Interview: Eoin Colfer, Author of the Artemis Fowl Series
The mere fact that author Eoin Colfer is on a national book tour called the Fairies, Fiends & Flatulence tour should tell you something. What exactly can be left up to you, but please take away from the name that he writes in the realm of the fantastic -- with plenty of funny thrown in. Colfer, who lives in Ireland with his wife and two sons, recently released Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox, the sixth book in his best-selling series about a super-genius boy who happens to be a criminal mastermind. He's announced that it will be his last Artemis Fowl adventure for a while, though he says he will return to the character. Fast-paced, action-packed, and often hilarious, the Artemis Fowl books are just part of Colfer's extensive bibliography: The former school teacher has 16 books to his name, among them Half-Moon Investigations and Airman, two spectacular books for young boys (and, yes, girls so long as they like action and excitement) .
We were able to exchange emails with Mr. Colfer as he traveled the country on the Fairies, Fiends & Flatulence tour bus. He gave us tips for getting kids to read, how to encourage writing, and the best way to read a bedtime story.
You've said that The Time Paradox will be your last Artemis Fowl book for a while. How did it feel writing this book, knowing that you wouldn't be visiting Artemis in a long while? It felt a little sad, but also liberating as I get to explore other worlds for a few years, but I will be back. Artemis and company feel like family now.
Is the movie adaptation of Artemis still going forward? Do you have anyone in mind you'd like to see play Artemis?
The movie adaptation is moving forward quickly now that the script is nearly finished. Hopefully, filming will begin early next year. As for a boy to play Artemis -- I just hope that he is Irish so the accent will be okay.
How did having children affect your writing? Do your kids ever inspire your work?
When you have kids yourself, you tend to look at kid-kind in general with a kinder eye, so I think in ways my books have become gentler (no one notices this except me). As for my boys influencing me, they give me one-liners all the time. I have put both of them in the new book.
Do your kids have a favorite book of yours? What other books do you like to read to them?
My boys like The Legend of Spud Murphy, and a really old one called Going Potty, so those are the ones we read.
What advice do you have for parents whose children are reluctant readers?
I would try a trick given to me by a New York mother -- let the child stay up for half an hour extra so long as they read. It works.
What are your next plans, writing-wise?
I am in the planning stage for the next Supernaturalist book. More science fiction spooks.
You wrote while you were a teacher. How did writing affect your teaching and vice versa?
The more I taught the more I understood the children's wavelength, which helped me to be a better writer. The only down side was the time factor. It was hard to get the hours to write.
What is the best piece of fan mail you've received from a child?
I get a lot of fantastic stuff. I am a big comic book fan so I was thrilled to get a few pages of artwork from an Australian boy.
What advice do you have for parents whose children like to write or think they want to be a writer? How did your parents encourage you, as I read that you began writing in the 6th grade?
I think the best encouragement is to make it easy for the child to write. Give them space, time, materials and, of course, encouragement.
Your protagonists are seldom the epitome of brute force, instead using their brains to solve problems. What messages do you hope to send to kids with your books?
I hope the kids enjoy the books and want to keep reading, that is the main message. Other than that I think my own thoughts on family and the importance of intellect come through.
Which of your characters do you most identify with?
I identify with Foaly, the smart-alec computer geek [from the Artemis Fowl books].
What tips do you have for parents who want to tell a good bedtime story?
Telling a story is all about committing to it. Act out the dramas, do voices for the characters. Don't be half-hearted or the listeners will know!
To learn more about Eoin Colfer, visit his website at eoincolfer.com.
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