My husband is still reading the first draft of The Tale of the Drakanox. Today he told me he had to stop reading it at work, because it was making him cry.
Now I need to figure out what part was making him cry, so I can know if it was at an appropriate plot turn!
Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my website, Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter.
Posted in Books & Movies, Writing About Writing | Tagged Deby Fredericks, fantasy writer, Tale of the Drakanox | 3 Comments »
This weekend I’m away at RadCon, supporting my re-release of Masters of Air & Fire, by Lucy D. Ford. This seems like a good time to mention Lucy’s other book, Aunt Ursula’s Atlas. This is a fantasy short story collection for all ages.
Unlike Air & Fire, Aunt Ursula was self-published, so it’s always been available as an e-book through Amazon or Books2Read. Paperbacks are also available directly from me. I can take PayPal or Venmo. Feel free to reach out in the comments if you’re interested in that option.
On a high shelf, in a hidden library,
There is a book of unknown wonders.
Open its pages. Explore mysterious lands.
See for yourself what lies within
Aunt Ursula’s Atlas.
Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my website, Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter.
Posted in Books & Movies | Tagged Aunt Ursula's Atlas, books for kids, Deby Fredericks, fantasy stories, Lucy D. Ford | 1 Comment »
This weekend I’m set to check one off my resolution to make 3 personal appearances in 2023. I’m going to RadCon in the Tri-Cities (Richland, Pasco and Kennewick, WA). Here is my schedule
2 pm, “Where Do Writers Get Ideas?”
4 pm, “Character Development”
6 pm, “Working With Editors: They can be your best friend or…”
8 pm, “Alternatives to Expensive Websites”
10 am, “A Conversation Between Writers and Readers of Speculative Fiction”
11 am, “Writing Older Characters” They aren’t all crones or grandpas!
1 pm, “Finding Time to Write”
4 pm, Reading. Will include Masters of Air & Fire and my other books by audience request.
7 pm, “The Role of Dialogue in Moving Your Story Forward”
11 am, “Bookstores and Libraries” How to present in a professional, credible way.
Yes, I am going to have a busy weekend! Maybe I’ll see a few friends there.
Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my website, Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter.
Posted in Writing About Writing | Tagged Deby Fredericks, fantasy writer, RadCon science fiction, science fiction convention | 1 Comment »
To follow up on my last post, about authors changing what they write based on real-life circumstances, this is where I confess that I’ve experienced the same thing. Not as traumatic as fascist uprisings, of course! However, like most of us, I grew up in the story telling tradition where problems are solved with fists/guns/swords. I came to question that approach when I began to work in education.
Think about it: at school, we spend as much time teaching basic civility as we do the Three Rs. We tell kids to use their words and have kindness, while all the shows and games they like are about running amok and taking what you want. This contrast is definitely what I was thinking about when I began work on the series that would become Minstrels of Skaythe.
You could say that it’s silly to worry. Kids know the games aren’t real. And then you hear about first-graders shooting their teachers.
As writers, we can’t just shake our heads about this. There has to be a response that changes the expectation. Instead of shrugging and saying violence is inevitable, we have to work harder to show there is a better way. Nor am I alone in this. There’s been buzz in the past few years about “hopepunk” as a genre with a more positive approach. Minstrels of Skaythe falls right into that category.
It isn’t that I planned to jump on a band wagon. I’m proudly iconoclastic and do things my own way. Still, it’s good to know that other authors reached the same conclusion that I did, and that, together, we are working to tell a different story.
Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my website, Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter.
Posted in Books & Movies, Writing About Writing | Tagged Deby Fredericks, fantasy writer, Minstrels of Skaythe, writing life | 1 Comment »
I had an interesting experience of reading recently. It was a second book in a planned trilogy when I pre-ordered it, but by the time it reached me, it was the conclusion of a duology. At first I didn’t realize. I just thought the ending was weirdly rushed. Plot arcs I expected to carry into a third book were cut short, and a hopeful ending felt forced.
Then I read the author’s note, and I understood.
When she started writing the first book, the author said, she was making dark predictions about the kind of future before us if fascism is not rooted out. After that book was released and while she was writing the second, the fascist tactics she had predicted began to happen in real life. She had thought she was being extreme, for cautionary purposes. It it turned out her predictions were mild compared to the actual events.
Watching things unfold was so upsetting that she had to end the series prematurely.
A lot of us can probably empathize with that. After the past five or six years, we may all feel a bit traumatized. Any author or other creative professional who attempts to address these events may feel overwhelmed. We need to be in the present in our own lives and coping with the reality.
What’s unusual, to me, is that the author actually made that decision instead of plowing through a third book anyway. There may be career implications, as she was contracted for three books and only delivered two. I’m sure she can manage, though. She’s a highly esteemed professional. It was just interesting to hear of the events that shaped her storytelling.
Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my website, Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter.
Posted in Books & Movies | Tagged Deby Fredericks, writer problems | 1 Comment »
Previously I mentioned that my husband has The Tale of the Drakanox for its first reading. This is important not only to reward his support for my writing, but to pick up plot issues, just like with any critique. He’s one of those readers who likes to guess what the ending will be as he goes. It’s both entertaining — as I get to smirk and say “no spoilers” — and useful to hear his predictions.
