‘I’m never stumped for a story’

T K Roxborogh (Nga¯ti Porou) is a high school English teacher and writing mentor, who has written more than 30 published works.

Where do you get your ideas?

My ideas come from dreams, things I see or read or what someone tells me and then my brain goes ‘‘hmm, I wonder what would happen if…’’ I’m never stumped for my next story because I have an office full of characters.

How do you manage procrastination?

I wouldn’t actually look to me as a good example of someone who has the answers. It’s a hard job, writing a novel – writing anything. It never feels like I’m ‘‘allowed’’ to give myself time. Late last year, I was blessed by the gift of a week at the Michael King Writing Centre and I sat on my bed and wrote. The more I stayed put and wrote, the more I was able to do this. Reminds me of when I would do long distance running and I’d hit the wall, push through, then get my second wind and run for another half hour.

Tell us about your latest project.

Charlie Tangaroa and the God of War is now with Huia for their look through. It centres on how a recently discovered precious mineral could destroy life as it is known by the residents of a sleepy seaside town. Throw into the mix the ancient arguments of the gods and the struggles become more than a battle between environmentalists, the forestry workers and the seedy shadow of international politics. The tag line is: knowing who you’re fighting is only half the battle. Huia also has for consideration a young adult novel and a picture book I’ve just completed.

Tell us about your PhD study.

I am hoping my research will come up with an effective way of helping English teachers decolonise their teaching of Shakespeare. I initially wanted to just research the similarities between the way both the Bard and Ma¯ori use the natural world to explain human behaviour but I was confronted with the wero that, as a Ma¯ori researcher, my work needs to enhance the lives of Ma¯ori. I want my research to benefit everyone – to paraphrase Dr Russell Bishop ‘‘what’s good for Ma¯ori (students) is good for all (students)’’.

Name a book you’ve never stopped thinking about.

The Bone People by Keri Hulme; The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger; To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee; and The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield.