Interview with Deby Fredericks, writing under the name Lucy D. Ford, author of Masters of Air and Fire, a novel about dragons, mountains, and fire – oh, my!
Hello Deby, many thanks for taking the time to talk to us about your new book Masters of Air and Fire.
Fredericks/Ford: Thanks for the invitation!
SFFWorld: First off, let’s get the pen name out of the way. Why did you release this book under the name Lucy D. Ford and how did you come up with it?
Fredericks/Ford: My children’s work has a different byline (Lucy D. Ford) than my fantasy directed at adults (Deby Fredericks) because the two genres are so different in tone that I was concerned about readers being confused over what they were buying. I initially chose “Lucy Ford” because I thought it had a nice rhythm and sounded All-American. (And, we could do a whole other interview on why I thought I needed a byline to sound All-American.)
Later I discovered that an edgy rap group called The Atmosphere was using “Lucy Ford” as a character name to symbolize oppressive and conventional thinking. Not the connection I wanted to draw on as a children’s writer! So I have been using “Lucy D. Ford” for several years now.
SFFWorld: For those not familiar with your latest book, tell us what’s it about.
Fredericks/Ford: For whatever reason, most of what I write is involved with family in some way. In this case, Masters of Air and Fire is a family drama where the family are wyrms (a.k.a. dragons). The underlying issue I wanted to explore was the relationship between humans and wyrms. Could both species be allies, or would one inevitably domesticate the other?
SFFWorld: I really enjoyed the rivalry between your sibling dragons. Are they based on or inspired by children you know?
Fredericks/Ford: I didn’t use specific kids, because child privacy can be a touchy issue for parents. However, I drew on my experience as a parent and education worker to hit on some kid-types that would help me make each character distinct. So you have Orlik, “the responsible one,” Yazka, “the agressive one,” and Romik, “the gentle one.” I’m glad to hear that my strategy worked for you.
SFFWorld: I’m a fire ecologist and I also work with a number of volcanologist. So, when (spoiler alert) Hot Mountain blew, it was pretty cool to read about the aftermath and how your dragons had to negotiate their new terrain. How much research did you do to have to realize those scenes or have you experienced a volcanic eruption?
Fredericks/Ford: I was living in the Northwest when Mt. St. Helens erupted in 1981. It was a dramatic event that stuck with me. Some aspects, such as the sun appearing blue, are based directly on that experience. Also, because St. Helens is in the United States and we have good recording and scientific capacities, this eruption was really well documented. I was able to find lots of information on the sequence of the eruption — earthquake, then explosion, then landslide — to use in my storytelling.
SFFWorld: Are there plans for a follow up novel?
Fredericks/Ford: Typically I do not write series, but you never know! I do have another pair of books centered on a family of Elves, but those aren’t ready for prime time, as they say.
SFFWorld: How did you start writing? Was there a particular book or moment in your life that spurned you on?
Fredericks/Ford: It’s always been a talent of mine. Fortunately I’ve had the time and resources to pursue it. I started writing consistently in my senior year of high school, when my bus got me there an hour before I had to be in class. What should I do with this time? I tried to write my first fantasy novel, just to see if I could. I couldn’t, but I did learn the value of consistently writing at the same time every day.
Through college and into young adulthood, I continued writing. For 15 years I was involved with a Dragonriders of Pern fan group that had an awesome newsletter. By the mid-Nineties, I had done as much as I could with that format. I decided to step up my game and write original fiction again. That’s been my path ever since.
SFFWorld: What are your thoughts on good/bad reviews?
Fredericks/Ford: I get so few reviews that for me every review is good! Of course, a negative comment stings a bit, but I try to let go of that and keep on with my current story.
SFFWorld: What is the hardest thing about writing?
Fredericks/Ford: Writers today are under lots of pressure to conform. Each genre has tropes and expectations, and there’s pressure to write whatever is selling as if stories are a product from an assembly line. Editors can be resistant to work that isn’t by-the-numbers.
Some writers thrive under those conditions. I don’t. My stories don’t always fit those neat categories. I understand and accept that this limits my prospects in some ways. But in other ways, I open possibilities to tell stories in ways that haven’t already been done. So for me the challenge is to stay fresh and independent.
SFFWorld: What do you do when you’re not writing, any hobbies?
Fredericks/Ford: I am a gardener. I love growing things and making something beautiful from the bare earth. I’ve also been interested in the environment throughout my life. I often use native plants as a way of preserving habitat for native pollinators.
SFFWorld: What kind of books do you read, any favorite authors?
Fredericks/Ford: Ursula K. LeGuin and Patricia McKillip are my idols. They both write beautifully yet think deeply. I also enjoy Jim C. Hines and his humorous fantasies with a heart.
SFFWorld: What sort of challenges, as a writer, have you faced before your first book was published? Any insights you would be able to share for those aspiring writers seeking advice?
Fredericks/Ford: First, I had to find my own voice and gain confidence as a storyteller. Then, there’s always the difficult search for publishers who value what I write. It came more easily in some ways for “Lucy D. Ford,” because the magazines I sell to have such a specific audience. I’ve also been lucky to find a publisher in Sky Warrior who appreciates what I write for adults.
However, some of my works that straddle the boundary between juvenile and adult have been harder to place. Those ones I will eventually podcast or self-publish as a collection.
SFFWorld: What’s next, what are you working on now?
Fredericks/Ford: Although I’m not much of a series writer, Sky Warrior did request a sequel to my 2012 novel, The Seven Exalted Orders. After that, I plan a follow-up to The Grimhold Wolf, as well.
SFFWorld: Fantastic! I look forward to reading them. Thank you for joining me.
Fredericks/Ford: It’s been great — thank you!
Masters of Air and Fire is available on Amazon.com and BN.com.
© 2015 N. E. White / Deby Fredericks
