Hello, Mr. Stroud
To begin with, I would like to say that The Bartimaeus Trilogy are probably the best books I have ever read. And you are a great inspiration to me. This is, because I want to be a writer. But now, the questions:
1. Have you done any specific course to improve your writing capacities, at an university or something like that? Is there any course you know that might help those that want to be writers?
2.Before you had showed yourself a great writer, what have you done? If you haven't got other job, how did you got money(for food, etc)?
3.Have you ever thought on a different ending to the Trilogy?
4.How many hours per day have you spent writing The Bartimaeus Trilogy?
5.Do you prefer writing in a laptop or in a normal computer?

Thank you for spenting your time answering our questions, Mr. Stroud.

Hello there and thanks for your questions. I'm glad you've enjoyed the books so much. Here are some answers...

1. There are quite a few writing courses around, and some of them have got pretty good reputations, but I don't know enough to recommend any. I've never done a writing course myself, but friends of mine have been off on weeks away, where they sit in a cottage in a remote area with lots of other writers and one or two teachers (usually published writers/poets etc), and spend their days just writing and talking. My friends have really enjoyed this. Having said that, I don't think a course is essential by any means. For me (see question 2) I learned a lot through my day job, which was being an editor. Long before that, of course, I was reading masses, and writing all kinds of things and it's that sort of long practise and exposure to great books which is the essential thing, I think.

2. Like most writers, I needed to keep alive, so I had a job as an editor for many years. I worked on children's books, generally puzzlebooks and non-fiction. I was wary of editing fiction in case it got too close to what I was writing in my spare time. It was great to have a job which was closely linked to my career as a writer, and I learned a huge amount from the authors, editors and designers I worked with.

3. I always had this particular ending in mind, but until I actually reached the end of Ptolemy's Gate I wasn't sure if I could bring it off, so I had an alternative vaguely in mind (in which Nathaniel survived). But when I got there, I had no hesitation - this seemed the right way to go!

4. I wrote each novel pretty intensively. I'd try to work 'normal' office hours ie: about 7-8 hours a day. But the key thing was the number of pages. I'd aim for about 5 per day, or 25 per week. If you could keep that going for 3 months or so, you'd have a completed draft.

5. For years I've used a laptop, because it gives me the flexibility to travel with it. Having said that, it's not meant to be good for my posture etc, so I'm probably going to get a normal one too. My laptop is currently about 6 years old, and is totally antiquated, so it's high time I made a change or two...

J