Why did you decide to pitch a story for Master Pieces?
The Master is such a fascinating character, with so many facets to explore. I wanted to pen a story which opens like a new series adventure but then settles into something recognisably classic.
Can you give our readers a little taster as to what to expect from your piece?
The story features an old series incarnation of the Doctor’s arch enemy, set at a pivotal time of upheaval in his history, and adds one or two details about his colourful life between two iconic television stories.
How did you find the writing process?
It was fascinating to try and capture something that is so well-known, televisually, on the page. I always try to imagine the sound of the character, to see if I can hear what I’m writing in ‘his’ voice, his turn-of-phrase. Of course, having such brilliantly written and performed material as a template is immensely helpful and the two characterisations on which I have based my written Master are absolutely peerless performances.
I find the visual incredibly important too. I tend to favour descriptive passages and I find this is particularly relevant when writing something like Doctor Who fiction because Who is, first and foremost, a child of the television age, a visual entity. That’s not say I don’t enjoy Doctor Who on audio, but I prefer to try and reach for something from my childhood - which, hopefully, in some small way, my fiction does – of gathering in front of the TV and watching an exciting adventure.
What are you most proud of about your story?
I was keen to try and give the thing a real sense of quirky British humour, something a little off-beat. There is a certain element in the story – I won’t give it away here! – which I chose deliberately for its slightly embarrassing quirkiness; you know, one of those things that makes us fans wince a little when it’s mentioned. That’s something I love about classic Doctor Who: those slightly embarrassing moments that challenge our devotion to the series!
Where else can readers find your work?
I have contributed to several anthologies, including Secret Invasion (Tales Of Eldritch Horror From The Westcountry), The Second Christmas Book Of Ghost Stories, Seasons Of War, The Twelve Doctors Of Christmas and edited the recently published One More Lifetime: A You & Who Miscellany (Watching Books).
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