1. Eight years ago, I hated writing because I thought I sucked at it. I would always get a “C” for a grade in English class. Becoming a novelist was the last thing on my list of future careers. Then I fell in love with Pride and Prejudice at the age of thirteen. I began writing sequels for this book. I say sequels with an “s” because each time I finished a sequel to P&P I’d start a new sequel, beginning once more from day one of their marriage. I hated the thought of Darcy and Elizabeth growing old. I wanted their love story to always remain young, raw, and passionate. And so obsessed was I with Pride&Prejudice that I would always get giddy to return home from school to work on my sequel. I would quickly finish my homework and then begin to write. When my dad came in to check up on me, to see if I was studying, I would hastily cover the story with my homework. Once he left, I’d continue writing. Writing became my guilty pleasure. Anyway, here is an excerpt of my untitled sequel, in its original state.
When Elizabeth thought that no one was around, she’d lay on the grassy field, a little away from Pemberley, and lie under a tree and look sky wards as she did that day. She looked up at the bright summer sky with her bonnet still on to shade her eyes from the sun which the tree was unsuccessful of doing and twirled a peace of leaf with her fingers.
Elizabeth heard footsteps coming towards her, she sat up, knowing that if it were anyone from the Pemberley estate they’d think she had no courtesy as a wife-to-be of master Darcy. Which all the servants were surprised at the pick and still thought that his engagement to her would be broken sooner or later.
She turned around to see Darcy, which was worse than a servant of Pemberley seeing her. She rapped her hands around her legs. She worried that Darcy would think her a savage, but to her surprise saw Darcy sit write beside her. Elizabeth stared at him in surprise that a man in his standards would sit on the grass. Furthermore, was more shocked as he lay back on the grass. He looked at her.
“May I ask why you stare at me so, Miss Elizabeth?” asked Darcy out of curiosity.
“It was just surprising to see a man like you, Mr. Darcy, of such high standard lie on the grass?” said she.
Darcy chuckled to himself. “Miss Elizabeth, I’ve noticed that you think men of ‘high standards’ are unable to have ‘any’ fun except ride horses and hunt! Of course men of my ‘standards’ do sit on the grass—lake picnic for example. Yes maybe we don’t lie on the grass, but at times like this when nobody is around to criticize them, yes, they may lie on the grass.” Replied he in teasing look.
(Hmmm I must have had some kind of fetish for men lying down on grass…) My stomach is aching from laughing so hard that I can no longer strain my eyes to type out the faint handwriting of mine. Basically, what I can gather from skimming through this very complicated, very endless story of mine, is that Elizabeth doesn’t get to marry Darcy, because they’re torn apart by the evil, scheming Anne De Burgh. And then it is discovered that Elizabeth is a spy, as is Darcy. A spy for who? For Napoleon. (I don’t know how this worked out). Oh wait, Darcy also inherits a Dukedom. As the story progresses, Elizabeth and Darcy fall even more madly in love, and more random things occur to keep them separated. Duels. Highwaymen. More scheming wenches. Love triangles. And then in the end Darcy and Elizabeth finally marry and live happily ever after. The end. And then I slip out another sheet to scribble down a NEW sequel.
2. Yesterday, my writer friend K. C. Byrne and I did a PRIDE & PREJUDICE MARATHON. The 1995 BBC adaptation. Yes, we watched the 6 hour long series straight through. But we did take a break in between to go out and buy sushi for dinner. It was great fun. While watching the series, we picked up on so many things (dialogues, expressions, actions) that we had missed before. I’m so happy to have met someone who loves Jane Austen as much as I do (though, Charlotte Bronte, I will always love you the most, even though you’ve upset me with your other book, VILLETTE).
3. Here’s a piece by Rachmaninov that sent chills down my spine. I’ve been listening to it over and over again ever since I downloaded it a few hours ago. Just as Vivaldi’s Winter was one of the pieces that inspired the mood behind THE RUNAWAY COURTESAN, I think Rachmaninov’s The Bells of Moscow will be the piece to set the mood behind my new project. Oh, and don’t even ask how my new novel is coming along. It’s still a vague, vague story in my head. But I love this vague storyline either way. It’s going to be another emotional rollercoaster for me to write.
Two more days left to enter my book give-away contest!
And Please visit my new article posted up on LTWF, titled: How to Bring Characters to Life
June Hur 
HI JUNE! 🙂
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HEY!!!! hahaha
…randomest comment ever to receive
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Thank you so much for sharing that snippet! That was wonderful! I just love the idea of you wandering around P&P in your head, circling the same grounds and hallways of the house, inventing new stories to entertain you. Love love love!!!!
