Amanda Grange Interview

Here is the interview with Amanda Grange, The Author Of Mr Darcy’s Diary - I would Just like to thank Amanda for taking time out of her very busy schedule to answer my questions, it is very much apreciated.

1) Hi Amanda, thank you for taking time out to speak to Enchanted Entertainment. For those who don’t already know, please could you tell us a little about yourself and what you do?

I’m a UK author and I write historical romances. I also write novels which retell Jane Austen’s novels from the heroes’ points of view.

2) What inspired you to write ‘Mr Darcy’s Diary’ and how did you find writing from a male perspective?

Writing Mr Darcy’s Diary was a happy accident. I was reading Pride and Prejudice again (I’ve read it dozens of times) and I started to wonder when it was set, so I drew up a calendar of events. I started to note down Darcy’s thoughts and feelings as well as events, because I was curious to know when he started to fall in love with Lizzy. I then had the idea of writing Mr Darcy’s Diary as a way of exploring Darcy’s character and his love for Elizabeth.

Writing from a male perspective was difficult, but Jane Austen included enough of Darcy’s thoughts and feelings in Pride and Prejudice for me to feel I knew him. I tried to inhabit his character, much as an actor inhabits the characters he or she plays, and then I looked at each scene through his eyes. His attitudes were coloured not only by the fact that he was a man, but also by the fact that he was living in Regency England, and that he was used to being flattered because he was rich and powerful. I enjoyed showing that his outlooks and opinions changed as his diary progressed.

3) How long did the writing process take from start to finish?
It took about a year.

4) You are also the Author of other books in this style of writing such as ‘Titanic Affair’ What is it that appeals to you about writing these interpretations of classic novels?

I think it’s curiosity. I’ve always been intrigued by Darcy, and asked myself questions about him. When did he fall in love with Elizabeth? Why did he insult her when he proposed to her? Did he already love her at that point or not? What happened when he followed Wickham and Lydia to London? Was he nervous when he proposed to Elizabeth for the second time? How did Elizabeth feel when she married Darcy, and found herself the mistress of Pemberley? Writing Mr Darcy’s Diary was a way of answering those questions.

Titanic Affair was rather different as it sprang from a fascination with a real life event, but again I found myself asking questions. What did Titanic look like, inside and out? What amusements were there on board? What was its route? Why wasn’t it full? Why weren’t there enough lifeboats? What exactly happened? How did it sink? How were the survivors rescued? I turned to contemporary newspaper cuttings and eyewitness accounts to answer these questions, and I found the details so interesting that I decided to weave everything I’d learnt into a novel.

5) As a successful published author, what tips would you give to anyone looking to become a writer or get their book published?

Write, write and write. There really is no substitute for getting on with it. Other than that, join a writers’ group so you have someone to encourage you. Then, when you’re ready to send your book off to a publisher, do your homework. Look in the Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook so that you can find a suitable publisher or agent, rather than wasting time sending your book to someone who doesn’t have an interest in your sort of writing.

6) What sort of books do you enjoy reading in your own spare time?

I have very wide reading tastes. My most recent reads are Naomi Novik’s Temeraire series, PJ Tracy’s Dead Run and Mrs Gaskell’s Cranford. Perennial favourites are Jane Austen, the Brontes, J R R Tolkien, P G Wodehouse, Sue Townsend, E F Benson and Georgette Heyer.

7) Are you working on anything new at the moment or planning any new books for the future that you can give us a heads up on?

I’m hoping to finish my series of Jane Austen retellings. Mr Knightley’s Diary is already out and Captain Wentworth’s Diary will be out at the end of June. I’ve just finished Edmund Bertram’s Diary and, once I’ve had a break, I’m looking forward to starting Colonel Brandon’s Diary.

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