MASTER PIECES AUTHOR INTERVIEW - Tim Gambrell

Why did you decide to pitch a story for Master Pieces? 

Two reasons, I guess. Firstly, I worked with Scott Claringbold on the Relics anthology and was really pleased with the result, so I was happy to work with him again on what was to be his next project (at the time). Secondly, I still think of myself very much as a novice, so I'm constantly looking for opportunities to develop my skills, to learn and improve (and to build up a network of contacts). I try to grab as many writing opportunities as I realistically can.

What are you most proud of about your stories?

It has to be that I was able to deliver the goods on two stories, which sounds conceited, I know. The even more conceited answer is that when I revisited the stories after many months (and several intervening projects) I found I was surprised by them - in a good way. I've always taken it as a positive sign when a writer is surprised by their own work.

Can you give us a little taster of what the readers can expect from your pieces? 

Plaything follows on immediately from the end of the 1996 TV Movie. I wanted to write a piece that played to the strengths of the Eric Roberts Master: his physicality and theatrical presence. It's very much a solo tour de force. The Patient is a story where the reader starts off knowing, or suspecting, more than the lead character, Costan. Hopefully it will be fun for the reader as the story progresses and the balance slowly evens out.

How did you find the writing process? 

My two contributions were chalk and cheese for me. I love writing most when ideas take shape and develop an organic life of their own. For example, The Patient, as originally pitched, was a Deadly Assassin Master story. But when the call went out for War Master stories, it quickly became apparent that swapping Peter Pratt for Derek Jacobi offered me a much wider canvas. At that point all the aspects of the story seemed to fall naturally into place. I think The Patient as originally conceived would have been simply a vignette rather than a sustained narrative, and therefore probably wouldn't have made the cut. Plaything, on the other hand, was a far more challenging piece. I struggled for ages to find my mojo with that text, to find the joy of it. I knew roughly what I wanted to do and say, but not specifically how to do and say it. The right words just wouldn't come. It was a slog, and I had to force myself on at times. If anything, Plaything celebrates the reviewing and refining that takes place after that painful first draft is bled from your brain. I was out of my comfort zone an awful lot with this story, but I wanted to prove to myself as much as anything that I could see those ideas through to fruition and create an end product that I was sufficiently happy with to submit to others.

Where else we can find your work? 

So far this year I've had two linked novels published by Candy Jar Books, Lethbridge-Stewart: Lucy Wilson & The Bledoe Cadets (The Laughing Gnome Book 5) and The Lucy Wilson Mysteries: The Brigadier & The Bledoe Cadets. More details on both can be found here. Also from Candy Jar books, I have a story in The Lucy Wilson Mysteries: A Christmas Collection, due out at the end of November. Elsewhere in the Doctor Who universe I've got a short story, 'Stockholm From Home', in Bernice Summerfield: True Stories, available from Big Finish as a book, e-book or audio book. I've contributed several Sherlock Holmes pastiches to recent collections. Two are currently available from Amazon: The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories, Part XIII - 2019 Annual (1881-1890) The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories, Part XVI - Whatever Remains... Must Be the Truth (1881-1890) On top of all that, I continue to be a busy bee. I have an Erimem novella, The Way of the Bry'hunee, which is due out soon from Thebes Publishing. I also have a few more Sherlock Holmes stories on the way in anthologies from Belanger Books, plus more Lethbridge-Stewart from Candy Jar.

What’s your favourite Master story? 

Toughie! I will go with The Mind of Evil, I think. Roger Delgado is superb in that, and Don Houghton's story is the closest the Pertwee era got again to the grittiness of Season 7.

Who do you think should play the next Master and why? 

Argh! Awful question! Okay... Mark Heap. I'd like to see him apply some of that manic obsession he showed in Spaced 20 years ago, and he's still young enough to carry it off.

Order Master Pieces now from Altrix Books!

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MASTER PIECES AUTHOR INTERVIEW - Simon A Brett

Why did you decide to pitch a story for Master Pieces?

The honest answer? I wanted to work with Paul Driscoll. He's been such a steady source of support and friendship since the original Seasons Of War project and I wanted to support him in some way. Even if it meant undermining the standards of his latest project(!) Having the opportunity to write for John Simm's Master was a happy coincidence. I suppose I don't like going for what some might think is the obvious choice of incarnation and I've always been a massive fan of the actor, so the opportunity to put words into his mouth was very attractive. ("Lickspittle" being one of my favourites)

What are you most proud of about your story?

I would hope that the story offers enough imagination and ambiguity that readers might not automatically assume that it's about "this" or "that" which I guess is a danger when you approach such a politically charged scenario (The story is set in number 10 after all!). If I remember rightly, Paul suggested that he'd like to see someone cover the Master's time as Prime Minister and a challenge like that tends to offer up an amount of pressure, but also the opportunity to do something readers might not expect. So, while I say it's staged in number 10 Downing Street, it's not quite the place as we know it. Maybe what I'm most proud of is that in the current political climate I've looked at things in a more oblique, emotionally charged way (Which, if a reader is determined to assume that I have some hidden agenda is probably what I'm saying). There are no bad guys as such. Just characters with their own nuances and focusses. Whether they're seen as protagonist or antagonist is up to the reader...but isn't that just politics in a nutshell?