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I don’t know if I’ll ever feel the way I did once! So driven to write, completely overwhelmed by the story, that I didn’t care whether the story made sense or not. All I wanted to do was transcribe my fantasy into words. I’ve become too critical as a writer to write like that anymore. But it was great fun… Ignorance is bliss, as they say. And it’s true at times. There’s nothing to restrain you from writing what you want
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June! Awesome post. So great. And you have such a brilliant outlook. So positive. I love it. I too dream of sequels for P&P, but the one I LOVE to dream about serialising is “Our Mutual Friend.” Or, actually, kind of filling in the gaps, you know?
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You would probably be the first to write a sequel for OMF! Or maybe you SHOULD write a book that puts your own twist to OMF–then you’d become a Seth Greenham…or however you spell his name. You know, that writer who wrote P&P&the Zombies?! hahahah
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“Acquanted”? It’s better than acquainted. 😀 There’s something about the grass that make guys more appealing…
I must say you were a waaaayy better writer at 13 than I was. (I got Cs in English as well, and so that was my Lawyer aspirations out the window). I never used to be a reader or a writer until I was about 14. That’s when I read The Northern Lights by Phillip Pullman – and from then on I READ and READ because I discovered how wonderful books are. And so my English improved and then I got As. So, essentially, my Northern Lights inspiration is akin to your P&P.
Over and out.
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Yes, “Acquanted”, it should go down into the Webster’s dictionary. It’s a more logical spelling of it that Acquainted hahaha
I actually have never read The Norther Lights. But after discovering how much you liked that book (I figured it out when seeing it listed on your FB favourite book list), I found out that it was another title for ‘The Golden Compass’ No? I watched the movie but didn’t like it too much.. I imagine the book was much better!
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I had that “Pride & Prejudice Phase” but I was a little older than 13; I was somewhere between 18 and 19 I guess, I remember going everywhere –and I mean EVERYWHERE- with that book, it drove my friends mad! I would actually take it out of my purse and start reading it in the middle of the class or whenever I got bored with the conversation on the table. I am pretty sure it was than, when I got those unrealistic ideas about love and romance!
The things Jane Austen makes us do 🙂
I loved your sequel June, such imagination you have, even back then… I loved how you refused to end the story there and created continuation. I used to rewrite the chapters I dislike of some books where I thought the story was good but that particular chapter was ruining it. I love taking them out and reading them from time to time, it always makes me smile 🙂
You are soooo lucky to have a friend that would sit down and watch the whole thing with you for six hours! Needless to say I did that with Chuck & Apple (my dogs) for lack of enthusiastic around me…. They weren’t so happy about it but they can’t complain either 😉
As for Villette, I am still reading it; I am not in love with it, but I am enjoying it nevertheless 🙂 Here’s my favorite quote so far : “It was far better kind of love than common: I had no doubts about it or him: it was such a love as honored, protected, and elevated, no less than it gladdened her to whom it was given.”
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Rewrite chapters you didn’t like?! Why did I never think of that? You know there are times when I read a book that really sucks me in. And I’m loving it. Then the storyline starts to get awry. And it ends in a way that leaves me infuriated. I always lie in bed imagining how the story SHOULD have ended. In such cases I should instead write the story out. Oh. I like this idea! I should try it out next time.
Ah…Villette. If YOU’RE enjoying I should then continue on with it I suppose… I stopped in the 170s somewhere. M. Paul–what do you think of him? I can’t seem to find him very attractive. And Dr John, was it?, I thought he’d end up being my favourite character–but no. He seems pathetic. Ok. But this is Bronte’s work, so maybe I’ll read on.
Oh, and that IS a lovely quote!
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Darcy and Lizzie as spies? Mmm, not a bad idea…but for the English’s worst enemy?!? Napoleon? Strange indeed. But nothing is impossible to fantasy and imagination.
I’m just reading the latest Mr and Mrs Darcy Mystery by Carrie Bebris these days … The couple is investigating on a strange death case at Highbury with Mr and Mrs Knightley…. I’m preparing a review of this delightful reading.
Guess what, I dreamt of becoming a writer. I’ve always admired women writers in my life but … I’ve never actually tried. Scribbling on line in enough to me.
And you are right, you are still SO young, J.!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and pleasant experiences, June ( P&P 1995 Awww!!!)
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Yah, spies for Napoleon. I don’t believe I realized back then what a great, horrible treason to England this was! I think I just threw Napoleon in because–I heard of him in my History class. Silly me.
I usually don’t read mysteries but I do enjoy the Jane Austen mysteries written by Stephanie Baron. She writes so very Austen-esque. I enjoy it a lot. I don’t read it for the myster, for the storyline, but just to relish in her splendid writing.
*Gasp* I am all surprise, madam! I had no idea that you dreamt to become a writer. I should have guessed though… a prolific blogger in love with novels…yes, I should have known indeeeeeed! Why don’t you try outlining a storyline?
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Oh, thanks for sharing that! I wish I had all my old scribblings, but I don’t–they’re boxed up at my parents’ house if they’re anywhere at all. And I never finished anything so grand as a P&P sequel!
