The Resilience of Writers, and Other Lessons I Took from Jane Austen to Write My Debut Novel

The Resilience of Writers, and Other Lessons I Took from Jane Austen to Write My Debut Novel

Jane Austen has been an enormous influence on my imagination ever since the BBC broadcast the first episode of its adaptation of Pride and Prejudice in 1995. The next day, I asked my English teacher about Austen, he responded by handing me a copy of Northanger Abbey.

I have a visceral memory of reading Austen’s passionate defence of her chosen art form (‘It is only a novel…only Cecilia, or Camilla, or Belinda’) and feeling as if she had reached through two hundred years of history and taken hold of my heart. For me, this passage read as a defiant celebration of women’s writing, of women’s tastes, of women themselves. I became what’s known as a ‘Janeite’ for life.

But it wasn’t until 2020 that I realised how much I needed Austen. 

When the pandemic hit, I’d just been diagnosed with PTSD. I’m incredibly fortunate to have walked away physically unscathed from two very serious incidents of fire: an arsonist set alight to the bin chute of the flats where I lived in Camberwell while I was asleep, and, years later, the gas tunnel beneath an office block I was working in near Covent Garden caught ablaze.

In both these instances, the London Fire Brigade was able to act swiftly, and no one was seriously hurt. However, in 2017 the Grenfell Tower Disaster (in which 72 people lost their lives and many others were injured when the cladding around their homes proved fatally flammable) devastated London. 

My grief for those victims surfaced feelings I believed I’d long since dealt with. I found myself crying all the time and living in constant dread of terrible things happening to those I loved. I saw my GP, who prescribed anti-depressants. While medication enabled me to muddle on with my busy job as a communications consultant and raising my two young children, the constant low-level anxiety never went away. I only realised that what I was suffering from was PTSD due to the wonderful psychotherapist I sought family counselling from as part of understanding my daughter’s newly diagnosed ASD. 

I was still reeling from both these diagnoses when the world shut down because of COVID-19. Overnight, our family routines were disrupted, and our wider support network disappeared. I felt incredibly isolated. As a source of comfort, I turned to my fascination with Austen. Not just her novels, but also her life. I read every biography and listened to every podcast about her I could find. 

It was learning just how hard Austen struggled to get published that inspired me to write fiction again after a hiatus of almost ten years. 

I have always wanted to be an author and, in the past, I got as far as to query agents without success. I thought that initial rejection meant I wasn’t good enough. I had no idea how much resilience it takes to be successful writer. But, I reasoned, if Austen could keep going with very little hope of being published, moving from home to home, writing in longhand, and even brewing her own ink, then what was my excuse? 

It’s tempting to conflate Austen with her more privileged heroines and imagine her path to success was easy. But, during her short life, she was forced to overcome many challenges: from a lack of formal education, social and geographical isolation, rejection and derision by the literary establishment, and finally, to chronic illness which led to her death aged only 41. I kept thinking how much duller the world would be if she’d let these setbacks deter her from creating her masterpieces. 

With Austen as my role model, I threw myself into my creative pursuits. Writing, plus connecting with other Jane Austen fans all over the world, proved a lifeline. I’m hardly alone in my obsession with Austen, and I have found enormous enjoyment in becoming part of a community who likes to visit the places she lived, recreate the fashions she wore and, even, attempt to follow her footsteps on the ballroom dancefloor. 

After a couple more ‘practice novels’, the strangest thing happened. Austen evolved from being my inspiration to my muse, as I realised I could use my writing to create a tribute to my hero, in a similar way as she had paid homage to her favourite female novelists in Northanger Abbey. 

In my debut novel, Miss Austen Investigates: The Hapless Milliner, I set out to create an allegory of how this brilliant woman triumphed over adversity by combining the true story of Austen’s life with a fictional murder mystery. My Jane must use her razor sharp wit to catch a killer after a milliner is found bludgeoned to death at a ball. As in life, she is constantly underestimated and hampered by her society but, just like one of her own heroines, her courage rises with every attempt to intimidate her. 

I truly believe it’s because I put so much of my heart into creating this story that it became the one to finally secure me an incredible agent and the book deal of my dreams (so far, it’s sold to 18 territories worldwide!). The feedback I’m most proud of receiving is that it does Austen justice and brings readers a huge amount of joy. I sincerely hope you will find comfort and inspiration in my Jane, just as the real Miss Austen continues to provide solace to us all.  

—

Jessica Bull grew up in southeast London, where she still lives with her husband, two daughters, and far too many pets. She’s addicted to stories and studied English Literature at Bristol University, and Information Science at City University, London. She began work as a librarian (under the false impression she could sit and read all day), before becoming a communications consultant. Miss Austen Investigates: The Hapless Milliner is her debut novel.

Miss Austen Investigates: The Hapless Milliner

A witty, engaging murder mystery featuring Jane Austen as an intrepid amateur sleuth—the first in a series.
Jane Austen—sparkling, spirited, and incredibly clever—is suddenly thrust into a mystery when a milliner’s dead body is found locked inside a cupboard in the middle of a ball. When Jane’s brother Georgy is found with some jewelry belonging to the deceased, the local officials see it as an open-and-shut case: one which is likely to end with his death. Jane is certain that he is innocent, and there is more to the murder than meets the eye. Her investigations send her on a journey through local society, as Jane’s suspect list keeps on growing— and her keen observational skills of people will be put to the test to solve the crime and save her brother.

Featuring the same lively wit, insightful social commentary, and relatable characters that have made Jane Austen books into perennial classics, this first entry in the Miss Austen Investigates series is perfect for anyone who enjoyed The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl or other historical mystery books based on real people, as well as fans looking to add to their Jane Austen collection.

BUY HERE

Tags: featured, women writers

Category: On Writing