INTRODUCTION:
Hello, my lovelies! Here is another writing routine vlog/blog I experimented with recently. I chose to try out the life of Jane Austen–though not authentically. Jane Austen is the author of such classics as Pride & Prejudice, Sense & Sensibility and Emma.
I chose the daily life/writing routine of Jane Austen to see how much writing or creativity I could compose, as a woman during Jane Austen’s time–meaning no job to attend to and putting to use life skills that should attract a suitor. (I’m married with kids, by the way, so it’s really “How much writing or other things can I get done on a weekend?”)
On the topic of Jane Austen’s time, I love history and sometimes wish I had become a historian instead of a teacher turned library worker/writer/content creator. This was my opportunity to be a historian and writer, although I will never be the next Dr. Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard, or Ruth Goodman, three of my favorite British historians.
Let’s learn more about Jane Austen.
WHO WAS JANE AUSTEN?
Jane Austen was born in Steventon, Hampshire, England, on December 16, 1775. She was one of eight children, with six brothers and one other sister.
Jane lived a fairly quiet life with her big family, where she was able to gain some formal schooling in her youth and help out the family wherever possible, while honing in her writing ability.
The Austens enjoyed books and theatricals, which could have kickstarted Jane’s love for reading and writing up to her death.
Her family encouraged her to read and write, and her father even bought her a little portable writing desk that she could take with her wherever she went.
Jane never married, although in her letters to her sister, Cassandra, Jane confessed she met a boy whom she thought would marry her. Sadly, he had a big family to consider and had to choose a wealthier wife in order to financially support his family of many siblings.
She did receive a marriage proposal some time later, but Jane didn’t love the man, so she broke off the engagement–which goes to show that Jane wanted to preach what she was teaching her readers–she wanted to find true love and happiness herself.
However, not being tied down to another person gave Jane plenty of time to work on her manuscripts and create books rather than babies. She penned six novels, four of which were published while she was alive, and two after her death. She also has incomplete novels, and they all keep her legacy going.
Jane Austen passed away at the young age of 41, on July 18, 1817.
WHAT WAS JANE AUSTEN’S DAILY LIFE LIKE?
Jane liked to rise early and play the piano. The family would then eat breakfast at 9:00 am, meaning Jane had time to go for walks and write. She would also visit friends and neighbors after breakfast, do some writing and help out the family wherever she could–which sources say she was not good with household chores, so she did a lot of writing instead. Dinner would be anywhere from 3:00-4:00 pm, followed by supper/tea, and downtime for the family before bedtime.
MY EXPERIENCE WITH JANE AUSTEN’S WRITING/DAILY LIFE ROUTINE
Watch the video here:
I tried the routine on a Saturday, which would give me an uninterrupted full day. However, I have two toddlers, so trying to get through tasks that Jane herself would have done took more time and effort than I would have liked.
I ate breakfast an hour later because I had to bake it first. So I made coffee separately, and by the time breakfast was ready my coffee was almost gone.
My plan after breakfast was to walk to the park and let the kids play, but my husband injured his foot that morning–just from walking–so we ended up driving to the park instead.
Afterwards, the kids went down for a nap, so I had this time to do some writing, and I started a beat sheet for a new, upcoming writing project.
If you’d like a beat sheet to start your own story, click here.
I was able to get in 1.5 hours of writing before getting tired. I then decided to make tea, just as my kids decided to rise from their nap. Instead of returning to writing, I started prepping dinner instead.
My husband and kids took this opportunity to go visit the grandparents, which gave me time to continue with some writing and reading. And the family returned just in time for dinner, and then we had down time.
In total, I got roughly 4 hours of writing and reading done (more like 3.5 hours). I would have liked more time because I also wanted to squeeze in some time to sew. This is because Jane Austen pretended to sew when guests or staff walked in on her, and she didn’t want them to know she had been writing. However, I didn’t have time to sew at all.
My overall verdict or take-away from Jane’s writing/daily life routine is that, although it sounds like Jane had a lot of free time to write, she really didn’t. It’s said that Jane spent years writing each of her novels, and this makes sense. She had responsibilities around the house–although not to the degree of caring for children–she had a social life, with friends and parties to attend; and again her writing was done in privacy only, and with people in and out of the house, completing what she started was probably frustrating.
If Jane woke up in the night to write, it’s completely understandable.
Would I do this again? Honestly, if this was my lifestyle, day in and day out, I’d get pretty bored. I don’t think I could wake up and do the same thing every day. I’d have to change it up; maybe actually visit friends or get further out of the house, like Jane did. But that wouldn’t leave me time to write and be creative if I’m losing time from traveling and writing at home only.
What would I do differently next time? I’d like to dress up next time. I couldn’t do it for this experiment because the last regency (cosplay) outfit I bought was while I was pregnant, to dress up for Halloween at work. I don’t currently own one in my non-pregnant size.
I would have liked to change outfits as well, because folks in the regency period changed out for dinner–to look more presentable for their guests, I’m assuming. This would make one feel less icky from the day’s activities and making dinner.
I’d also use a quill and ink, which I don’t currently own, so I used my fountain pen instead.
And If I didn’t have kids in the house–say they were at daycare–I’d be able to complete more. Maybe. I did attempt JK Rowling’s writing routine, and that was less active than Jane Austen’s, and even then I only got through three chapters of revision.
Still, did I enjoy this routine? Yes! Because I had time for my family and myself. The only downside is that I don’t have staff who can cook and clean for me. Jane had her sister, her mother, and they had staff. But still, no complaints.
CONCLUSION:
I tried Jane Austen’s Writing Routine (or daily life routine), and it was quite enjoyable. The young author of such classics as Pride & Prejudice, Sense & Sensibility and Emma had a very busy life. Having experienced her life, I can say it’s hard to find time to be creative and get a lot of writing done. However, this experience allowed me to accomplish other things, such as spending time with my children, doing some reading, and making meals.
If your daily life is more hectic or sporadic, and you’d like to fit in some writing/creativity time, I highly suggest you try Jane Austen’s writing routine.