Interview with Lucy Marin

Happy New Year!

Also, my best wishes to you all for peace and dignity on this day celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

For me, 2023 is already off to a lovely start. Case in point? I have the great privilege of sharing this interview with our own Lucy Marin  as my first post of the year!

I ended 2022 by reading The Marriage Bargain – a compelling novel that explores how class and money might impact our dear couple. Soon I hope to read Lucy’s newest novel, The Truth About Family, which she released just last week. I’m particularly excited about this book; no doubt Lucy will bring a fresh approach to the “Elizabeth isn’t quite a Bennet” and the “friends to lover” tropes. 

To understand more about Lucy’s process as a writer, I asked her a series of questions on Google docs. (I’m sure there are many newfangled ways to complete written interviews, but my younger self is like, “Whoa, Google docs! So futuristic!”) Together, we had a fun back-and-forth discussion about everything from respectability to cats – and of course we “talked” a great deal about ODC!

What you’ll read below is an edited version of the interview, which I’ve organized by theme: Elizabeth and Darcy; Lucy’s writing process; fun personal trivia; and more about her upcoming novel, The Truth about Family. 

If you take nothing else away from this post, I hope you’ll be reminded of what a lovely writer and person Lucy Marin is. Enjoy!

Elizabeth and Darcy

Christina: As both an author and a reader, I’ve always been curious: how much can we change Elizabeth and Darcy without making them unrecognizable? Are there any inviolable characteristics – traits that, if removed or altered, would make you think, “This isn’t Elizabeth!” or “This isn’t Darcy!”

Lucy: I think there are some obvious boundaries. No one likes an Elizabeth who is too perfect; Darcy wouldn’t cheat on Elizabeth (or her on him); they have to see the other as their one true love. Violence of any sort would definitely be crossing a boundary (unless Darcy was protecting someone, e.g., he gave Wickham a kick or two to keep him from dragging Georgiana into a carriage). Violence against women or children (or non-human animals) would be a solid boundary. 

Beyond this, I would say an Elizabeth who was scheming, silly, or not particularly intelligent would be a stretch. She doesn’t have to be a genius, but her quick wit is an important part of her character. It is what allows her to cope with people like Miss Bingley without coming across as snarky and juvenile.

I also think the idea of Elizabeth not being formed for unhappiness is important. She can certainly be unhappy (I had her experience a period of depression in Being Mrs Darcy, for example), but there is a certain optimism in her character I think we all appreciate. If she did not have it, I would wonder if it was Elizabeth Bennet at all. 

Darcy always has to have a touch of arrogance. Taking his core of confidence and strength away from him would be too much. I tried to keep that in him in The Marriage Bargain, despite his radically changed circumstances.

Christina: Do you think Darcy’s sense of superiority is almost like a coping mechanism in The Marriage Bargain? In P&P, Charlotte notes that Darcy actually has a reason to be proud, and while this doesn’t excuse his arrogance, it does help explain it. He’s proud of his father for being a good man; Pemberley is in great shape; and yes, he’s got a lot of money! So naturally he thinks (until Elizabeth sets him straight) that he’s better than others. But in The Marriage Bargain, Darcy only has his family name to prop him up; everything else is missing. It’s almost as if needs that status so that he doesn’t feel completely beaten by circumstances. 

Lucy: Oh, I absolutely think it is a coping mechanism. He has a sense of who he was supposed to be—wealthy, privileged, someone to be envied, etc.—and instead he feels inadequate—as a son (to both parents), as a brother (because he had to spend so much time away from Georgiana and could not better support her), and his aunt and uncle are downright abusive. Darcy also feels like he ran away by taking a job that sends him abroad. 

Darcy is also a man of his times; he really does believe he should be the one taking care of his wife and family. Instead, he has to rely on Elizabeth and Mr Gardiner’s money, and it just makes him feel even worse about himself.  Life has been hard for him, but he is still a strong person, and he is willing to work for Elizabeth’s forgiveness.

Christina: I love how you define strength as the ability to take stock of oneself and seek forgiveness if necessary. I must admit that I enjoy humbling Darcy,  or at least throwing him off balance; then again, I enjoy doing the same to Elizabeth! Do you think both characters have to undergo this self-reflection period to be true to Austen, or do you think Darcy is the one who absolutely must, whereas Elizabeth’s arc has more flexibility? 

Lucy: I think a well-balanced story has both of them reflecting and growing. To me, that is what makes Elizabeth and Darcy so admirable and their love story so timeless. They both strive to be better people—as we should all do throughout our lives, in my opinion (though what that looks like for each of us is different). 

Elizabeth and Darcy are flawed, as are we all, and certainly make mistakes, but they are never cruel or spiteful or unfeeling.

