The three 'R's - Reading, Writing and Russell...
Well, Perry Rhodan has gone by the wayside too. It was just so... DULL! I felt really bad. That's two ejections I've pulled in a row but then I picked up 'A Writer's Tale' by Russell T Davies and Ben Cook. I can't put it down and it made me realise that there's no point struggling with a book and making myself read it just because...
Writer's Tale is a collection of what we are told, are largely unedited e-mail exchanges between journalist Ben Cook and Doctor WHO head honcho, Russell Davies. The idea was originally to write a magazine article giving a warts-and-all look at writing a Doctor WHO series from inital ideas to final shooting script and the process that that goes through on that journey.
It's utterly compelling and, as I say, I find myself not wanting to put it down. I was amazed to find that (if the entries are to believed and it's not just some clever PR spin - and I have absolutely no reason to believe they are), Catherine Tate was pretty much signed to return as Donna Noble in February 2007 before Freema Agyeman had even appeared as Martha, before even Kylie was cast for that year's Christmas special. That Freema genuinely was only ever intended to appear in one series and a new character called Penny Carter was meant to join the Doctor in series 4 (before Donna's return was a possibility) and that character was virtually cast before Tate let slip to the WHO team she'd love to do more.
It's fascinating to read about how Davies procrastinates to epic, almost biblical levels as I recognise large aspects of myself in his descriptions. I did, however find myself wondering how writers in his employ, who treated deadlines with the same contempt would fare.
The chapter I'm on at the moment is called, 'Bastards' and the title is derived from a conversation about wether you need to be a bastard in order to succeed in television. Davies denies it but then realises that his often detached attitude might cause some people to call him a bastard. He can be, he admits, quite ruthless.
Personally, 'Midnight' aside, I don't think he's a great writer and this book is giving me an insight into why that is. I find myself wondering if he wasn't in charge of Doctor WHO wether he would actually be employed as a writer for it.
I also wonder who the hell this Ben Cook is. Who is he that he gets to recieve e-mails from Doctor WHO's head man casually listing confidential and highly sensitive show secrets. They appear to be friends of some description but not much more than on a professional level. Davies obviously trusts him implicitly, whoever he is.
Another thought I find popping into my head is in reaction to a quote on the book. It's something like, 'after reading this you won't want to be a writer'. I find myself thinking that after reading just three chapters, I don't really want to work in Television. I've long had my suspicions about the kind of environment I might find myself in if I were to work for a TV production company and this book is confirming them, really.
Writer's Tale is a collection of what we are told, are largely unedited e-mail exchanges between journalist Ben Cook and Doctor WHO head honcho, Russell Davies. The idea was originally to write a magazine article giving a warts-and-all look at writing a Doctor WHO series from inital ideas to final shooting script and the process that that goes through on that journey.
It's utterly compelling and, as I say, I find myself not wanting to put it down. I was amazed to find that (if the entries are to believed and it's not just some clever PR spin - and I have absolutely no reason to believe they are), Catherine Tate was pretty much signed to return as Donna Noble in February 2007 before Freema Agyeman had even appeared as Martha, before even Kylie was cast for that year's Christmas special. That Freema genuinely was only ever intended to appear in one series and a new character called Penny Carter was meant to join the Doctor in series 4 (before Donna's return was a possibility) and that character was virtually cast before Tate let slip to the WHO team she'd love to do more.
It's fascinating to read about how Davies procrastinates to epic, almost biblical levels as I recognise large aspects of myself in his descriptions. I did, however find myself wondering how writers in his employ, who treated deadlines with the same contempt would fare.
The chapter I'm on at the moment is called, 'Bastards' and the title is derived from a conversation about wether you need to be a bastard in order to succeed in television. Davies denies it but then realises that his often detached attitude might cause some people to call him a bastard. He can be, he admits, quite ruthless.
Personally, 'Midnight' aside, I don't think he's a great writer and this book is giving me an insight into why that is. I find myself wondering if he wasn't in charge of Doctor WHO wether he would actually be employed as a writer for it.
I also wonder who the hell this Ben Cook is. Who is he that he gets to recieve e-mails from Doctor WHO's head man casually listing confidential and highly sensitive show secrets. They appear to be friends of some description but not much more than on a professional level. Davies obviously trusts him implicitly, whoever he is.
Another thought I find popping into my head is in reaction to a quote on the book. It's something like, 'after reading this you won't want to be a writer'. I find myself thinking that after reading just three chapters, I don't really want to work in Television. I've long had my suspicions about the kind of environment I might find myself in if I were to work for a TV production company and this book is confirming them, really.