Janet Aylmer's Blog: Darcy and the accidental author, page 2

Are “extras” a good idea?

Some years ago, I was asked by my publisher to write an extra section, to be added to the end of my novel. See my Julia page on my web site.

Do you favour this idea? It was new to me (as an author writing in the UK).

I do add a section at the end of each novel, mentioning my other books, with a short explanation of what they are about.
I hope that this is helpful to my readers, but what is your view?

How to write emotion

Jane Austen portrayed her famous hero as enigmatic and difficult to interpret.

Some may say that breaking into that mystery spoils the story. I prefer the view that knowing more about a character helps us understand how and why they act as they do when under pressure. So this is what I wrote in my sequel -

When some weeks earlier Georgiana had made reference to their mother’s early death, Darcy had rounded on her with unusual vehemence.

“Fortunately, you were still in the nursery and too young to remember that dreadful time. I had come home from school for the first day of the summer holidays, and our dear Mama was resting in her chair overlooking the lake that morning. But when I returned from visiting the gamekeeper several hours later, all was chaos and confusion. The physician was here, I was not allowed to see Mama, and our father was pacing up and down in the library, quite distraught at what was happening upstairs.”

Georgiana stared at his agitation as her brother related the events of that day.

“The worst part was when suddenly everything went quiet, and the physician sent for Papa to go upstairs. When he came back after about thirty minutes, he called me into the library. There were tears streaming down his face as he explained that the doctor had not been able to deliver the child - and that our dear mother was dead.”

Tears were falling down his cheeks now and she went over to him and held him close until Darcy was able to regain his composure. Then he apologised for his weakness.

“But you will know, dear Georgiana, that was one of the most unhappy days of my life, and deprived you of the attention of our dear mother when you were so very young! Papa was never the same person after that day, for theirs had been a very happy marriage. Even now, I really cannot bear thinking about it, or that anything like that could happen to Elizabeth!”

How to deal with Mr Darcy

In my sequel to P&P, “Dialogue with Darcy”, I decided to avoid the choice made by other authors, to marry off Darcy’s sister Georgiana to Col. Fitzwilliam.

This freed me to develop two parallel but independent love stories, and the opportunity to show how Elizabeth could educate her new husband away from his fixed ideas about his relations!

Georgiana’s fondness for piano playing, as written by Jane Austen, also gave me a chance to challenge Darcy's prejudices about acceptable behaviour for high borne gentlemen.

Read my book to find out more – www.janetaylmer.com

Should we choose music to go with our books?

A most enjoyable visit to a musical show at a theatre last week set me thinking about whether associating a tune with a novel would be a logical, or useful, thing to do?
If so, should I find a tune which goes with my favourite book, Sophie’s Salvation?

Perhaps I should describe the show which set me on this topic. For once, those of us who live in the UK have had an advantage over you guys on the other side of “the pond” for the past four years. We have been able to see a show not yet available in the USA.

Let’s see if you can guess what the name of the show is. It originated in the USA, and was a great success for the two stars back in the 1930s. The dancing was a great feature.

Several years ago, a talented team here in the UK managed to agree the rights to recreate the show here in England. The show toured provincial theatres here, to great acclaim, for a year before reaching the Aldwych Theatre in the West End of London. There the show had a successful two year run. Half way through, the main star decided to relinquish his role, and another actor rehearsed ready for a Press Night. At the last minute, he fell ill, and his understudy (Alan Burkitt) appeared at the Press Night in his place, and received rave reviews.

Here is another clue – the original 1930s show was a film, with music by Irving Berlin.

The UK show includes 10 more of that composer’s numbers. Perhaps I should now stop teasing you, and tell you. The show is “Top Hat”, originally starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Here are some Youtube clips for you to see.

First, a taster of Cheek to Cheek –

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPhHC...

Then some words -

http://musicaltheatrereview.com/top-h...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uNy9...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zo2A5...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hAfP...

The second provincial run here with Alan Burkitt and Charlotte Goocg has just finished and, according to the web site, they will be in Japan for a month in September. But what about you guys in the States – isn’t it time that you had a chance to see the show!

