Jennifer E. Glynn's Blog, page 4

Writing Inspiration: Beatrix Potter

I’m often asked who my biggest writing inspiration is (who I look up to). As a writer of Young Adult mystery and fantasy fiction, it often comes as quite a surprise when my first answer is British children’s author Beatrix Potter (1866–1943). After all, what do soul-stealing cameras in a high school have to do with cute rabbits in blue jackets who disobey their mothers?

It is not the late Miss Potter’s work per se that inspires me, although I’ve always loved her charming tales. It is her imagination, creativity, talent, and courage.

Imagination meets Talent

After watching the biopic Miss Potter (2006) starring the amazingly-talented (whose warm portrayal, I must say, probably resulted in me liking the author she played a lot more), I learnt that she had a wild imagination.

Beatrix Potter, C. 1913. Image source: Brittanica

I’m still not too sure even now if the director played up that part more (the biographies I have don’t go into too much detail of her talking to her drawings), but even so, to have written about talking animals and Christmas tea-parties during the Victorian/Edwardian era demonstrated as much. Imagination is a key component of being an author of fiction. To use the power of the mind to create new worlds, people, actions…

She was a multi-talented woman. Not only did she possess the ability to entertain generations of children (and adults) with her books, but her talent with the brush was mesmerising. The beautiful water colour images featured in her books were her own creation, bringing her characters to life.

Courage meets Resilience

Perhaps more of an inspiration to me is Potter’s courage. In a time when women of her age were dubbed ‘spinsters’ if they were not married at a suitable young age, she did not care that she had no suitor (she was in her late twenties when she first tasted success with Peter Rabbit). When she did find romantic interest in her publisher (the only one who had faith in her), Mr Norman Warne, and later accepted his proposal of marriage, it was in defiance of her social-climbing parents’ wishes. No, her relationship status in comparison to my own is not the point of inspiration, nor is parental expectations; it is that she knew her mind and would not be easily dissuaded from pursuing what made her most happy. Nothing would stop her, except the unfortunate and untimely death of Warne from leukemia before they could be wed (just months after their engagement, which was not allowed to be made public).

Norman Warne (Ewan McGregor) and Beatrix Potter (Renée Zelwegger), Miss Potter. Image source: Alex Bailey via Entertainment Weekly.

I know I am meant to be an author, and although there is always room for improvement, I will not allow anyone to tell me otherwise. As long as readers enjoy my stories, I’ll keep writing.

Perhaps a better example of Potter’s courage was her reluctance to accept “no” as an answer. Now, I am in full support of the statement that ‘no means no’ and respecting a person’s boundaries, but in the case of Potter, she knew her self-worth. She was determined to get her books published (and in the way she imagined, complete with coloured pictures and no short-cuts) despite her sex and age holding her back in a male-dominated publishing world. There are many authors who have not given up in their publishing pursuits, but Potter’s resolve will always strike me.

In the film, a scene that has never left me is where her father comes home with a copy of her latest book. When Beatrix asks him why he spent money on it rather than allowing her to give him a free copy, his reply that it filled him with pride to see his daughter’s work on display made my heart swell. He was more than happy to pay for it, knowing the value it held. Seeing this, of course, inspired my dream of having my own work in a bookstore and being able to point it out and say, “I wrote that.”

Not a bad view on a cloudy day; the silence is golden.

Finally, my dream has always been to have my own house with many acres somewhere in the countryside. Somewhere near mountains or rolling hillside, perhaps with a lake view, where I can sit and write for hours on end. Of course, I am lucky enough to have an amazing view here in Tasmania, but the Lakes District has always been appealing. It is a common myth that authors make a lot of money, even less with self-publishing, but one day, I know this dream will come true with persistence, belief, practice, and a little luck.

Lifelong Inspiration

Potter has always been a point of inspiration for me, even when I didn’t realise it. As a child, I would happily watch the cartoon adaptations of her books, mesmerised by the soft narration and gorgeous pictures. No, I didn’t like the idea that Peter’s father was eaten by a farmer, but I happily overlooked it when watching. I can still remember a day in primary school when our teachers pulled out the old tv in the AV room (those were the days!). Sitting on the itchy, green-carpeted blocks, I was instantly glued to the screen as they showed us a couple of episodes. I’m about 90% sure the lesson was about effective story-telling, but of course, watching anything that wasn’t a documentary resonated the most.

As an adult, I admired the way Potter insisted on looking after the farming community and keeping the countryside beautiful by purchasing as many acres as she could (with money she earned) and employing local workers. I am a lover of nature and a country-girl at heart (and, more importantly, protector of animals), so Potter’s attitude towards helping her community resonated with me.

I’m too old to enjoy the merchandise that has now come out (fun fact: she created a doll and board game for ‘Peter Rabbit’), but you can bet I’ll be sharing my love of her charming tales with my niece and nephews (and anyone else who will listen!)

