This flash fiction 2022 charity
anthology edited by Kara Dennison and Paul Driscoll considers the after-effects
of the Doctor’s presence in a televised adventure. The things they leave
behind, physically and emotionally. It’s the ‘what happened next’ as told from
the perspective of some of the individuals who encountered them. The title is
inspired by the German theologian Gerd Thiessen’s The Shadow of the Galilean
(and is not intended as a loaded comment on the Doctor’s origins).
We are looking for flash fiction
of between 500 - 1000 words told by a supporting character to cover every
televised Doctor Who story. They can be minor or major characters (as long as
they have a spoken role and name), human or alien, hero or villain, but no
companions or series regulars.
Your character is the narrator of
the piece, whether you write it as an action scene or piece of reflective
speech. The best contributions will be those that best capture the individual
voice of the speaker. We will accept multiple genres, from poetry as
consciously written by the character, to letters, journal entries and
straightforward story-telling.
We want to know what impact the
Doctor had, in terms of their actions, their decisions, their words, and their
character. We don’t want a book that becomes a gushing eulogy, so those
experiences and judgements might be negative as well as positive, or more
likely a little bit of both. Although these are the experiences of those whose
lives were altered in some way by the Doctor, the focus must end up on the
Doctor, hence the title of the collection.
You can pick a ‘good guy’, a ‘bad
guy’, or a neutral character. Their perspective and ‘side’ might have changed
from what was seen on screen. No series regulars, including any of the Doctors
should be active figures in your story. This is about what happens after they
have left – whether that be the immediate aftermath, or sometime in the future,
from days to years.
As an unofficial charity
anthology, this work is not meant to be considered as canon in the strictest definition
of the term, meaning that you do not need to worry about presenting a
consistent timeline to that which might be featured in official spin-offs such
as BBC novels or Big Finish audios. Be creative and don’t feel limited by existing
stories.
There will likely be two volumes
to cover 1963-1996 and 2005-present.
You can reserve up to four (UPDATED) stories in total. We just need the name of the story you are planning to cover
and the character you would like to use. Slots will usually be reserved on a first come
- first served basis, but the final green light will come following receipt of an acceptable synopsis (which can be just a few lines).
We will be raising money for the
UK homelessness charity, Shelter. We hope that some of the stories might show a
character who has experienced similar social and economic challenges to those
faced by the people the charity support, but it is of course by no means a
requirement.
DEADLINE FOR RESERVING STORIES (UPDATED): 31st October 2021.
DEADLINE FOR STORY SYNOPSES (NEW): 31st October 2021.
DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTING YOUR WORK (UPDATED): 31st August 2022.
E-Mail for reservations, pitches and story submissions: altrixbooks@virginmedia.com.
