for the work ahead.

March 21: Reviewing all sections and different ways to work through your large project.

April 25: Diving deep into key scenes with handwritten/highlighted explorations.

May 23: Reinforcing and expanding your themes.

June 20: Refining your unforgettable end and rewriting your captivating start.

July 18: Editing your prose at the sentence-level–and celebrating all there is to love about your book!

What Else Do I Need to Know About Love Your Book?
This is not a workshop-style class, so you will not be expected to read and provide written comments on anyone else’s books. This is a time to devote yourself fully to revising your own memoir or novel.

Do I Need to Participate in the Readings?
No, but I hope you will! It’s a time to share what you’ve been working on, hear the writing of others, and build your community UP. You can also just come and listen if you prefer.

Will You Read My Whole Novel or Memoir?
I will be reading up to 100 double-spaced pages of your book this year and looking at how those scenes fit into your book’s outline. (Don’t have one yet? You will!) I do provide developmental editing on full books as a separate service, but my intention is that the comprehensive edits I provide during Love Your Book can help you shape, refine, and clarify it all.

Will You Provide Refunds?
Please carefully consider your schedule for the months ahead and whether you are ready to tackle this round of editing over six months’ time. Refunds are not available for this class, but if an emergency arises that prevents you from continuing, we can talk about the possibility of putting a portion of the class fee toward a full developmental edit at a point that works for both of us in the future.

How Do I Apply?
Please send me an email expressing your hopes for this course and why you think Love Your Book will work for you. Please also attach a 1-page description of your book. Students will be accepted on a rolling basis and registration will close after the class reaches capacity. Accepted students will receive information on how to make payment; smaller payments can be made along the way, but please pay in full by the class start date, January 24.

Registration
The total cost of Love Your Book is $1200, and includes 100 pages of editing, 6 two-hour classes, and three hours of personalized 1:1 coaching via Zoom. I am happy to provide an invoice if you need!

Please reach out if you have questions, and I hope you will start 2026 with the intention to LOVE YOUR BOOK.

Warmly,
Diane

🩷

Grief Writing Sundays

Every Other Sunday, 2–3 PM Eastern Time
Via Zoom

FREE for all—and always!

I have come to believe that if you can learn to write about grief as you have truly experienced it, you can write anything. Grief Writing Sundays have been happening since November 2020. These are drop-in classes, so don’t feel pressure to come every time—just join as you can! These sessions are TRULY for all levels. No prior writing experience is needed.

Each session includes a 10-minute craft lesson, a gentle prompt, and some quiet writing time together. You can quietly join with your camera off the whole time if that’s what feels right for you, but we end with readings from those who wish to share. I know this class can feel therapeutic, but I never intend them to be a replacement for therapy; our main focus will be on how to write our hardest stories.

You can get on the invitation list by sending me a message via the contact form on this site. Just be sure to include your email address so I can send you the Zoom link before each class starts.

Next Class Dates:

May 3
May 17
May 31
June 14

Join Us on Substack!

I try to recap most of our Sundays together on my Substack, and I’m about to begin a self-paced video series taking subscribers through all the grief writing portals we’ve ever done together. You can subscribe at dianezinna.substack.com.

Pre-Order LETTING GRIEF SPEAK Today!

If you’ve loved coming to Grief Writing Sundays, I hope you will order my new book, Letting Grief Speak: Writing Portals for Life After Loss. It’s coming July 21, 2026 from Columbia University Press, and features 90 short lessons and writing portals. It also features the writing of more than 40 people from our Grief Writing Sundays class. I’m so honored that for many of these writers, the work will be their first major publication.

Pre-order at your favorite local bookstore or on Amazon!