Martin Day, the author of the recent First Doctor novel; Bunker Soldier, and many others includ
ing The Hollow Men and The Devil Goblins from Neptune, took a break from being “absolutely rushed off his trotters” to answer a few questions...
Have you been a fan of Doctor Who all your life?
Yes. I can't remember never having watched it.
As a child do you know you wanted to become a writer?
Yes. Always a writer (once astronaut and mad scientist and those childish things are dispensed with!). There's a film I watched once - British, black and white, Carry On-ish but largely serious - that had a tremendous impact on me. All about a girl who wrote about her village and then (secretly) had it published. Wish I could remember the title! Anyway, I remember thinking 'So *that's* how you do it!' If only it *was* that easy!
What inspired you to write your own Doctor Who fiction?
Just a love of writing and a love of Who.
It's really as simple as that.
Do you find it difficult to find good story lines?
Assuming that any of the storylines I use are 'good', then, no, the ideas come easily enough, and plotting them just takes (lots of) concentration and time. I usually have two or three vague ideas on the go at any one time - but it can take years for them to get properly plotted. They sit in the back of your mind, grabbing hold of other disparate threads, gradually growing. A bit like mould!
What do you think are the most important elements of a Doctor Who Book?
They're so diverse now it would be foolish to pick anything, really. I like it when the Doc and/or companions are reasonably well involved, though: I mean, we'd all like to write 'proper fiction', but you've got to at least hit some of the Who-ish bases. Having said that, I can't stand lots of continuity. It just sends me to sleep. Others seem to like it, though.
How long does it take you to write a book?
Far too long! Anything up to six months, if I'm working on other things as well.
Do you have a good working relationship with Topping?
Absolutely. We only argue about stupid things, like Prodigy lyrics and whether it's worth investing in a decent remote control for our telly.
What have you done besides Who Fiction?
Chronologically: loads of unpublished poetry. Loads of journalism, including record reviews for the NME. All those TV books with Keith and/or Paul. Entries for a film encyclopedia. Occasional small press SF stories. Many episodes of C5's Family Affairs.
What’s it like to write for a soap?
Well, I only have experience of one, but I'd say, on the plus side, it forces you to learn a lot about TV writing in quite a short period of time. The pay is good and the old ego is massaged by seeing your name on the small screen. So far I have written eight episodes and enjoyed it. Some of the people you meet are very nice, and I quite like working as part of a team. On the other hand, some of the *other* people you meet would test the patience of a saint, you have precious little input into the storylines, and you can be treated as something lower than pond life. Not that I'm bitter or anything. Oh no.
Do you ever draw on life's experiences when writing?
All the time. You have to - it's the biggest slab of 'raw material' you've got. I can't stand science fiction (or fiction of any sort) that isn't rooted in emotional reality of some sort. For example, there's a little passage in Another Girl, Another Planet that seems to be all about Bernice's attitude to travel, but is actually all about my own fears as I was just about to travel to the US for the first time.
As you probably know, some early episodes are missing for BBC Archives,is there a book you have written that you would like to go missing?
Oh no. I'm well aware of the flaws - painfully aware, in fact - but there's nothing that I wished didn't exist. Well, perhaps the Trek book - but then, that one sold okay, so...
If you played a Doctor Who Baddie, who would you play?
I always used to relate to Davros for some reason.
What do you have in the ‘pipeline’?
Keith and I have a series in development, and another TV company are looking at an idea of mine.
Anymore Doctor Who planned?
Possibly. At risk of sounding mercenary-minded, it's a question of finding the right gap between the other things I'm trying to do. I rarely seem to be in synch with Justin's commissioning process!
What advice would you give to a person who would like to start writing?
In general, or for the Who range? There's no lack of advice out there (both for writers in general and would-be Who writers in particular). Just do it. And, if you feel the passion and desire, keep doing it,even when you get knocked back. But obey all the 'rules' in terms of your submission - you can bitch about them or bend the rules once you're on board. (It's like that bit in Porridge: there are only two rules in this prison. One, no spitting. Two, obey all the rules.) Also, if you're *only* interested in writing Who fiction, and you keep getting rejected... Maybe you've answered your own question there. Even Eric Saward understood that the desire to want to write is pre-eminent. Doctor Who is just one expression of that.
You can read more about Martin Day at his web-site: martinday.co.uk
