Paul Cornell wrote his first Dr Who novel when he was 24. Gareth Roberts and Kate Orman, 25. These opportunities simply don't exist in Dr Who fandom anymore, and it's a real shame.

Some younger fans are making big waves. The Emily Cooks of our little world. But there's not a wider generational upheaval of creativity.

Not for lack of trying. SO MANY young writers, essayists, artists, composers are creating right now - but Dr Who hasn't taken enough notice.

And for writers, some corners are starting to open up. Big Finish's Short Trips have gone beyond their annual open submissions, to commission fantastic new writers who push Dr Who to its limits. And... where do they go from here? Who do they pitch? And what would get published?

I've been luckier than most. I've written for Big Finish. I've had chats with some fantastic creatives who are, genuinely, trying their best to open things up. New voices, younger voices, more diverse voices. There's progress! But Dr Who fans are begging for more.

The reality is, this isn't the Wilderness Years, and the professionalization of fandom has had obvious benefits. But I worry about all the Paul Cornells and Kate Ormans we're missing out on, or not grabbing soon enough.

So if you're reading this, and you work in the Dr Who world, I hope you'll take a sec and think about your next step for lifting up new fans. I'm sure you know all this! So even if it's just DMing or giving advice to a young fan you admire, that could literally change their life.

And if you're a "civilian" reading this, I hope you'll think about what you can do too. Your money, your enthusiasm, makes this stuff possible.

Buy a Short Trip by a writer you've never heard of. Order a book you wouldn't usually try. And promote your favorite fan creators.

This thread exploded, so I'll add this for writers. A Dr Who person I won't name told me exactly this, the best advice I've ever gotten:

If you just wait to be noticed, you might be waiting forever. And if your aim is "just" Doctor Who Writer, aim higher. https://twitter.com/DavidPuckridge/status/1309851473367502849