Karma Brown: Writing What You Know is Boring
In this interview, author Karma Brown discusses the most fun she’s ever had writing with her new novel, Mother Is Watching.
Karma Brown is the author of five novels: the #1 international bestseller Recipe for a Perfect Wife, Come Away with Me (a Globe and Mail Best Book of 2015), Globe and Mail and Toronto Star bestsellers The Choices We Make and In This Moment, and The Life Lucy Knew. She is also the author of The 4% Fix: How One Hour Can Change Your Life. An award-winning journalist, Karma has been published in SELF, Redbook, and Today’s Parent, among others. She lives just outside Toronto with her husband, daughter, and a Labradoodle named Fred. Follow her on Instagram.
In this interview, Karma discusses having the most fun she’s ever had writing her new novel, Mother Is Watching, her hope for readers, and more.
Name: Karma Brown
Literary agent: Carolyn Forde, Transatlantic Literary Agency
Book title: Mother Is Watching
Publisher: Dutton / S&S Canada
Release date: March 17, 2026
Genre/category: Horror / Gothic / Psychological fiction
Previous titles: Come Away with Me, The Choices We Make, In this Moment, The Life Lucy Knew, Recipe for a Perfect Wife, What Wild Women Do, The 4% Fix: How One Hour Can Change Your Life
Elevator pitch: A pregnant mother and art conservator becomes obsessed with a mysterious painting, leading her into a nightmarish descent where reality fractures, the supernatural seeps in, and both her sanity and her life hang in the balance.
What prompted you to write this book?
I’ve been an avid horror reader ever since picking up Stephen King’s Pet Sematary at age 10. When the idea for a possession story centered on a haunted painting came to me, I knew it was time to shift my perspective from reader to author. I’ve written nearly a dozen books, and this one has been the most fun I’ve ever had.
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
The idea changed constantly! It began as a short story with a completely different protagonist—a journalist—and a much more conventional “monster in the closet.” Then I read an interview with Rebecca Makkai in which she talked about choosing character backstories and careers. I’m paraphrasing, but her point was that writing what you know is boring, and that it’s far more exciting to learn about something entirely new. That stuck with me, and so I switched my protagonist from a journalist—a job I’ve held—to an art conservator, a career I knew nothing about. From initial idea to publication, the process will have taken about four years, though I’ve been talking about writing a horror novel since my debut in 2015.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
One of the biggest and best surprises was how much access I was given while researching art conservation. I was fortunate to connect with a paintings conservator at the Art Gallery of Ontario, who generously opened her world to me through many behind-the-scenes, “day in the life” experiences. Her time, knowledge, and insight were invaluable, and she helped shape Tilly into a much stronger and more authentic character. I also came away with a deep appreciation for the skill of conservation—and for art, more generally—which was a wonderful by-product of writing this novel.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
This book was a genuine joy to write. Drafting is usually the most challenging part of the process for me, but the first draft of Mother Is Watching flowed in a way I’d never experienced before. It felt fun, almost effortless, and deeply satisfying creatively. The alchemy of the right timing meeting the right idea, perhaps.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
I like to say this novel comes with a “side serving of vegetables” because there are heavy themes related to motherhood, control of women’s bodies, and female agency. But it’s also deliciously dark and disturbed, and full of chilling, discomfiting moments that I hope readers find both creepy and entertaining. As well, I do hope readers are as fascinated by the art conservation elements as I am.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
Be curious. Curiosity makes the work fun, even when it’s hard. And figure out how to get, and keep, your butt in the chair because (unfortunately) books don’t write themselves!
