Stanley Michael Hurd's Blog: Scrawls and Screed , page 3

fog, clearing to hazy sunshine

Volume 2 has been misbehaving for the last two days; Georgiana is such a delicate creature, writing her is like tending orchids: how to capture her without bruising, how to admire her beauty without missing the strength. I have had to re-write a big section that just wouldn’t lie down and behave itself.

And Lady Andover (Colonel Fitzwilliam’s mother) is only sketched in: needs more flesh. I like her, though. The elder son is fun, too, but I mustn’t let him become too excessive.

Sorry, I am jotting this down with my first cup of coffee, and I guess reading this would seem like listening to the homeless guy muttering to himself on the bus.

OK, second cup. There was a fun review on Amazon yesterday, called “very incomplete”, by someone who had managed to miss the fact that this was Volume 1; he/she got to the end of the book and was incensed to find that it “abruptly ended announcing that it was volume one!” Not sure how they got that far without seeing one of the many places where that was mentioned, but at least they liked what little there was! So different to experience other people’s thoughts in such a direct manner while sitting here at my desk, where for so long it has just been Darcy et al. for company. And, having reached a certain age before the internet made everyone’s thoughts so easy to disseminate, I still find it odd that a) anybody cares enough to comment, and b) people post so freely, without self-doubt; a dozen other readers had commented on the book, but no one had made a similar comment; it would make me wonder, or I hope it would. Maybe they were just in a hurry—“writing maketh an exact man” is a truism that constantly needs rediscovering, I suppose.

OK, I’m sufficiently caffeinated to start writing. Have a good day!

Selling books

There is a great deal to say about this topic, but this morning I need to be brief, as Fridays are excellent for writing, and Vol II awaits. So, let me say only how odd an experience it is to see the kind of sales I have already enjoyed. Having already sold more in 20 days than I had expected to sell in a year, plus the shock of receiving such high ratings, is, truly, a bit hard to believe. Writing is a very solitary endeavor, and now, hundreds of people have stepped into my study. By all indications they are happy to be here, and, so far at least, I am finding them a congenial lot. So, good morning everyone: make yourselves at home. I fear, however, that your host must absent himself to work on what has brought you here.

Enjoy the day,

Stan

In the beginning...

I was introduced to Austen late in life, but I was hooked immediately. I devoured the novels, then, as a gift, I received Colin Firth’s version on BBC, and pretty much memorized it (it’s still my favorite background for cooking or puttering around the house).

Then, I was introduced to Pamela Aidan’s trilogy, and the whole thing changed. On first reading, I liked it very much: I was so happy to be back in that world; on second reading, however, it started to creak at the edges; by its third perusal it collapsed entirely. The portrayal of Darcy throughout was—well, metrosexual is as good a term as any—the second novel was just strange, and the ending, with the four men gushing high-wrought emotions, and great swearings of fealty and good faith, just about sent me off the rails. But, I told myself, you can’t complain unless you try it yourself. So, I set out to give myself permission to complain. Darcy’s Tale is the result.

It turned out to be more technically difficult that I had thought, as constructing the plot was taken out of my hands (for the first volume, anyway) and everything had to fit just so; and now the second volume is actually just as hard, I find, although I have more latitude on the actions.

I see the third more clearly, so hopefully it won’t take so long. And I feel like I am getting more comfortable with the language, so that helps, too.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this, or anything Austen-related—or maybe on Volume 1? Thanks, everybody.

Best,

Stan