My writing process

I often get asked about my writing process, so here is an interview that will tell you more.

http://kindlefor-pc.blogspot.co.uk/20...

Let me know what you think?

Mr Harford learns a lesson

(from Sophie's Salvation)

Later that day, as the French shore became just visible to the port side of the boat, the ship’s master drew his passengers’ attention to a small boat in the distance that was coming closer.

“Mr. Harford, Mr. Douglas – please be alert. There can be problems along this coast with local men trying to take advantage of foreign vessels. I have told the crew to be ready to repel boarders if necessary.”

“Oh!” cried Aunt Lucy in alarm, quickly retreating to the cabin and taking Martha with her.

Sophie stayed where she was, sitting in the lee of the mainsail just behind where her other companions were standing.

“Could it be,” said Mr. Douglas, “that they may just be trying to sell us fresh supplies?”

“Yes, that is possible,” said Mr. Bugler, “and there will be no harm in that. But if there is any sign of them having firearms, or trying to get aboard, I have my pistol at the ready. Meanwhile, please do not stand in a position where you could be shot at.”

Mr. Harford glanced down at Sophie, but she shook her head at him before he could suggest that she should join her aunt in the cabin. The crew was busy moving around the deck, and it was several minutes before Mr. Harford noticed that Sophie was no longer sitting where he had last seen her.

He knew that she had not retreated to the cabin, since the door was easily visible from where he was standing, so he made his way along the length of the deck, and still could not find her.

Eventually he made his way past the galley and round to the far side of the boat.

There he found Sophie assisting Tim, the cabin boy, in lowering empty leather buckets on a rope into the sea, and hauling them up again, full of water, onto the deck. Tim was a slightly built boy, perhaps about twelve years of age, and it was all that he and Sophie together could manage to haul a full bucket of water onto the deck.

“What in heaven’s name are you doing?” demanded Mr. Harford in a far from pleasant manner.

“I find that remark totally unhelpful when we are both trying to be of use in a possibly dangerous situation!” said Sophie, not at all impressed by his peremptory way of expressing himself.

Mr. Harford was unaccustomed to being checked by a lady in that way and very taken aback at her reaction. She could see from his expression that he was tempted to reply in kind, but he could see that she was very irritated, and judged it unwise to do so.

So instead, taking a deep breath and after a moment’s thought, he apologised and, adopting a much more conciliatory tone of voice, this time he rephrased his question and repeated his enquiry.

Sophie looked at him with a glint in her eye. “Is that really the best you can do in a difficult situation?”

Her companion decided to capitulate, since in turning her attention away from Tim, she had left the boy to haul up the next bucket on his own, which was clearly much too heavy for him.

“Ma’am, please forgive my uncouth reaction. My only justification must be that I had feared that you might have come to some harm when I could not find you.”

Sophie bridled at that. “I suppose that you think that all young ladies are totally incompetent in an emergency?”

“No, at least not you, Mrs. Douglas. Please accept my apology in the spirit that it is meant.”

At last she calmed down and decided to be magnanimous.

“Mr. Bugler has asked Tim to fill all these buckets with water as quickly as he is able. Then, if needs be, they will be emptied over anyone who tries to climb aboard without permission. A full bucket is heavy, and so I offered to help him.”

“In that case, may I be of use, Mrs. Douglas? If you tie a rope onto the handle of each bucket in turn, and Tim lowers it into the water, then I can haul it up again onto the deck.”

Sophie, whose arms were already getting sore from the effort of lifting the heavy weight, gratefully accepted this practical suggestion, and soon all the buckets of water were lined up in a row along the side of the deck.

“Well done, Tim,” said Mr. Harford to the cabin boy. “Now, let’s look carefully and see what is happening now on the other side of the vessel.”

The French boat continued to advance towards them for several more minutes until it was close enough to see that it contained only two elderly fishermen, and two baskets of what appeared to be fresh fish. On Mr. Bugler’s orders, one of the crew of ‘The Lyme Flyer’ indicated that the fishing boat could come alongside. He then lowered a rope, and the baskets were hauled aboard in exchange for the value requested. Then the fishing boat turned and made its way back in the direction of the shore.

