To listen to me talking about MY BOOKS AND THE PROCESS OF WRITING go to http://www.orionbooks.co.uk/author_audio_interview.aspx?athid=5558

Why did you become an author?

It was all my daughter’s fault. She wanted a story about a truly nasty Witch ?and who was I to deny her? For more info, go to the BOOKS section of the website, and look at THE DOOMSPELL.

I'm less than 18 and I've written a book. How can I get it published?

I get asked this all the time, which is why I've put this question so high up.  I'm sorry to say that all my research indicates that it is almost impossible if you are less than 18 years of age to get a mainstream publisher excited about what you've done. So many people are writing books aimed at young people these days that it's tough even for excellent and experienced adult writers to get published. Publishers rarely want to hear from any new writers, and certainly not  young people. I think Christopher Paolini (of ERAGON fame) was 17 or 18 when he signed a deal for that book, but it was a total exception. Normally publishers find nothing of interest in authors this age, and certainly not younger ages. However, listen to me: that should not stop you writing! Good writing is all about learning the art of storytelling, not instant fame. You can get instant fame on TV just by being an idiot, but to gain a reading audience you have to learn the craft of writing, and that takes years of hard work. Here's my advice: form a writing group of like-minded people, write stories for each other, and test them out in your groups. Be supportive of each other. Also, choose published books you love, and dissect what to see what makes them so terrific. That way you'll be learning, and writing as well, improving your skills. If you are are young writer determined to get published no matter what the obstacles, and you live in the U.K, then your first point of call should be a group called YOUNG WRITER, who will give practical detailed advice on the publishing industry. You can contact them by email (editor@youngwriter.org) or send a letter to Young Writer, Glebe House, Weobley, Hereford, HR4 8SD. If, on the other hand, you just want a place on the web to post your own short stories and poems or drawings/artwork you might want to take a look at the Stories from the Web site (www.storiesfromtheweb.org) managed by Birmingham Libraries on behalf of libraries around the UK who subscribe. The website is split into three parts aimed at Early Years, 8-11 year olds and 11-14 year olds.  You can browse a virtual bookshelf, read extracts and author interviews, and send in your own stories, poems and book reviews, plus read the work of people your own age. Take a look ...

I'm an adult and I've written a book. How can I get it published?

The single best piece of advice I can give you is to make sure you get your novel edited professionally before you submit it to a publisher. New authors in particular generally make the same kind of mistakes, and don¡¦t think for a minute that a publisher will be willing to overlook these or make allowances if they like your story. They won¡¦t. They are looking, as far as possible, for a finished product that requires a minimum of editing. Competition is so horrendous these days that if you¡¦re a new writer trying to break into an already overcrowded market your manuscript simply has to stand out. I¡¦m shortly  about to start helping adult authors (no one under eighteen years of age, I¡¦m afraid) with this. If you¡¦d like me to look at your story and give you advice on plot and characterization contact me by email, but I will charge you ...

Even once you have a professionally-edited masterpiece burning a hole in your desk, aching to find its way into young people¡¦s hands, it¡¦s tremendously difficult to get a publisher to take on a new author. The book trade tends to regard them as high risk as they have no  proven sales record. When it comes right down to it, there is no magic formula for getting publishers interested in your work. Unless you have inside contacts in the publishing world, everyone does the same thing - reads 'The Writer's Handbook' or 'The Writer's and Artists Yearbook' (both updated annually) which list out publishers, agents etc alphabetically. 99/100 of these people will reject your advances - sometimes brusquely. If you think you've written something terrific, keep your spirits up and just keep going until you find someone who will read you. One bit of advice: if you come across an agent who wants a 'fee' (normally a few hundred pounds) to represent your book to publishers, they are con-merchants. Report them if you can. A true agent never demands any up-front 'administrative' fee.     

Do you ever experience writer¡¦s block? How do you overcome it?

