Lackey used to save her allowance "to order [Norton's books] directly from Ace," she told interviewers Rebecca Taylor, Gayle Keresey, and Margaret Miles in
Voice of Youth Advocates (
VOYA).
In 1972, Lackey graduated from Purdue University with a degree in biology, but worked as an artist's model around South Bend, Indiana, where she eventually landed a job in computer programming at Associates Data Processing. In 1982, Lackey moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, and found a computer programming job with American Airlines. She remained there until her writing began to fully support her in 1990.
Lackey began writing stories for science fiction/fantasy fan magazines while working at American Airlines. "Whenever I wasn't at work, I was bored out of my mind and needed something to do," she told Sinor. Known as "zines," the publications usually feature stories written by fans of well-known worlds created by authors who sometimes, but not always, sanction these fan-produced additions to their original creations. Lackey wrote for Fortune and Glory, Shadowstar (which frequently publishes stories related to "Star Wars" themes and characters), and Dragonlore. The first "Diana Tregarde" stories appeared in Shadowstar.
In addition to writing for the magazines, Lackey attended science fiction fan conventions.
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