Mark Robson

Q: What were you like at school?

Hardworking, but not very bright! I was very average and not an 'A' student. However, I never let that hold me back. I dreamed big, worked hard and did everything in my power to make those dreams come true.

Q: What did you want to be when you were a child?

All I wanted to be from the age of about 12 was a pilot in the RAF. I picked my school subjects around it. I was in the Air Training Corps. I did as many things as I possibly could to make myself attractive to the RAF as a potential pilot.

Q: Which three words describe you best?

Tenacious. Outgoing. Focused.

Q: What is your favourite word?

Success!

Q: What makes you cringe?

Rudeness. Limp handshakes. Seeing someone is about to make an idiot of himself, but having no power to stop it happening.

Q: What are you afraid of?

Heights - strange given that I've done over 5000 hours of flying, but true. Snakes - of the poisonous varieties.

Q: When did you last have a really good laugh?

Last night when watching a classic episode of 'The Big Bang Theory'. The man who invented the character of Sheldon deserves a knighthood.

Q: What is your most treasured possession?

My grandfather's stamp collection. He was a collector for most of his life and accumulated a vast number of stamps. What makes them particularly precious is not their value (of which I have no idea) but the fact that he gave them to me some time before he died.

Q: What do you do as a hobby?

I belong to the local Tae Kwon Do club and will be attempting my black belt later in the year.

Q: What strange habits do you have?

I like to add a smear of marmite to peanut butter sandwiches. Try it. You might like it!

Q: What’s your favourite food?

Tough question. I love food ... too much. It's a constant battle to keep from eating too much these days. Beef Wellington would probably feature highly.

Q: What do you day dream about?

Having a film made from one of my books. I imagine many authors do this, so I'm probably in good company.

Q: What’s the most outrageous thing you’ve done?

All I can say is that it was flying related and I certainly shouldn't publish it here, as I might be arrested!

Q: What profession other than yours would you like to attempt?

Astronaut. I'd love to travel to other worlds.

Q: Do you feel younger or older than your current age?

That depends. When I get up in the morning, usually older. However, once I'm moving I would say that I'm fairly young at heart.

Q: If you could meet one person, dead or alive, who would it be?

Probably JRR Tolkien. I loved Lord of the Rings as a teenager and would love to have had the opportunity to talk with the author about the story.

Q: What quality do you most admire in a person?

Humility. Particularly in those who have achieved something special in any field.

Q: What is the most interesting place you have ever visited?

Wow! That's a tricky one as well. There are so many: Egypt, Greece, Crete, Turkey, Estonia, Iceland, Norway, Denmark, Poland ... I've been fortunate to travel to many corners of the world. Possibly the most interesting trip I did was to East Berlin before the Berlin wall came down. The contrast between the two sides of the city was amazing.

Q: What is the best advice anyone has ever given you?

It's not so much advice given as a life lesson learned: Never let a day go by without having something that you want to achieve. You'll be amazed how much you get done this way.

Q: What would you most like to change about yourself?

My ability to prioritise between family and work. I tend to be very goal oriented and can sometimes forget sentimental occasions like birthdays and anniversaries.

Q: What has life taught you?

Life is fascinating and short. There is always something new to learn, so time wasted is an opportunity lost.

Q: How long have you been a writer?

I took up writing as a hobby in 1996. I turned full time as a writer of children's books in December 2005.

Q: Was there a specific moment in your life when you decide to become a writer?

Probably at the point when I accepted the offer from Simon & Schusters for my book Imperial Spy. I was very much enjoying my life as a pilot in the RAF, but I realised that if I didn't give it up to try my hand at writing professionally, I would spend the rest of my life wondering 'What if?' I'm not the sort of person who could live with that.

Q: Where do you do your writing?

Anywhere other than at home. Cafes, pubs, the library, even in a local toy shop (they have a room for playing the games above the shop which is quiet during the daytime). I find that if I go out to work, I focus better.

Q: What are the best and worst things about being an author?

The best thing is getting to meet with my readers in schools, bookshops and at literary festivals. Meeting my target audience is very important to me - the feedback is what keeps me writing. The worst thing is probably the editing. My editors are very good, but I sometimes find it painful to cut out certain parts of stories that have been particularly difficult to write, or that I felt were brilliant.

Q: Where do you get your greatest ideas from?

No place in particular. The best bits tend to develop out of mediocre ideas as I'm writing. I've found that although I set out to write one story, often it will develop in ways I don't see coming.

Q: Which of your own characters do you most identify with?

As there is a part of me in every character I have created, that is also a difficult question. I probably relate most to the naive boy hero.

Q: What do you do to combat “writers’ block”?

I don't believe in 'writers' block'. I have good writing days and bad writing days, but so long as I sit at my computer for long enough, I normally produce something.

Q: What was your favourite book as a child?

The Enchanted Wood by Enid Blyton was a firm favourite as a young child. Once I read Lord of the Rings at the age of about 12, though. I never looked back.

Q: What book do you wish you had written?

Mortal Engines. I think Phillip Reeve is probably the best author for teens around at the moment.

Q: What advice would you give to aspiring authors?

Try to write something every day, even if it's just a few sentences. Writing is more about discipline than inspiration.