I have a theory about writer¡¦s block. It doesn¡¦t exist. Usually writers get stuck because they are unclear what story they want to write, or how to develop their characters. In 95% of cases, if they can resolve those two questions ¡K writer¡¦s block miraculously disappears ¡K

What is the best piece of advice about writing that you have been given? Who gave you the advice?

 The best advice I ever got was from an American, John Truby, who runs story-writing courses. He made me realize that you must above all else makes sure that your main characters have strong desires for things. THEY MUST REALLY WANT SOMETHING BADLY. Whenever you respond strongly to a character it is because they have a strong desire for something. Think of Harry Potter. Harry Potter is desperate to know more about his parents. Ron Weasley is desperate to prove himself. Hermione is desperate to be seen as the best student. Voldemort is desperate to kill Harry Potter. Or think of Lord of the Rings. Frodo is desperate to destroy the ring. It is not something he¡¦ll do if he has time after tea on a Sunday night if he gets bored. He is willing to sacrifice everything and go literally to the ends of the earth, and die if necessary, to achieve it. We love characters that are passionate about things.  One of the most common mistakes young writers make is that they just have things happening to their characters. An event occurs, and they just react to it. That¡¦s not good enough. They must want something badly. As Truby says, ¡¥The most important thing you can do as a writer is to give your characters strong desire lines that the audience understand and identify with all their heart. If you do that, the audience will willingly follow your characters to the ends of the earth.¡¦

Why did you decide to write a ghost story?

'Breathe: a ghost story' came about initially because my wife, Ciara, said that since I keep writing scary fantasy stories, I should write a proper scary story for a change. For her that meant a ghost story. When I started to look at what ghost stories  were available for young people, I was surprised. There were plenty of funny ghost stories. There were also plenty of ghost stories that were meant to be scary (like 'Goosebumps') but weren't. But where was the story to keep you up at night? I decided to write one.       

What children’s books did you like as a boy and what do you like now?

I hardly read any books at all until I was about 10 years old. I only read comics. The first book I loved was The Magician’s Nephew by C.S.Lewis. I also remember really getting into Enid Blyton’s Famous Five adventure books. When I was about 12-13 I discovered Alan Garner’s fantasies The Weirdstone of Brisingamen, The Moon of Gomrath and Elidor. I still don’t think any better pure fantasy has been on offer since those Garner books written 40 years or so ago.
However, the range of brilliant young fiction works available now is so much greater than when I was a boy. So many excellent writers and illustrators also back up their fiction with fantastic websites as well  - take a look at Caroline Lawrence’s website (www.romanmysteries.com) and Lynne Chapman's (www.lynnechapman.co.uk).

What is the best part about writing?

The writing itself. I spent most of my life in the computing industry doing a job I never enjoyed that much. I'm utterly convinced now that there really is no substitute in life for a creative career, but it's only really possible for older people, who've slaved away for years doing something else, to understand this fully. I also love visiting schools and other groups, to talk about books and share what I know about what makes the best stories so powerful (Please see the Schools section for more details).
Oh, and the other great thing is getting fan mail. Especially fan mail saying things like this. I quote: ‘Compared you J.K.Rowling is an amateur?(!); ‘I thought The Doomspell was the best book I’d ever read, and then I read The Scent of Magic? Or how about this one: ?SPAN class=booktitle>The Doomspell is the best ever book written by human species.?BR>Topping that one could be tricky …though just recently the Dani family in Australia sent me this, which is typical of the sort of generous-spirited correspondence I get from fans around the world . Such letters really make a difference. I thank everyone for writing such lovely things from the bottom of my heart ... Anyway, here are the Dani's ...