“I do believe that you look disappointed at such a peaceful outcome!” said Sophie to Mr. Harford, and he smiled.

“No, not really, for I daresay that the captain’s pistol and those buckets of water might not have seen off determined privateers. But that was a very useful reminder that there are hazards that we should be aware of.”

He hesitated, then continued, “Ma’am, if I should ever address you again in the tone of voice that I used when you were helping Tim, please will you tell me straightaway? I am very well aware that I have disliked anyone speaking to me like that in the past when I have been on the receiving end!”

Sophie looked at him for a moment, and her remaining resentment ebbed away as she replied with the hint of a smile, “Of course I will, if you promise to offer me the same service in return!”

How to enjoy writing historical fiction

Sometimes the author of an historical novel has the chance to have some fun with their story.

In “Sophie’s Salvation”, that opportunity arose from page 192 onwards –

'After entering a small village where no one at all was visible on any of the mean streets, the horses struggled to pull the carriage up the hill beyond with water running down the ditches on either side, and a wet mist obscuring any views beyond the windows. The chaise was about to reach the top of the slope when it suddenly slowed, there was a stifled cry from above them, and the vehicle ground to a halt.
“What the ...!” exclaimed Mr. Harford, and he opened the door on his side of the vehicle and jumped down onto the highway.
Sophie leant forward to look out of the window on her side, but then found that Martha was plucking her sleeve and pointing in terror in the other direction, to the open door that their companion had just left.
Beyond, they could see Mr. Harford wrestling with a very large masked man at the side of the road, whilst a second man was standing by the door looking in at them with a gun in his hand.
“Come to this side and get out! Get out now!” he shouted.
As Martha moved to follow his instructions, Sophie decided to go in the opposite direction. Shielded by her maid leaving by the opposite door, she turned the door handle next to her and, in the confusion, slipped out of the carriage. She closed the door softly behind her and crouched down by the side of the front wheel. Above her, she could see the coachman look down and give her a quick glance from his perch on the box behind the horses before he was called to attention by one of the highwaymen. For that, Sophie had swiftly decided, must be who they were.
She could hear one shout to the other that there had been a second lady inside the carriage, and heard Martha denying her presence as soon as she realised what had occurred. Sophie could see across the underside of the chaise that the tussle between Mr. Harford and the large man was continuing, so she decided to creep around the rear of the vehicle to get a better view.
Just as Sophie reached the far side of the back of the carriage, one of the horses reared up at the front of the vehicle, distracting the second man and causing him to look forward for a moment.
Before he could turn back to his task of threatening the coachman with the gun, Sophie ran forward by the side of the chaise, and kicked the highwayman hard in the back of his knees, so that he fell forward with his face hitting the grit on the track. The coachman took the opportunity to leap down from his perch, and clobbered the man’s head with the long post horn that he always kept beside him on the box, knocking him senseless.
Sophie immediately turned her attention to Mr. Harford and his assailant.
They were both making so much noise that the burly highwayman was unaware of what had happened to his companion, but Sophie could see that Mr. Harford was not having the best of the fight. So she leant forward and picked up the pistol which the man on the ground had dropped as he fell. Then she assumed the firmest and deepest voice that she could as she pressed the gun into the back of the first highwayman.
“Drop your hands immediately, or I will shoot!”
As he hesitated, she shouted, “Now, or you will be dead!”
The man let go of Mr. Harford and dropped his hands to his sides. Then, as the assailant half turned towards her, the coachman raised his horn again, and managed to hit the man’s head fair and square, so that he sank onto the ground unconscious, and at last her companion was released from his grip.
“That,” said Sophie, “was very well done indeed, John coachman. Thank you!”
“No better than you, ma’am,” he replied.
Sophie turned to the side of the road.
“How are you, sir?”
Catching his breath, and free from the highwayman’s grasp, Mr. Harford stood up straight, rubbing his arms, and then demanded, “That gun was loaded, ma’am. Do you know how to use one?”
“No, but it seems that it might be useful for me to have some lessons!”
“How the devil did you fell the other man, Mrs. Douglas?”
“Magic, sir, just magic! Martha, how are you? Are you hurt?”
The maid, looking white and drained, had been leaning against the door of the carriage but, at this inquiry, she gathered her wits and said, “No, ma’am. I shall be fine in a minute or two. Just rather shaken, that’s all.”
As Sophie surveyed the two bodies lying on the ground, the coachman suggested some practical action to Mr. Harford.
“What shall we do with them, sir? I’ve got some lengths of rope on my box if you want to tie them up?”
“Excellent idea; we can do that together before either of them recover their senses and start to bother us again.”
Sophie kept her eyes fixed on the second assailant whilst Mr. Harford and the coachman tied up the first highwayman. Then the second man was given the same treatment.
“Have you any more rope, John?”
“Yes, sir. Enough to tie them both to that tree at the side of the highway.”
So the job was soon finished, and then Mr. Harford handed Sophie back into the carriage. By this time the rain had stopped falling, and so Martha decided that she would feel safer if she sat on the box where she could keep an eye ready for any more miscreants at the side of the road.
As the carriage resumed its journey, Mr. Harford remarked in a very level tone of voice, “Are you in the habit of felling grown men with those tactics?”
“Only occasionally sir, when needs must.”
“You could have been shot.”
“Yes, but I wasn’t. I could hardly let that second ruffian hurt you any more. They need to pick their targets more carefully, for there was nothing in the coach of any value as far as I know.”
Mr. Harford smiled at last and said, “Now that is where you’re quite wrong, ma’am.”
She looked at him with a question in her expression.
“There are few men, and even fewer women, who would have had your presence of mind and strength of character in that situation.”
“Thank you, sir, although many people might not consider that an advantage.”
“I may have a role for a bodyguard soon in these dangerous parts of the country, should you ever find yourself seeking employment.”
This made her laugh out loud, and he suddenly leant across the carriage and took her hands in his and said, this time seriously, “I am truly indebted to you.”

