age 3

Is there anybody you would most like to meet?

Everybody answers this question by saying Mandela, Clinton and Arafat. I'd like to meet my creative inspirations: Michael Crichton, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas or Joss Whedon.

Are you often confused with someone famous apart from yourself?

Not really. Although sometimes people mistake my brother for me.

Do you have any choice words to say in regards to the Media?

Dealing with the media can be scary. You have to watch your words very very carefully, because everything you say can be quoted. That said, I've had largely pleasant dealings with the media. Often the journalists I meet are either writing or have written books themselves - apart from the fact that they also write for a living - so we have something in common to start with.

My overall philosophy: I just try to be myself. It's too hard to be something or someone you are not.

What single thing has impacted your life the most?

Seeing Contest get rejected by every major publisher in Sydney. It galvanised me, made me more determined than ever to get published.

What single thing has been said to you that you'll never forget?

"Never let the sun go down on an argument." My mum told me that.

"You are not an aspiring writer. You are a writer." Jeff Arch, the writer of Sleepless in Seattle told me that.

"These are crazy people." Tom Clancy, talking on CNN, immediately after September 11, commenting on the similarity between the events of that day and his book, Debt of Honour, in which a man flies a 747 into the Capitol Building.

What is your single best accomplishment?

I think it's still to come.

If you could have any one gadget in the world, fictional or real (from movies, etc), what would it be?

Astroboy's boots or Boba Fett's rocket backpack.

What single (real) gadget do you actually have and use?

I have a Sony Clie (it's like a Palm Pilot). It's my second brain. If I didn't have it, I'd forget all manner of appointments. I'm looking to get one of those remote controls to unlock my front door, though, and my coffee machine is pretty cool...

What about gifts? What's the most innovative you have received?

Jango.

And what about the most, uh, bizarre gift?

My brother, Stephen, once gave me a full-size glass head. At first, I had no idea what you would use it for (unless you wanted to display sunglasses in a shop window), but then a few years later, I received the famous Jango Fett helmet and - voila! - put Jango on the glass head and it was perfect fit!

On violence, what do you think about the preconception that entertainment spawns criminals and violent offenders?

I mentioned the Tom Clancy quote earlier. Crazy people will do crazy things. You can't stop them. It doesn't mean that the rest of us can't enjoy the thrill of a well-made or well-told story.

What has been your biggest hurdle during your writing career?

Getting inside. The publishing industry is a tough one to get into, but once I was in, I was away.

How do you prepare for public appearances?

If I'm going on TV or radio to promote a new book, I will have prepared a 25-word summary of the book - because you have to be brief on those occasions, and when you have to be brief, it's best to be prepared.

If I'm giving a speech, I write it a few days in advance, and go through it once or twice. If I'm going to an event on, say, literacy, I'll just gather my thoughts on the topic before I go, so that if I'm asked a question on it, I'll be vaguely ready. For a book signing, I just dress smartly and grab a pen!

The thing is, after you do enough public appearances, you sort of get used to it.

What kinds of audiences have you spoken to, and on what subjects?

I've spoken to many audiences over the last few years. A group of influential citizens in Cape Town, South Africa, a dining room full of booksellers in Birmingham, England, and a mini-stadium filled with school students at Homebush here in Australia, not to mention numerous libraries around Australia!

Often I'll talk about writing and the benefits of reading, my own books and my own path to getting published (I spoke about this once for the Victorian Writers Centre). The big stadium event was for high school students and was on the topic of leadership (it was called The National Young Leaders Day and is held every year).

Has any single appearance been the most fulfilling, or most enjoyable?

That last one, The National Young Leaders Day was amazing. I was just as inspired as the kids were - the other speakers there were awesome.

How do you deal with the people who don't like your books, and tell you as much?

At first, it was hard (hey, no-one likes to be disliked), but I've developed a thick skin and a philosophy of: ‘you can't please everyone, and it's foolish to try.' If I can please a majority of people, then I'm happy. When you do something as public as writing a novel, your success or failure is very visible - and there will always be people who don't like your work and say so. You just have to accept that.

But I have also discovered something equally important: there are people out there who really were never prepared to like my books at all. You have to spot those people and realise that they have their own agenda, their own axe to grind, and it really doesn't have anything to do with you. But this is a lesson I had to learn. I didn't just know it.

When it comes to fictitious technology from your books, are you more inclined to: not tell peopleanything, convince them it's real, or tell the truth?

I'd prefer real technology. But where reality doesn't provide me with a good enough object, I'm happy to make something up!

Writing, for you, is obviously enjoyable. Which part do you look forward to the most?

Finishing a book. There's no feeling like writing that last chapter, that last page, that last line, that last word. You've been working on this project for so long, and suddenly the end is in sight. It's such a rewarding feeling.

There's a rumour about you making a movie, can I be an extra or stunt person?

I'd like to make a movie (and I have the script for it), but I think I'll have to write a new book first. Time has got away from me, and at this stage in my career, the books come first. Yes, you can be an extra.

Can I make coffee for everybody on-set instead?

If you prefer.

How do I get in contact with you?

Email through this website.

Is there any way I can be selected to compete in the next Presidian?

No. You have to be spotted by some alien beings for that to happen!

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