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I've been writing for a long time. I sat down to write my first novel in the middle of March of 1982.

I had a few stories and longer pieces published, but my first proper novel came in 2003, called 'Dead I Well May Be.'

I read the newspaper avidly. It is my one form of continuous fiction.

When I began to write seriously, 40 years ago now, my chosen form was the novel.

The first writing I did was short short stories for a newspaper syndicate for which I was paid five dollars a piece on publication.

My first YA novel, not many people have read. It's a fickle business. There's a degree of timing and luck involved.

I've written thousands of stories, started hundreds of news cycles.

My first novel was rejected by some of the most eminent publishers in the world. Starting again was a real wrench.

After starting as a journalist for newspapers and magazines, I began to write books and had success with a novel and four nonfiction books for young adults.

I was twenty-seven when I began to write seriously, and after two years of rejections, my first book, 'The One in the Middle is the Green Kangaroo,' was accepted for publication.