 -What started you on the road to becoming a writer?
 - I’ve always liked writing, but I didn’t think about writing books – and getting them published – till I did a part time course in creative writing at Bristol University. I did the course because I was just generally interested in writing – but there was a little bit of it that was about children’s writing, and that was the bit that got me going. I think this was partly to do with the tutor, Vivian French, who has written loads of children’s books and was really inspirational and encouraging – but it was also because I suddenly realised that if you write books for children, you can write about anything, anything at all!
- Which of your books are you most proud of and why? - I always find it very difficult to choose my favourite anything, so I’ll cheat and choose two. I like The Willow Man because it’s about things I really care about, and because I feel the different strands in it come together very well – it works. And I’m proud of Warrior King because it took a lot of research, but I don’t think the research dominates – the people do: and it was the people – Alfred the Great and his daughter, Athelfled – I was most interested in. And I really like the character of Cerys, silver-eyed and magical. - Where do you find the ideas and inspirations for your stories/work? - All over the place – my own family, interesting places, books and articles, museums and art galleries… -Which other authors do you like? - Susan Cooper, who wrote a sequence called The Dark is Rising, which I’ve re-read lots of times – it combines magic, myth and a real-life setting and characters, which I like: Phillip Reeve, who is incredibly inventive: Michael Morpurgo, whose stories are quiet but powerful: David Almond, who writes beautifully and finds the extraordinary within the ordinary: Mal Peet, whose book, The Keeper, is one of the best I’ve read in recent years: Kevin Crossley Holland, for his wonderful sequence about Arthur – and so many more! - Do you have a particular place where you prefer to write? - I usually write in my hut in the garden, looking out at the view towards Glastonbury Tor. - Tell me three interesting facts about yourself. - I was born with twelve fingers, I once worked in a salt factory, and I can’t catch for toffee. (Don’t know if that’s interesting or not – it caused me a lot of problems when I was at school!) - Do you have any tips for budding young writers in Devon? - Read lots and write lots. Get a notebook – a nice one, one that’s comfortable to write in, that lies flat and has lines the right distance apart – and write in it often – stories, character sketches, descriptions of things you’ve seen, thoughts, interesting things people have said. Keep at it, and see where it goes! | 
