Name of author: Penelope Todd.

Where do you currently live? Dunedin.

What inspired you to write your first book?
The first 'book' is still in a drawer at home. We were living in Herbert Forest, with our children at a tiny country school, and I wrote what might happen if the fictional teacher had a breakdown and the 17 fictional pupils tried to hide the fact from their parents. It was fun to write.

How long does it take you to write a book?
I take a year or so to write a first draft, then I redraft it over another year or more. I first wrote Zillah in 2001 and it has just been published six years later.

How has being a writer changed your life?
I gave up nursing in 2000 and now earn money by editing instead. However the greater changes are on the inside. The stories you write enlarge your imagination and then they enlarge your experience of life and the way you think and feel.

Any tips on how others can become writers? Read a lot, write whenever you can. Be determined and realistic.

What are some of the pitfalls you have experienced as a writer?
Being impatient with the long process. Fear of what you haven't written yet. Between these two is simply sitting down and doing it.

What is the best thing that has happened in your writing career?
The first “Yes” from my publisher was pretty wonderful. Having other writers for friends is great. In August, I'm off to Iowa with about 30 writers from around the world. They are three of many 'best' things about being a writer!