The Jessica Evans FAQ

Author Pic 2 BWOhmigosh, you guys! I am so excited to be joining the ranks of Austen Variations! It’s an honor to be included amongst such a talented group of writers who I’ve admired for many years. I’ve been in the JAFF community for a long time and published my first book, The Muse, last year. But, to properly introduce myself to Austen Variations and to also have a little fun, I’ve created this FAQ about me. Hope you enjoy!

How did you discover Jane Austen?

My first encounter with Jane Austen happened when I was 20. It was summer and I was trying to read as many Great Books as I possibly could, in an endeavor to feel more worldly and well educated. Like most of the Great Books I’d read that summer, I picked up Pride and Prejudice reluctantly, thinking I’d have to slog through it like the rest of them. I finished it in less than two days, then plowed through Sense and Sensibility, Emma, Mansfield Park, and Persuasion. I was hooked after that.

How’d you start writing Jane Austen fanfiction?

I didn’t get into the JAFF world until a few years later, after I had graduated college, when I had a boring desk job and very little work to do. To keep myself occupied, I spent all day reading JAFF on Hyacinth Gardens and Firthness (RIP). I never entertained writing my own story, but then I went to see The Phantom of the Opera with Gerard Butler as the Phantom. That movie got my wheels turning and, long story short, the idea for my first fanfic, The Muse, was born. I wrote the story in a few months, found a beta, and began posting on Hyacinth Gardens in 2003. The rest is history.

Why only modernizations?

I love Regency sequels, retellings, and reimaginings. I love reading about the genteel world that Jane Austen masterfully creates in her novels. I am so jealous of those writers (many of whom belong to this group) who can continue to write in a voice like Austen’s. But, try as I may, that just isn’t my writing voice. I do love playing with the characters and themes of Austen’s novels, as I still find them so relevant today. To me, it’s interesting to take a scene or scenario from a book and figure out what the modern equivalent would be. In my book, The Muse, translating Pride and Prejudice to the modern world of a ballet company challenged me, but made it fun, too! I do always love a challenge, though, so perhaps a Regency story lies somewhere in my future.

Which Jane Austen character do you most resemble?

Although I wish I could be as light and sparkling as Elizabeth Bennet, I’m more an Elinor Dashwood. I’m level-headed and sensible, a penny-pincher and a pragmatist who loves spreadsheets, plain Cheerios, and 9:30 p.m. bedtimes. (I’m only a little bit kidding.) I feel deeply, but it all stays inside, and I’m a bit of a caretaker. Dear Elinor and I do depart in some important ways, though. I have a goofy sense of humor, which is far more Lizzy Bennet, and a overactive imagination, a la Catherine Morland.

Colin or Matthew?

Colin, of course!

Did I leave anything out? If so, ask in the comments! I’m looking forward to hanging around more on Austen Variations and can always be found on Facebook, Twitter (@JEvansBooks), and Goodreads. Please join me there, too.

55 comments

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  1. Congratulations to you, Jessica!

    Enjoyed your Getting to Know Me post!

    1. Thank you, Sophia Rose! And thanks for sharing on Twitter. 🙂

    • Joy Dawn King on March 16, 2015 at 12:18 am
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    What a delight it is to know that we can read more about you and follow your career in this group. Congratulations! I look forward to your next post.

    1. Joy, I’m so excited to be here. It’s a huge honor and I can’t wait to really dive in to all of the fun!

    • Carol on March 16, 2015 at 1:10 am
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    Definitely Colin. There is no other Mr. Darcy. Congratulations on your book. That is on my TBR list. I have 655 variations to get through. I’m going in alphabetical order, and I’ll eventually get to your book. I’ve read 138 since January. Many are novellas and just as you get into the story, it’s over. By the way, I’m in the Ds. You’re coming up soon.

    1. 655!?! I bow before you. 😀 Are you going alphabetical by author? If so, then you’re close! I can’t wait to hear what you think about The Muse!

      1. Bad news for those of us sitting in the “W” section, though!

      • Sheila L. M. on March 18, 2015 at 3:44 pm
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      Do you do anything but read? LOL I have read 30 books since January and thought that was OK. I do not plan to read all the JAFF variations but have read over 200 but many more than once.

    • Barbara on March 16, 2015 at 2:08 am
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    So congratulations! I agree with you about Colin as Mr.Darcy, but as declaratione of love Matthew is absolutely the best!!

