I believe that, like most writers, my personality comes through in the fiction. So in that respect my writing can't be like any other author's really.

I love a good laugh as well, I think that’s so important in life, which is probably why I’ve dabbled in comedy writing as well as horror. I think if you can make someone laugh or smile it’s the most special thing in the world.

Some writers would be kinder than others, I’m sure. Hopefully they might describe my techniques as a mixture of tried and tested formulas – if it aint broke don’t fix it – and unexpected twists.

Unlike life, you’ve got more or less complete control over what’s going on in your stories. That’s not to say you can make characters do whatever you want them to – they usually have a life of their own if you’ve done your job properly.

The face of totalitarianism turned out to be a mask – obviously – but the face of Capitalism has no face at all.

Having said that, I’m a huge Jack Nicholson fan because he just goes nuts in everything he does. Having Jack in his heyday would also be a dream come true.

Because I’m such a creative person, and I’ve always got my nose in a book, I suppose it was only a matter of time before non-fiction turned into fiction again. But I never consciously set out to become a writer and I never thought I’d be doing the things I’m doing today.

It’s not just that toil allows the appearance of spontaneity. It allows the actuality of spontaneity.

As for goals, I don’t set myself those anymore. I’m not one of these ‘I must have achieved this and that by next year’ kind of writers. I take things as they come and find that patience and persistence tend to win out in the end.

I can look back at stuff I wrote in my early days and squirm at some of the mistakes I made. But we’re all learning every day; we never stop. I just hope people keep on liking what I do. That gives me such a kick.