Life Imitating Art

10 May 2010 | Filed Under Books vs. Movies, Tales from the Author's Desk 

I bought The Jane Austen Book Club for my mom for Mother’s Day. If you haven’t seen it (or read the book it’s based on), it follows five women whose lives parallel those of Jane Austen’s characters.

That got me thinking:

Does my life parallel any fictional character’s?

I’m not sure.

I was talking with my mom, and we agreed that Anna and Camron – the newlyweds I gave a shout-out to on Friday, who went on to have a gorgeous wedding – are Jane and Mr. Bingley. To quote a certain father:

“I have not a doubt of your doing very well together. Your tempers are by no means unlike. You are each of you so complying, that nothing will ever be resolved on; so easy, that every servant will cheat you; and so generous, that you will always exceed your income.”

We’re as close as sisters, so mom insists that makes me Lizzy. I believe this means I should start looking for guys who insult me!

But if I’m to resemble a Jane Austen character, right now I feel more like Emma:

“I have no idea that she has yet ever seen a man she cared for…there is nobody hereabouts to attach her.”

I definitely have to think about this some more.

In the meantime, do you think your life resembles a fictional character’s? Whose?

Comments

3 Responses to “Life Imitating Art”

  1. Arte on May 10th, 2010 6:48 pm

    Probably, but I wouldn’t know which one.

  2. Jenn on May 10th, 2010 11:00 pm

    Maybe it takes an outside eye to see the patterns?

  3. Arte on May 11th, 2010 5:49 pm

    Sure… or I just don’t know enough fictional characters to find a resemblance.

Leave a Reply




  • Welcome

    new haircut

    Hi, I'm Jenn, new grad student and old YA fantasy writer. I've long dreamed of being a novelist, and I bet you have too. I hope you find my blog helpful, inspiring, and maybe just a little bit fun. (But not too much fun. Writing is serious business, you know.)

    You can follow me on Twitter or Facebook, or email me at:
    jennifer.a.johnson7 at gmail dot com

  • Official Progress


    4/21 segments

    A narrator hijacks a cliche fantasy story, much to the chagrin of its characters.

    Status: Second revision



    1,639/70,000 words
    A young noblewoman with strange powers must choose: her king or her soul.

    Status: First draft



    1,087/70,000 words
    When a girl's heart is stolen, she's plunged into a world of magic and shadows - but can she get her heart back before she loses it completely?

    Status: First draft





  • All writing, unless otherwise specified, is the property of
    Jennifer Johnson © 2010