Some of the things he’s mentioned:
A character is trying to redeem himself. My husband isn’t buying it. Okay.
A character I meant to be kind of sketchy, he thinks is fun and enthusiastic. Um?
A character you’re supposed to worry about, he is worried. Success!
A major plot event he’s just getting too, he said “this isn’t what I expected.” That’s absolutely something to follow up on with him. What did he think would happen, how did the story move away from that, and was it a good plot twist after all? Reader expectations are important. My goal is both to surprise the reader and to satisfy their expectations. Not to say I’ll change things to fit just one reader, but it’s always good to address major stumbling blocks.
These blow-by-blow reactions are always fun, anyhow.
Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my website, Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter.
Posted in Books & Movies, Writing About Writing | Tagged Deby Fredericks, Tale of the Drakanox, writer problems | Leave a Comment »
I did it! I got the font to a size that Amazon’s AI will accept, and the paperback is officially ready for pre-orders. The official release is on February 1st, 2023. I therefore can present…
Drum roll please…
My latest masterpiece! Which actually is a re-issue from 2015. Masters of Air & Fire is a middle grade fantasy, aimed at readers from third to sixth grades. It’s a family drama where the family happen to be dragons, or wyrms. Three young wyrmlings are orphaned by the eruption of their volcanic home and must struggle to find their place in the world. Not only do they strive against each other, determining which of them is in charge, they also run afoul of some small, hairless, alien creatures called humans.
Some of the humans seem friendly. But do they have dark intentions toward the wyrmlings? Other humans are hostile, until the wyrmlings see them as captives with a shared purpose. Deciding which humans to trust is a major challenge of the book. The question of humans domesticating dragons is a sore point for me, and I enjoyed exploring that.
For more on this, there’s a whole post here about the early development of the project.
Orlik, Romik and Yazka are wyrmlings, living peacefully on the slopes of Hot Mountain. Until the volcano erupts, and they are separated from their mother. Alone in the world, these three wyrmlings struggle to find a new home among creatures alien to them: humans!
The book is available as an e-book through Amazon and Books2Read. The paperback is from Amazon only.
Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my website, Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter.
Posted in Books & Movies | Tagged books for kids, dragons, Lucy D. Ford, Masters of Air & Fire | 8 Comments »
The reprint of Masters of Air & Fire (in ebook and paperback) has been complete for a while… Or so I thought! Almost a week after I approved the layout, I started getting notes from Amazon’s AI that the font is too large on one exact part of the book. I’ve been patiently reducing the font size by 1 point and re-submitting. Eventually I’m sure I’ll get it right.
Meantime, I had ordered author copies as soon as I thought I was done with it. They aren’t scheduled to arrive until early February. I’m honestly curious whether my author copies will arrive with the font still in the size the AI doesn’t like, or if the shipment will be pushed back. I do hope it gets settled soon. There’s an appearance coming up in late February that I want to have these books ready for.
Work also continues on the follow-up to “Mistress Henbane,” my as-yet-unsold fantasy short story. Maybe it’s just as well the story hasn’t sold yet, because I keep discovering new bits of background info that have to be reconciled. And now, I’ll get back to that!
Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my website, Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter.
Posted in Books & Movies, Writing About Writing | Tagged books for kids, Deby Fredericks, Lucy D. Ford, Masters of Air & Fire, YA fantasy | 1 Comment »
Last time I dropped in a poll about why we write (or do our other art). So let’s get to those results!
Top response: “I enjoy telling stories.”
Followed closely by: “It’s my identity.”
Trailing responses: “It’s self-care” and “I have something to say.”
People can get focused on different measures of success, like sales figures and review ratings. It’s important to remember that writing (and other arts) are pleasurable and relaxing. Life is full of stress, so relaxation is something we all need, assuming we can cut through the stress and have fun with it.
Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my website, Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter.
Posted in Writing About Writing | Tagged Deby Fredericks, writing life | 4 Comments »
Recently, my attention was snagged by one of those online polls. “What does writing mean to you?” it asked. A good question, but the poll gave only two possible answers: 1) My job or 2) My hobby.
What caught me was the false choice that poll presented. To me, it implied that one’s writing (or any other art) should be judged solely on the basis of whether it makes money or not. Obviously a money-making job would be deemed worthy, and a mere hobby would be something inferior, a mere waste of time.
Frankly, this is an issue that a lot of indy writers already have to deal with. Well-meaning (or less well-meaning) family members may ask if we’re spending too much money on our little hobby. With the clear insinuation that we ought to be spending our money on something else the family member would approve of.
Rather than fret about this any more than I already have, I’m going to put forth that same poll with some options that I consider more thoughtful. I’m interested in what you think!
Have you read one of my books? Then it would be great for you to leave a review! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about me and my work, check out my website, Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter.
Posted in Writing About Writing | Tagged Deby Fredericks, fantasy writer, writing life | 1 Comment »
Wyrmflight 