Can you give us a little taster of what the readers can expect from your piece?

Lots of Latin. And the word "Lickspittle".

How did you find the writing process?

I found that I was constantly double checking how I was approaching the Master's alien perspective. He interacts with Earthlings in a manner that suits his own purposes. The Simm Master behaves like a morally corrupt businessman who moves into a town and looks to see how he can use its resources for his own benefit. If anything doesn't fit his plans, then it's bye-bye. If I ever get the chance to write for the Doctor again, it'll certainly influence how I approach his/her relationship with planet Earth. Both the Doctor and the Master have a huge enthusiasm for the minutae of human beings, but for different reasons.

The biggest challenge as I mentioned before was to approach an obviously political set-up in a different way. I won't deny that I own a fairly strong moral compass, so to try and reach past party politics and get into the heads of such extreme characters was a new thing for me. To date, I don't believe I've ever written a proper through-and-through bad guy in any of my stories, so the Master is the closest I've come.

Where else we can find your work?

I've contributed short stories to Seasons Of War, Time Shadows 2 and various other anthologies. My Iris Wildthyme story, Timepiece is in the Obverse Books anthology, A Clockwork Iris and  recently contributed an interview with illustrator, Alan Willow for the Doctor Who Magazine Target Books special. I was also lucky enough to write a short audio play for Sounds Of Thunder towards the end of last year starring Toby Hadoke. I'm currently in the process of writing my first book as well as a fairly substantial article for the next edition of Vworp! Vworp! Magazine, which has become very special to me. I can't say much about it other than it's been a real journey as a writer and illustrator. There are links to both my writing and artwork either via my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/simonbrettart/ or my website at www.simonbrett.co.uk

What’s your favourite Master story?

I suppose I should choose a John Simm story, but in true backstabbing Master style I'd have to say Terror Of The Autons. It's just so much fun and Roger Delgado hits the ground running from his first appearance.

Who do you think should play the next Master and why?

Lucy Punch. I mean, I know that she's kind of cut out a niche for herself playing nasty pieces of work, but oh my word, she's so good. So...well, nasty.

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MASTER PIECES AUTHOR INTERVIEW - Iain McLaughlin

Why did you decide to pitch a story for Master Pieces?

I’d never written for the Master. It’s a character I have fond memories of from the Pertwee days, but if I’m honest I haven’t been a fan of all of the subsequent incarnations. Some I have really liked. Some… not so much. But I do like the concept of the character and Roger Delgado was glorious, and so I thought I’d have a go. Besides, it’s for a good cause so it would be mean not to.

What are you most proud of about your story?

I like the characters and personality of the Master I worked with. I also like that he fits in so comfortably with Erimem, Andy and Ibrahim. This was kind of my test for a plot idea too. If I can assassinate everyone more likely than me to ever become Doctor Who showrunner (and that would be a very, very, very long list) my plan for the show’s 60^th would be distilled from part of the idea in this.

Can you give us a little taster of what the readers can expect from your piece?

It’s a heist story. I wanted to do The Thomas Crown Affair but with time travel shenanigans and the Master… and in 5000 words.

I’ve never let Erimem and her new chums appear in anything except the books we do with them. I thought it might be nice to let Erimem and her pals provide the backdrop for the Master story, just to make it have a different flavour from the other stories.

How did you find the writing process?

I went back to basics with him. What is he? Who is he? What is he in comparison with the Doctor? How does he view the Doctor? What made me like and enjoy the character in the first place? The challenge for me was making this a story and a Master I’d like to have seen on the tellybox.

Where else we can find your work?

I’m writing a noir novel at the moment. Set in the golden age of Hollywood, it’s a female private eye investigating a really nasty run of crimes. I’ve got three novels completed but not announced and contracts signed for a couple of novels which I’ll do after that. I write for Commando war comics regularly and edit the Erimem novels. I like to write for the series every year or so. But I’ve written a pile of different things – novels, audios, radio, TV, theatre… if you want to check out my work, pop over to www.iainmclaughlin.co.uk – I update it a couple of times a month.

What’s your favourite Master story?

Terror of the Autons. It just edges The Daemons and The Deadly Assassin. It’s a wonderful introduction story and really sets him up as the Doctor’s Moriarty, or something of an anti-Doctor. And it’s a great Robert Holmes script. As is The Deadly Assassin. The Daemons is pretty much perfect too.

Who do you think should play the next Master and why?

Hugh Grant. I like the Master to be charming, ruthless and not insane. I really think Hugh Grant would be smooth, intelligent, utterly amoral and enormous fun. I would also like Peter Capaldi to play the Master. If the Master really wants to stick the knife into the Doctor, there’s nothing more insulting than to actually copy his appearance. Capaldi is also just a fantastic villain.

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MASTER PIECES AUTHOR INTERVIEW - Dan Barratt

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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MASTER PIECES AUTHOR INTERVIEW - Lee Rawlings

Why did you decide to pitch a story for Master Pieces?

