12 Curly Questions with author Paul Whitfield

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you.

I am still a little afraid of the dark. That’s kind of embarrassing at my age.

2. What is your nickname? 

I get called Pablo quite a bit and by friends who don’t even know each other. I don’t know why, I don’t think I look much like a Pablo. 

3. What is your greatest fear?

I don’t really have a 'greatest' fear, more a low level of concern about heaps of things. Perhaps if you combined them? So, falling from a great height, while trapped in a tight space, having just eaten something that will make me sick (all while in the dark).

4. Describe your writing style in 10 words. 

Fast paced, funny and offbeat adventures with no boring bits.

5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.

Inquisitive, imaginative, surprising, fragrant and punctual.

6. What book character would you be, and why? 

Westley/The Dread Pirate Roberts, from William Goldman’s The Princess Bride. He beats the bad guys, comes back from the dead, finds true love and looks cool the whole time.

7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why? 

I’d pop back to 1888 and pick up a few cheap Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Gaugin paintings. A couple for the house and a couple to fund my soon-to-be luxury lifestyle.

8. What would your 10-year-old self say to you now? 

My 10-year old self would be way to busy playing football to talk to me.

9. Who is your greatest influence? 

My kids. They decide what time the whole family gets up, what we eat, and what we do on the weekends. They also make me constantly try to be nice.

10. What/who made you start writing?

Other writers. There is no better inspiration to write than reading great books. So, Raymond E Feist, SE Hinton, Robert C O'Brien, Terry Pratchett, Evelyn Waugh… The list is massive.

11. What is your favourite word and why? 

Ephemeral. It means momentary or brief, and it sounds like a puff of smoke – just the way it should.

12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Catch 22, by Joseph Heller. It’s smart, funny, horrific and hopeful. What more could you want from just one book?

Paul Whitfield was born in Sydney, Australia, moved to London, England and to his surprise ended up in Paris, France. He is the author and illustrator of the McSnottbeard books (a second one comes out next year). He also draws a lot, paints when he can, loves his family and is a journalist - though not necessarily in that order. You can find out more about him at www.paulwhitfield.net.