What would my life have been like without Jane Austen?
My life is nothing at all as it was before I
started immersing myself in Jane Austen’s novels. Because
of Jane Austen’s legacy, I am an aspiring writer, and because I have effectively organized my life around my
writing, I find myself asking the question every day of what would my life be
if not for Jane Austen. I’d like to think my priorities have changed for the
better. Even though I have long desired the freedom to do what I want to do
when I want to do it, I now work more
hours than ever before. But, here's the thing: I love it.
I often say that I arrived late to the game, for my initial
exposure to Jane Austen was in 2007. For the
first time in my decidedly career-centric life, I saw the 2005 Pride and Prejudice film. Finding it too
spellbinding for a single viewing, I watched it over and over again. I needed
to know much more about the brooding hero. I then read the novel, along with
several excellent 'what-if' books that told the story from Mr. Darcy's
perspective. One day, I came across a link to the online Jane Austen fan
fiction community. From that point on, my life has never been quite the same.
My love of Jane Austen and Jane Austen fan fiction rekindled my
passion for writing and sharing stories, which was a favorite pastime when I
was in high school. Then I went off to college and save an occasional poem, my
writing passion faded. It would be several decades where writing and even reading
held not the least bit of interest to me. Not that I didn’t read. Give me a
technical manual or a financially themed book, and I would devour it cover to
cover. I loved that sort of thing. I rarely allowed myself the time to read for
pleasure. Even today, I have shelves of technical books (which I plan to
get
rid of) and only a hand full of romance paperbacks. However, my Kindle is loaded
with excellent e-books and audiobooks. Yes, it seems I have made a habit of
acquiring audiobooks as well. Once I have written enough stories to achieve my backlist
objectives, I plan to have my fill of reading and listening to my growing
collection of romance stories, especially those featuring Mr. Darcy.
About P. O. Dixon
P. O. Dixon is a writer as well as an
entertainer. Historical England and its days of yore fascinate her. She, in
particular, loves the Regency period with its strict mores and oh so proper
decorum. Her ardent appreciation of Jane Austen’s timeless works set her on the
writer’s journey. Dixon delights in weaving diverting tales of gallant
gentlemen on horseback and the women they love.
Connect with the P. O. Dixon Online
P.O. Dixon is giving away an audiobook version of her "Bewitched, Body and Soul". Check it out in the rafflecopter form below!
6 comments:
Thanks so much, Maria, for providing the means for so many of us to express how Jane Austen has made a difference in our lives.
♥✿♥ Happy Birthday, Jane Austen! ♥✿♥
I'm so happy Jane inspired your writing! She enchanted many people and I'm glad I'm one of them.
I love reading about how Jane sets you up on another career path. This does show her great influence upon the world, long after she is gone, and has no idea about it when she's alive.
That's neat how the movie got you reading again and writing. I sure have enjoyed a few of your books. ;D
Thanks, Lúthien84. I am constantly amazed by Jane Austen's influence on so many, and I am eternally grateful.
Thanks so much for reading and enjoying my stories, Sophia Rose. I'm really glad to be writing. I much prefer it to long days spent sitting in meeting rooms and what not. ;-)
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