A masked lover, a defender of justice, romance, sword fights, family secrets, hidden identities . . . All the stuff I love in theatre, plus a certain element of magic realism that I use in my novels. Zorro is a real person capable of transforming himself by sheer courage and a sense of fun into a magic hero.

I got to know him well when I wrote Zorro: A Novel (2005) about his early years in California and, like every other normal female, fell in lust with him. I have dreams of a handsome man who leaps on to my balcony to spend the night with me. The next day there's no guilt. I don't even know who he is! He wore a mask. Yes, I can see that it's utterly ridiculous at my age but that's the power of Zorro.

The idea of taking this enchanting character on to the page (and now the stage, as the producer of Zorro: The Musical), first took shape in August 2003, when John Gertz and Sandra Curtis, from Zorro Productions, arrived at my door with boxes of books and videos. They asked me to write the story of how Diego de la Vega became Zorro.

“What are you talking about! I am a serious writer!” I replied. But they explained they wanted a literary tale weaving together all the elements of the character we know through film, television and the original stories of the creator, Johnston McCulley. They felt I was that voice.

Immediately my head started to spin. Yes! Zorro deserved an epic story. He supposedly lived in very interesting times. What was happening in the world at the beginning of the 1800s? Was there a connection between that Spanish aristocrat and Native Americans? What role did Mexicans play then? And what about the expansion of the West? Great themes!

The creator of Zorro had never explained why this young man, Diego de la Vega, cared so much about injustice, or why his sympathies were with the padres and the Indians. He was, after all, a caballero from a wealthy family. We knew he was born in California of a Spanish father, but what about his mother? Who trained him? Why the symbol of the fox? Why ride at night and dress in black? So many unanswered questions.

I could immediately imagine the potential for a successful musical. Who doesn't know and love him? Often I find myself in front of a large audience, and I'll say: “Raise your hand if you've ever heard of Zorro.” I still haven't found anyone who hasn't heard of the character. And if you add to the story the irresistible music of the Gypsy Kings, success is almost guaranteed.

Early in my career, I had some experience of writing for the theatre in Chile, in the Seventies, and found it quite a challenge. There is immediacy to the stage. The words we may hear in our head sound so very different coming back through an actor's voice. It's the work of a team, both humbling and inspiring. Soon I realised that what I really enjoy is storytelling, and I ended up switching from being a playwright to being a novelist.

That didn't happen until I was 40, and it took the brutal military coup in Chile on September 11, 1973, in which my uncle, President Salvador Allende, died. That event changed my life, forced me into exile and made me a writer. Without it, I would have remained in my country. I would still be a journalist and probably a happy one. In exile literature gave me a voice; it rescued my memories from the curse of oblivion; it enabled me to create a universe of my own.

I am Hispanic and I live in California. I know the Spanish culture. I even write in Spanish. I have written a book about California and the Gold Rush (Daughter of Fortune), and young-adult fiction, so I have some experience with action heroes and adventure. Also, the theme of justice has always been present in my books and in my life. I was a political refugee for 13 years and I have been an immigrant for 20; I know the feeling of being the underdog and how important justice is. It's not surprising to me that this Hispanic character, created almost a century ago, is still so alive and relevant. As an Hispanic immigrant, I am particularly drawn to Zorro, he is the voice of all of us who have become the scapegoats of the xenophobic sentiments of many people in the United States.

What I love about Zorro is that he is playful and arrogant enough to love danger for the heck of it. He is more than willing to risk his life to help - but always in a lighthearted way. He is not violent. He doesn't want to kill his enemies but to humiliate them. He is athletic, histrionic, eternally young, a good dancer and always in love. He is the ideal Latin hero, seldom found in real life but always present in women's hearts. He is not tragic; he is a combination of Robin Hood and Peter Pan, plus the craving for justice of Che. He is fun. I want to come back as Zorro!

After that first meeting with John and Sandy, I started reading and I watched all the videos. I fell in love with the character again, as I had been when I was a child. I remember that my stepfather loved Zorro, too. When he served as the Chilean ambassador to Buenos Aires, he would escape important meetings to watch the Disney series on television.

Those months of writing were hard on my husband, Willie, because I kept a picture of Antonio Banderas as Zorro on my bed stand and another next to my computer for inspiration. Antonio was my ideal Zorro: immensely attractive, with a sense of humour, who can act, sing and dance. And that is the idea for the musical: a beloved hero, a great story, good acting and dancing, extraordinary music and, most of all, fun. How could I not get involved in producing it?

Willie and I decided to invest in the Zorro musical. But I have no business responsibilities or other formal involvement. This is not a career change for me. I am back writing novels. Actually, in April, when the musical opens in England, my memoir The Sum of Our Days will be published, about the recent 13 years of my crazy family in California.

