Paul Manship

Q: What were you like at school?

Shy and swotty. Quietly funny. Not good at sports

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

A film-maker. I actually started a course in University called Film and Literature

Q: Which three words describe you best?

Introverted(shy) Creative Imaginative

Q: What is your favourite word?

Blancmange

Q: What makes you cringe?

I'll have to think about this one

Q: What are you afraid of?

Public speaking

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

Watching my youngest daughter dance around in front of the TV during the adverts - which she does regularly

Q: What is your most treasured possession?

Not really possessions but my family (wife and three beautiful daughters) My possessions tend to be books, CDs, DVDs

Q: What do you do as a hobby?

Haven't really got time for hobbies, being a full-time teacher and writer - but reading, watching films, listening to music, messing about on the piano

Q: What strange habits do you have?

My wife will have to tell you. I can't think of any, but I must have some. I'm pretty OCD.

Q: What’s your favourite food?

Egg, beans, sausage and chips Not exactly healthy, is it?

Q: What do you day dream about?

Flying Not having to work for a living

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

I'm too shy to be outrageous I might be getting a tattoo soon, though

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

Film director

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

It depends what mood I wake up in

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

My dad, Gerald, who passed away a while ago

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

Kindness and consideration to others

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

South Africa I lived there as a child for a short while in 1967

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

Treat other people the way you would like them to treat you Be true to yourself Don't be afraid to dream

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

I would like to be more confident I think confidence helps you reach your goals, achieve your dreams

Q: What has life taught you?

The importance of family and friends

Q: How long have you been a writer?

nine years

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

The Millennium and reaching the age of 40

Q: Where do you do your writing?

In my bedroom but my first novel was written on the upstairs landing right outside the bathroom. Lovely!

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

You get to be almost god-like in creating your own universe You need commitment.You need bum-glue ie to sit yourself down every day and write

Q: Where do you get your greatest ideas from?

My pupils Observing people generally (keep a notebook) Reading books and watching films Dreams Imagination

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

All three of my main characters so far are underdogs. That must refelct something in me I suppose

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

Just keep writing. Writer anything. It might be rubbish but you can change it later Or go for a long walk

Q: What was your favourite book as a child?

The Hobbit by J R R Tolkien

Q: What book do you wish you had written?

Every good book I've ever read The Harry Potter Books The Butterfly Lion To Kill a Mockingbird Catcher in the Rye Loads more

Q: What advice would you give to aspiring authors?

Read a lot Write what gives you pleasure. If you like what you're writing, the chances are someone else will too Concentrate on character. Create a really interesting main character and put them in an interesting situation. Don't be too fancy with adjectives etc Sometimes, you can try too hard. Just tell the story