    1. While I stand by my choice of Colin, you’re making me think I need to revisit the 2005 P&P to see if your assertion is true! 😉

      • Sheila L. M. on March 18, 2015 at 3:48 pm
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      He had to go by the script he was given. Andrew Davis has regretted the reaction he scripted for Colin Firth in the disclosure by Elizabeth that her feelings were the total reversal of those from before – he has a slight smile. Whereas Matthew is given that scene in the morning mist and then in the fountain in front of Pemberley – how can we not sigh there?

  2. Lovely to meet you – The Muse sounds intriguing!

    • Deborah on March 16, 2015 at 4:55 am
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    It’s so nice to get to know you and that you are part of this group. I beg to differ, but I love Matthew as Darcy with Colin as a close second. I am looking forward to more of your posts.

    1. Thanks, Deborah! Colin was my first Mr. Darcy, so I don’t know if I’ll ever think differently. Ha ha. I’m looking forward to being a part of Austen Variations!

        • Deborah on March 16, 2015 at 7:09 am
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        Matthew was my first. Maybe being the first Darcy each of us saw makes each of our opinions biased, but that’s ok as we all love Jane Austen’s works.

        1. Ah, so that must explain it. They were our “first loves.” LOL. It’s a wonderful thing to have so many Darcys to choose from.

            • Kara Louise on March 16, 2015 at 12:03 pm
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            I think Deborah has hit the nail on the head! Colin was my first and it’s hard to find anyone to compare! Welcome, Jessica! It’s so nice to have you here! I look forward to getting to know you better! (And I love that Phantom of the Opera inspired your story!)

  3. I love your FAQ, Jessica! Welcome from one newbie to another!

    1. Thanks, Leslie! I’m in excellent company here.

  4. Welcome to the group, Jessica!! So good to learn more about the inspiration behind your novel. You have such a unique take on P&P. I’m delighted to agreed to join us.

    1. It’s an honor to be here, Monica!

    • Maureen on March 16, 2015 at 7:21 am
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    I enjoyed your post, Jessica, and look forward to hearing more from you. When I read your description of yourself, I had to laugh, because it sounded a lot like me. 🙂 Yay for plain Cheerios!

    1. Yes! They’re so filling and healthy. Here’s to the Elinors of the world!

    • Evie Cotton on March 16, 2015 at 7:49 am
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    Terribly happy to have you with us Jessica!

    1. Thank you, Evie! I’m excited to be here!

  5. Welcome, Jess! I loved your book, The Muse. So glad you’ve joined us.

    1. Thanks, Susan! I’m thrilled to be here!

    • Stephanie L on March 16, 2015 at 9:56 am
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    Well, it’s nice to meet another self acknowledged Elinor. LOL I see myself as Elinor (for pretty much the same reasons you listed) with a dash of Emma thrown in. I used to match make something awful until it truly became awful for those involved and then I evolved into never doing that again. Welcome to the club! Love your pic, you’re adorable!

    1. Haha, that’s amazing! I think, as care-taking Elinor types, it’s easy to want to get involved in people’s love lives. I’ve never attempted it myself and probably never will. Thanks for your compliments about the picture, too!

  6. Welcome, Jess! So glad to have you with us, and that The Muse is finally available to everyone. It’s one of my favorites!

    1. Thanks, Abigail! Your opinion means so much to me as I’m a huge fan of your stories, too. I’m grateful to be here!

    • Anji on March 16, 2015 at 10:19 am
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    How lovely to see you here, Jessica. I was lucky enough to win a copy of The Muse in a giveaway last year and would definitely recommend it to anyone here who hasn’t already read it. I didn’t know a great deal about the world of ballet beforehand, especially the heirachy amongst the members of the company. It certainly made a good parallel to the society of Regency times.

    I’m very much an Elinor at heart as well, witth a few Darcy tendencies when it comes to mixing in company! I’d love to be as sparkling and witty as Elizabeth but it’s never going to happen. Still, I have a husband who’s mainly Bingley, with elements of Wentworth, Knightley and Brandon thrown in for good measure.

    Although he wasn’t my first, Colin has to be my Darcy, too. Laurence Olivier was my first, and before you ask, I’m NOT that old! I saw the 1940 version in around 1966/7. That was my introduction to Jane Austen. Then came David Rintoul in 1980, Colin in 1995 and Matthew in 2005. Ooo, I was forgetting Elliot Cowan in Lost in Austen, Martin Henderson in Bride and Prejudice and Matthew Rhys in Death Comes to Pemberley. So I have seven Darcy notches on my belt now. Colin Firth certainly set the mark very high for anyone to follow. I guess, being in the US, you won’t have seen the new dramatisation of Poldark that’s just started here in the UK. Aidan Turner is playing the lead and I think he could make a good Darcy, too.

