Hello friend, it’s time for my February update!

I hope this email is a reminder that emails can be full of good things, not just spam or ads 😭🫠

My February gift for you: this video version of my short story, Harper’s Rebuild 🚀👨🏻‍🚀 enjoy!

Today’s topic: what happened to Doctor Who? 🌌

Alright, Doctor Who fans, strap in! Actually, you’ll probably already know what I’m going to share.

The new Doctor Who seasons (from 2005 onward) kicked off the Whovian obsession once more, whilst also bringing some new recruits along for the ride. But along the way (namely after the Peter Capaldi seasons) things…changed. Yes, Jodie Whittaker jumped in as the Doctor, but the shift wasn’t to do with her performance (I love her!). The writing changed, namely, the lead writer changed, and it shows. It also shows why writing for television is such a unique beast, and why it’s critical to get it right, especially if you’re a writer parachuting into the project after such a successful run.

The emergence of streaming services has brought about a significant challenge for series writers and viewers. It’s not uncommon to see viewers complain about waiting 3 years in between seasons (wayyyy too long) and the lack of episodes in seasons (bring back the 21 episode season!). How many shows have you seen where eventually the storylines seem to just drift off track? But these new DW seasons defied this. That was until…they didn’t.

Why this problem matters

For anyone unfamiliar with the overall storyline of Doctor Who, the parts that were severely lacking in the Whittaker seasons were (predominantly) the beloved long-standing story archs (…and a few other details). These are the elements that keep people hooked on the Who that seemed to dissolve:

• The Doctor facing his/her own personal failings. The Doctor is non-so-secretly flawed, whether it be stubbornness, a prior action that failed, or some kind of personal barrier of the self the Doctor can not seem to pass through. These qualities have shifted slightly between the various actors who have played the Doctor. There is always something holding the Doctor back from being a purely “good” character. It’s what makes the Doctor relateable and human.
• The Doctor faces recurring evil and enemies. Need I say more than the Daleks? Cybermen? The Master? The Doctor can never fully defeat these foes and that sense that any one of these enemies might pop up at any moment keeps viewers hooked. These enemies also hark back to the very original series of Doctor Who which is a critical connection to foster.
• The Doctor always needs a companion, despite what he/she might say. Whether it be to push back on their flaws or poor behaviour, or to simply be their friend. This need is innately human, and something viewers would relate with the Doctor very strongly on. One of the key details with these Whittaker seasons was too many companions, she rarely needed them in the traditional DW way, and at no point did you ever build an emotional connection with any of them. You have zero reason to connect with them other than they just happen to be in the TARDIS going along for the ride.

Despite being so disappointing for the overall story, for Jodie and her opportunity in this role (I feel awful for her!) it’s disappointing that in trying to make the show more formulaic, they lost what made the story so relateable and enjoyable in the first place. Am I hopeful that the seasons after Jodie improve? Most certainly! More on this soon when I have been able to get through these episodes and move on to the newest seasons (wish me luck 🙏).

If you’ve never watched Doctor Who I would never suggest not watching these newer seasons. I think they’ve been fantastic! But I think Whittaker’s seasons could have been…better. Watch it and let me know what you think.

Novel update (70k words)

I’ve come to the conclusion that editing is like ironing. Annoying but effective. If you want to impact people with your look? Iron. If you want your book to impact readers? Edit. I am deep in editing mode, and I always experience a sinking feeling of ‘blurgh’ (a very scientific state of being) as I dive in yet again to made more edits. Yet when I read it back I’m impressed by how the movements that earlier felt so repulsive, created something so cohesive and smooth. It works, friends! Editing works. So I guess I’ll forge ahead. Sigh. Bear with me. The book is coming, I promise.

What I’m reading/finishing reading 
The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
Awoken Forest: Ashes of the Injai by Wesley Croft (Australian indie author)
An Echo in the Bone (Outlander #7) by Diana Gabaldon 🎧
The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower #1) by Stephen King
School of Combat (Skyborne #1) by Taylor Night 🎧 update: DNF
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling (reread) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling (reread) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Psykhe by Kate Forsyth
Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne 🎧

---

Image of Peter Capaldi: Shaun Smith
Doctor Who logo: DocBuffFlash82