Patrick Ness spent one hour answering your questions on Tuesday 1st February on http://twitter.com/Waterstones. Incase you missed it, here's how it went...

Question: #patrickness when writing a triology do you know how the ending should be or does it change as you write? From @SharonWasBorn69

Answer: I knew the last line of book 3 before I wrote the first line of book 1. It gives me something to aim for.

Question: @Waterstones Please ask #patrickness whether the public and critics' response to the Chaos Walking series has affected his writing of it. From @Jessisreading80

Answer: Yes but I had to set it aside, books are only good if they're written for the author in my experience

Question: Would #patrickness ever consider writing about the demise of Old World and the discovery of New World? From @suzimoss

Answer: No, because I think that would be a sad story. And, I like to have total control over my ending

Question: #patrickness Would you encourage writing using pen & paper as opposed to computer writing to encourage thinking before writing? From @artens.

Answer: I type when I want to write something exciting and use pen to rewrite because it slows me down.

Question: Does being a literary critic for the Guardian make you more or less sensitive to other people reviewing your work? #patrickness From @marie_oneill

Answer: No it doesn't, because by the time I finish writing it's my book in a particular way....and I know its strengths and weaknesses. It's kind of like a child you love for all of itself..and I know its strengths and weaknesses.

Question: #patrickness do you base the characters on people you know and which character do you relate to most? From @oh_megan

Answer: I base them on parts of people, otherwise you get sued!

http://twitpic.com/10vuh1 - #patrickness Patrick is enjoying your questions so far, keep them coming

Question: #patrickness Do you think that with the ever-increasing methods of communication in the world that a dystopia as depicted in... From @tazmage26

Answer: It started from a real idea anyway, from information overload. With the internet and mobile phones...and Twitter, the world is Noisey anyway, so it's only one more step to the world of the books

Question: #patrickness you third (and final!) chaos walking book is out soon. But what 'monster' do you think men most struggle with? From @Badfaith1

Answer: I think the monster that people most struggle with is the need for certainty...Nothing is certain but the need for it gets us into all kinds of trouble

Question: #patrickness how can I inspire my English students to record their ideas and remember to engage the reader as well as you do? From @kohsamui14

Answer: Reassure them that they're not too young to tell stories. The thing that most writers need.......young or old, is permission that they have the right to write.

Question: #patrickness Is there somewhere you go or a certain routine to give you inspiration when you're about to write a new book? From @glennyt

Answer: No, I get most of my inspiration from music. I want to take how it makes me feel and put it down on the page

Question: Do you plan on doing a bungee jump when you visit New Zealand? P.S Check out Byron Bay when on the Gold Coast! #patrickness From @luvhandyls

Answer: Yes I do but don't tell my travel insurance company.

Question: I'm applying to Lancaster's Creative Writing MA. Do the benefits of postgrad writing courses out weigh the cost? #patrickness From @Inky_voice

Answer: Writing courses are great for trying out new things and getting disciplined, best of luck.

Question: After your books have been out for a while do you read them? x #patrickness From @Coistycat

Answer: No they really are like sending your children out into the world, you never want to see them again!

Question: It there any set artist/band you like to write too? #patrickness From @Coistycat

Answer: Knife was written to Muse, Ask was written to Arcade Fire. Monsters, to a lot Radiohead.

Question: Does your recent award mean that you now get a life time's supply of Costa coffee now? #patrickness From @LucyCAuthor

Answer: I don't drink caffeine but it was nice to be included.

Question: What's next after Chaos Walking? Do you think you'll write more YA, or do you want to go back to adult fiction? #patrickness From @FlossieTeacake

Answer: More young adult fiction next, but then it's up to whatever my brain comes up with!

Question: #patrickness - Do you have to lock yourself away when writing, or have a special place for inspiration? From @lurvlylucy

Answer: Time is more important, I just need a stretch of empty hours rather than a place.

Question: Is Mayor Prentiss based on or inspired by anyone in particular in real life? If so, who? #patrickness From @anybunnies

Answer: Nobody in particular, but it was the charismatic general turned politician that I was after.

Question: Your Chaos Walking novels are pretty bleak; does this reflect your view of life, and what gives you hope? From @Caleb_W

Answer: Someone called me a desperate optimist, which is about right...I worry that things won't turn out well, but I'm hopeful that they might

Question: #patrickness - Do your books have any reference to your personal experiences ? From @paulinepppp

Answer: Personal themes rather than personal experiences, my autobiography is private!