Christina: This is such a great point. For some reason, I find myself thinking about the way Jane Austen uses the word  “respectable” in her novels. Cold, selfish, and unfeeling characters can still be “respectable” (think John Dashwood, whom Austen first describes as a “steady, respectable young man” or Lady Catherine, also described as “respectable” by Charlotte). 

What do you think makes Darcy more than respectable? Why is he willing to reflect, learn, grow, and apologize when he realizes his errors? Is it purely his love for Elizabeth? Is there something else in him – in his past, in his other relationships, in his character – that makes him receptive to the lesson that Elizabeth helps him learn?  

Lucy:  Darcy is more than respectable because I think fundamentally he is good. Until he and Elizabeth meet at Pemberley we don’t see this part of him, but I’m sure it was always there e.g., the way he cared for his sister, was a good master—the things Mrs Reynolds says about him, including that he was just as good as a boy. Yes, she could be exaggerating, but I cannot believe Jane Austen put that in only for us to dismiss it as a servant saying nice things about her boss because it was in her best interests. What does she gain by telling strangers how admirable her employer is? 

So, Darcy is fundamentally a good person. If he was not at his core a truly honourable gentleman (also intelligent enough to stop and think about what Elizabeth said), I don’t think he would have changed. Someone like a John Dashwood might also be a reasonable master, give to the poor, etc.—the really visible parts of being good—but the true test comes when you realise you have been wrong. John Dashwood would dismiss the notion, deny, or maybe just shrug and get on with life. Darcy looked inward, realised that, although he undertook his duties as he should (the outward signs of goodness), there were aspects to his character that needed improvement. His love for Elizabeth likely helped, too, by encouraging him to take her words seriously.

Lucy’s Writing Process

Christina: You’ve now published seven books since 2020. Wow! (No pandemic slump for you, girl!) Has your writing process changed since you started? 

Lucy: One big way my writing has changed is based on writing to publish rather than writing to post online. My first three books were all from stories I posted online years ago. There are no issues with word count, and I took full advantage of that. For example, Being Mrs Darcy was about 500,000 words when I posted it online. I edited it down to 150,000, which is still quite long for a novel in this genre. It was quite a task! 

Christina: Congratulations! Trimming a novel is no easy feat. I should know…except I don’t know because I keep writing longer and longer books! (And I write so slowly!) Any tips? 

Lucy:  I’m not sure if I have any tips, unfortunately. I always write with an outline, which helps to keep me on track. I’ve become a bit brutal when editing, too, and even when I like a scene, I’m willing to cut it if it doesn’t really need to be there. I can sometimes preserve a phrase or two and either reuse them elsewhere or save them for another story. 🙂 

One big difference is that I’m trying to keep the cast of characters narrower, which means fewer points of view, fewer people who need to be doing something, and that also helps to keep the word count reasonable. I’ve focused on two person POV writing (Elizabeth and Darcy), which I also think helps me to keep to a more reasonable length. However, in the new book I’m working on, I introduce a third. And there is a novella that will also have a third. In both cases, it is essential to the story. The story I’m going to write after that will be just Elizabeth & Darcy POV, though. (In case you are tempted to ask, I have plans for the next 4-5 stories. Any time an idea strikes, I write it down, and I can often coax them into something worth follow up on.)

Since I’m writing to publish, I’m much more focused. I find it a lot easier to write Regency books now because I’ve become more familiar with the era through reading and writing. I’m very fortunate in that I have a number of ideas, too, and I tend to work efficiently because I have a process that works well for me. 

Christina: That’s so admirable. Do you find writing to be an escape – or is it ever a struggle for you? 

Lucy: Writing is largely an escape for me. As much as I enjoy teaching, the material can be heavy, and writing draws on other parts of my brain and lets me escape from work.

Fun Personal Trivia

Christina: Okay, here are a couple of cool facts I learned about Lucy during our interview:

• Favorite Austen novel (other than P&P): Persuasion because “Captain Wentworth’s letter is a masterpiece in romance, in my humble opinion.” 
• Cats or Dogs? “I have two sweet furry girls. This is such a coincidence-funny question for you to ask, because cats and dogs play a larger part in The Truth About Family than they have in my other stories. I can see Elizabeth and Darcy being both cat and dog people, but in my new book, Elizabeth favours cats, and Darcy favours dogs. Actually, Elizabeth just loves animals.” 
• Necessities while writing: “Tea and/or water, and ideally one of (or both) my cats.”
• I also learned that Lucy is super organized when she writes! “I have a Jane Austen themed notebook in which I keep various notes, such as the P&P timeline, musicians and games common at the time. I also have printouts of the 1811 and 1812 calendars, and my reference books, including an annotated P&P, are all kept on one bookcase so I can easily find them when needed. I also keep my phone close at hand so that I can access the Etymonline app (so, so useful), and I have a tab on my browser open just to look for synonyms.”

