Questions
After the live session Andy took part in a Glow chat, here are some of the questions that cropped up:
What job would you do if you weren't an author?
Well, if I could be anything it'd be a rock star - but anyone who's ever heard me play guitar or 'sing' will know that's never going to happen. So if I weren't an author I'd probably just have a really boring job in an office somewhere...
Is the character Mr Gum based on someone you know?
Luckily, no. When I wrote my first Mr Gum book I didn't know what story to write so I just thought I'd start with a villain. If you come up with a villain to start with, something's bound to happen. A plot will start to occur. So that was my thought. Then I thought what sort of villain would I like? And the answer was a really stupid, stinky villain. BINGO! Up popped Mr Gum!
What is your favourite book that you've written?
My favourites are You're a Bad Man, Mr Gum!, because I wrote it originally to make my young cousins laugh; Mr Gum and the Dancing Bear because it's sad as well as happy and because I love stories set at sea; and Mr Gum and the Secret Hideout because I just think it turned out really well.
Would you rather stay here or move to Berlin?
Well, I do say that I'd like to live in Berlin one day but to be honest my German is pathetic, so I'm probably better off here for the time being.
When you were a child, what was your favourite book?
My favourite book as a child is a tough one... I read a lot. I loved Fantastic Mr Fox and The Twits by Roald Dahl, the Mystery series by Enid Blyton and The Famous Five stories; and lots of others. I always say that my overall favourite book was The Eighteenth Emergency by Betsy Byars. It's a really sweet little book, funny and melancholy at the same time, and I recommend it to everyone who asks :)
Do you like dancing?
No, I don't really like dancing, I'm afraid. I'm not very good and a bit self-conscious. Every now and again I seem to get in a really good mood and turn into a BRILLIANT dancer (well, in my head at least) but that's very rare. Most of the time I just sit on the edge of the dance floor watching everyone else go for it. But I do like to dance at home in my bedroom where no one can see ;).
What are your inspirations?
I love books soooo much, a lot of them have been my inspiration in one way or the other. Authors like Roald Dahl, Enid Blyton... also the Asterix comic books, Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz, tons of stuff. Also music! Frank Zappa, Prince, Bob Dylan and tons of other crusty old guys you've probably never heard of... and also comedy - The Simpsons and other sitcoms all inspire me. It all goes into my head and comes out as weird stories.
Why did you want to be an author?
I wanted to be an author because I loved books so much as a child (and still do, of course). I didn't know exactly what I wanted to write but I always wanted to do something 'creative' - write a book, write a children's book, write a film or a sitcom or something... and eventually I finally sat down and did something! I wrote a story, and it happened to be a children's book (it was the first Mr Gum book) and that's what started me off on this whole thing.
What's your favourite book from Roald Dahl?
I love The Twits and I love Fantastic Mr Fox. I really love stories with tunnels in, and I find them really exciting. And that probably dates back to when I read Fantastic Mr Fox when I was a kid. I put tunnels in Mr Gum books 3 and books 4 because they're so awesome and exciting.
Do you have any other ideas?
I have lots of ideas but the hard thing for me is not coming up with ideas, it's doing something with them. The hardest part is doing all the hard work that takes an idea from being just an idea to becoming a whole finished story.
How many books have you written in your life time?
In addition to the eight Mr Gum books, there's a special edition of another Mr Gum book coming out later this year. It was originally published for World Book Day a couple of years ago but the new version's got all sorts of extra bonus stuff in. Then there's a book called The story of Matthew Buzzington and one coming out later this month called Sterling and the Canary. Finally, I've just published a horrible picture book called Here comes the Poo Bus! that was out last month. So that's 12 books I've written so far but they're not all out yet.
What is the best thing about being an author?
Probably the best thing about being an author is when readers really get into my books and know all the characters and can recite whole passages or songs or stuff from my books. It's really amazing to know that my ideas and writing end up meaning things to my readers. Also, sometimes you get to go to cool author's parties and meet other kids' authors and get free sausage rolls and crisps, I like that part too.
What is the longest story you have written?
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Not really. I think the Mr Gum stories have gotten a bit longer as they've gone on, so maybe book 5 or book 8 of Mr Gum are the longest so far.
How long does it take before you can publish a book from the initial concept?
My publishers like to have a fully finished manuscript 12 months in advance of actually bringing it out on the shelves - but in practice that very rarely happens with Mr Gum. I'd say that it probably takes me about 4 - 5 months to finish writing a book from initial concept to final draft - and then another 3 months or so to get it fully illustrated and designed.
Roughly how many books do you think you will write in your life?
I'm not exactly sure. As long as I keep having good ideas I'll keep writing new books. But I wouldn't want to get into the habit of putting books out there just for the sake of it. I try to make my books as good as possible.
Authors Live home
