What Jane Austen Teaches Us About Writing

It may be an exaggeration to say that I am the writer I am today because of Jane Austen. 

I first fell in love with her writing in high school. I had never been assigned to read any of her work but after finding it in the library I decided to give it a read. 

I was hooked. I devoured the rest of the works and would return to them frequently for many years to come and if there was another movie adaptation of one of them being made you can bet that I was going to be there with my popcorn ready to chase the love I had found for her characters. I even took a course dedicated to her work in college when I was studying for an English degree. 

The 1980 BBC mini-series will forever have my heart, but I would walk from my house in Boston, MA to Netherfield for Matthew Macfadyen's Darcy (2005).

While Jane Austen didn't write a book on how to become an author or her opinions on writing some of her thoughts on it can be found in letters she wrote to her family members and a fellow author.

"I am going to write not merely with the hope of amusing people here, but I shall be sure of doing it, if I can, for I have had my pleasure in mind ever since I began." (Letter to Cassandra Austen, January 3, 1801) 

Jane Auten's primary motivation for writing was never to earn riches or fame. It was for her happiness and the amusement of the people around her. 

During her lifetime the books she had published only brought her a moderate amount of success, but nothing significant enough that she could support herself financially. The societal constraints of the time didn't allow for it. 

Authors today, while the times have changed when it comes to women authors (mostly) writing and publishing still do not come with the guarantee of financial security. If it happens then it's an amazing achievement, but like Austen writers shouldn't write for money.

Write for your own happiness, and for the happiness of the readers and support you have. 

If you're happy with what you do then the money won't matter, but you just might find, like for Austen, it will find its way to you one way or another. 

Write. 

Be happy. 

The rest will fall into place.

With love, 

B.K. xo xo

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This story was originally posted on Medium.

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