Dr. Who and Me. Sort of.

 My husband was out in New Mexico for training for close to half of the year.  In his free time -- the amount of which varied anywhere from having whole days with nothing to do to a precious few hours, plus I wasn't out there to keep him company -- he worked his way through movies and television series to help fill the time.  Streaming Netflix is a wonderful thing.  Having heard some good things about Dr. Who, he began working his way through the latest incarnation of the show.  

The TARDIS.

For those who are unfamiliar with Dr. Who, let me give you a brief overview without giving too much away.  I'm still a relative newbie to the fandom, so bear with me.  It's a BBC program (or programme as they like to say) and enormously popular in Britain.  It's practically an institution over there.  It also has a huge following here in the states as well, even having panels at Comic Con.  The Doctor -- yes, that's his name...just that -- is a Time Lord, and travels around in time and space in a craft called the TARDIS.  Yes, it looks like a police box, but it's much bigger inside than it looks from the outside, kind of like a wizarding tent in Harry Potter.  He's the last of his kind due to a terrible war, and typically takes a companion with him on his adventures.  Various worlds, aliens/creatures, technology, and alternate realities are encountered.  The special effects are reminiscent of something you'd see on the Syfy channel, but the acting is a million times better.  Even better, the series actually has an interesting way of keeping itself alive -- The Doctor regenerates into another form when he dies, or when his time is up.  The show is currently on its eleventh incarnation of The Doctor, because the series originally started in the mid-1960s and ran to the late 1980s.  The series as it currently is started up again in 2005.  

Yes, that's a lot of information, but I'm rambling for a reason.  Hang on.  This is relevant, I promise.

David Tennant as The Doctor and Billie Piper as Rose, his companion.

So, my husband came home and insisted that I needed to watch the show with him.  Most of the seasons are on Netflix, so we've worked our way through watching up through the second season together.  He's seen most of them, but that's where I've left off for now...writing has been my priority, so watching the show has been slow going.  The Doctor in the first season was okay, and the show was enjoyable, but the husband assured me that I'd like the one from season 2 even better.  

David Tennant.  Doctor #10.

The Doctor starting in season 2 is David Tennant.  He's been great to watch so far.  Not only is he adorably handsome, but his enthusiasm for the role is almost contagious.  You can just tell that he loves playing The Doctor.  His excitement for the part is so markedly different than the first season's Doctor that I had to look him up.  

It turns out that David Tennant, as a young child, loved the show Dr. Who and told his parents that he was going to play the role of The Doctor.  Yeah.  They probably had the same reaction upon hearing that as when a kid tells you they want to be an astronaut or President or Warren Buffet.  They probably stifled some laughter, patted him on the head and told him okay, but to have a contingency plan.  You know, in case things...didn't work out.  

But Tennant kept his dream in the back of his mind, taking parts in school stage productions.  He continued doing stage productions, including many Shakespearean plays, and yes, eventually won the role of the tenth Doctor.  He was inspired by the show to act in the first place, and finally the role of a lifetime was his.  

"I've wanted this since I was four!"

Sure, he's acted in other well-known roles, including playing Barty Crouch, Jr. in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.  You're welcome, everyone who looked at him and wondered, "I know I've seen that guy somewhere!"  He's also currently doing stage work, and I would love to see him live someday.  

Oh fine. One more, if you insist.

The point of all of this, is we (myself included) as writers are often inspired as youngsters.  Maybe it's a favorite book or story that makes us want to tell our own.  Sadly, most of us give up on our dream, and let our contingency plans take over.  Many of us stop writing altogether.  But, even if that's happened, we can still give it our best shot.  Start again, and believe we can do it.  Like David Tennant, we need to believe that success will be ours, and that role of a lifetime -- our Dr. Who -- will be in our hands.  Whether your dream is to write something novel-length, a children's book, or a short story, don't give up.  I constantly have to tell myself this, because, yes, it's hard. 

But making yourself believe you can do it is half the battle.

xoxo Sarah