Question: #patrickness - Have you ever suffered from the dreaded writers block and if so, how did you overcome it? From @lurvlylucy

Answer: No because I have an ongoing stew of ideas in my brain and I nick from there when I need them

Question: From Dan , Essex - If you could team up with any author to write a book who would it be and why? #patrickness From @Danbo12

Answer: I think writing is best left as a solitary effort, but I'd never say no to Peter Carey for example.

Question: does patrick ness believe in the loch ness monster ?! From @spritneybeers

Answer: A little early for the pub isn't it? After a lifetime of loch ness jokes, nope.

Question: Have you ever been Asked a question you couldn't, or wouldn't, Answer? #patrickness From @Girlyougotstyle

Answer: I'm sorry I can't Answer that.

Question: #patrickness What books do you read to relax? From @kikicomp

Answer: I just finished Sense and Sensibility (true), very relaxing.

Question: If you could listen to anybody's Noise, who would you like to listen too? #patrickness From Kate at Waterstones.com:

Answer: To kate@waterstones - I think hearing anyone's Noise would be unbearable so definitely not.

Question: Your writing style is very unique, how did the idea for the series come about? #patrickness From Liz at Waterstones Brentford

Answer: The idea started from information overload and also getting a dog that talked like a real dog

Question: What would you say is your interesting writing quirk? (any writing rituals, habits? to get you in the zone?) #patrickness From @KatherineChu

Answer: I MUST get my thousand words a day written above all else then I can have fun.

Question: Can you tell us the plot of Chaos Walking in 140 letters or less?! From @sophiya

Answer: Plot: world of Noise, beloved dog, chase chase chase, terrible twist, and then things really start to go wrong.

Question: Given the May pub date, Bk 3 must be all done & dusted. Am I going to need more than 1 box of tissues afterwards?? #patrickness By @FlossieTeacake

Answer: I'm afraid so but maybe not for the reasons you think.

Question: Have you ever considered having a soundtrack written for the Chaos Walking series? From @tazmage26

Answer: A teenage fan once sent me a briliant song she'd written, inspired by the books, which was great

Question: Do you worry that people wont enjoy the next book you write as much as they do the one they are reading? #patrickness From @Coistycat

Answer: You really can't worry about that or you'll definitely write a bad book. You have to please....yourself first because if you don't like it, absolutely no one else will.

Question: #patrickness Favourite book as a kid? From @EdgeTom

Answer: James and the Giant Peach, because his parents get eaten by a rhino and I like rhinos (I have a tattoo of one).

Question: #patrickness If you could watch only one game of any sport what/who would it be? From @kikicomp

Answer: Martina Navratilova playing tennis, she's one of my heroes.

Question: which of your books did you most enjoy writing and why? #patrickness From @grannysmither

Answer: That's like choosing between your children, you have a favourite but can never admit it!

http://twitpic.com/10w1tg - #patrickness Here's stuff you can win, it's my actual signature on the t-shirt!

Question: I'm going to be sad to say goodbye to Todd & Viola regardless... Do you get a lot of fanfic from your readers? #patrickness From @FlossieTeacake

Answer: I get far more drawings and artwork which is brilliant. Young readers are amazingly creative.

Question: Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night with an idea and write it down? (or is that just me! lol) #patrickness From @lurvlylucy

Answer: No, that's just you! I get most of my ideas while running (3 marathons and counting...)

Question: If there was a film made of the books what sort of soundtrack would you want for it (sorry, I'm kinda into music)? From @tazmage26

Answer: Further to running, I'd want something charging, that moved. Theme song to Knife....was "Map of the Problematique" by Muse, best running song ever.

Question: Hi Patrick, what single piece of advice would you give to a writer who just got a book deal? From @JNRichards

Answer: Celebrate! And don't panic. You'll think that its all going to go wrong, but it won't. Congrats.

Question: A dog that talks like a real dog? oh-kaaaaay..... ;-) From @DavidGriffin10

Answer: Movie dogs only ever talk like people, real dogs would only ever talk about food and poo

Question: #patrickness Do you think if you had been listening to different music when writing that the books would have been different? From @sophiya

Answer: Writing dictates choice of music rather than the other way around.

Question: #patrickness Do you have a "brain food" which you eat and helps you write? Or just something favorite to relax you? From @KellySee

Answer: Nothing upon nothing (and I mean NOTHING) can beat a cadbury cream egg.

Question: #patrickness Your books have divided opinion more than any others with my students.How does being literary Marmite feel?x From @soul_of_twit

Answer: half of your students are obviously wrong! And being raised in America, marmite is an endless bafflement

#patrickness - Thanks everyone, it's been a fun hour! Sorry if I didn't get to everyone but great and cheeky questions. Bye.

Buy Patrick's Costa Award-winning The Ask and the Answer