The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience How NY Times Bestselling Author Alma Katsu Writes
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Oct 23, 2026 Alma Katsu, a New York Times bestselling novelist and former CIA and NSA intelligence analyst, discusses her remarkable path from national security to fiction. She explores the evolution of her dark storytelling, the research behind Incarnate, and her reimagining of Dorian Gray for the AI age. They also discuss social media disinformation, generative AI, plotting, horror, and Stephen King’s surprise blurb.
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From NSA Aptitude Test To First Novel
- Alma Katsu entered intelligence after testing well for an NSA role, expecting to stay briefly but building a full career across NSA, CIA, and the Pentagon.
- She returned to writing at 40, earned a fiction master’s degree, and spent ten years developing the novel that became her debut.
How Intelligence Work Prepared Her For Fiction
- Intelligence work trained Katsu to handle long- and short-form writing, strict formats, rapid deadlines, complex ideas, and extensive factual detail.
- Those habits overlap strongly with novel writing, where disciplined communication and comfort with complexity support both research and storytelling.
Why Katsu Keeps Crossing Genre Boundaries
- Katsu’s career moved from dark romantic fantasy to historical horror, contemporary horror, and spy fiction as markets and opportunities changed.
- Her literary training keeps character at the center, even when she works inside genre conventions or blends multiple genres.
