Fun London is the author of three books for young readers (and young-at-heart adults): Lost in the Woods, The Wonderkind, and The Dog Prince. He brings joy to readers through his writing and encourages people to have fun. Fun London has always been fascinated by words and language. He spoke English and French at an early age. Despite being an avid reader (by the time he was twelve he had read the entire World Book Encyclopedia including the two-volume dictionary), he spent many days as a child outdoors exploring nature, earning an early nickname Natureboy. He could identify and draw every native plant and animal, and would often be seen hiking the nearby Pennsylvania woods with a pad and pencil in hand. In addition to writing novels and short stories he works with children as a private tutor in Florida. I was fortunate that Fun graciously took time from his busy schedule to grant me the interview that follows:
Can you identify a moment when you knew you wanted to be a writer? What was that moment like?
For me, it happened the first time a friend of mine rushed over to me at a party and asked me to tell a story I had told her. By the time I finished, everyone was in tears laughing. I loved being able to create that kind of impact with words.
Did anyone encourage you in your writing? Did that encouragement make a difference?
I once had a professor who gave me a D on a paper, covered it with red ink corrections, yet made one small note at the bottom that it was an interesting idea. I took that as great encouragement. The point being that if you want to write, don’t be too needy for validation, and ignore criticism. Just write.
Do you have any future plans to explore other genres in your writing?
I never met a genre I didn’t like.
Do you have a “day job” in addition to your career as an author?
I work as a private tutor.
Describe the self-discipline required to write a book. Do you have any writing rituals?
To paraphrase the king from Alice in Wonderland, “I begin at the beginning and continue until I get to the end. And then i stop.” And, as the queen of hearts said, “Sentence first, verdict afterward.” The important thing is getting lots of words onto the page. Once that happens, you can always go back and fix or rearrange, etc. As far as rituals, a quiet room and a comfortable chair are about all I need.
How would you describe your writing style?
I’m not sure I am qualified to answer that. I write to communicate and to engage and entertain the reader through the characters I create. I do not like to waste words, so perhaps “lean” might describe my style. (Let me know if you figure out what my style is. I’m not much for self-examination.)
Give a brief description of each of your books, and tell us what a reader can expect to take away from reading your work.
The Dog Prince is a classic fairy tale written to entertain the children in all of us. You will travel with the storyteller to the land of Brink where a dog becomes the prince of an entire country.
The Wonderkind is a fanciful tale in which a boy falls overboard and finds himself in the amazing world of an ancient race living beneath the surface of the earth.
In Lost in the Woods, the reader meets Jack, a boy whose tragic life desperately needs a little magic. Jack gets some unexpected help from Allen, a talking squirrel who leads him on an adventure in the woods.
I try to write stories and books that are fun, that have action, that make you laugh, that entertain, and that remind the reader that life can be a great adventure.
Your works are not strictly for children, are they? Talk about the way your books appeal across the spectrum of age groups.
I think of children as people with small bodies who have not yet lost their enthusiasm for life. I appeal to that quality and encourage that attitude in anyone, no matter what age.
What considerations went into your decision to become an indie author?
Mathematics. The shortest distance between two points is a straight line.
Are there any authors whose work has influenced you or whose style you particularly admire?
Many. Names like Mark Twain, Jonathan Swift, Rudyard Kipling come immediately to mind. And let’s not leave out Dr. Suess.
Do you have any works in progress you’d like to share with us?
I have more plans for The Wonderkind.
Do you have any encouragement or advice for aspiring writers?
I encourage aspiring writers to write. I advise them to write. Don’t think. Write. I think you get the point. And by all means have fun doing it. I certainly am. 