I've visited hundreds of schools, bookshops and libraries where I’m always asked questions about The Extraordinary Life and Work of Roy Apps.

Here are my TOP TEN FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)!:

1: Where do you get your ideas from? (Emma from Walsall)
Every Sunday morning I go down to the retail park just off the orbital and get a couple of bags of them from a shop called 'Ideas R Us'... Actually I go around looking and listening for things that might be good material for a story. The problem writers have is not getting ideas, but sorting out the good ones, chucking away the rubbish and working out what ideas go with what.

2: Are you a Man U or a Chelsea supporter? (Andrew from Manchester)
SHOCK RESULT: B&H Alb. 6 - ManU 0... Seagulls new boss, Roy Apps, said, "Now that I'm in charge, things will get better and better - just wait till we tackle Chelsea!" Excuse me. I’m Brighton & Hove Albion supporter. Also Known As The Seagulls. Despite being in Football League Division One, we don't have our own ground (yet), but we do have our own Poet-in-Residence. In fact, my son Tom and I are the only Seagulls supporters in the village

3: Have you ever had a real job? (James from Surrey)
Jobs I have done: farm worker, clerk in tax office, cleaner, care assistant, gardener, teacher, youth club leader, radio producer.

4: Have you written a lot of books through the years? (James from Exeter)
I've written fifty books. I’ve also written loads of television comedy and drama, such as 'The Ghost Hunter', 'Barmy Aunt Boomerang' and 'Byker Grove'. I write for radio, mainly BBC Radio 4 and the children’s shows on BBC Radio 7. I also write for the theatre.

5: What do you like writing best; books or television? (Christopher from Glasgow)
I like the variety of doing both. With book writing you are on your own: just you in the world of your book. That's exciting. With television there are hundreds of other people - actors, directors, designers, technicians - who all have a role in telling your story on the screen. That's exciting in a different way.

6: What's your favourite children's book? (Kate from Chesterfield)
This can change from week to week, depending on what I’ve been reading. 'Two Weeks With the Queen' by Morris Gleitzman and for teenagers/young adults (and old adults) 'Northern Lights' by Philip Pullman are two that have stayed with me. But my favourite of all has to be ‘Tom’s Midnight Garden’ by Philippa Pearce.

7: Are you married? (Siobhan from Yorkhsire)
Yes and my wife's name is Carol. We have two sons called Joel and Tom. Our family also has a dog called Rosie, a cat called Meg, two rabbits, eleven chicken, three ducks and four sheep.

8: What do you do in your spare time? (Rashid from Birmingham)
I read, I listen to music, I listen to the radio and I pretend I'm an incredible jazz pianist. I share a nice meal with my family. I walk the dog and I capture escaped chickens while waiting for son no. 1 to come out of the bathroom or for son no 2 to get off the computer. After that, I don't usually have any spare time. If I do, I put it in a drawer and save it till later.

9: What are your ambitions? (Yasmin from London)
To stay happy and healthy and to discover a way of getting into yoghurt pots without getting messy
.
10: What's your fave food? (Vicky from County Down)
Anything that comes straight from our garden: raspberries, tomatoes, spuds, apples, pears and herbs.

11: Do you like Harry Potter? (Omar from Kent)
Well, he’s an OK kind of guy, I suppose. Mind you, he does obsess so about that scar on his forehead. I mean, if he’s really so bothered about it, why doesn’t go into a clinic and have a Botox job like any other celeb would?

Hang on! That’s eleven FAQs!. You said there would be ten!
So now you don’t have to ask me what my worst subject at school was.
Find out more about Roy –and your other favourite writers at:

http://www.wordpool.co.uk/ap/apcontents