My name is DTChick and I'm a Doctor Who fan. I love it. The stories, the characters, the CGI, the entire concept, everything, and especially David Tennant's performance as the Doctor.
I've recently finished reading Russell T Davies' book, The Writer's Tale. Russell has been the Exec Producer on DW since its return to our screens in 2005 and the book follows a year in the life of the writer through a series of emails to Benjamin Cook, journalist and regular contributor to Radio Times and Doctor Who Magazine.
I'm not a big reader, but I couldn't wait to start working my way through this book and I wasn't disappointed. It's a raw, emotional and very honest account of the processes behind creating the BBC's flagship Saturday night drama.
It begins with Ben pitching to Russell his idea for an article or short piece on the script writing process. How decisions are made? How characters are developed? How his ideas get transformed into the finished product? but the final result is so much more. Russell explains quite early on in the book that to him being a writer is not a defined, separate process that he can turn on and off as and when needed, it's all encompassing and as such the responses Russell provides become more of an in depth assessment of the man as whole and the life he leads. The good times, the laugh-out-loud funny times, the bad times, the down right awful times (on several occasions I just wanted to give him a hug) and all with the warmth of the friendship the two authors hold. It's fantastic. I was engrossed virtually from page 1 and went through a process of rationing how much of it I let myself read in one go to allow the enjoyment to last longer.
The format and structure of the book draws you in without you noticing. It's not great lengthy prose (although Russell does like to make his point thoroughly on some occasions), it's short glimpses into his daily routines, ideas and thought processes, all driven along by Ben's insightful and timely questioning that just leaves you wanting more. I was particularly intrigued by some of the script drafts that are included. Knowing what the end product is and how the actors and directors have interpreted the words is fascinating. Your mind fills with the pictures and sounds of the scenes as you read along
The overall message this book leaves you with is just how much effort and hard work goes into this process by so many talented people. The work Julie Gardener puts in stands out as being the spine that holds the show together. Her absence going forward could well determine the success of DW long term, but then again, with The Grand Moff at the helm for series 5 exciting times await!
I'd recommend The Writer's Tale to anybody who has even just a passing interest in Doctor Who (like those purchases won't already have been made!) but also for anybody who has aspirations of becoming a writer as it gets down to the nuts and bolts of television production, handling the media, script drafting and just what makes good TV drama.
Buy it and buy one for your friend too. You won't regret it
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To read an extract from Doctor Who - The Writer's Tale please click here 'Writing isn't ... more
just a job that stops at six-thirty...It's a mad sexy sad scary obsessive ruthless joyful and utterly utterly personal thing. There's not the writer and th...
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Feb 13th, 2009
(Feb 19th, 2009)
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