An Extra Chapter?

I sometimes wonder whether Jane Austen had any extra chapters that she decided to omit from her novels. Perhaps all authors have something to add?

I am thinking of writing an “extra chapter” for one of my novels. I have quite a compact writing style, so in my book “Sophie’s Salvation” there is a swift transition in the last chapter to the final scene in Bath Abbey. I keep composing the extra chapter in my head, so I really should write it down!

Is there anyone out there who has extra/missing chapters? Perhaps there is a book to be made out of that?

A book that I love

Writing of well loved characters in novels, I always enjoy re-reading “Frederica” by Georgette Heyer - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgett...

In that novel, Georgette Heyer created a heroine who was unaware of her own attractive personality, cared more for others than herself, and was (in least in her own mind) indifferent to the wealth and charms of the hero.

The hero, too conscious of his own superiority, eventually has to acknowledge that he has finally found someone he respects to share his life.

Modern inventions of the period figure in that story, and the novel has a very satisfactory pace to it – not always the case in Regency books.

Georgette Heyer did a great deal of research into life in the Regency period, and that has been a great help to anyone like me who wants to get their facts correct!

Or no pictures for Jane Austen?

Pictures – unfortunately, I do not have the skills to illustrate my most recent book “Dialogue with Darcy”, and the sequel to Darcy’s Story” (and, of course, to P&P).

Many people will think of this picture when I refer to “Pemberley” in my most recent novel - http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/lyme-...

It is, of course, debatable HOW one should write a sequel, and what should be included.
I was keen to introduce some humour, and also to refer to some aspects of life that were changing during the Regency era.

I decided to introduce as few new characters as possible in "Dialogue with Darcy", as that is much less confusing for the reader. Where I did write about “new” people, several of them have already been introduced in my novels about the Maitland sisters, “Julia …” and “Sophie’s Salvation”.

Similarly, Anthony Trollope, in his “Barchester Novels” also brought in characters who had been in his previous works.

But there is some satisfaction (at least for the author) in tying up the ends, and finding a happy ending to well loved characters in the story.