I grew up writing fantasy novels in my spare time, though I didn’t read fantasy at the time (with the exception of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien) so I wouldn’t have given my stories that genre. As an adult, I’ve ventured into reading sci fi and fantasy novels and thoroughly enjoyed stretching my imagination with those authors. Today, I’m delighted to introduce you to a fellow Catholic writer who is the author of numerous sci-fi and fantasy novels. Read on to find out how Star Trek and Lent influenced Karina Fabian’s writing journey.
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TKM: Tell us a bit about Karina Fabian.
Karina: I’ll answer with a Top Five list:
1. I love the Mass – the ritual and the mystery. I cling tightly to a faith in God and the hope that there is something more after death and that, sinner that I am, I am worthy of it. I believe it is possible to have objective moral standards, yet love all human beings, even those that don’t live according to those standards.
2. I’m wife to Rob Fabian, a retired Air Force colonel and now President of Rocket Crafters, Inc., a rocket motor/launch company… which means I’m adventurous, adaptable, and smart enough to keep up with a genius man.
3. I’m a science fiction/fantasy geek… which means I love to binge-watch shows in that genre, think about Star Trek more than is probably healthy (except that I’m a writer!), and enjoy the latest tech.
4. I’m a mother of four wonderful adult children… which means I’ve completed the job of raising them and am enjoying the people they’ve become – but I’m also waiting on grandkids.
5. I’m a writer and author… which means I string the words together, create characters and worlds, get characters and worlds into trouble, and share the stories with others.
TKM: What do you write?
Karina Fabian: I’m working on my 24th – 25th? – book, including the anthologies and those not yet published. I write in a variety of genres, but mostly in the science fiction and fantasy arena. I write both serious and funny stuff. If you like serious science fiction, check out The Old Man and the Void or Discovery. For funny stuff, Space Traipse: Hold My Beer, Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator, or the DragonEye novels.
I’ve also written some Catholic books, but they are no longer in print.
This year, I started producing fill-in journals. They are fun and take an afternoon to make and let me be creative in a different way.
My day jobs have also been writing-centric. I do content for websites and social media for small businesses and software companies. I’m currently looking for work, as my usual clients have been hit by the virus.
TKM: How did you become a writer?
Karina: I’ve been writing since I was a kid. One Lent, when my eldest two were toddlers and I had left the military to be a stay-at-home-mom, I got really mad at a book I was reading because I knew I could do better. So I gave up reading for Lent and took up writing. I’ve been writing ever since. (Of course, I also returned to reading!)
TKM: What advice would you share with other writers?
Karina: Figure out why you write and what you want out of your writing. It may change, but having that in your mind can get you through times when the words don’t flow or the sales are dismal or you get a bad review.
TKM: Who is your favourite author and why?
Karina Fabian: There’s a meme going around about that, and the conversation goes along these lines:
What genre are we talking about?
No, just who is your favorite?
Well, at what era, then?
No era, just…
Do you mean recently, then?
No, no! Just…
I don’t really have a stand-out. L’Engle and Asimov and Lackey were my childhood faves. Pratchett and Adams are my humor go-tos. DeLeon fill my chic lit moods. I can rattle off a dozen names of people I know personally whose work I think is underappreciated. And I love my own stories. It sounds narcissistic, but I wouldn’t invest all that time into writing if I didn’t enjoy reading them again and again.
TKM: Where is your favourite place to write? or when do you get your best writing done?
Karina: I know some authors have a spot or a routine, but I’m not one of them. I’ve written novels in bed before I go to sleep or on my smart phone in the car waiting for the kids. I have an office with a desk and double screens, where I do most of my paid work and marketing, but I also write on my laptop. I even write in small notebooks in the hot tub. Sometimes, I have to search around to piece all the bits together!
TKM: Are you a “seat of the pants” writer or a plotter / planner?
Karina Fabian: It depends on the story. Most of my writing is seat of the pants, but some stories ask to be outlined first. Sometimes, like with my Space Traipse parodies, I will outline an episode of Star Trek or other show and then adapt it to my universe.
TKM: When you’re not writing, what do you enjoy spending your time doing?
Karina: I watch too much TV, but while I do, I crochet. I used to make towel hangers that go on the oven door, then I moved to baby blankets. Right now, I’m making ear savers for face masks.
My parents recently moved to my town, so I spend (or did before COVID-19) a good deal of time with them. I’m looking forward to the danger passing so I can see them more often again.
To find out more about Karina Fabian and her books, drop by her website or follow her on Facebook.
If you enjoyed this interview, you may also enjoy my interview with Star Trek and fantasy writer Kathy Tyers.
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