Meet Karen Osman

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Karen Osman. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Karen below.

Karen, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.

Confidence and self-esteem have been a journey for me—one rooted in perseverance, self-discovery, and a willingness to take risks, even when I doubted myself.

My writing career began in journalism and content creation, but fiction was a realm I hadn’t ventured into until 2016. That year, a surprising moment set everything in motion: I won the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature Novel Writing Prize with an entry for a psychological thriller. The story behind that win is as much about confidence as it is about writing.

When I heard about the competition, the requirement was to submit a synopsis and 2,000 words of a novel. I almost didn’t enter. At the time, I was pregnant, exhausted, and overwhelmed with life—the thought of adding something new to my plate felt impossible. But my husband encouraged me. With his support, I sketched out an idea, wrote a couple of chapters, and sent it off. Then, I forgot about it.

Fast forward to the Festival. I was there as a volunteer, and I had no expectations other than to enjoy the event. You can imagine my shock when my name was called to collect the prize. As I stood on that stage, meeting a renowned literary agent who had judged the competition, I felt both elated and utterly unprepared. When he asked to see the rest of the manuscript, I had to admit that I hadn’t written it yet.

That moment was pivotal. I realized I had been handed an incredible opportunity. Despite my fears, my lack of experience in fiction writing, and my very full plate—pregnancy, a toddler, and a full-time job—I committed to finishing the book. It wasn’t easy. I had no formal training in novel writing and no clear roadmap, which meant countless hours of trial and error. But with determination, support from loved ones, and a lot of late nights, I completed it in a year.

That manuscript became my debut novel, The Good Mother. It sold as part of a three-book deal, and while I was thrilled, I was also exhausted and questioning how I would write two more novels in two years. I knew I needed to change my approach.

Reflecting on what I’d learned from writing my first book, I decided to create a structured system—a clear, step-by-step process that would guide me through writing my next novels. This became my 8-step framework, which not only streamlined my writing sessions but also transformed them into a space for creativity rather than confusion. I tested it while working on my second novel, which I completed in just six months. The experience was smoother, less stressful, and much more enjoyable.

That system became the foundation of my writing confidence. Knowing I had a reliable process to fall back on allowed me to trust in my abilities and take on new challenges. When my second novel became a #1 bestseller, I saw firsthand the impact of preparation and organization on success.

During the pandemic, I decided to share my system with other aspiring authors by creating my signature course, Kick-Start Your Book With Karen. Teaching others how to navigate the writing process has been deeply rewarding, and it’s a testament to how far I’ve come since those uncertain early days.

Building confidence and self-esteem wasn’t about waiting for the right moment or feeling perfectly ready. It was about taking small steps forward, even when I doubted myself, and leaning on my support network when things felt overwhelming. The key was trusting in my ability to learn and adapt along the way.

Looking back, I’m amazed at the journey from corporate life to becoming an award-winning author. Every step taught me something invaluable about resilience, creativity, and the power of believing in yourself—even if it takes a little nudge from those who believe in you first.

https://www.karenosman.com/books
https://www.karenosman.com/kickstartyourbookdigitalcourse

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I am a best-selling novelist and writing coach. Following my win at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature Montegrappa Novel Writing Award 2016 with my crime-thriller novel, The Good Mother, renowned literary agent, Luigi Bonomi of LBA Books, secured a three-book deal with UK-based publishing house Head of Zeus.

Since then, The Good Mother, which was published in October 2017 and her second novel, The Home (September 2018), were both number one bestsellers. Her third book, The Perfect Lie, was published in August 2019 and I’m currently working on my fourth novel.
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In July 2020, I launched my signature online writing course, Kick Start Your Book With Karen, designed for budding authors to help write their first novel. I also offer a six-month one-to-one coaching program.

I also write a blog, A Writer Abroad, where I share tips and strategies for aspiring authors looking to write their first novel. https://karenosmanauthor.substack.com/

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

To become a writer, I think the most important qualities are resilience, an open-mind, and an understanding of language. I wrote for free for many years so when an opportunity presented itself – in my case – the novel writing competition – I had practiced so much, I was ready for it.
If you’re early on in your writing journey, my advice is to just keep writing, reading, and analyzing. What attracts you to other authors’ work? What techniques do they use? How can you improve your own work?
Keeping a daily journal is also useful as it helps you develop your own voice and this is what will distinguish you from other writers.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

I’m always looking to collaborate with others, in particular podcast hosts where I could share my expertise and other writers who I’d love to guest blog post for.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Image credit: Creative Enchante

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