Beatrix Potter’s works:An image from The Tale of Peter Rabbit (1902). Image source: BritannicaThe Tale of Peter Rabbit (1902)The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin (1903)The Tailor of Gloucester (1903)The Tale of Benjamin Bunny (1904)The Tale of Two Bad Mice (1904)The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle (1905)The Tale of The Pie and the Patty-Pan (1905)The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher (1906)The Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit (1906)The Story of Miss Moppet (1906)The Tale of Tom Kitten (1907)The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck (1908)The Tale of Samuel Whiskers (1908)The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies (1909)The Tale of Ginger and Pickles (1909)The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse (1910)The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes (1911)The Tale of Mr. Tod (1912)The Tale of Pigling Bland (1913)Appley Dapply’s Nursery Rhymes (1917)The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse (1918) Cecily Parsley’s Nursery Rhymes (1922)The Tale of Little Pig Robinson (1930)

There are many other inspiring authors I look up to, and many more reasons why I admire Potter, which I will share as time goes by.

I’m curious as to who inspires you, whether they are famous or lesser known, motivational for your career or something else. How many of Potter’s books have you read and enjoyed? Please let me know in the comments!

Leave a comment Cancel reply

Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );

Cover image source: Britannica

The Star Treatment with author Mark K. McClain

Last month, I had the pleasure of being interviewed by fellow author, editor, and book coach, Mark K. McClain from Next Journey Books.

Not only was it interesting getting to know Mark, I found answering his questions allowed me to get to know myself and my writing process. Often when I write or plot (novels, not world domination… at this stage), I’m not conscious of the process and reasoning behind my decisions. Whilst it lingers at the back of my mind, the ‘why’ usually takes a back seat as I churn out words and concentrate on things such as sentence structure and spelling.

With unique, thought-provoking questions, being interviewed gave me a fresh outlook on my work, both The Beaumont Egalitarian Society and my career as an author. It’s also given a fresh insight into my life, something which I hope my readers will enjoy reading about.

Better yet, the interview has opened up a whole new world of novels for me from McClain. Full of magic and wonder, his The Ruinous Curse series (Books 1: The Ruinous Curse: The Hunt for Alesta and 2: The Ruinous Curse: Apadora Rising) promises an adventure I look forward to experiencing. The covers are beautiful to behold, and the synopsis striking. If horror is more your style, I suggest his collection of tales in Passages of Peculiarity : A Collection of Dark Tales, What Have You Done?, and The Knife. I’ve already delved into What Have You Done? and the goosebumps have not left my arms!

I’d like to say a huge thank you to Mark for hosting me; it was an enjoyable experience I will never forget.

For my fellow authors, editors, and other publishing leads, I will be conducting my own interviews shortly to provide a perspective on the various difficulties, highs, and misconceptions about different roles. If you would like to participate (regardless of location and timezone), please don’t hesitate to contact us.

I hope you enjoy getting to know me better through the interview.

~Jennifer x

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

File:Mexican dancer celebrates Cinco de Mayo at La Melilla Historic Plaza.jpg – Wikimedia Commons

The other week, I posted on my LinkedIn about how fast time is going. In the blink of an eye, a few seconds has turned into weeks. Already, it’s May… Christmas will be here before we know it.

For those of who who may be celebrating Cinco de Mayo, I hope you have an amazing day! (And to those who aren’t, I still hope you’re having a wonderful day).

Cinco de Mayo, or the fifth of May, is a holiday that celebrates the date of the Mexican army’s May 5, 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. The day, which falls on Sunday, May 5 in 2024, is also known as Battle of Puebla Day. While it is a relatively minor holiday in Mexico, in the United States, Cinco de Mayo has evolved into a commemoration of Mexican culture and heritage, particularly in areas with large Mexican American populations.

—History.com

This particular day marks another special occasion for someone I’ve never met, and someone who I probably will never have the pleasure of meeting. Nevertheless, May 5th was a special time for this person: perhaps it was her birthday, a Christening, a graduation, or maybe even just a gift purchased with spare pennies for a very fortunate girl (given books weren’t always purchased on a whim at the time).

On this day in 1915, over one hundred years ago, a girl by the name of Jen/ Ren/ Irene (?) Green (I welcome anyone who can decipher the name written) received a Bible as a gift from her father. She lived in York, England, nearby to Kirkham Abbey (which I believe is the same location as Kirkham Priory).

How this religious book came to Australia, or what the occasion was, may perhaps always be a mystery, but that’s why I love antiques so much: each item has a tale to tell. The leather cover is worn, the thin royal-blue ribbon is frayed, and the pages, though still holding their golden shine, are crinkled, but it will always be a treasured item.

It’s made me wonder, what is the significance of this date for you? Is it just another ordinary Sunday? A special celebration? In Canada and the United States, it is a day of remembrance and advocation for justice for the hundreds of thousands of Indigenous women who go missing or are murdered each year (National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls). On the other hand, for Star Wars fans, today marks ‘Revenge of the Fifth’ and for Portuguese speakers, an international recognition of the beautiful language.

Aurora Australis, Thursday evening, taken with phone

For me personally, this month is dedicated to editing my latest novel, working on my Episode Interactive commissioned stories, getting comfortable in my new (and temporary) home office, and of course, chasing down the elusive Aurora Australis.

More updates will come soon, but for now, I hope you’re enjoying today! Xx