Doctor Who and the depths of my brain

[jadesfire]

Quick Doctor Who reaction:

I have to admit that I love the Sontarans. They were my first contact with Doctor Who, since the first book I read was "The Invasion of Time" and the first ever serial I saw was "The Time Warrior". (I heartily recommend the novelisation of 'Invasion' by the way – one of the better versions that I've read). So I'm delighted to see them back, and loved what they did, although all the 'A Sontaran does not…" got a bit wearisome after a while. Too much tell, let's have some more show, like the chanting of 'Sontar' at the end, which worked really well.

Also, Donna Noble, how are you so awesome? She's just wonderful. Smart, funny and so wonderfully unimpressed by the Doctor, nice to Martha when she could easily have rubbed it in. One thing I'm loving about Catherine Tate (which I didn't expect to) is that the comedy works incredibly well. It's every day comedy, the kind of wind ups that friends pull on each other, just because they can. The whole 'I'm going home now' scene was absolutely priceless, and her expression was perfect all the way through. I love her. Please can I keep her?

It was good to see Martha back in a supporting role. Again, the scenes were pitch-perfect, and I loved that she was in the background, leaving centre-stage to the Doctor and Donna. I love Martha to bits, but I want to know that she's getting on with her own life, and I don't want her to overshadow Donna, the way Rose overshadowed her (despite not being present).

I don't have time to list all my favourite moments, although the satnav dying not with a bang but with a whimper was great, as was Ross, the UNIT guy. This felt like a great, old-fashioned Doctor Who story, lots of running around, the Doctor showing off, companions in peril and an old enemy to fight. Oh, and I must say a word for Colonel Mace, who managed to be respectful and annoyed all at once. He is a soldier, but they made him a human being too. And I just looked up who wrote this episode – Helen Raynor. I'm pleasantly surprised, since last time she tried action ('Meat') it didn't come off so well. Looks like she's back to character focussed plot. Long may it continue.

In other news, I wrote nearly 10,000 words of my Big Bang story in 2 days over the weekend. I'm not quite burnt out, which is good, as I have another 10,000 to go, but I have to admit that my brain's a little fried. If anyone wants to give me random words to try and incorporate into the story, they're more than welcome – I find that kind of thing can help push me onwards. Particularly as I'm about to write a scene that made me choke up during the blocking.* If I was watching it, it'd be from behind a cushion. Sadly, that doesn't work so well for writing.

Is it wrong that I sometimes freak myself out when I'm writing? I worry about my subconscious sometimes.

Other jobs for today include wrestling with the tardis_bigbang artist/writer matching, re-recording and posting an audiofic, and trying to get my brain to fire on more than one cylinder. Wish me luck!

*I write by running a film in my head, repeatedly, until the dialogue is what I want and the camera angles are right (no, really).

ETA: Repeat 10x: I must not research disturbing subjects where other people can see me, as it leads to them asking if you're planning on killing someone, to which the only answer is 'Yes'. But only fictionally...

Comments

[ladyharkness.livejournal.com]

Donna has stolen my fav companion spot from Martha. I really like that she tried to reassure Martha and get the Doctor into her good books too. That was sweet. The "Is that what you did to her? Turned her into a soldier?" really hit me, I'd sort of forgotten (well not forgotten but you know, it had slipped into the back of my Who brain) and I suddenly thought 'god, that's EXACTLY what he did to her.'

Here's a word for you to use (or discard at will *g*): defenestration. I love that word and it just doesn't get used enough, or ever really.

Babbled enough for now. Toodle pip.

[miss-zedem.livejournal.com]

I adore Donna. That scene with the 'going home' was beautifully done. I wasn't as enamoured with Martha in this, which is odd cos I loved her in s3 DW. But yes. Good-ish episode. For me it fell off a bit in the second half, but there was lots I liked about it (I'll leave it there, cos there's a reaction post on my LJ if you're interested in my ramblings :)).

Random words... hmm. *looks round room* Ooh! 'Gooseberry' (don't ask).

