Blog
How I Write Fiction: The Unplanned Journey
by Karma Kitaj | Blogging | Jul 24, 2026
I never knew what my stories would be or which characters would appear. I followed them wherever they led — and loved coming back each morning to find out what would happen next.
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Researching Beguiled: How Miriam's World Came to Life
by Karma Kitaj | Blogging | Jul 24, 2026
Writing Beguiled meant becoming a detective. The West End of Boston, Frank Shay's blue door, Romany Marie's salon, vaudeville theaters — here's how Miriam's world came to life.
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Researching Becoming: Hallie Flanagan and the Federal Theatre Project
by Karma Kitaj | Blogging | Jul 24, 2026
To write Hallie Flanagan as Miriam's mentor, I dug into archives at the Smithsonian and Library of Congress, spoke with professors who knew her, and traced the HUAC interrogation that ended the Federal Theatre Project.
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From Writing Stories to Painting Stories — the Journey
by Karma Kitaj | Blogging | Jul 6, 2026
When I began painting, I was already immersed in writing my first novel, Beguiled. Writing a historical novel takes a lot of research in various archives where the original material is stored...
Read more →One Woman Defies Convention in the 1920s — What Are the 2020s Saying About That?
by Karma Kitaj | Blogging | Jul 6, 2026
Looking back on my first novel, Beguiled, I recall that I struggled with how to convey my protagonist Miriam Levine's decision to entrust her 2-year-old son to her parents in Boston, while moving to New York to study acting...
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Why "Becoming a Woman of Substance" Feels More Relevant Than Ever
by Karma Kitaj | Blogging | Jul 6, 2026
The 1930s were a time of profound crisis in the United States and the world. The Great Depression had thrown millions out of work. Breadlines stretched around city blocks...
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More Real People in My Historical Novels
by Karma Kitaj | Blogging | Jan 16, 2022
In addition to the 3 luminaries I mentioned in my last post: Hallie Flanagan, Frank Shay and Romany Marie Marchand — there are a number of others that might intrigue you...
Read more →Writing Fictionalized Accounts of Real People in My Historical Novels
by Karma Kitaj | Blogging | Jan 16, 2022
One of the most fascinating aspects of writing historical fiction is the opportunity to bring real historical figures to life alongside fictional characters...
Read more →Preview of Next Zoom Talk for Becoming a Woman of Substance
by Karma Kitaj | Blogging | Dec 16, 2021
The next free talk (on zoom) will feature the real people who become fictionalized characters in my historical novels. Writing about real people from history can be challenging, sensitive, exciting, and...
Read more →The Old West End of Boston: What Not to Do With Urban Renewal
by Karma Kitaj | Blogging | Dec 16, 2021
The home neighborhood of my protagonist Miriam Levine was the West End of Boston, where she was born to Jewish Russian immigrants in 1900. I was looking for a community that was densely populated, multi-ethnic and multi-cultural...
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Federal Theatre Project During the Great Depression
by Karma Kitaj | Blogging | Dec 14, 2021
The 2nd topic in "History in Historical Novels" that I discussed in my 1st zoom event was the innovative Federal Theatre Project, funded by Congress through the WPA...
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Becoming a Woman of Substance is Alive and Thriving
by Karma Kitaj | Blogging | Dec 13, 2021
Please remember that my new historical novel, Becoming a Woman of Substance is available for purchase in Print and Kindle versions on Amazon. The audio will be available shortly...
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I Finished Writing Sequel to Beguiled
by Karma Kitaj | Blogging | Mar 26, 2021
Becoming a Woman of Substance is born. I've completed ALL of the countless versions of my 2nd novel (4th book) with the masterful help of editor Amaryah Orenstein and beta readers...
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Writing Fiction With More Showing, Not Telling
by Karma Kitaj | Blogging | Sep 21, 2020
My sequel to BEGUILED is a historical novel taking place between 1938, when the Great Depression is still evident, to the 1970s. Most of the story covers the years 1938-1942...
Read more →Writing About Racism in 1930s
by Karma Kitaj | Blogging | Jul 15, 2020
I'm writing the sequel to the first novel that was published in 2018. It covers the period between 1938 - about 1950. The protagonist Miriam meets a man 10 years her junior on assignment from the Federal Theater Project...
Read more →Looking for TITLE for Sequel to Beguiled
by Karma Kitaj | Blogging | Jul 5, 2020
Would love to get help in finding a memorable title for this sequel. Here is a short synopsis of this story, which follows the protagonist, Miriam Levine Butler from 1938-1942...
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