    1. Anji,

      Thanks for your praise! My, there are a lot of us Elinors out there! It makes me feel better.

      That’s a lot of Darcys! I did like Matthew Rhys as Darcy. Thought that was good casting. But Colin pulled off the hauteur a little better. Thanks for weighing in!

  7. Okay, folks, this gal is rock-star good. Read THE MUSE. Now.

    1. Whoo hoo! I’ve always wanted to be a rock-star! Thanks for your praise, Jack.

  8. Welcome, Jessica!!
    Wonderful to have you here and learn more about how you became a fan of Austen 🙂 .
    Congrats, again, on The Muse!

    1. Thank you, Marilyn! I always enjoy hearing how Janeites “discovered” Austen, so I’m glad you enjoyed my story, too!

  9. I’m just a devoted reader here on Austen Variations, but I would also like to extend a warm welcome, Jessica! I love ballet-fics, so I would probably adore The Muse; I’ll have to find a copy! 🙂 Although my preference is for Regency FF, I’ve read my fair share of modern ones, so I’m sure that I’d love it. 🙂

    Some day I hope to have time to write JAFF; right now I’m reading, reading, reading and absorbing the culture after four years of writing other FF. 😉

    I look forward to reading your work here, Jessica!! Welcome!!

    Warmly,
    Susanne 🙂

    1. Susanne, if you already like ballet stories, I think you’d really like The Muse! In it, Darcy is a choreographer and Lizzy is one of his dancers. If you do read it, let me know what you think!

      The JAFF world is a really supportive community that is always grateful for new stories! I was really nervous when I posted The Muse all those years ago, but I only ever encountered generous and supportive readers. I look forward to reading your stories, should that time every come!

    • Kathy on March 16, 2015 at 8:45 pm
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    Hi Jessica, welcome! I have read The Muse (and re-read it just recently), and really enjoyed it, despite my very cursory knowledge of ballet.You created a really interesting universe for Elizabeth and Darcy. Looking forward to more works from you!

    1. Thank you for your kind words, Kathy!

  10. Elinors of the world, unite! I’m right there with you.
    So glad to have you joining us here at Austen Variations. 😀 Welcome!

    1. Thank you, Shannon! Love that there are so many Elinors. I felt a little sheepish writing that, so it feels great to be in such wonderful company! 🙂

    • Jane Odiwe on March 17, 2015 at 5:56 am
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    Welcome, Jessica! It’s lovely to have you join us!

    1. Thanks, Jane! I’m stoked to be a new member of the group.

    • BeckyC on March 17, 2015 at 9:35 am
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    So wonderful to see you here. I have The Muse on my TBR. Love the unique twist.

    1. Thank you, Becky! I hope you like the ballet setting.

  11. Welcome. Look forward to reading The Muse.

    1. Thank you, Patty! Let me know how you like it!

  12. Welcome to Jane Austen Variations, Jessica. It’s great to know you.

    I’m wondering if you have a favourite Jane Austen adaptation. I love most of the adaptations except for a few but I count P&P 1995 BBC mini-series, Emma 2009 BBC mini-series, Northanger Abbey 2007, Persuasion 2007, S&S 1995 and S&S 2008 mini-series as among my favourite adaptations to watch.

    1. Great question! My ultimate favorite is the P&P 1995 mini-series. I do like Emma 2009, as well. In a more controversial stance, I actually also love the 1999 Mansfield Park. I get that it’s not a true MP adaptation, but I love what the director was trying to do. It was both funny and romantic and enjoyable.

    • Sheila L. M. on March 18, 2015 at 3:56 pm
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    Anji first recommended The Muse to me. Read it and posted a review on Amazon. Loved it. Don’t know a lot about ballet but still enjoyed this variation. And I don’t usually like modern adaptations as much as the period ones but am reading more and more at the suggestion of others. Looking forward to more of your works. I first discovered Jane Austen in watching the 1995 movie version of P&P and then reading the book. Colin Firth FOREVER.

    Welcome, nice getting to know more about you.

    1. So glad that you’ve gotten on the modern bandwagon! Thanks for trying out The Muse! I’m so glad you loved it. 🙂

    • Lauren K on March 20, 2015 at 12:48 pm
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    Congrats and welcome Jessica! I stumbled upon JAFF in my 20’s and my life has been better even since lol. Looking forward to reading your book!

    1. Jane Austen does make life better! Thanks for commenting, Lauren. 🙂

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