[3] He was raised at Rongotea in rural Manawatu,[4] and studied at Massey University, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in physiology in 1972.

Scott co-wrote the screenplay for the animated feature Footrot Flats: The Dog's Tale with Murray Ball.

In 2001 Scott wrote the semi-autobiographical stage play, about his father, The Daylight Atheist which has since been performed by numerous theatres in New Zealand and Australia.

[7] In the 2006 New Year Honours, Scott was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services as a writer, journalist and illustrator.

[11] In March 2019 Scott left the Dominion Post to pursue a project to write a biography of Charles Upham, which was published in 2020.