FORGET the masterpiece, concentrate on producing words regularly and remember the machine will always want more.

Cult author Jasper Fforde gave aspiring writers a little lesson in the realities of publishing at the University of Bath in Swindon.

The science fiction writer, who lived in the town for 20 years, shared other pearls of wisdom while he presented prizes to the winners of the WriteIT short story competition.

It was launched to mark the 50th anniversary of the Swindon-based British Com-puter Society.

William Campbell, 60, and Jonathan Clayton, 14, pocketed more than £750 of computer vouchers before Jasper read from his latest novel, First Among Sequels.

Local author Steve Sims was able to run his own work by the charismatic writer, before the serious business of quizzing got under way.

Fforde is famous for creating an alternative 1980s vision of Swindon in one of his early books, and the mind-boggling concepts he invented characterise the work.

Mr Sims asked him how he generates ideas, and the answers made it clear that this author does not think conventionally.

"I don't like things that are corporate and badged up with logos because it reduces the freedom to think differently," he said.

"Look at Private Eye, it is laid out on state-of-the-art computers but you would imagine from its design that people were putting it together with Sellotape.

"It has a character that I admire and you can clearly tell what it is."

The 46-year-old explained that he was popular because he researches sports to go in his books.

But as with much of his work, there is a twist.

"I was thinking about the Oxford and Cambridge boat race the other day, and it struck me that it would be much more engrossing if it was done with flying boats," he said.

"Just imagine people in their duffle coats cheering on these leviathan machines, decked out in the college colours and flying along 50 feet above the Thames."

Most of the 20-strong crowd at Marlowe Avenue were writers themselves and so they wanted the dirt on how to get a break.

"I sent off applications to 70 publishing houses, wrote seven books and spent 12 years trying to make my break.

"There are no short cuts, you have to be persistent and produce words all the time.

"People think they have made it once they get signed, but that is only the start.

"Publishers don't want a great work every eight years, they want to know there will be a book coming every 12 months at least."

Fforde covered every angle of getting a book deal, explained why writer's block didn't exist - it is that you would rather walk the dog more, not that you've got no ideas - and revealed that scribbling in a flat was not enough.

"The era of the writer tucked away writing with fingerless gloves and a cup of coffee is no longer true," he said.

"You have to be able to get out there and market yourself, do the book tours and sit through interviews."

Covingham resident Bob Poole hopes he can find the same level of recognition.

The 61-year-old writes his own science fiction, and found the session useful.

He said: "It was a very energetic performance, and it is encouraging to think that someone who writes strange fiction can be published.

"He had tremendous perseverance to take the knocks and for someone taking up writing late in life that gives me hope."