This Thursday Kevin the Troll takes the stage in the CYL’s final Bookgig for 2007.

Kevin the Troll is the brainchild of Doug MacLeod, who was written for many of the most popular comedy shows on Australian television.

Doug explains himself and his work, here.

Kevin the Troll is about a 700-year-old troll and his dysfunctional army. Various humans, Norse gods and a chocolate giant are also involved. It’s set in Sweden in the nineteenth century.

I began writing for publication when I was twelve. I had a monthly column in the kids’ lift-out section of The Age. It taught me about deadlines. (I should point out that this little piece is a day overdue. I’m not saying I always meet deadlines, I just know what they are.)

My teenage years started bad but ended up fine. I went to a school in Morwell in The Latrobe Valley and didn’t enjoy it. The school is okay now but back then there were serious problems. They had to drain a fountain because kids kept holding one other’s heads under the water. Many of the windows were made from perspex, because the old-fashioned glass ones kept getting smashed by flying rocks, chairs and teachers. Then my family moved to Melbourne and I went to a very posh school, which was a major culture shock. I had a good time there, editing the school magazine, skulking in the art room and not getting my head held under the fountain.

The best thing about being a writer is you can work anywhere. At the moment I am writing from a hotel in The Kimberleys. (This is no longer accurate. I’m doing a second pass in St Kilda.)

As a teenager my favourite book was To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. (I wrote this answer in the Kimberleys. Perhaps being surrounded by so much natural beauty made me desperate to seem deep. While I did enjoy To Kill a Mockingbird very much, I only read it once, whereas I read The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut so often that I can still tell you what a chronosynclastic infundibulum is.)

The last great YA book I read is Of A Boy by Sonya Hartnett. (Yet another Kimberleys answer and I stand by it. Though I notice you have Good Omens listed as a YA novel on your Inside a Dog website – and since I read this book more recently than Of A Boy, I guess I should include it here.)

What excites me about writing for teenagers is the same thing that excites me about writing for any audience. I like coming up with characters and stories that people might find diverting. Every now and then I write something that gives me a chuckle and it’s a good feeling.

What bugs me is it takes me so long to come up with something halfway decent and I’m not a patient person.

My all-time favourite film is Doctor Strangelove, pictured. (Both in The Kimberleys and St Kilda.)

My favourite piece of new technology is my latest laptop, which is a tough little Mac.

I have never been able to touch my elbow with my other elbow. I don’t think any human can, but I had this happen to the central character in my novel, Tumble Turn.

People might be surprised to know that I just made a lot of readers try to touch their elbow with their other elbow.

Want to know more about Doug or comment on the Bookgig? Send a question, below.

He has given us Maxx Rumble, Dog Wars and The Undys (the book, not the garment) and can’t stick brussel sprouts. Here’s more about Michael Wagner.

I hate to admit it, but I’m a Collingwood supporter! I finally settled on Collingwood when I was about ten years of age. Sometimes I wish I’d chosen Hawthorn or Essendon (they’ve won more flags than the Pies in my lifetime), but once you’ve started barracking for a team it’s really hard to change. And, even though they’ve caused me some heartache over the years, I just can’t help but love the mighty Pies.

My favourite piece of new technology is…The iPod. I love my iPod so much that my poor wife gets a bit jealous sometimes.

I like books that…make me laugh and/or make the hair on my neck stand on end and/or bring a tear to my eye and/or open my mind to new possibilities.

My dream car is…any car that doesn’t make me stand by the side of the road waiting for the RACV to arrive. I could get excited about having some sort of electric car that’s full of gadgets and has a place for my iPod.

Favourite TV program…in 2007 has been Summer Heights High. But I also like Thank God You’re Here, Spicks and Specks, and anything to do with footy.

The best thing about reading is…feeling like you’re not alone in the world, because the characters in a book think so much like you. And, I like the way you learn all sorts of new things without even realising you are because the book is so fantastically entertaining.

I have never been able to…get a plateful of brussel sprouts down. In fact, I was so confident that no human being could eat a plate of brussel sprouts I offered my kids $20 each if they could eat 5 of them in one sitting. (NB it was an all-or-nothing deal. They had to eat all five to get any money at all – and they weren’t allowed any tasty sauces or drinks to help get them down). My daughter couldn’t do it, but my son did! He deserved every cent I reckon.

I began writing…when I was about 14 and wrote a poem for the school magazine. When I was a bit older, I wrote songs. Then I wrote comedy and radio scripts and TV scripts and all sorts of other things. Then, finally, I wrote a children’s book and knew what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.

My latest book is the fourth book in the Undys series. It’s about…Josh and Phil Undy going camping for the very first time. They go with Amy, Phil’s new girlfriend (Phil is the dad), and Aunty Faber, and Summer and Daniel (two new friends from their flats). They spend the long-weekend inventing and playing all sorts of new games, including their own very exciting style of paddleboat races, a tasty treasure hunt, a series of battles that take place on a greasy pole, and a big game of beach volleyball against some bullies they know.

The best thing about being a writer is…spending whole days trying to come up with funny or exciting story ideas. It’s very enjoyable giggling away to yourself for hours on end. And it’s very exciting when you think you’ve captured an interesting or thrilling moment.

The biggest myth about being a writer is…that great writers must use interesting, colourful language – and very big words. Some of the best books I have ever read have also been the easiest to read. I reckon if the story is good enough, and the language is clear and simple, the book can still be incredibly powerful. Think of books like Holes and To Kill a Mocking Bird, they are easy reads, but unforgettable stories.

My all-time favourite film is…Ferris Beuller’s Day Off, which is funny, sad and uplifting all at the same time.

My Life as a Dog, which felt like my childhood captured on film.

And One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, which I found amazingly moving.

My teenage years were …exciting, because I was on the way to becoming an adult. I found the idea of being able to do my own thing, without having to ask for my parents’ permission, really thrilling.

For more about Michael, visit his website, or you can send him a message below.

Do you have a nickname?

Australians love to shorten names or add a ‘Y’ to the ending. Anthony Koutafides is ‘Kouta’, Alex Jesalenko is ‘Jezza’. Neil Balme is “Balmey’.

Shane Warney is ‘Warney. Ricky Ponting is ‘Punter’. Michael Hussey is ‘Mr Cricket’.

What’s your nickname? Tell us how you got it. Or, tell us about someone you know if you don’t have one.

There are prizes to be won.

Mike Hussey aka Mr Cricket.

Aiden has discovered the Ranger’s Apprentice series. See his comment below.

For more about this exciting series, see the new website launched last week!