What was your first job as a journalist?
Writing for The Stage newspaper (UK)
Have you ever used a typewriter?
For years before the advent of the processor.
How is social media changing news?
For the worse.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Mervyn Armstrong in my own novel, A Perfect Being'. (Well, if you don't love your own characters why are you a writer?)
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Find the story behind the story behind the story.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
Matt cartoons
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Just the story, the provenance, and the tone required.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
MacBook Air, Word processor, my brain.
What's your favorite social network?
Facebook, but I hate most of them!
Who do you wish followed you?
All who seek the mysteries of the weird human race.
Why did you become a journalist?
Only as a side career to my show biz one.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Didn't have one, but I was a leading light in the Drama Society.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Always the latest. In this case, my new novel, 'The Land, The Land'.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
See previous answer on stories.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Currently 8.00 - 20.00 (Australia time)
What's the best pitch you ever got?
This is the best pitch you'll ever get.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
How do I start my first book?
What's your favorite drink?
Champagne
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
In the pool or on the golf course.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
The Spectator.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That any novice can write a book.
