Writing, like anything, is all about persistance

Course, it helps if you're Roald Dahl

But even travel writer Paul Theroux had it tough

Story starters I find helpful with kid's writing

Kids won't brush their teeth? Show them this

OTHER SITES

Superstar author & blogger
www.neilgaiman.com

Legendary children's author
www.joycowley.com

Mark Evanier - TV writer/author
www.newsfromme.com

Barn Bocock - Master Web Guru
www.heybarn.com

Photographer from 'Bowling Through India'
www.brendonohagan.co.nz

Flux animation studios
www.fluxmedia.co.nz

Random House NZ
www.randomhouse.co.nz

Justin Brown is a bestselling author, TV and radio host. His books include Bowling Through India, UK on a G-String, Teed Off in the USA, and Kiwi Speak. He also writes for animation and has fronted TV programmes.

Justin has performed stand up comedy in London, Johannesburg, and Paraparaumu. He also has something in common with Karen Carpenter and Jimi Hendrix: they’ve all opened for Engelbert Humperdinck. Once, at the conclusion of a UK adventure, Justin was famously stitched up by ITV’s ‘Richard and Judy,’ but doesn’t like to dwell on such trauma. (You’ll have to read UK on a G-String to see how!).

So where did it all begin? Hawera, New Zealand, with Justin’s formative years spent further south at Kapiti College . (Peter Jackson went there too, but enough name dropping. Oh, and All Black Christian Cullen. And the bass player from Shihad).

Justin grew up wanting to be a pilot (too much study) or a sports physio (so he could travel with netball teams), but instead, in his all important final year, opted to study Intense Clowning Around on a student exchange to Canada.

1996 saw Justin jump on a plane for his O.E (Overseas experience) to London. The big smoke, however, was far too predictable for Justin’s liking, choosing instead to make Swindon his home. As breakfast host for GWR FM, his job was to entertain and inform, neither of which he did with much precision.

Knowing little about the ins and outs of rugby – despite being a Kiwi – led Justin to be sent to Bordeaux to call Bath’s final in the Heineken Cup. He still considers this a career highlight, despite no one being able to locate a recording.

Given all he ever read were Asterix books and sports autobiographies, it surprised Justin as much as anyone that he ended up being an author. UK on a G-String was published by Random House in 2002, followed by Teed Off in the USA. The Speak series (Rugby, Cricket and Kiwi) went to the bestseller lists, while his books for kids (Clean Slate Press) are in many schools around New Zealand and Australia.

Justin has also written for Flux Animation studios on a number of projects, including film treatments and episodes of Buzzy Bee for to be screened on TVNZ. His writing has appeared in the New Zealand Listener, Metro Magazine, and New Zealand Golf Magazine.

When he's not writing, radio-ing or playing backyard cricket, Justin emcees events, speaks in schools, and talks to various groups about his different adventures. Email him - justin@justinbrownbooks.com