frequently asked questions
These are some of the questions that family, friends and students have asked me over the
years (sometimes with pretty worried looks on their faces). The whole process of writing
can, I think, look rather inscrutable from the outside, and lots of people who talk to me about
it are clearly unsure of what exactly writers do in order to get their stuff written. Hopefully
some of what follows will lift the veil from the mysterious world of the novelist...

The questions are divided into sections. Click on a section heading to be taken to that page,
and to read the answers.
the questions
Where stories come from...
Why did you start writing?
Where do you get your ideas?
Aren't some of your ideas pretty disturbed?
Did you have an unhappy childhood?
Do you base your characters on people you know?

Screenplays
How did you start writing screenplays?
What's the difference between a screenplay and a novel?
Which do you prefer writing?
When your script is filmed, it can't match what you've imagined. Isn't that weird?
How close is The Hole (the film) to After the Hole (the novel)?
Do you write original scripts or just adapt your own novels?

The process of writing
What's a typical day's work like for you?
Do you write longhand or on a computer?
Do you have any writing rituals or superstitions?
Do you plan your stories or just 'go for it'?

Practical questions
I've always thought I had a novel in me. What should I do?
I've written a novel. What next?
Can you introduce me to your agent?
How should I approach an agent or publisher?
What's your best advice for an aspiring writer?

Themes and characters
Are all your novels about children or teenagers?
There seem to be a lot of 'secret places' in your stories. How come?
Are you Martyn?
What really happened in the Hole?
Isn't Anna a bit like Sophie?
The Dandelion Clock feels different to After the Hole and Sophie. How come?
What do you want to do next?
under construction!
The 'Practical questions' and 'Themes and characters' pages aren't finished yet. Please try them again
in a week or two, when I'll have got round to writing up all the answers!