Whilst the BBC considered "Heritage" for their Past Doctor Adventures range, Smith continued to write short "Doctor Who" stories, and during 2001 he had stories published in three major charity anthologies: "Missing Pieces", "The Cat Who Walked Through Time" and "Walking in Eternity". Smith has acknowledged the role these stories played in his successful commission, saying, "It can't be coincidence that the month that I was contacted about my proposal was also the month it was announced I had stories in the three biggest charity anthologies of the year, can it?"