I've just read a comment by Jimmy at https://www.writersandartists.co.uk/question/view/2618 and was reminded of an e-mail that I received not long ago. It said something like: "[Do you] Want to write like Jane Austen?" Or maybe "How to write like Jane Austen". I suppose that it was offering places on a writers' workshop / seminar / whatever, and came from either "The Writers' Workshop" or "Writers & Artists". I've been looking through my e-mail inbox and can't find it, so I guess that I must have binned it. Or maybe there never was such an e-mail and dementia is advancing on me. Can any of you confirm [seeing something like this] (and rescue my sanity)?
Anyway, Jimmy's comment ('According to Jane Austen, the correct form was "Do not you think" ') has spurred me to answer this question "Want to write like Jane Austen?" with a resounding "Certainly NOT!" *
Not only do I not want to write "Do not you think", I ALSO don't want to write novels where the #1 obsession is "Is she going to catch him in the end?" NOR novels where none of the main characters seem to work for a living (OK, OK: an exaggeration, but there ARE a lot of idle rich swanning about with nothing better to do than going for outings in carriages) while the working class hardly puts in an appearance. (And a low income disqualifies them from love.)
Or have I been reading the wrong Jane Austen books?
* Not even the fact that Pride and Prejudice is by far the most down-loaded book of the Gutenberg Project's list sways me. (16,690 down-loads compared with the much-more-deserving #2, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, at 10,183) [See http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?sort_order=downloads] (Sherlock Holmes comes in 3rd, and a piece of erotica victoriana 4th. That's the only one I downloaded. [I've already got Alice in printed form.]) Of course, you have to remember that all the books on their list are copyright-free.
Actually, P&P is one of Austen's that I haven't read. (Perhaps the only one?) But I promised myself that if I was a good girl and behaved myself, I wouldn't have to. Even if it's free.
@ Adrian
IMHO (that H stands for honest, not humble), the MAIN plots are basically the same. Let me give you an example:
a) Plot one: Scotland. 1844. A gamekeeper falls in love with the Laird's daughter, but "he knows his station" and says nothing. She, in the meantime, (whose hobby is playing matchmaker for all her friends) is smitten by his rugged strength, but knows that her father would send her to a finishing school in France if he ever suspected. Therefore she pretends to be considering the attentions of the neighbouring laird's son.
The gamekeeper, to disguise his feelings, talks to the Laird's daughter with a sneer on his lips. This only makes her secretly swoon all the more. He is ordered to accompany her on a visit to his "rival's" castle. She acts aloof, he sneers. 500 pages of this sort of thing before they reveal their true feelings, he saves the Laird's life, and the Laird gives his blessing to the happy couple.
) Plot two: Calcutta. 2013. A bookkeeper falls in love with the CEO's daughter, but "he knows his station" and says nothing. She, in the meantime (who takes delight in spreading nasty gossip, especially if it leads to breaking up couples), is smitten by his nerdy intelligence and skill in her favourite networked video game, but knows that her father would cut her out of his will if he ever suspected. Therefore she pretends to be considering the attentions of the American consul's son.
The bookkeeper, to disguise his feelings, laughs at the CEO's daughter's gaming skills, when really he admires her nifty moves and quick thinking. She, in turn, plays below her best on purpose.. He is invited to her engagement party with the consul's son. (Do NOT ask how or why!) She acts aloof, he spends the whole time at the party playing games on his Android. 500 pages of this sort of thing before they reveal their true feelings, he saves the CEO 50 million rupees in taxes, the CEO promotes him to chief tax adviser and gives his blessing to the happy couple.
Two different plots, do not you think? I do not think.
+++++++++
"I'm also certain that if Austen wanted to write a novel where servants contributed to the plot and storyline, she would have done so."
The whole point is that she DIDN'T want to. NEVER. Servants were Unmenschen [non-people] to her.
At least Hardy and Dickens took servant's hopes and worries seriously.
@ Adrian:
I was intrigued by the following quote, so I "Googled" it:
"You don't accidently stumble onto perfection six times"
It shows 3 results: all from you on this forum, different Q&As.
(THIS page doesn't show: Google hasn't processed it yet.)
I then corrected the spelling and "Googled" it again as:
"You don't accidentally stumble onto perfection six times"
0 results.
Did anyone actually say this?
I then "Googled" the following string:
accidentally stumble perfection "six times" "Walter Allen" "Jane Austen"
7 results, including 2 on this site (with accidently) and 5 with something like:
Since the novel is six times as long as the novella. with a unified dramatic action.
...... 21 R. Walter Allen maintains that “The classic American novels have dealt not
so ...... this male lover stumbles through life in a state of perpetual nervous
breakdown. ...... Thus. he tried too hard to preserve his bucolic vision of perfection
: he ...
Then
accidentally stumble perfection "Walter Allen" "Jane Austen" (i.e. without "six times"):
101 results. But it's almost midnight and I'm too tired to sift through them all.
Could you please share your source with us?
Jimmy, I can assure you that each of Jane Austen's novels has a different plot.
Do you seriously believe otherwise? I suggest you google Austen's plots.
Plot is the foundation in which the characters and settings are built around. Plot starts with the exposition where the characters and setting are established - and the conflict or main problem is introduced.
We see this early in, Emma, as she stumbles and blunders in her well-meaning efforts as match-maker.
I'm also certain that if Austen wanted to write a novel where servants contributed to the plot and storyline, she would have done so.
However, there is no point in having additional characters in a novel that do not advance the plot and storyline in some way.
To add unnecessary characters would only divert the readers attention and kill the pace of the novel. Even flat-characters have to earn their keep.