Dianna Labrien

Dianna Labrien began writing in elementary school, winning her first essay contest with a piece titled, “The Pet that I Would Like to Have,” an essay that, to this day, lives in a frame and accompanies her everywhere.

“I never got the pet,” she says, “because it was actually a combination dog and unicorn, but I keep the essay to remind me that it’s important to think the impossible!”

Armed with her BA in creative writing from the University of San Diego, Dianna decided to find her ½ French roots and landed in Lyon, France, after spending two years in Thailand as a World Teach volunteer.

“While I certainly wouldn’t want to be a teacher permanently, I came away from that experience with two important understandings: how easy American kids have it and how tough a teacher’s job really is!”

Dianna’s freelance writing career began after leaving Thailand for France and includes published short stories, essays and poetry, along with articles and blogs for a variety of venues (all of which seem to keep her fed).

Shunning the traditional world of work (and her parents’ pleas to get a “real job”), Dianna prefers a life of deadline “crunches,” followed by rewards of sleep, beaches, and French cuisine.

“Lyon is a writer’s dream location. I love my little apartment on a bustling side-street, but within a few blocks I can find sleek modernity or breath-taking historic architecture, both of which have spawned some of my best short stories. Interpol’s headquarters is also here, and that has provided an incentive to write the mystery novel currently percolating in my head.”

Dianna’s love of travel is not hampered by her job, and she lists Marseilles, Barcelona, Lake Lucerne and Florence as among her favorite vacation spots. Like most freelancers, her laptop and iPhone constitute her office, and as long as the brain and fingers work, she prolifically produces from anywhere.

She especially enjoys writing blogs about, of all things, writing!