"I just want to thank you for the wonderful time you have given my family. We have just finished Silver World, which was fantastic. I read every night to my children and it was so difficult for them to wait for Silver World to arrive from the uk. It was worth the wait. Best of all was how much my son enjoyed it. I have two daughters aged 11 and 8, and my son is 10. I read Doomspell to them, which they loved, but it was the silver series that got my son. He would beg for me to keep reading (I would only read two chapters a night to spin it out). He told me I was meaner than TV the way I kept him in suspense. It is the first time in his life he has begged me to read and willingly come away from the TV.
So thank you so much. We look forward with great anticipation to future books you may write.

Yours sincerely

Mrs Kathryn Dani
Olivia, Alexander and Amelia Dani

Do you make a lot of changes in your books as you go along?

Yes. Endless. I never get anything right in the first draft. Take The Wizard’s Promise. In the original version I had a whole plotline where Rachel joins with Calen and the rest of the High Witches to fight together against the Griddas. Snip-snip ?removed. Also, Rachel befriended spiders which lived cosily inside her. Snip. Actually I stuck with this last idea for a long time. Some of the writing I did for those spiders I hated to part with ?especially the tough soldiers who are prepared to stay guarding her no matter what happens to them. I also wrote quite a bit more about the creatures inhabiting Ool. It all had to go in the end. I know what you’re thinking, loyal fan: What a tragedy! What a loss to the world! But you’d be wrong. It was a long enough book already. Those elements held up the story, as simple as that. But I added one thing: the Essa.

What is the worst part of writing?

When a book is bogged down in difficulty ?that can be very frustrating: you think you’ll never get it right. I've had this problem with the last book in each of my trilogies. Finishing a book ?and still not being quite sure if it’s any good ?can gnaw away at you as well. Otherwise –nothing at all. Or, at least, that's what I used to think. If I'm being truly honest, I was disappointed that the Silver Series didn't do as well commercially as the Doomspell series, though I think I understand why now. One of my favourite writers, Orson Scott Card, has these wise words to say about a career in writing...'Even if a degree of fame does come quickly and easily, don't count on it continuing. The critic who loved this year's book, will rip you up and down next year; the public that bought a hundred thousand copies of the last book may buy only ten thousand of the next. Bear it calmly. Fame comes and goes, but you - your life, your work, your family, your real friends - will still be there, year in and year out.'   

Where do you get all your ideas?

This is a question I’m asked a lot, and of course the truth is that I don’t know! No author does, unless it’s been given to them by someone else. Ideas are mysterious things. But one thing I’ve noticed is that many people think the ideas appearing in fiction books come perfect and fully-fledged into the author’s mind as you see it written on the page. There may be a few writers for whom this is true, but only a few. Just about all my ideas start off as very simple things anyone could think up. I’ll prove this to you. Lots of people tell me that they really like the physical description of the Witch Dragwena from The Doomspell. For those of you who have not made her acquaintance, she has a bald, pitted skull, four sets of jaws, armoured cleaning spiders and a snake-confidant and protector.
These ideas for Dragwena’s appearance didn’t come straight into my mind. All that came into it at first was that she was a nasty Witch. Initially, I wrote her as a pretty woman with a lifeless snake. Someone else then told me that maybe she should be ugly. So I gave her extra jaws. Then I thought about it again and gave her the spiders. Then I gave her snake a little personality. Each idea was separate, a little improvement. That’s how you write good ideas ?you keep looking at what you’ve got and simply asking yourself, ‘How can I make this more interesting??There’s no more to it than that. Which is why anyone can write a book, if only they’ve got the patience ?ah, but the amount of patience you need! Thousands of hours worth of patience to weedle and work away in tiny ways at ideas and characters and pacing ?that is what makes all the difference. Not many people, I suspect, are crazy enough to want to put themselves through that!

What future books are you planning to write? Doomspell 4?

I've just completed a ghost novel, which should be out in the summer of 2006. I’ve got a hankering to write a true-life survival story. My own Dad loved those kind of stories, and gave me an appetite for them. I'd also like to write a story about an angel and, getting back to magic, a tough story about a battle school of magic. I'm planning thatt right now. Perhaps at some point I might - might! - also consider writing a 4th Doomspell book (people keep asking for it!). For my latest novel thoughts go to the LATEST NEWS section of the website.

