Karen Thrower was born and raised in Oklahoma. She lives in Tulsa with her husband and their rambunctious four-year old. She graduated from The University of Tulsa with a Bachelor’s degree in Deaf Education. She is also a member of Oklahoma Science Fiction Writers and serves as the President and Facebook ‘Wizard’ which she suspects has something to do with her young age. She has been featured in Gathering Storm Magazine and Broadswords and Blasters. Her story The Lost Ones appeared in the best selling anthology, Secret Stairs: A Tribute to Urban Legend.
How long have you been writing and what got you started?
I’ve been writing a few years but just started submitting my work to publications since Aug 2017. Honestly what finally broke through the block was having to write a backstory for a D&D character! It was supposed to be a short thing, but I couldn’t stop and thankfully my imagination spread from there!
How do you deal with rejections?
In stride, they happen to the lowliest writer to the most famous, it just depends on whether your story fits that particular publication. I know if a story gets rejected, someone else will like it, I just have to find that magic fit.
Do you participate in any online or in-person critique or writing groups?
I am currently the President of Oklahoma Science Fiction Writers, it’s been around since I was a tyke and has been a great asset to my writing. Their advice helps make my stories better and it’s nice to hear how much these professional writers genuinely like your writing.
If you could go back and find yourself five years ago, what advice would you give yourself?
Five years, I’d say that writers block that you’ll get from pregnancy brain WILL GO AWAY hahaha. I had the worst writers block the first four years after my daughter was born. Pregnancy brain is real and it extends into toddler-hood hahaha, so don’t feel bad if you can’t write and have a little one. It will get better!
Is there anything you’d like to plug? Feel free to share a link.
I’m in several best selling anthologies, theme’s include creepy staircases to feel good stories you’d read to your grannie, you can find them on my Amazon Author Page, amazon.com/author/karenthrower
What are your writing goals for the next five years?
In the next five years I would love to get a few novellas published, maybe even start working on a new novel.
In your opinion, how important is a writing degree or MFA when it comes to achieving success in writing fiction?
I don’t think it’s all that important. Many of the writers I know don’t have a degree in writing, most are people with every day jobs that just have a story to tell.
Do you favor the traditional route or self-publishing?
I tend to favor the traditional route, writers deserve pay for their work. I have self-published in the past, so I’m not a purist hahaha but now that I know where to find places to send my shorter works, it’s made it a lot easier to go the traditional route.
Do you ever get criticism from family or friends who don’t understand your passion?
I’ve been lucky, my family and friends have been very supportive of my writing.
What is the best piece of advice you have for new writers?
Write, write, write. Write something every day, you will get better. Also read your works out loud to yourself, it helps you catch those words that are actual words that auto correct doesn’t catch when you mean to write about the bucking horse but the ducking horse is what is in your story.