Loving the piano piece–oooh, if that’s inspiring your next work I cannot wait to read it. Sounds perhaps more emotionally conflicted/complex and mayhap a bit darker than RC? This based solely on the music…so of course I’m merely speculating! Best with the inspiration and the writing of it!
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thanks for writing this post! i think i can agree/feel the same… i remember when i was about 10, or maybe 8, i can’t really remember, i would take out those lined a4 notepads and write out incredibly long stories – as much as i loved it, i didn’t score well in english.
after reading your post, it kinda reminded me on my whole reading and writing journey… and how it got me really interested in literature. i was ALMOST going to be a forensic scientist (due to all that CSI watching, seriously!) but I took lit. in my final year of high school and just loved it! there was something about pride and prejudice that seemed to just spark off this love for literature. (and of course, it also got me interested in the various movie/drama remakes of p&p! i remember visiting this mega-bookstore in china and bought the dvd of the first P&P movie, black and white!)
Ah, now i wish for someone to watch P&P with so that we can totally analyse everything about it! Seems like a great feeling, its so sad that nobody around me is really interested in that… 😦
[i totally understood also when you mentioned about writing being your guilty pleasure. for me, i took this a4 notebook to class and it would be under my textbooks. and i would be totally daydreaming and writing out dialogues whenever there was free time.]
and the 1995 BBC version is still the best EVER. not because of colin firth, (though he is the best darcy). Other versions/remakes/adaptations try to squeeze the whole book into the more watchable movie length which just totally rushes the whole story and leave out bits that only one who had read the book knows of. (i can go on about the setting etc, but it would be too long… i’m quite curious to hear your thoughts on this though! :D)
have a great week ahead! time for me to get on with the readings… it’s so sad that i hardly have time for non-academic related reading or writing 😦
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It was actually Jane Eyre that sparked my love for literature. But it was P&P that got me started as a writer. I saw the black and white version first, enjoyed it so much, which was how I discovered that a book existed, along wit hthe 1995 adaptation!
Too bad you don’t live in Toronto…well, I don’t know where you live. But I’m guessing it’s outside of Canada. Anyway, if you lived here, me and my classmates in my Jane Austen seminar were thinking of making a Jane Austen book club. If ever we did a P&P marathon again you could have joined us…You know, the more the merrier.
It’s funny though. Our seminar is divided in two. One side are the girls who think the 2005 version is the best. And the other side is the ’95 version lovers. And I have to agree with you. Unless you read the book, people will not understand why the 1995 version is THE BEST!
I hope you’ll drop by again 🙂 I’m mighty curious as to what sort of writing you do.
….Or if I even know you!
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nope, I do not live in Canada – though I almost went to UofT! A Jane Austen book club sounds mighty good! I was totally thinking of it when I was writing my previous comment. How nice to just talk about books or have movie marathons that sort of thing! 🙂
the 2005 version lacks a sort of literary quality to it. It is certainly strong in its visual elements, especially the beginning scene, and I thought it did the exchange-of-glances thing really well.
I would also have to say the 1995 version has also given us the best Mr.Collins. But I watched the 1995 version first, so that might have influenced my decision a little.
What kind of writing do I do? Thesis writing for now. Haha. I started off doing lit, and then did history as a sort of elective. But I’ve grown to love history more (maybe because my history essays get better marks). So history it now is. 19th century American public health history to be specific.
Oh yeah, and I think I added you on facebook like a long time ago.
Cheers,
Ruth Beh
PS: I really like writing the comments (even if this makes only 2 comments) – it’s just so nice/fun/engaging/interesting to think about P&P and literature in general.
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I’m glad you enjoy commenting!! (I should write more posts about P&P haha). Yay, I have you on Facebook! Very glad to know.
Ah, I totally agree with you that the ’05 version lacks literary quality. It’s very hollywood-ized. It turned P&P into a hollywood love story, what with all it’s dramatic scenes and such. And Mr. Collins in there was not at all how one would imagine him in the book–the ’05 version of Collins actually induced some sympathy in me… Unlike the ’95 version where he was just a creeper!!!
ooh you’re studying lit and history! Same here 😀
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oh my gosh…. I love the bio of pride and prejudice… are u gonna public =????
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Publish THIS sequel? haha. No way. Neverrrr! I’m over the whole Pride and Prejudice mania.
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I’ve been busy writing my own story but it is not yet finished and there is still a few things to redo and undo but I’m a beginner and I’m turning 13 this year so I guess u should know your my new roll model and I would like to meet u one day
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I’m honoured, Michaela! You’re a lucky person to have discovered your interest in story-writing this early. I hope you finish this story and write many more afterwards. Maybe, if we meet one day, we’ll both be published writers : ) What kind of story do you write?
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what so did you write a book, and if so where can I read it because that was beautiful
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