A Writer's Tale

[louisedennis]

A Writer's Tale by Benjamin Cook and Russell T. Davies is a (just about) year long email interview come conversation between Benjamin Cook (a Doctor Who Magazine writer) and Russell T. Davies about the writing process. It encompasses the writing of the 2007 Christmas Special (the one with Kylie in) and then Season 4. And it's a pretty fascinating

Comments

[lukadreaming]

I bought the book with some Christmas money and enjoyed the glimpse at the writing process. I did roll my eyes at RTD leaving everything to the last minute, but then reminded myself how hypocritical I was being, as that's how I've written for a living for the last 25 years. But then again I'm not a BBC scriptwriter *g*.

[fredbassett]

*smiles winningly*

Can I borrow it? I'd love to read it, but don't fancy shelling out for the hardback.

[lukadreaming]

Of course you can! Btw, been trying to email you, but Googlemail is down. Snarl!

We now return you to normal service on Louise's LJ *g*.

[fredbassett]

Splendid! It sounds like the sort of book I'd have fun moaning about!

*snarls at your email*

[louisedennis]

It's difficult isn't it? I tend to be too nervous to really go up to a deadline too often, but I have done so on occasion. On the other hand the sort of projects I tend to be involved in require less up-front set up. If I notice a major flaw in a paper three hours before its due in I always have the option simply not to submit it. There isn't a million pound juggernaut already in motion requiring the input.

[malicehaughton]

Quik question: Does he mention anythign at all to a backstory for what went on with Jackie, Mickey and Rose when they were in the alt. universe, or is all we get in the actual show?

[louisedennis]

No backstory I'm afraid, no. Not even a discussion of the rumoured spin-off series about Rose's adventures there.

At one point Davies considers introducing some technobabble that means Rose can not stay in our universe, but he rejects it on the grounds he'd promised Noel Clarke a role in Torchwood and the technobabble would exclude that.

[malicehaughton]

Backstory for those three would have been the only reason I would buy that book. I want to read it, but I don't want to have to fork money out for it...

[louisedennis]

I very much doubt Davies has anything coherent worked out in terms of back story. He talks in the book a lot about the "Maybe" - all the ideas he has floating around that he might use, but he is clear he never really commits to them until he writes them in a script.

My guess is that what you see on screen is what you get in terms of any hard and fast backstory. Anything else Davies would consider absolutely up for grabs and open to change at short notice.

[malicehaughton]

*cries for the butchering of once good characters*

Damn. Now I like him less than I already did. And that wasn't a lot...

[reggietate]

My guess is that what you see on screen is what you get in terms of any hard and fast backstory. Anything else Davies would consider absolutely up for grabs and open to change at short notice.

I wouldn't be surprised if that wasn't the norm for many episodic shows, if not most of them. Unless you're writing a serial, too much hard and fast backstory can make it difficult for you later on. After all, you leading actor might decide to bugger off three eps into a run and leave you scrambling to tie up all the loose ends *g* (yes, Dougie, I'm looking at you!)

Writing for TV, especially this kind of show, must be something of a juggling act, filled with compromises. Personally, I would try to avoid the last-minute writing of important scripts - we've all done it with fic, but I've always found it's better if you can leave the finished (or even partly finished) article for awhile, improvements will come to mind.

[louisedennis]

Agreed - unless you're planning a kind of Babylon 5 thing where part of the whole format is to gradually unfold the back story, you do better to not to commit to more than has actually been revealed.

And Babylon 5 demonstrated how difficult it was to even do the unfolding back story when faced with the vagaries of actors and studio execs.