The Truth About Family (Lucy’s newly released novel!)

Book Description (from Amazon): BANISHED FROM LONGBOURN at a young age, Elizabeth Bennet is raised among the Fitzwilliams at the Romsley estate, growing up alongside Fitzwilliam Darcy and his cousins. Entering adulthood, Elizabeth soon finds herself in possession of a secret love for him that even she knows is futile, and she must settle for his friendship.

SEEING THAT ELIZABETH BENNET has become a pretty young woman, Darcy’s mother, Lady Anne, and her sister are desperate to separate her from Darcy. Elizabeth returns to Longbourn for the first time in fifteen years where her hopes of finding a loving family are quickly dashed. She is relieved and embarrassed when Darcy and his cousins join her in Hertfordshire, though she is determined to set aside her tender feelings for him.

DARCY IS FRANTIC WITH WORRY about Elizabeth while they are apart. No one is more shocked than he is when he realises the true depth of his feelings for her. He sets off to convince her to love him and accept a life as his wife. Will his mother’s hostility prove too great an obstacle?

Christina: I love the premise, and I’m aching for Elizabeth already. I get a little of a Fanny Price vibe – without the cousin-love. 🙂 Oh, and that cover! Beautiful. What inspired you to write about an Elizabeth who grew up with the Fitzwilliams and Darcys? 

Lucy: There is a Fanny Price vibe! But—let me be very clear about this—The Truth About Family is not a Mansfield Park book. The Fanny part comes from a shared experience with Elizabeth in TTAF. Both of them were sent away from home to live with people far above their birth families in wealth and consequence. Fanny has to deal with Mrs Norris, and Elizabeth has Lady Catherine and Lady Anne. 

Christina: Oh, dear! I imagine that Elizabeth is more of a match for the two “Ladies” than Fanny was for Mrs. Norris!

Lucy: She sure is! You can knock Elizabeth down (figuratively), but she’ll get up again and return to the fight. 

The root of the story is really in the trope of Elizabeth not being a Bennet. I wanted to take it and do something a little different. Elizabeth *is* a Bennet, but she did not grow up with them. Instead, she grew up amongst the Fitzwilliams and Darcys. (I suppose I have to mention those unpleasant de Bourgh women too.) The question then becomes, how has Elizabeth changed because of this (and because of her mother’s rejection)? What does it do to her relationship with Darcy? And what happens when she returns to Longbourn? 

Christina: So intriguing! I’m especially curious about what caused Mrs. Bennet to reject her! 

Lucy cleverly evades my implied question…  🙂

Lucy: When I’m thinking of plots, one point I try to keep in mind is that, as readers of Pride & Prejudice-based JAFF, we like to see Darcy and Elizabeth interacting. So I ask myself, how can I reasonably, given the Regency era, throw them together a lot? Having Elizabeth grow up at the Romsley estate was one way to do it. 

Christina: I’ve already got my copy on Kindle, eagerly waiting for me! Okay, one last question. I never tire discussing the most ridiculous characters in P&P; besides, they are always clamoring to have the last word. So here we go: If Mr. Collins, Lady Catherine, Caroline Bingley, and Lydia Bennet were stuck on an island – think Survivor or Lord of the Flies or Lost – who would be the last person standing? 

Lucy: It’s a toss up between Lady Catherine and Lydia Bennet, but I’d give the edge to Lady Catherine. She would bully everyone into doing what she wanted and refuse to give ground. Her greater maturity is what I think would have her succeed over Lydia, who I could see simply getting bored with it all and therefore making a silly mistake (what, Lydia? Haha) and losing. She lacks experience and discipline, but if she had them, I think she could rival Lady Catherine. This supposes that Lydia is, beneath the silliness we see, actually quite intelligent. That is how I tried to depict her in Her Sisterly Love. I can’t recall where that notion came from, but I’ve started to view Lydia as the kid who acts out a lot because they are bored and were never taught the tools to cope with needing more intellectual stimulation than they were receiving. 

As for Mr Collins, he wouldn’t know what to do unless someone told him, and Caroline Bingley would be too busy complaining and thinking meanly of everyone else to actually do anything to help herself. 

Christina: Hah! I love your answer. Lady Catherine for the win! Thanks so much for taking the time to provide these thoughtful answers, Lucy!

Well, readers…what a treat, right? Share some of your thoughts on Lucy’s answers…or answer some of these questions for yourself in the comments!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this interview, and congratulations to Lucy for her newest release, The Truth About Family!