Small talk with Young Bond author Charlie Higson

Charlie Higson co-wrote and starred in the TV comedy The Fast Show (1994-2000) with Paul Whitehouse. Higson has also published four novels, including Getting Rid of Mister Kitchen (1997), and five instalments of his Young Bond series for teenagers about James Bond�s school days at Eton. Higson lives in north London with his wife and three children - reports the FT.

When did you know you were going to be a writer?

When I was a kid I used to write children�s stories, fantasy novels and sci-fi while I was supposed to be doing my homework.

What stimulates the writer in you?

The thought that through writing I can create anything. It�s a form of magic. It�s the male riposte to the female ability to create children.

What would you do if you gave up writing?

Some acting, some gardening. I can�t imagine it. Being a writer isn�t really much of a life but I�d feel lost without it.

What are you like to live with?

I�m fairly placid but I can be uncommunicative. I can become wrapped up in my work and be antisocial.

When do you feel most free?

When I�ve dropped my youngest boy at school and it�s sunny and I have a clear day of writing ahead of me, with no meetings or phone calls.

What would you change about yourself?

I would be less shy and more socially confident. I wish I didn�t like writing so much as I�d like to get out more.

What is the last thing you read that made you laugh out loud?

A book of Charlie Brooker�s Guardian columns.

What would a novel about your life be called?

What a Boring Man. It�s the characters that get to have the exciting times � as a writer you don�t have the fun.

What does it mean to be a writer?

It means you�re reliant on your own brain entirely and there�s no one else around to help you.

What advice would you give to a budding author?

Go away and do something else. Us writers don�t need the competition. But if you do want to write, go and get a life so you�ve got something to write about.

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