Most of you probably follow Gav already, but just in case you don't, hit that follow and give his amazing work a read! Gav is always so helpful, and a delight to talk to. As a member of the ambassadors, I have huge respect for the work that Gav does! Lovely bloke, astounding writer, and well worth your time!

When did you start writing? And why did you pick up the pen?

I started writing seriously back in early 2010. A friend of mine had just won an award for a short film, and I was writing what had become a satirical magazine for my colleagues in the office at the time and was hating my job. I had a long chat with the aforementioned friend who encouraged me to do more creative stuff with my writing, and then I read The Price by Neil Gaiman. That short story made me realise that all the odd little ideas that I had buzzing around in my head could have an outlet other than the strange satirical offering that the monthly office mag had become, and so I started writing down some ideas. One jumped out at me so I wrote it. That story won me a competition and the princely sum of £100, so I carried on writing more and more short stories and entering little contests with them.

How long have you been on Wattpad, and what drew you to it?

I've been on Wattpad for just over 8 years now, but what initially drew me to it was the Wattys. I was looking for contests to enter and that one popped up one day. But I quickly realised that there was something different about Wattpad, and started talking to other writers, many of whom I'm still in contact with today.

What does Wattpad mean to you?

Wattpad has changed my life utterly. It gave me a place to showcase my stories, gave me an audience, led me to become an Ambassador, then a member of staff, and has meant that I now speak to people all over the world every day. It gave me an escape from a job I'd come to loathe, a new passion for the written word, and has even meant that I've improved enough as a writer to have had a few short stories published here and there. It's been quite a ride.

Tell me a little about the ambassador system, what they do, and what your job is at the helm of it...

The Ambassadors are volunteers who give of their own time to help and support the Wattpad Community. It's unlike any other online community I've ever come across and the positivity that the Ambassadors help to spread is a massive part of that. There are various roles within the team (and they're noted on the information on the Ambassadors profile), but they help run contests and profiles, assist the team at Wattpad HQ with stories and spotting things like plagiarised content, things that are in the wrong place, or content that's contrary to our guidelines. They also help run experiments, talk to new writers, and moderate our forums. My job is to keep it spinning along and ensure the team know what they're doing, how to do it, and continue to help the Community grow, and provide the link to the team at Wattpad HQ.

As someone who has clearly made friends from Wattpad, how does it feel being part of that community?

I can't imagine not being a part of this now. Being a part of a Community who share the same passion as you, who understand what it means to have people read your stories, and who believe that Wattpad is as special as you know it to be is unique. I can think of no other online Community of the size of Wattpad that has the same sense of belonging and community that Wattpad has. I've been lucky enough to be involved in many user meetups over the years in London, Toronto and New York. And when you see people meet in person for the first time after knowing each other online for many years, or see a fan meet their favourite writer, or just talk to someone who shares the same passion for a certain subgenre that you do it's truly special and I'm immensely proud of what Wattpad has become and the Community that it supports.

How does it make you feel when you see a message from a reader or fan?

Even though I've been on here for 8 years now, I still get a buzz when I get a nice comment from someone on one of my stories. The fact that someone has taken the time to say "Nice story" or "really enjoyed this" or leave some constructive critique is rather wonderful and I appreciate every comment I get.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

There doesn't tend to be a huge amount of it these days but I still love to read and write when I can carve out some time. I love walking and we have a wee dog so he keeps me fit, and I do Kenpo with the kids a couple of times a week.

What is your writing process? Where do you write? When? How long for? Noise or silence?

I don't really have a process as such. I write anywhere I can whether it be at home on my computer, whilst travelling on my laptop, or even in various notepads or on my phone. If I get an idea I make a note of it. Sometimes that note can be sat around for years, but as long as it's been pinned to page or screen somewhere then that's always a start. I write when I can, for as long as I can. Sometimes that'll be minutes, sometimes hours. And noise doesn't really bother me. We have 4 children and a dog, so silence is a rare thing. Often I just pop on some music, zone out and start tapping away.

If you could design the perfect writing room/spot, money no object, what would it look like?

I grew up near Dartmoor in Devon, UK. It's a bleak, dangerous and ever changing place that's beautiful in its starkness. At my parent's house they have twenty mile views of the moor and there's a little corner of the field behind the house that would be the perfect spot for a log cabin overlooking the moors. It would be fairly simple, but wifi and a wood burning stove would be essential, as would a way to make a cup of coffee. A solid desk of reclaimed wood, and a cosy chair, and maybe a corner for my guitar and some books. I don't think I'd need much more than that really. As long as I have music, wifi and somewhere to sit, I'm usually good.

Which genre is your favourite to write, and is there one that you wish you were better at?

I love writing Science Fiction and Fantasy, but I also really like Historical Fiction, and I've dabbled in others. But the breadth and scope in the first two still means I tend to come back to one or other of those two over and over again. The one I've never been much good at though is Mystery Thriller type stuff. I suppose because it's never been a genre I've read too widely in, it never really clicked in my head. But I would really like to write better romantic scenes. As with anything though I suspect it's all down to practice.

What are your favourite and least favourite book to screen adaptations?

One of my favourites was The Green Mile by Stephen King. I loved the book, and the film was just superb. Michael Clarke Duncan (who plays Coffey) in particular was just incredible, and having Tom Hanks in any film is always a good thing. I think my least favourite recently was World War Z. I enjoyed the book immensely, but the film just didn't give me the same delicious chill that the book did.

From your own stories, which character would you rather date, which would you rather marry, and which would you rather kill?

I'm not sure I'd ever want to date or marry any of my characters, and the ones I wanted to kill are most certainly dead by another character's hand.

If you could have lunch with one character from any fiction book in history, who would it be and why?

I suspect it would be my namesake, the Orangutan from Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. Despite being an orangutan, he is also the wizard in charge of the Unseen University's library, and place where space and time distort due to the presence of so many stories. A simple lunch of bananas and peanuts, and simpler conversation of "ook" said with different expressions would be a joy, as I loved Pratchett's style of writing and was greatly saddened when he dies a few years ago.

What are you working on right now?

This interview =]

What are your writing goals for the next year?

Write something longer. Short stories have always been my passion, but I have written a few longer pieces too, and they're a challenge that I'd like to take on again. I just need to make the time to do it and get some planning done.

How important is social media as an aspiring author?

I'm not sure I'm the right person to answer that as I'm no expert on social media. I suspect the answer should be 'very' though, as it's a great way to reach a lot of people very quickly.

What advice would you give to any writers just starting out?

Read. A lot. Then write, a lot. Your first few bits of writing may well be an unmitigated pile of unwashed pants. That's fine. No-one starts out like JK Rowling or Stephen King, not even Rowling and King. Give yourself permission to write badly, then keep going. Learn the craft. Writing is like any other skill, the more you do and the more you learn, the better you'll get. If you're writing on Wattpad, think of your story a bit like a shop window. You have a few chances to attract in readers. Your story cover is one, the opening blurb is another, and your first page is the next. Readers will spend very little time on each story before they settle on reading one they like the look of. Make yourself stand out. Learn from other writers. The great thing about Wattpad is that you can actually talk to the writers you like. Most will be happy to answer a few questions about things, as they were once where you are now. I started on Wattpad with zero reads too. But ultimately, don't give up. If you want to write, then write.