Chelsea Magda asked Darren Shan:

Did you ever think your books would ever become so popular? Was there ever a time when you wanted to give up and things didn't go your way? Also, are any of your characters inspired by family or friends?

Darren Shan As a teenager I assumed I was going to be hugely successful -- I think that every teenager should believe that they're going to change the world! But by my early twenties I was just hoping to make minimum wage, so that I could afford to write full time. I'd realised by that stage how hard it was to make a living as a writer, and how many great writers had to have other jobs to support themselves. My goal wasn't to write popular books, just the best books I was capable of writing. Luckily, some of those books DID prove popular too! I never thought about giving up, but yes, I faced lots of hurdles -- including Cirque Du Freak being rejected by 20 different publishers in the UK! As a writer, especially one who is breaking new ground, as I did with CDF, you have to believe totally in yourself and push on even when the industry "experts" are stacked against you.

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