Author Interview: Freya Pickard, Fantasy
I’m Freya Pickard, a Fantasy Author, who’s recently published Fire Daughter.
From Planning to Published
When did you start writing and why?
Author: Stories have always bubbled up inside me and have to be written out. I enjoy the telling of stories and enjoy telling others my stories. I’ve found that if I don’t write, I become a bit weird and frustrated. Therefore I always write out my ideas, even if they don’t gel the first time round. Nowadays it’s as necessary to me as eating and breathing. Writing is my life!
Are you indie, traditional, hybrid, or vanity, and why?
Author: I’m an independent author. I do everything myself with some help from 3-4 beta readers and Jonathon B. Hoyt who does the cover designs for me. I tried the traditional publishing route prior to 2014 but it was very expensive, sending MSS through the post. Because I don’t write for a particular marketplace (I write for myself, from the heart) my work doesn’t really fit into traditional publishers’ marketing schemes. In 2014 I nearly died of cancer and that made me change my outlook on my entire life. I decided to self-publish in 2016 and haven’t looked back since! I am a control freak and enjoy being in charge of the entire process from the first word on the first page to marketing my books once I’ve published them.
What is your publishing process?
Author: I write. Then I draft. I work on my writing a lot. I ask my beta readers to see if I’ve made any mistakes. I work on it some more until I am happy. Then I publish it! The whole process takes 1-2 years as I have very high standards for myself.
What platforms do you use to publish your works?
Author: I use KDP (one has to) as well as Draft To Digital as I like to make my books available on a variety of platforms. I have plans in the future to venture into Smashwords and Gumroad too.
What do you think is the most critical marketing component or tactic for becoming successful?
Author: Having a LOT of money in order to promote your work online.
How do you define success as an author?
Author: Getting the book written is a major success. Getting the book published is also a major success. Getting paid for my writing is a bonus. I suppose I’d consider I was properly successful as a writer when all of my books has at least 20+ positive reviews each!
About Your Work
What type of content do you write and why? Fiction Novels? Poems? Songs? Screenplays? Short Stories? Epic?
Author: I write Fantasy novels that are on the Darker side of Happily Ever After. For instance, Silver Fire has an attempted rape scene in it which some fragile readers found offensive. I’m not sure why, as the victim attacks the rapist and stops him from committing the vile deed. I prefer to embrace the dark along with the light – life has shown me that if you ignore the bad things that happen to you, you’re not living your life to the full. I like to reflect this in my writing. The Kaerling series is an epic fantasy that deals with prejudice, fate and freedom of choice. I prefer writing in the Fantasy genre as opposed ‘Real Life’, as there is more scope for dealing with senstive issues such as prejudice and sexual matters.
How many works have you published?
Author: To date I’ve published 15 e-books and 7 paperbacks.
Can you tell us a bit about your most recent publication?
Author: My most recent book is called Fire Daughter, a paperback, and it contains volumes 4 – 6 in The Kaerling series. I publish 3 e-books before publishing the paperback. Originally I had planned to publish just paperbacks, each with 3 sections. I soon realised that readers nowadays prefer to purchase e-books, so I adapted my plans. Fire Daughter contains the e-books Olin Heon, Hidden Lands and Aura Vere. The paperback introduces new characters to The Kaerling storyline; Lored, a taku-kevir from Olin Heon and Tari, an acolyte in the Temple in Aura Vere. The first two sections deal with Lored’s quest to discover the truth about his mentor’s demise and then his journey to find a new purpose in life. Tari, meanwhile, has her quiet Temple life disrupted by a new priestess, a new acolyte and the sinister kaerlings who question everyone. The third section re-introduces the storylines of Otta and Erl who are desperate to reach the kaerling boy Derri before his kaerling family find him once more. The four storylines are drawn together at the end of the book, making way for the third paperback to begin!
Available on Amazon
What do you want your readers to get out of your works?
Author: I want readers to immerse themselves in my worlds, to experience the good and the bad in a safe environment and to come back to the real world refreshed and renewed and inspired.
What has been your favorite part of the writing and querying or publishing process?
Author: My favourite part of the writing process has always been the first draft. It’s a virgin page. I have my notes so I know where the story is going, but really, anything could happen! I love the flow of words, that tapping into my creativity deep within my soul and producing pure poetry on screen. I love the sensation of being a medium between the muse and my readers. I’m a channel for the story to come through.
Have you always read in the genre you wanted to write in? Do you think that’s made it easier or harder to create new stories?
Author: I read a variety of genres; Fantasy, Science Fiction, Poetry, Romance and some Faction. I write the kind of Fantasy I enjoy reading and feel satisfied with. I learn a lot from other writers; either how to improve my writing or how not to write! No book is ever useless – even if I don’t enjoy it, I learn from it in some way.
Struggles
What has been the hardest thing to overcome on your journey to authorship?
Author: Discovering that most of my friends and family aren’t actually interested in my books! Despite people in my life always showing a polite interest in my work, most of them have never bought a copy of my work. Once I realised this, I concentrated on maintaining friendships with people online who were genuinely interested in my books. Gradually I’ve let go of everyone else which has been an extremely releasing and cathartic process.
How do you keep yourself motivated?
Author: I’ve had one brush with death and that has made me concerned that maybe I won’t get my three score years and ten. This provides me with a huge amount of motivation to get The Kaerling finished as soon as possible.
Fun Stuff
What do you listen to while you write?
Author: I have an eclectic musical taste and prefer to listen to Leonard Cohen whilst composing poetry but I find writing new drafts to Billie Eilish, Ghost of the Robot and Disturbed particularly inspiring! When I’m drafting, I rarely listen to music as I need to hear the words out loud.
Where do you write your stories? A tiny office? A loft? The kitchen table? In the bushes while you secretly people-watch like a total creeper? Or a warm café with mocha in hand and feet up on an ottoman?
Author: I write in a snug office that I share with my soulmate who is very understanding – eg if I have headphones on he understands that I cannot be disturbed, even if the world is ending. I look out over a field of Devon Ruby Cattle and in the distance I can just see the moorland hills. I use the scenery to rest my eyes and consider the next paragraph on the odd occasion that my creativity falters.
What book are you reading at the moment?
Author: I’m currently reading “Requiem for the Bastards” by Chris Sendrowski. It’s the second novel in his Dregs of the Culver Waste series. I love his writing because it’s so visual, visceral and unpredictable.
What have you learned about yourself from the writing and/or authorship process?
Author: To be a writer you have to be selfish and learn to say to ‘no’ to other people in order to write. I’ve learnt not to worry if I offend or upset someone who doesn’t understand my need to write. If people don’t understand that Writing is my life, despite me explaining this many times to them, it’s not my problem, it’s theirs.
What is your favorite writing snack and drink?
Author: I find eating either a handful of seeds or nuts or dried fruit mid-morning keeps my energy up. I tend not to eat sugary snacks because I get such a low mid-afternoon. Biscuits are for tea time after I’ve finished writing for the day! Favourite drink is peppermint tea!
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
Author: Write what you know and enjoy the writing process.
Readers can follow me at:
About The Author
Amy Harwell, CEO and Creative Director
Indie Author, Multi-genre Self-Publisher since 2016
Wonderful interview! It must be wonderful to have a view while writing of cattle in a field. Best of luck to Ms. PIckard on her continued writing journey.
Freya is an amazing author! Her works takes readers on adventures using imagination and depth in such entertaining ways.
I have read every novel she has written, and always eagerly look forward to the next release.
Thank you, Freya, for sharing you talent with the rest of us.
Interesting and inspiring interview, thanks!