Dear Reader
I’m hugely pleased that we managed to get Eoin Colfer as our star interview this month. And not only because Eoin is an extremely talented and popular writer, whose sales would be the envy of just about all of us. What excites me especially about Eoin’s story is his approach. He wrote in his spare time initially, and only found his niche when he stopped trying to replicate what other writers were doing. His style, voice and themes grew from making learning fun, for himself and his pupils. Once he stopped worrying too much about what anybody else, or the publishing industry, thought, his writing, and career, began to flow. And it’s clear he’s not stopped having fun ever since. His new book for adults, Highfi re, grew from making a start on what he thought would be another children’s book, but when his early drafts deviated from the plan and steering it back on track felt wrong, he simply embraced the change and committed to the new direction. And that’s a valuable example for the rest of us. All too often we try to find new ways to plough the same furrow, because our style or genre is somehow set. We decide early on what kind of writer to be, and resist anything that takes us off the ‘correct’ path. But don’t be too hard on yourself; let yourself enjoy your writing and follow interesting diversions. As Eoin’s example shows, you might not know the right destination until you find it.
So what are you waiting for? Get lost!