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Karen Novak has traveled the arc from beginner to writer to author. She now thinks of herself as someone who writes. Process is more important than publishing. What counts is how writing changes the writer rather than the writer seeing her name on a cover. She also believes that if publishing is the goal, that goal should receive every effort to achieve. Write where the energy is calling. That’s where the lesson waits.

Her interest is literary writing of any form: neurology to neo-noir; psychology to sci-fi/fantasy; theology to thrillers; politics to poetry. She has published four novels that bend and blend genres.

A five-year street fight with cancer robbed her of her writing. Another five years went into finding her voice again. She gives full credit for that return to a beloved community of writers, great friends in the joys and challenges of the writing life.

While her degree in creative writing and film studies provided solid training, she believes writing reveals its secrets in the doing. As a teacher, she sees her role as more “manuscript therapist” than editor: “What does your story want to say? How do you want to say it?” Those are the questions that count.

Karen and her husband of 40 years have two adult daughters. She currently resides in Ohio where she facilitates/teaches craft classes for the nonprofit outreach organization Women Writing for (a) Change.