I adore stories that are out of the box, excuse the pun, especially those connected to the world of Doctor Who, and to be honest, I have always wondered what went on behind closed doors in the Master's ultimately lonely life.

What are you most proud of about your story?

The fact that it made me laugh. Which was the intention so thank goodness for that.

Can you give us a little taster of what the readers can expect from your piece?

What do you do when you run out of ideas to kill off your sworn enemy? The Delgado Master at his hammiest hits a brick wall and resorts to a new method to conjure up ideas.

How did you find the writing process?

Fun. And linear. I started at the start and ended at the end. Unusual for me but there you are. I found I could occupy Delgado's shoes really quickly and comfortably which made me realise how much Doctor Who is intrinsically part of my DNA. Delgado's Master had a wicked sense of humour too..

What were the biggest challenges?

Tech. My stupid laptop decided to stop working and I had to suck the document out of the computer with a plastic tube. Well it felt like it anyway.

Where else we can find your work?

Gosh. Wattpad under Montagfire I suppose is active, I do music on Soundcloud and Mixcloud, eventing in Exeter and acting too.

I am working with Pixel Playbox writing a text adventure app (I do voice acting for them too) which is uber hard. Also, I am working on another Doctor Who story with my bestie Simon Brett which involves the fifth Doctor which I am loving, Simon makes me laugh, a lot.

What’s your favourite Master story?

That is hard. Very hard. I love The Sea Devils for Delgado's suave performance but also The Deadly Assassin as an experience of terror and weirdness (I was 6).

Who do you think should play the next Master and why?

Ben Kingsley would be terrifying , those eyes! Have you seen him in Sexy Beast? He can dangerous, suave, charming and a maniac. Plus he can play Gandhi, so a good master of disguise. Oh, and he can wear a good beard too.

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Want to Contribute to You Goes... But Don't Know Where to Start? Let Us Help

If you've been following our social media, you've probably seen us talk about the open call for essays for You Goes for the Remote from Watching Books. If you haven't... well, the short version is we're looking for essays about British television from across the years. It's a charity volume, and while it's not being published via Altrix, Paul and Kara are editing it.

We've seen a few people express interest, and a few have hesitated... which is understandable. The brief (if you go to the page) isn't your typical one when being asked to write an essay. So where do you start? What can you write about? What should you write about?

There's still plenty of time to get your essay in, but if you need help getting ideas going, we can at least give you somewhere to start — besides editing the volume, we've both written for Watching Books anthologies before!

Starting with the You and Who line, Watching Books asked for essays about every Doctor Who story produced for television. But rather than a review or a critique, they wanted personal stories. How did this particular episode reflect something in the person's own life? Did they have a specific memory or life event tied to the story or something within it? In other words, writers didn't write about the story: they wrote about the story's place in their lives. This went on to You and Who Else, exploring non-Who television.

Essayists ranged from professionals who worked on the titles in question to fans with childhood memories tied to moments from the show. Some were slow-burn stories of memories rekindled, others were harder reads about loss and unhappiness. Regardless of mood or style, the stories were all original and genuine, and came together to create an anthology not about television, but about how television affects us.

That may sound a very lofty goal, but it's whatever works for you. Maybe you and a sibling fought all the time, but you called a truce for Horrible Histories. Maybe the soundtrack of Life on Mars inspired you to take up an instrument. Maybe Blackadder has been your go-to show on bad days for the last 20 years.

That's really the whole point of the You Goes series. You'll see professional writers and entertainment industry sorts, but they're sharing pages with indie creators and even people for whom this may be their first published work. After all, that's how you get an accurate view of fandom: you have to look everywhere.

So if you've never been published before, if you want to write for the anthology but think "not being a writer" will keep you out... put that out of your mind. That's actually something that might give you an advantage here as compared to elsewhere.

In short: the point is not to be academic, to say something lofty about a show that's never been said before. The point is to let the world know what your show of choice means in your life, by telling us about a memory or a point of interest between you and your show of choice. Even if you think your story is silly, or not "noteworthy," there are good odds it belongs in these pages.

So, give it a go! Apply here to join us in You Goes for the Remote. Or if you're feeling a stronger pull to a film, book, or album, there are calls for those as well!

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Last Call for Unearthed!

Master Pieces is going into its final stages... and that means it's last call for Unearthed!

Our contributors were exceedingly kind in giving of their time and effort to raise funds for the American Research Center in Egypt. To that end, we will not be leaving Unearthed as part of our permanent library. Their stories may appear in other volumes at their discretion, so be sure to keep an eye on your favorite authors from the collection!

Funds so far (plus a little extra on top from us) have already been sent to the ARCE in anticipation of the end of sales. Anything further between now and the end of the run will be sent along as well. So if you've been on the fence, not only is your last chance to grab a copy on the horizon... your purchase will still go toward the charity!

We'll announce the exact date of final sales soon, but for now we can say we'll be closing them out about a week before Master Pieces goes on sale. It'll be announced big on social media so you can't miss it.

For now, get your last orders in!

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