Can you help me write better stories?

I give talks and workshops where I present my views about what elements are required to write really powerful stories (Please see the Schools section for more details). I think these ideas can be followed by anyone, regardless of age, to dramatically improve fiction writing.

What advice would you give to a budding young author?

Probably the single most important thing to do is read,. By reading you experience different styles of writing. You also develop your vocabulary, as well as an ear and an instinct for what’s good and bad in writing.
A good writer is always, always a voracious reader.

Do I need to read your novels in a certain order?

No, but I’d seriously advise it. Otherwise you will certainly miss out on a lot, because the characters and plot ideas have been developed over preceding books. This is even more true of the Silver Sequence books than the Doomspell books.

What’s your idea of a perfect day?

Wake up refreshed after a good night’s sleep (I’m a terrible sleeper, so that’s important to me). Find that I’ve more fan mail than I can handle crammed in the letter box and on email. Look out the window and discover there’s a mountain out there that needs climbing. The gear I need is miraculously on my back and I walk, alone, in majestic scenery, without hunger or thirst. Come back to find a gorgeous meal waiting for me, and some exciting company. Of course, the next day would be different. Maybe I crack the funniest joke in the world. Or…Don’t ask a fantasy author a question like this! You’ll get a book of answers!

Are any of your characters based on people you know?

Yes. Rachel ?my daughter Rachel ?is the model for the Rachel in the Doomspell series. She’s slightly less brave in real life, she tells me, but I’m not convinced by her on that score. Apart from Rachel, no, not really. Of course, every author puts parts of themselves and other people they know in their books, but not in any direct intentional way, as far as I’m concerned. And the rumour that the ROAR's character is based on that of my wife, Ciara, is completely untrue.

What is your most embarrassing moment?

Mm. Do you really want to know this? If so, go to the About Cliff McNish page to find out more?/P>

Do you have a special place where you write?

I have a room, yes, which I’ve made into a study. Here I have my pc, my stereo (where I play music continuously as I write), pictures readers have sent me illustrating scenes from my books (I love these and seek more - send me more!), and an armchair for reading. Who could want more than this? A writer needs nothing more at all. I really think I could write just about anywhere if I had to ?as long as I had a pc.

Do you plan your stories?

I do now. The main reason is that it proves the whole structure works and there is some sense of an ending that’s worth heading for. When I first started writing this did not matter a jot to me ?and so The Doomspell got written without a scrap of a plan. But the amount of revisions I had to do afterwards!
As I’ve developed in experience, I’ve also come to learn that there are certain ways to create characters, place them in danger and develop storylines that are always likely to lead to more interesting and exciting stories. Please see the Schools section for more details on the talks and workshops I do in this area.
But ?but?but?spontaneity is lovely, too. If you are writing purely for your own pleasure, then it’s good sometimes to just let the words flow. However, if you are writing for an audience, and you only have limited time, or the outcome really matters to you, plan it, because the result will be better.
The mistake most young people make, in my experience, is to set off like a roaring train with a great starting idea, then half way through simply run out of energy when they realize they don’t know how to develop or finish it. I have some simple and practical ideas in my talks and workshops (see the Schools section) about how to avoid such problems.

Can you tell me when you will be doing any public events or signings?

Yes. They will always be posted on the Latest News section of this site.

What inspired you to write about magic?

My daughter, Rachel, wanted a book about a Witch and spells ?as simple as that! For a fuller story go to the Books section.

Who is your favourite character in the Doomspell books, and why?

Tricky one. Obviously I like them all. I like Dragwena, Heebra and Gultrathaca as villains ?and Morpeth for the opposite reason. If you forced me to pick out one character for special mention it might be Albertus Robertson from The Wizard's Promise ?perhaps because he’s such an unusual one. But I think I’ve got a new favourite now ?in my latest trilogy (can anyone guess who it is?).

