STAR INTERVIEW
http://www.writers-online.co.uk MARCH 2020^19and very sharp. I’ve always gravitated to writing about smart
people. I’m a big believer in multiple intelligences – Squib
doesn’t have the greatest start, but he’s street-smart, river-smart.
All my kids have smarts in some areas. One of the Fowl Twins is
academically smart, the other has amazing instincts. I think even
sporting agility takes a kind of intelligence I don’t understand.
There was a time when if you weren’t good at maths people
thought you were stupid. But now things have improved and
teachers will look for the thing you’re good at.’
Eoin found himself writing for children almost by accident.
‘I was teaching ten-year-olds the myths and legends of Ireland,
and there wasn’t a book that gathered them all together, so that
was my first writing for kids. I’d add in jokes which would really
help, and the kids would absorb the information because they
didn’t realise it was a lesson. So it was a short step from there to
writing my own stories. It took a long time to get published, I
was 32, with Benny and Omar – my first fish out of water book.’
Benny and Omar was published in 1998. In 2001, the first
Artemis Fowl book was published, and changed Eoin’s life.
‘Artemis Fowl gave me the freedom to be a writer full time. When
Artemis Fowl came along, I was still working and my life was
transformed. It came out of the box and in weeks it was in the
top three and I was travelling the world going into classrooms
and libraries. For me it was like being in a movie – and a lot of
hard work for five years to build up the brand. And then I took
the time to enjoy it.’
Eoin thinks that what propelled Artemis Fowl’s success was
the fact that he’s in control of his world. ‘I was really surprised
with Artemis Fowl. Benny and Omar had a very realistic young
boy – a bit cheeky, a bit irreverent – but at heart a good person.
And some newspaper articles in Ireland said he wasn’t a good
example for young readers. I thought, when Artemis Fowl comes
out I’m going to get nailed. I think because it was so obviously
not meant to be real life it worked. What kids like about Artemis
Fowl is not that he’s a criminal, but because he has control.
He has a driver, he plans his trips, he has his own independent
funds. I think when you’re twelve you can get quite frustrated,
you see yourself as close to being an adult but you get treated
like a five-year-old. Artemis Fowl has agency and purpose beyond
what he’s given, and that’s what appeals to people.’
He doesn’t believe in talking down to his readers. ‘Though
my books are fast-paced, they’re not simple. I will never present
things on a platter and I will never stop making kids think.
One of the things I had when I was young was that I read my
parents’ books and I would not understand some words. I loved
finding out what they were. It’s a good way to learn dialogue and
vocabulary. I don’t have any problems using advanced scientific
vocabulary in my books.’
The ideas for Eoin’s books come from all over, and he’s
mindful about keeping tabs on them. ‘The stories arrive over the
years. I’m very much a collector. If I have the faintest idea I write
it down in a folder. I usually have B projects when I’m working
on something and by the time I get to the end of the A project
chances are that one of the B projects will be my next project –
usually one of the ideas is more robust than the others.’
Success has brought him the luxury of time to write, and plan.
‘I pace myself a lot more now. If you have babies and a job you
have to make use of those two hours and do everything quickly.
Now I take my time. One of the greatest gifts of Artemis Fowl is
that I can go for a year without needing to make any money, so I
can do a few theatre things. I love that, and I love collaborating,
and now I can ring up PJ Lynch and Oliver Jeffers, and we can
have a discussion.’
The discipline of his life as a teacher still influences his
working practice. ‘I have a little office in the garden and I like to
keep working hours. So I like to do a teacher’s day – I keep the
hours I used to do.’
He’s keen on writing for enjoyment. ‘If I have an idea, I go
with it and write four or five pages of the beginning, or the
middle, or the end. It might be a character description or a
snippet of adventure. If I like it I’ll do a plan. I used to head
full tilt at it but if there isn’t enough there you have to abandon
a book. I’ve done that a few times. So I have a structure, or a
skeleton. But I don’t always write in sequence, I go for it and
write it, and then put it together like a jigsaw puzzle. That keeps
the excitement going.’
Because reading and finding a tribe of like-minded people was
so important for him, he believes aspiring writers should do the
same. ‘I never met a writer who wasn’t a reader. But I meet a lot
of young writers who think they have to shut themselves in a
dark room and write that way. And I’ve done that. I often say,
don’t isolate yourself. Get out there. Even if your personality is
black jumpers and eyeliner, find more people with black jumpers
and eyeliner. You need to gather ideas. Join a book club, go
on a writing course, get out there and have as many – safe –
adventures as you can.’