A review by ianbanks
Doctor Who: The Writer's Tale by Russell T. Davies, Benjamin Cook

5.0

There are any number of books on writing that detail how to go about it. I've read more than my fair share of them, seeking advice on how to spark up my own literary offerings (hint: the only advice that ALL writers offer is to read a ton and write a ton and to keep doing it). To read about the process from the guy who restarted possibly-my-all-time-favourite TV show is, to coin a phrase, FANTASTIC!

Mr Davies reads like he talks, at about a mile a minute. I think I would have hated to have had him in my classroom as he appears to be that kid with an opinion on everything. But he does sparkle, and he does make you nod and he does make you understand how writing can transform a life and that, while it may seem effortless - and, when you're in the moment, rattling off several thousand words a day is pretty easy - making it read well is a completely different matter. He also really enjoys writing and telling stories and creating memorable characters and situations and, while I don't think his era of The Show was particularly brilliant about realistic SF (Season 18 was about the only time in the shows 35 seasons/ 50-something years, IMNSHO, that there were people involved who really tried to make the S as prominent as the F), he did create some terrific drama.

It helps that he has a sounding board in Benjamin Cook, who interrupts or erratically steers the conversation back on topic with some well-thought or well-targeted questions about the creative process. And, in true organic collaborative style, some of the ideas brought up influence the direction of the scripts.

And it is the scripts that are another real highlight here: we get draft versions of four episodes (Voyage Of The Damned, Partners In Crime, The Stolen Earth and Journey's End) and it is really interesting to see them in comparison to their televised counterparts, with commentary from Mr Davies about how they would/ did change from paper to screen.

Great fun, insightful and often hilarious.