Where did you get the names you use in the Doomspell trilogy?

I get asked this regularly. Readers seem to like the names, and some think I have a special technique for choosing them. Untrue! I don’t have! There’s rarely anything inherently good or bad about a name in itself (unless, that is, you choose a really idiotic name. Imagine, say, the wizard Gandalf in Lord of the Rings being called ‘Freddy? Freddy the wizard. Doesn’t work, does it?). As long as you avoid such pitfalls, what happens is that if you as a reader like a character in a book you simply GROW to like the name. It creeps up on you, until eventually if the book is good enough you can hardly imagine any other name being suitable.
In my case, a couple of the names in The Doomspell Trilogy are simply anagrams of friends names. Rachel, my daughter, came up with the name Fenagel. Dragwena ?a name lots of people like ?derived from a girl I hated when I was about 6-7 years old, my sister’s best friend, Rowena. Eric was named after my Dad. I had no particular name I wanted to use for the boy in the first draft of The Doompell but when, near the completion of the book, my Dad died after a long illness, there was no doubt what that boy was going to be called.

Did you find it hard to get published?

It depends on what you mean by hard. At the first Orion Children’s Party I attended (an annual event where the publisher’s authors and illustrators get a chance to meet up), I chatted to a writer who had sweated solidly for over ten years, on one book after another, without getting published. Now that sounds hard to me ?to continue believing in yourself, when you’ve had so much rejection.
On balance, I had it easy. The horror stories of rejected manuscripts, endlessly, endlessly rejected manuscripts, from other authors tells me I had it easy ?/P>

What are you main hobbies?

Playing golf, reading (obviously!), watching sport, walking, socialising with friends, eating live turtles (just joking). Boring, eh? I’m not exciting at all ?ask my wife! Ask my daughter, Rachel!

Have your books been published in other countries?

Yes. There are translations at various stages of completion of The Doomspell Trilogy underway in at least nineteen languages so far, which is great.

What do you do if you get stuck while you’re writing?

I generally get stuck when I haven’t quite decided where to take the plot, or a character. Once I’ve decided, and I’m sure, I usually write fluently enough. I believe that most so-called ‘writer’s block?is simply to do with this: not lack of inspiration, but lack of clarity about goals. When it happens I stop writing and think hard about what questions I need to answer before I can start again. Some other writers seem to be able to go onto another part of the book and work on that ?or even on to another book altogether. I can’t do that. I have to resolve the part that’s wrong before I do anything else.

When you write, do you wait for inspiration?

You must be joking! I spent the first four years of my writing life just trying to cram writing into a few stolen hours a week between long tracts of time at work and the usual things we all have to do when we get home, like eat, sleep, and maybe watch the news ?oh, and pay a little attention to my wife and daughter, too ?BR>That left me about 15 hours a week to write most of the time. I gave up other hobbies (only a dozen or so rounds of golf in recent years) and wrote whenever I had a spare moment. If you’re a budding young author, please don’t wait for inspiration. Believe me, the special inspiration place in your head really doesn’t exist. You get truly inspired ?and what that means is, you get your GOOD IDEAS and WRITE WELL ?when you are already writing, and the ideas and the best way to express them is coming from sheer immersion in the process of writing.
Most people can find a way to write well, in my opinion. It’s partly a matter of grasping certain techniques about character and storytelling which I cover in my talks and workshops (see the Schools section). After that, all you need is perspiration! It’s nothing to do with inspiration. It’s everything to do with having a certain hard-headed, mildly obsessed, determination to just work and work at it until you get it right.

Do you like the illustrations done for your books?

Yes, very much. I’m lucky enough to have an excellent and much sought-after illustrator of fantasy and science fiction, Geoff Taylor. You can see more examples of his artwork on www.geofftaylor.btinternet.co.uk.