When the Camera Turns Off: Doc Martin Fan Fiction Authors Kathy, Rob and Chesla on Craft and Canon

What happens when the camera turns off in Portwenn? Host Chesla Wechsler hands the microphone to retired therapist Lisa, who moderates a rare roundtable conversation among three Doc Martin fan fiction writers: Kathy, Rob, and Chesla herself.Kathy (ke0212) is an actuary who discovered Doc Martin in 2011 and has been writing fan fiction since 2016, 5 stories and (maybe) counting, including the 200,000-word epic Just a Glimpse, which took two years to write. Rob (robspace54) found the show on PBS the same year; he has written 45 Doc Martin stories solo, plus 3 more as part of the Portwenn Hydra writing collective, across more than 10 different properties. Chesla (ccwex) came to the show in 2023, binge-watched it through the tail end of COVID, and started writing in 2024, after Rob encouraged her to give it a shot. She's written 11 stories so far.Together they explore what draws analytical, self-described nerdy minds to creative fiction writing; the difference between "architects" (writers who outline everything) and "gardeners" (writers who tend what grows, attributed to George R. R. Martin); and why all three find it nearly impossible to let Doc Martin go.Topics include: staying true to canon and writing alternate universes; the challenge of translating Martin Clunes's wordless expressions into prose; writing in UK English and using Microsoft Word's Read Aloud feature with a British accent to catch errors; researching wacky medical conditions to keep stories feeling like real Doc Martin episodes; the small-pond problem of overlap in a tight fandom; and what they'd say if Buffalo Pictures came knocking.They also discuss the emotional risk of posting your first chapter, the dopamine hit of reader reviews, including readers in Ukraine finding comfort in the stories amid war, and why none of them use generative AI for their fiction.Find Doc Martin fan fiction at fanfiction.net and AO3. 🎙️ Podcast Portwenn covers Doc Martin and Best Medicine on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.💛 Support the charitable endeavors of the Cluneses: donate to Buckham Fair at buckhamfair.com[00:16] Introductions[03:16] Why Did We Like The Show?[05:38] Why Did We Write Fan Fiction?[09:17] Why Might Nerdiness Attract Us To Doc Martin?[12:11] Fan Fiction as a Springboard for Writing[13:49] Our Writing Processes[17:41] Goals or Rules in our Writing[22:07] Favorite Stories and Inspirations[29:00] Being a Reader and Getting Feedback from Readers[32:13] Yikes!  Posting that First Chapter[35:52] Understanding Canon in Writing[36:37] Imagining Collaborations with Producers[37:56] Favorite Story that Rob Wrote[38:49] Rob's Take on Writing Points of View and Tenses[39:40] Working in a Small Pond Leads to Similar Ideas[43:11] Rob's Take on Imagined Producer Interest[43:54] Chesla and Kathy on Playing in a Small Pond[48:00] Rob's Multiauthor Collaboration Experience[49:47] Writing During the Series Airing vs. After The Fact[50:12] Doing Research for Stories[54:46] Americans Can't Necessarily Get UK English Perfect[57:16] Trying to Write Martin Clunes' Amazing Facial Expressions[58:20] Thoughts on Artificial Intelligence[01:03:59] What's Published Online Can Be Discovered[01:06:49] How Do You Know When You're Done?[01:14:14] A Future for Doc Martin[01:20:20] Wrapup