Today I am talking with Captain Bud Orr and his co-author in both literature and in life, his wife Fran. I want to thank them for taking the time to do this interview for my readers. So sit back and enjoy.
1) What made you decide to start writing?
Fran:
Good question. I have always loved writing and reading. I began writing children’s stories while in high school. After taking an Ira Progoff Intensive Journal Workshop I started writing my personal memoir. I continue to journal in the mornings.
Bud:
My major in college was journalism but I did not pursue journalism as a career – instead I became a navy carrier pilot. My unique flying experiences made for great stories worth sharing.
2) Did your experiences drive you to write or did your desire to write lead you to record your experiences?
Bud:
We began by writing my experiences and the story was originally titled, Cheating Death and encapsulated many of my flying adventures including day and night carrier landings, combat in Vietnam and being the first Navy pilot to fly the AV8-A Harrier with the Marine Corps operationally in the United States.
Fran:
I realized our story had historical significance that crossed boundaries in time to provide a glimpse of Vietnam forward as the progeny of the World War II matured.
3) Is “Love at First Flight” a love story set in war or war story built around love?
Fran:
Love at First Flight is an adventure story with a glimpse of the magnificent fraternity of carrier pilots who wear the Navy Wings of Gold with insights into the women they love.
Bud:
My flying career was unique and replete with excitement – including our courtship and marriage aboard the USS Enterprise in the Philippines where the captain of the carrier gave her away. We are the only couple to be married on the aircraft carrier in her fifty year history.
4) Bud, tell me about the first time you met Fran.
Bud:
We met on a blind date on New Year’s Eve. A mutual friend set it up. I took Fran to the Lemoore Officer’s Club and could tell she was captivated with the camaraderie of my squadron mates. That was great, but I wanted time alone with her away from the noise and suggested we leave and I would tell her a flying story as a way for her to get to know me better.
5) What was the first piece of writing you did that left an impression on you?
Bud:
I have a story to tell and have written several talks where I felt I communicated something meaningful to my audience.
Fran:
My memoir is titled, Dusty Memories which begins my journey as a child of migrant farm workers, born into poverty and deprivation. An agent with McMillian who read my proposal said she would be interested in publishing my story if I had name recognition.
6) Whose idea was it to write the book? Bud or Fran?
Fran:
From my answer above you can guess that I started the process. As Bud mentioned at first the story was just his flying adventures. Working with our agent we became aware the more interesting story was combining Bud personal encounters with extreme danger, including day and night carrier landing (over 1000), combat in Vietnam and flying the AV8-A Harrier with my childhood and history – including our courtship and marriage aboard the USS Enterprise in the Philippines.
7) At what point did you realize that this story was bigger than just the two of you?
Bud:
Throughout the story you gain insights into the military family who make the required sacrifice of loneliness and long separations while providing their utmost support to the men they love.
8) What writers inspire you?
Fran:
John Steinbeck (first and foremost as he understands my heart) C.S. Lewis, Julie Cameron, Sonia Choquette and Ayn Rynd. For fiction I enjoyed Suzanne Brockmann’s Navy Seal series and Jodi Thomas wrote a western series I have read a couple of times on holiday.
Bud:
Fran is a voracious reader of fiction and non-fiction. She usually directs me to what she knows I would enjoy reading. She is seldom wrong. I have enjoyed reading Gene Cernan, John McCain and Bill O’Reilly.
9) Who began writing first? Bud or Fran?
Bud:
Definitely Fran
Fran:
Bud has an incredibly organized mind. When I had difficulty putting my memoir into a timeline he just listened to me and was able to establish one I could use with great success. He also has a gift of coming up with the perfect word at difficult moments in writing.
10) Do you have any other projects in progress?
Fran:
We will continue to promote Love at First Flight and when the time is right we will see Dusty Memories published.
Bud:
We are working daily toward the success of Love at First flight and are involved in speaking, marketing and writing daily.
11) Is there anything else you would like to add before we conclude?
Bud:
It has been a wonderful, rewarding experience to have my exciting flying stories combined with our unique romance and marriage published. So many people say, “I really should write my story.” To each and everyone we encourage them to start writing.
