July 2008

Thanks for the nice comments, Yana. As far as finishing stories goes, there's no easy answer, you just have to stick with it. If you're halfway through a story and want to give up - don't! Just write a really rough version of what happens in the second half of the story. It doesn't matter how badly written it is - just MAKE SURE YOU GET TO THE END IN WHATEVER WAY POSSIBLE, NO MATTER HOW RUBBISH. Then put it away for a week or two. Forget about it. When you finally take another look at what you've written, you will be amazed at how easy it is to make the bad bits better. For me, the hardest part of writing is getting to the end of the story, so I sympathise with you. But, hey! If I can do it, so can you!

The fairy may return in a later book, Lilith - we'll see, we'll see. And you may tell your granny that I have a very neat garden but quite an untidy house. Hmm, a little like Mr Gum, in fact. Uh oh.

Hi Issie, Holly, Eleanor and anyone else you forgot to mention. In answer to your question, I resemble lots of my characters in different ways. Like Mr Gum, I have a beard (though it's far less scruffy). Like Friday O'Leary, people sometimes think I'm a bit strange. Like Polly, I am loyal and (occasionally) brave. Like Jonathan Ripples I eat too many snacks between meals. And like Alan Taylor, I am a gingerbread man with electric muscles.

Oh, absolutely definitely unreservedly completely and utterly NOT!!! Would YOU?!!

Yes, I've been to both cities a couple of times and I loves 'em, I loves 'em both! New York, New York - so good they named it twice! Berlin - so good they um... named it once! But it's still good. Both of those cities make me very happy and they've got nice buildings and pretty ladies.

Oh, Tomas. I can't possibly answer that, you'll have to work it out for yourself. I'm sorry to hear you can't stop laughing, by the way. That must be very embarrassing for you when you're on the bus or during maths exams.

Dear Helen/Gladys/Strange Woman Who Doesn't Seem to be Able to Separate Fiction from Reality: Martin Launderette says he does indeed remember a stripy sock with the letters 'GP' stitched into the heel; but unfortunately he sold it on eBay and has since spent all the money trying to win Vera Blimey's love with chocolates, roses and those stupid little teddies holding big red hearts. Be more careful with your footwear next time.

Hello, Twinnies! Strangely enough I have often thought about putting some twins into a 'Mr Gum' book. I'm not sure I've found a good story to write about twins yet - but if I think of one, I will definitely do it.

Yes, Samuel, the 'Mr Gum' books are published in lots of different languages: Portuguese, Italian, Korean and lots of others. I have seen some of the foreign editions, they are awesome. For example, in Italy You're A Bad Man, Mr Gum! is called Sei Un Mostro, Mister Gum! Isn't that excellent? We might put some extracts from the foreign editions up on this website, stay tooned!

Do you mean does he ever turn into a real man when no one's looking? Or do you mean will he ever turn into a real man in the future? In both cases the answer is probably no. He is what he is.