Author Interview: Elizabeth J. M. Walker on Dragons and Teenagers

She Dreamed of Dragons cover

Realms Young Adult Fantasy Literary Magazine: Will you give us a brief background about who you are and where you’re from?

Elizabeth J. M. Walker: I live in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. I currently work as a freelance journalist/photographer for an online community newspaper. I grew up being involved in dance and theatre, including writing scripts for dance theatre shows. Dancing often finds its way into my stories, including She Dreamed of Dragons. I’ve always loved books and writing.

Realms: For those who don’t know, can you give a brief synopsis of your debut novel, She Dreamed of Dragons?

Elizabeth: She Dreamed of Dragons follows a young dragon mage named Trina as she unwillingly attends a competition to find a new prince or princess for the fantasy world of Dorlith. The novel is a YA fantasy adventure, but is also suitable for Middle Grade readers.

Realms: What was it that inspired you to write She Dreamed of Dragons?

Elizabeth: When I was in high school, I remember watching the very first season of American Idol, when “reality TV” was first becoming popular. I thought it’d be fun to write a fantasy story about young people attending a competition to find a new prince/princess.

Realms: What appealed to you about writing from the point of view of a YA character?

Elizabeth: I write YA because the teenage years are such an interesting and life-changing part of life for everyone. Things like first romantic relationships, feeling like you’re growing up and changing into a new person, and making choices that will ultimately affect you for the rest of your adult life can all happen while you are a teen. It can be exciting, wonderful, frightening, and stressful––or a combination of all of the above and more. For a writer it creates a wealth of material for stories, whether they are contemporary fiction or fantasy.

Realms: What is it about Trina, the protagonist who is a dragon mage, that you think readers will find relatable?

Elizabeth: Even though Trina has magical powers, I still wanted her to be a very down-to-earth and “normal” character. I think some readers would be able to relate to her feeling awkward and unsure of herself, but her confidence grows throughout the story.

Realms: What would you like your readers to take away from the book?

Elizabeth: I would like readers to be able to enjoy a fun, fantastical story. However, on a deeper level, a lot of the book is about accepting others’ differences and accepting who you are.

Realms: Do you think adults have something to gain by reading YA stories?

Elizabeth: I have never stopped reading YA, even though I’m no longer a teenager. I think it’s an important part of life where many interesting stories can be told.

Realms: Currently, your book is only offered as an eBook and/or PDF. Are there any plans to have it available in paperback or will there be any sequels?

Elizabeth: I believe Musa Publishing is gradually adding all of their books to a Print-On-Demand option. A few of their books are currently available with this service, but She Dreamed of Dragons has not been added yet. Hopefully within the next year or so it will be available as a paperback.

I have ideas and outlines for sequels, but have some other manuscripts closer to being finished that I would like to work on before fully committing my time to a She Dreamed of Dragons sequel.

Realms: Since you are also a contributing author in our upcoming issue, we would like to know your opinion about us. Do you think it is important to broaden the YA Fantasy genre and open it up to short stories, poetry, and other writing forms?

Author Elizabeth J. M. Walker

Elizabeth: I think there are a lot of wonderful YA fantasy novels out there, but not too many places that focus on fantasy short fiction for the YA audience. I think it’s great that Realms is around to provide readers with some great fantasy short fiction and poetry.

Realms: Do you believe there is magic in the world? What kind?

Elizabeth: If you look in the right places….

Realms: What is it about YA Fantasy that draws you?

Elizabeth: Ever since my dad read The Hobbit to me when I was little, I loved reading about fantasy worlds. I enjoy reading to escape, and reading about a fantastical world is the best way to do so. There are all kinds of fun and magical ideas waiting to happen, but at the heart of good fantasy stories there are always great characters that bring everything together.

Realms: Which author(s) influence you the most?

Elizabeth: When I was a teen, the first YA fantasy stories I fell in love with were the Song of the Lioness Quartet and The Immortals Quartet by Tamora Pierce. I think she has influenced a lot of current authors who write about strong female heroines in fantasy settings. Some of my other favourite YA/MG fantasy authors that I find inspiring are Kristin Cashore, Maureen Johnson, Eoin Colfer, and J. K. Rowling.

Realms: What is your favorite YA fantasy story?

Elizabeth: I guess I would have to say Harry Potter. I think the first book came out when I first started high school, and the last book came out after I was done with high school for quite some time. Like a lot of people, I feel as though I grew up with the books, and Harry and his friends. I have a lot of fond memories of borrowing the books from friends at school, discussing the books while waiting for the bus, going to see the first couple movies together, watching the DVDs and bonding with new friends while living in university dorms, and the final book being delivered in a special box on a Saturday, even though we usually don’t get mail delivered on Saturdays.

Realms: If there was the kind of magic in this world that is in storybooks, what would you want to be or be able to do?

Elizabeth: I think it would be pretty amazing if we had fantastical healers who could heal every disease. And…I’ve always wanted to be able to teleport, so I wouldn’t have to spend time driving everywhere. I could also travel the world for free and be able to visit family more often.

She Dreamed of Dragons is a YA fantasy adventure that follows Trina, a struggling dragon mage, as she competes in a competition to find a new prince or princess for the fantastical Kingdom of Dorlith.

She Dreamed of Dragons can be purchased at:

Musa Publishing

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

Elizabeth J. M. Walker is also the writer of “The Sea Rider,” a short story that will be featured in the first issue of Realms. You can read an excerpt on our website.

Reacting to People who Dis YA Fantasy

Art from coolwallpapers.com. 

Travelers of the Realms,

At some point in your lives, you've probably come across that person, or maybe even multiple people, who disrespect YA fantasy, or YA as a whole, and sometimes, even the entire fantasy genre. Yesterday, we overheard a certain unnamed adult say to a group of writers (half of whom are fantasy writers) that when we interview professionals, we want to appear professional, and not some unshaven fantasy writer with a hoodie and stained jeans. This person basically insinuated that we lovers of fantasy (writers and readers alike) are nothing but bums. WHAT?!

We were shocked this person even dared to make that comparison. Half the room glared daggers at the speaker and, quite frankly, we were surprised the speaker wasn't incinerated on the spot from dirty looks alone. The other half of the room laughed nervously on our behalf, clearly as incredulous as we were.

So let's examine this bizarre perspective, shall we? After all, we know tons of YA fantasy readers and writers who carry themselves professionally on a day-to-day basis. And this speaker was stabbing more than just the appearance of fantasy writers, but also the genre itself. More often than not, people who dis fantasy just don't "get it." This is our nice way of putting it. Generally, these fantasy haters believe the genre is silly and does not present important lessons, information, or stories. They think it's all fun and pointless. They think, in much the same way that some people call anime "cartoons," that fantasy stories are for children.

News Flash: they aren't. But you, travelers, already knew that. Some of the greatest writers of our time are fantasy writers, like George R. R. Martin, J. K. Rowling, Tamora Pierce, Anne Rice, and stretching a bit further back, J. R. R. Tolkien, just to name a mere few. Fantasy often teaches endurance, loyalty, giving everything your best shot, knowing your friends from your enemies, and above all, hope that anything is possible with the right amount of effort and enthusiasm. Though it may not necessarily teach us real-life topics, fantasy examines the human condition and reflects it in an entirely unique way. Fantasy inspires readers to be creative and shapes us into the people we become.

This article is more like a preface to a new post we'll have up this weekend, which will be called, "Why Do You Love YA?" That article will, hopefully, supply you with articulate comebacks to the next person in your path who disses YA fantasy.

As Albert Einstein once said, "If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales."

Realms