Crossing Over

Hi, all! I’m Jennifer Altman and I am thrilled to be joining the team here at Austen Variations!

For those of you who haven’t come into contact with me somewhere in cyberspace, I’m relatively new to the Austenesque universe, having published my debut novel To Conquer Pride this past November.

To tell the truth, sometimes it’s still hard to believe that I’ve crossed that invisible line between “JAFF reader” and “JAFF author.” Six months ago, I was on the outside looking in. Now, somehow, I’m on the inside looking out. It’s surreal to think that I’m suddenly keeping company with so many of the talented authors who introduced me to the genre and whose creative, captivating stories inspired me to write my own.

So… how did all this happen?

I think the best way to describe myself when it comes to both writing and Jane Austen is: late bloomer.

Photo: theenchantedcove

Like many of you, my first introduction to Austen came through the 1995 BBC miniseries Pride and Prejudice. Oddly enough, I can’t remember actually watching that series for the first time… it’s as if it’s always been a part of my DNA. But I do know that it was this movie adaptation that inspired me to begin reading Austen’s works. I have since read all of her completed novels (and seen countless film adaptations of each), but somehow, it still wasn’t enough. I always wanted MORE.

Then, one day about six years ago I was browsing through a bookstore and stumbled across a sequel to Pride and Prejudice.

Photo: Bluestocking Bookshelf

Curious, I opened the cover and started reading… and was immediately hooked. Needless to say, I purchased that book, and then continued to snap up everything I could find that was related to P&P. The day I went to the Kindle store and typed in “Pride and Prejudice variations,” I felt like I’d won the lottery! It wasn’t long before I was devouring Austen-related novels at the rate of a couple of books per week—and I don’t see myself stopping any time soon.

Interestingly enough, my pursuit of publication didn’t start with Jane Austen related fiction, at least not initially.

Unlike many authors, I was never someone who dreamed of becoming a writer – any more than I dreamed of becoming an astronaut or a neurosurgeon or a fashion designer. I had always been a great reader, and I could string a sentence together, but I never thought I had what it took to actually write a novel. However, around the same time I was discovering Austenesque fiction, I was hit with the idea for a children’s book and decided to give writing a go. One year later, I had the draft for a middle-grade novel, and about four years after that, I was in the query trenches submitting it to literary agents. I guess all I’ll say about that experience is that querying is not for the faint of heart, and my writing aspirations might have died then and there if it wasn’t for a lovely author who was mentoring me at the time. After listening to me whine about my rejections, she told me that the best thing I could do was to write something new. “Don’t even think about publication; just write something that makes you happy. Something that’s solely for you.”

And suddenly, I knew exactly what it was I wanted to write. A few years later, To Conquer Pride was born. And while I’m still hoping to go back to writing for children someday, for now I’m having too much fun in Austen’s world, so I think I’ll stay here a while longer if people will have me.

Lightening Round:

• Favorite Jane Austen novel: Pride and Prejudice, with Emma coming in a close second.
  

  Photo: Miramax Films

• Favorite Austen film adaptation: 1995 BBC miniseries Pride and Prejudice.
• Number of years reading JAFF: Six.
• Number of years writing: Nine.
• Number of books written: Three. (In addition to To Conquer Pride, I’ve written one picture book and one middle-grade novel, both unpublished).
• Number of years it took to write my debut: Three. (Yes, I’m slow).
• Currently working on: Another P&P variation.
• Favorite genre to read (besides JAFF): I read pretty widely, but lately I’ve been hooked on historical romance.
• Interests besides reading and writing: Film, food, theater, travel, historic houses, period dramas, and all things British.

Thanks for stopping by to learn a bit about me and my path to publication. I look forward to sharing more about writing, Austenesque fiction, and other random ramblings in future posts. Please feel free to ask questions in the comments. I’d love to hear from you!