Karen Leslie writes fiction, lyrics, prose poetry, travel pieces, and creative content. Her short story “Home Run” appeared in Menda City Review (Winter 2017). She is editing When the Trees Go Silent, a psychological suspense novel. Her writing has been published in Bucket List Publications, Menda City Review, The Contributor, INSP (International Network of Street Papers), BNT Touring Magazine, BNT Travelogue, Williamson Business, various trade magazines, and blogs. She earned an MFA in Writing (Fiction) at the Naslund-Mann Graduate School of Writing Program, where she studied with Philip Deaver, Mary Yukari Waters, Kathleen Driskell, K.L. Cook, Jody Lisberger, and Eleanor Morse. She received her B.H. in Multi-Media Journalism, Marketing and Public Relations from Penn State University. She runs “The WordShop” as a marketing specialist, writer, and editor for independent projects. Based in Nashville, she teaches writing workshops and adjuncts in the English Department at Western Kentucky University where students have nominated her multiple times for a teaching award. In 2024, Karen and a fellow Naslund-Mann MFAer launched the Stories & Songs Retreat in Italy. She brings a decade and a half of travel industry experience into the planning.
Karen grew up in rural Pennsylvania and now lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband, songwriter Clay Mills. You can follow her @thethinplaces and @karenlesliewriter on Instagram and @karenleslieword on Medium. And, for the record, she’s an Oxford comma kinda girl.
…Even online, I felt a better connection with her than any other professor thus far. She is, overall, an encouraging and patient human being who brought a bit of light into the semester.
Literature & Writing Student, Spring 2024
Writer’s Block
Do you ever experience writer’s block?
From an interview on on Spalding MFA Alumni blog: “A Day in the Life…”
No…I have plenty of long periods when I don’t write on paper. I’m always “writing” in my mind, so it feels like an endless ticker tape…At times, I am immobilized by the noisiness of life. I guess what I’m trying to say is, I don’t believe in writer’s block, at least, as far as I’m concerned. If I’m not writing, it’s usually a sign of having too much stimulus in my life, or too little life is being lived.
More:
Visit Karen Leslie’s writing website here.
Visit Read Then Write website for writing exercises.
The WordShop, boutique Marketing & Editing — Marketing Strategy & Branding, Creative Development, Independent Author Project Editing, WordPress Customization, and Business Content. She takes “A Storytelling Approach” at her marketing boutique to build bridges between businesses and their people. Industries/Clients: Travel & Tourism, Health & Wellness, Entertainment, Authors, Architectural Salvage, and Business Development.
Recently Edited Books:
I believe in finding the flow and cadence an author naturally has when editing a project. Flow is my job. Supporting the hook when I edit, shoring up structure, keeping the metaphors from bumping into each other? My job, too. Some editors trim out the voice. I think they steal the author’s thunder when they do that. I love amplifying the writer’s voice while streamlining and/or correcting the mechanics.
