Hi Sis

[Andrew Curnow]

Just thought I'd start a thread on this story, having just read it. I really enjoyed it, and didn't see the 'twists' coming in the last part - very moving, but without overdoing it I though. Plus all the passing nods to great adventures were great fun, a la the Giant Rat of Sumatra. Excellent stuff, Steve/Rob!

(I'll save t'other story for tomorrow I think - I've just seen the time!!)

[Rob McCow]

Most kind, Mr.Curnow!

This story was going to be submitted for the BF 'How the Doctor changed my life' compo, but I decided against it because the main character ends up just how he started! A heck of a lot happens to him, but he doesn't really change. It's probably very difficult to pull off a convincing change in character in so few words.

On the other hand, it was a great opportunity to mention lots of 'alternative' and bizzare adventures that the Doctor may have had. I love the throwaway references to other exploits, such as trips to Mymazor. My favourite is in Terror Firma where there's an excerpt from an 'unheard' adventure where the Doctor and friends are attacked by flying guitars that come to life!

As a story arc for a companion, I think it works reasonably well. I did think about making Rupert overtly Christian. I don't think that would have gone down too well at BF Towers and I didn't have much idea of where to take it, but there are interesting possibilities there. The Doctor hasn't really had a properly 'religious' companion who sees things completely differently, except for Katerina and much of her viewpoint came from her primitivism.

Anyway - I'm so glad you enjoyed it!

[Si Hunt]

What is this and where can I read it?

Si.

[Paul Clement]

It's on the fan fiction section, Si.

[Si Hunt]

I knew that existed.

WOW, "Hi Sis" is brilliant. Sad and funny and clever and touching. It reminded me of "Love and Monsters" sometimes. I got really absorbed finding out about this person and I could imagine it all. Lovely, you've made my day!

Si.

[SiHart]

I feel mean now for making him write another one for the competition.

Si xx

[Paul Clement]

I feel mean now for making him write another one for the competition.

Si xx

You shouldn't do, I think that was probably the right thing to do. As Steve already mentioned, the character doesn't really change in the story, so it doesn't fit the theme BF asked for, no matter how enjoyable a read it is.

[Pip Madeley]

It makes a lovely addition to the site, anyway!

[Andrew Curnow]

This story was going to be submitted for the BF 'How the Doctor changed my life' compo

I did wonder.

I was actually thinking about the end of "Hi Sis" today at work (not all day long, I don't want to inflate your ego, or anything, but for a while) and it really does work well dramatically. After setting it all up as a letter 'explaining' things to his sister after such a long absence, suddenly it goes 'bash' and leaves you really feeling sad for the characters involved.

[Rob McCow]

If I was travelling with Doctor Who, I reckon that would be how I would leave. It's how I've left most of my jobs and some of my friendships.

(not all day long, I don't want to inflate your ego, or anything, but for a while)

That's fair - it's not exactly a novel

suddenly it goes 'bash' and leaves you really feeling sad for the characters involved.

That may have been me checking the word count and thinking 'Hurry up!'

[Rob McCow]

My question now is whether I can goad Andrew Curnow into reading Alex In A Brush With Art , my Benny story with an even worse title!

It had twenty times as many revisions as Hi Sis, but has a lot of similarities in tone, I think.

[Rob McCow]

My question now is whether I can goad Andrew Curnow into reading Alex In A Brush With Art , my Benny story with an even worse title!

It had twenty times as many revisions as Hi Sis, but has a lot of similarities in tone, I think.

[Dirk Gently]

My question now is whether you realise that you posted the same post 9 minutes apart?

[Andrew Curnow]

You know that nagging feeling you get when you know there's something you've forgotten to do, but you can't remember what... Well, thanks to Rob's post above, I've now remembered what I'd forgotten.

In fact, thanks to Rob's double post above, I've now remembered it twice.

[Andrew Curnow]

And now I've read it! And enjoyed that one too. A different type of piece, but again a 'small' idea which fits the size of the story perfectly - it doesn't feel dragged out, or rushed, just very well paced. The 'grey square' painting's tale is really grim, without being overdone and really piled on. Another success, Mr McCow!! I'm not familiar with the thousands upon thousands of BF Benny stories, so I don't know which characters at the start of the story are new and which are BF ones (ie, Maupin, the Killoran) but I didn't feel that I was missing anything, so I don't think it mattered either way (so indeed, why mention it?).

(The only thing I would say is, erm, near the end where Bev Tarrant appears - shouldn't that actually say Bernice Summerfield? Or is this a Bernice Summerfield story in the same way that Mission to the Unknown is a Doctor Who story? Sorry!)

[SiHart]

I think Steve will confirm this, but the idea of the competition was to write a story about being a newcomer to the Braxiatel Collection, where it was unlikely you'd encounter Bernice. Bev Tarrant is in charge of the new students who come there, so it was more likely she'd deal with this little matter.

It's a good story, isn't it? I liked this one a great deal.

Si xx

[Andrew Curnow]

Ah right, sorry - I thought Bev Tarrant was somebody from the Dalek Empire series (I think it was the surname that fooled me...). As I said, I'm not familiar with the BF Benny regulars. And yes, it is a good story!

[SiHart]

It is the same character! She gets around a bit!

Si xx

[Andrew Curnow]

I'm confused... (Go on, Si, say it.)

[SiHart]

So's the TARDIS. Haha.

Always happy to oblige!

Si xx

[Andrew Curnow]

I'm off to work now - have a good day, Si.

[Rob McCow]

Once again Andrew, feedback is much appreciated

Oddly enough, this competition did encourage you to use the 'main' characters such as Bev Tarrant, Joseph, Benny, young Peter etc as little as possible. Probably because they all have on-going, ludicrously complicated story arcs. Benny's son Peter has the worst, being half Kiloran though Benny never slept with any Kilorans and there was this crystal or something. I've listened to all the plays, but the baby happened in a book so I've got no idea!

I'm not familiar with the thousands upon thousands of BF Benny stories,

No-one is. There are probably more stories than Benny fans. The audio range is widely variable, though it hasn't plumbed the depths of the worst Who releases. Then there's the novels, short stories, colouring books, mouse mats, t-shirts...