It is like the natural sequel of my previous memoir Paula, published in 1995. It was a very difficult book to write because it's not only about me, it's about the people I love the most. Paula was written as a long conversation with my daughter. Since her untimely death (in 1992 from porphyria), I have been conversing with her spirit constantly. It is not a sad monologue, it's a joyful and lively dialogue. It seemed natural to write The Sum of Our Days as a continuation of the other book.

When I wrote Paula, people asked. “Don't you feel too exposed and vulnerable after revealing all your intimacy?” Actually, it is not telling the truth that makes us vulnerable, it's keeping secrets. I have not done anything so awful in my life that I need to hide it. We are all flawed. All families are crazy. The response of my readers to this candour has been fantastic.

On the last page of this new book it says, “End... for the moment”. That is not a final statement. Probably in ten years I will write another memoir, depending on how crazy my life will be. I don't want a happy and peaceful old age, I want a passionate and melodramatic life so that I will always have a lot of material.

In Zorro: The Musical, Stephen Clark's story is propelled by Rafael Amargo's amazing choreography, song and story. His tale was never intended to be a straight adaptation of my Zorro novel. It is an epic family saga, political in nature with strong women, and some magic - everything I write about in my books. Elements of my Diego make their way on to the stage. Making the Gypsies integral to the tale adds a colour and flavour to embellish young Diego's exploits in Barcelona and California. The musical includes magic - Diego learns his tricks from an Italian called Galileo Tempesta and ends up performing amazing feats such as swallowing a gold doubloon and pulling it out whole from one of his big ears.

One of the most difficult parts of writing Zorro for me was the fencing, and I know that it was a great challenge for the director of the musical as well. They have done a great job on stage. It's exciting and believable. To the amusement and bewilderment of my grandchildren, I acted out the duelling scenes in front of a mirror, even using a mask to make the scenes more authentic. My grandchildren had a drawing done of me with that mask, which appears on the back cover of the book

Of course, there would be no musical without Zorro's main trait: his obsession with justice. There is too much injustice: we need many Zorros to change the world. What is so inspiring about the Zorro character is that he doesn't have superpowers. We can all dream that even without a mask and a whip we can become daring, clever and brave heroes. I was nursed on social justice and it continues to be the work of my foundation, created in honour of my daughter Paula.

Her death broke my heart. She was a graceful and spiritual young woman, the light of our family. She worked as a volunteer in poor communities in Venezuela and Spain, offering her time, her total dedication and her skills as an educator and psychologist. She cared deeply for others. When in doubt, her motto was: What is the most generous thing to do? My foundation is guided by her vision of a world in which women have achieved social and economic justice.

I believe that in most human beings there is a core of dignity and courage. When I was young, I often felt desperate: so much pain in the world and so little I could do to alleviate it. But now I look back at my life and realise that few days have gone by without my at least trying. A day at a time, a person at a time; in the end it adds up. That's where Zorro can be an inspiration.

I cannot wait to see this full musical production launched - the illusions created, the costuming, the staging, the pulsating rhythms paired to passionate choreography, the engaging score. Our masked hero is ready to inspire new audiences with flamenco dance, exotic costumed festivals, breathtaking sword fights, ballads, humour, pratfalls, magic, and hot Latin love . . . Viva el Zorro!

Zorro: The Musical is on tour (www.zorrothemusical.com) and previews from tomorrow at the Congress Theatre, Eastbourne (01323 412000). It has its premiere on March 13 at the New Victoria Theatre, Woking (0870 0606645)

PACK UP YOUR ZORROS: A HERO'S STORY

1919 “Señor Zorro” first appears in Johnston McCulley’s story The Curse of Capistrano, which was serialised in the pulp magazine All-Story Weekly. He was often called "El Zorro" in early stories

1920 The Mark of Zorro is released as a silent film starring Douglas Fairbanks and Noah Beery, and McCulley’s novel is published under the same title.

1939 Bob Kane and Bill Finger write the first Batman comic, heavily influenced by the character of Zorro.

1940 Tyrone Power stars as Diego de la Vega (Zorro) in a remake of The Mark of Zorro, featuring the famous final fight with Basil Rathbone.

1944 José Mallorqui writes El Coyote, another character bearing strong similarities to Zorro.

1944 Linda Stirling stars in Zorro’s Black Whip as an 1880s female descendant.

1957 Disney offers its interpretation of the crusader in the TV series Zorro.

1973 Disney features a fox as the main character in the feature film Robin Hood, a character bearing similarities to Zorro (which means fox in Spanish).

1996 Kaiketsu Zorro, a Japanese anime TV version, is made by Mushi Productions

1997 Animated series The New Adventures of Zorro is made by Warner Brothers.

1998 Antonio Banderas stars in The Mask of Zorro, nominated for two Oscars.

2005 A sequel, The Legend of Zorro, is released, also starring Banderas.

2005 Isabel Allende’s fictional Zorro: A Novel reinterprets the legend.

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