[szm.livejournal.com]

I write by running a film in my head, repeatedly, until the dialogue is what I want and the camera angles are right

I do that! Complete with my old theatre studies teacher in my head saying 'no they're all in a line it boring for the audience to look at, break it up' and telling characters off for fidgeting - usually the Doctor.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

Donna is getting better and better - she's not intelligent like Martha or courageous like Rose, she's smart and savvy and sarcastic and lots of other things beginning with 's'...

Ooh, cool word thanks. Actually....ooh! That gives me an idea *runs away to write*

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

I think Donna's biggest strength is the comedy, not because the show's getting funnier, but because she brings a very 'real' feeling sense of humour to the whole thing, and she's got the range to carry it off.

Like you, I thought Martha was a bit 'off' but I didn't mind so much, because it felt suitably awkward with the Doctor and Donna. *shrugs* I wasn't watching closely so I was mostly "ooh" and "hee" and "aahh!" rather than applying my brain :)

Gooseberry. Right. The worrying thing is that I can absolutely get that in...

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

*grin* You have to sort of imply the fidgeting with the Doctor. If you wrote it all down, your story would be twice as long!

[szm.livejournal.com]

There you go! Thats the other 10,000 words for you. Sorted. *g*

[rustydog.livejournal.com]

I agree about the Sontarans and Martha and Donna. And Ross! I can't wait to see more next week.

Random word: abulia. :)

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

I think a two-parter is doing its job if you want to see the second half! I might not have been overwhelmed, but I was definitely intrigued enough to want more.

Abulia. Of course. Now that I've Googled for it, I think I can quite safely say that there's not a cat's chance in hell that I can work it into the story ;) But it might make a good drabble word...

[rustydog.livejournal.com]

Heh. I've been hanging onto it for a couple of weeks and haven't been able to work it in anywhere. I thought you might have better luck, but - yeah. :) Sorry!

(Since my brain seems to be extra literal this morning, it has occurred to me that I think my cat would have a pretty good chance in hell! I wonder if that's why C.S. Lewis made his Ginger character in The Last Battle a cat... /way off topic)

[pwcorgigirl.livejournal.com]

I had a rummage in my file of unused word prompts: agitprop, masticate, temporize, faction, indurate, manumit.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

random words that must be fit into each and every bigbang are (of course) COFFEE and DONUTS!!!!!

and, I see nothing wrong with your coworkers wondering about your murdering tendencies. It makes them less likely too bother you with inane paperwork.

[crystalshard.livejournal.com]

I adore Donna, too. I've loved all the companions so far, but I adore Donna because she's utterly unimpressed. Yes. Thank you. Finally, a companion who's not in love with the Doctor.

As for random words - oooh. Schematic.

[mad-jaks.livejournal.com]

smart and savvy and sarcastic and lots of other things beginning with 's'...
And now I want to put that on an icon...

I'm loving Donna so much right now(I was so worried at the start of the season I could hardly bear to look...).

I write from audio only - I don't (generally) need to look to see where there hands and everything elses are. Oh! that probably has a lot to do with the way I watch tv - I'm generally doing other things at the same time - and would also explain why I suck at action...

Erm OT (and what I really came here for)
unfeathered linked to your review for Godspell but, of course, it's f-locked. Any chance I could get a looksee please?

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

*grin* Icon away! There can never be too many Donna icons :)

And yup, if you write from audio, action's not going to come easy. I have the opposite problem, in that on TV, you can do in about 10 seconds things that it take a couple of (really boring) pages to describe. So I have to resist the urge to describe everything, and focus on the important stuff.

Problem solved :) try again...

[ladyoflisquill.livejournal.com]

I love Donna's comedy as well. And I love that it's not - here's the comedy, let's get back to plot - but worked in perfectly so that it just so natural. I clocked the 'I'm going home' bit from the beginning so was just giggling my way through the Doctor's reaction.

Also Helen Raynor wrote 'To The Last Man' which was probably one of my favourite S2 TW (plus Tosh ep!). 'Meat' was written by Catherine Tregenna (sp?), she who wrote 'Captain Jack Harkness' and 'Adam', I think. They're pretty much the only female writers in the franchise so I like to keep an eye on them.