I overcame these obstacles with skill, determination, brilliance and lots of moustache wax. Some of the challenges I had to face whilst writing children’s fiction were first to scale a very high wall, then scramble my way through a tunnel, avoid being shot at by a very disgruntled German neighbour then find my way to my study without stepping on the many slugs that have for some reason decided my hallway is a suitable place for a convention. What are some of the challenges you faced by writing children’s fiction and how did you overcome them? That and admiring myself in the mirror every ten minutes. Hurling cabbages at my neighbour Dieter always gives me a lift. I normally write about one sentence per week. When I awake, I start the whole process again. The ideas just stream out, as does the blood, which means I soon lose consciousness. Then I stick the kettle on and make a nice cuppa before I retire to my study, get comfy in my orthopaedic chair and prick my finger with a little needle and get scribbling.

My writing process consists of me first combing my moustache. Fortunately, I was a test subject for L’Oréal and I haven’t developed one noticeable wrinkle. So I make that around 70 years, though my memory isn’t so good due to all those toxic fumes I inhaled. I started writing on the 9th June 1870 whilst taking a break from my job as a chimney sweep. How long have you been writing and what is your writing process like? Duke would argue he’s not just a dog he’s a Basset Hound. I would describe Duke & Michel as a dog and a boy. Disgusted, I slammed the door on him and made it my mission to write gripping children’s fiction so that they’d be sufficiently entertained to never bother me again. He had chocolate smeared around his mouth, snot flowing down from his nose and then, for some reason, proceeded to hold out his grimy hands. I opened the door and looked down upon him as he smiled up at me. What inspired you to write children’s fiction and why?Ī little orphan child, I forget his name – let’s call him Derek, came to my door one day at my house in Camberwell. I’ve been this way ever since and, I must say, I feel and look fantastic and occasionally have a warm green, luminous glow. Whilst in outer space, they injected me with some strange, green, luminous liquid. One night I was fast asleep in my tent upon a hill outside of Maputo when some repulsive aliens came down in their spaceship, woke me up and took me away. Elias Zapple, you have a very ‘out there’ sense of humor.

Jellybean the Dragon by Elias Zapple