How to Write Like Austen? (Maybe)

by Linore Rose Burkard

          Looking through some old newsletters from JASNA (The Jane Austen Society of North America), I came across something fun: An interesting link shared by author Carrie Bebris, a fellow regency novelist. She says she keeps her writing style in the vein of Austen's by using http://www.writelikeausten.com. 

If you type in a word, it will tell you if it appears in any of Austen's works--and how many times, too. It will also give you synonyms that Jane used--and point out a few she did NOT. There's more on the site that any respectable Janeite will enjoy, so I encourage you to take a look. But can it really help you write like Austen?

 
Just for fun, I entered a few words I used in my first regency, BEFORE THE SEASON ENDS.

"Prinny"--a caricature, by Gillray

I discovered that Jane never referred to the Prince Regent as "Prinny." (Though Mr. Mornay, the hero of BTSE, as well as the prince's inner circle of fashionable friends, did. Probably not to his face.)  


Neither did Jane once refer to the elite fashionable district of London (that regency writers today are so fond of), "Mayfair," by name. 


Interestingly, she used the word "Fortune" (ie., one's wealth) 222 times. (Hmmm.)
"Money-- 127
"Rich"--78
"Estate"--77 times.
"Marriage"--246
"Church"--53
"property"--55
"Jointure"--only 3 times (A jointure usually referred to a widow's income, sort of an annuity.)
"Wealth"--33 times.
 "Pounds"--95
"Wedding"--333

Going over that above list is like reviewing many of Austen's themes in brief, although her true themes cannot be reduced to single words. 

 For fun, I entered a few more words we all associate with Jane Austen, such as,

"Pride"--138 times
"Prejudice"--35
"Sense"--238--quite a lot 
"Sensibility"--69
"Gentlemanlike"--24 
"prodigiously"--5 (only! huh. And "prodigious"--only 9 times.)

Out of curiosity, I also tried the site's "Austen Writer," in which you can insert a paragraph of text and see how it compares to, in their words, "Austenicity." (Love that word! Austenicity.) 
So here's how the opening paragraph of my novel, above, made out.
I entered the following:

Something would have to be done about Ariana.

All winter Miss Ariana Forsythe, aged nineteen, had been going about the house sighing.  "Mr. Hathaway is my lot in life!"  She spoke as if the prospect of that life was a great burden to bear, but one to which she had properly reconciled herself. When her declarations met with exasperation or reproach from her family--for no one else was convinced that Mr. Hathaway, the rector, was her lot--she usually responded in a perplexed manner. Hadn't they understood that her calling was to wed a man of the cloth? Was there another man of God, other than their rector, available to her? No. It only stood to reason, therefore, that Mr. Hathaway was her lot in life.Their cold reception to the thought of the marriage was unfathomable.

How did it do? Except for the proper nouns, ONLY the following words from this excerpt were never used by Austen

exasperation, responded, hadn't, wed, available. 

I could take that to mean the writing has significant "Austenicity," right? But wait, maybe not. 

To compare, I took a paragraph from my contemporary novel, FALLING IN, and entered it into the site. 

Here's what I entered:

      ...Pat felt in his pocket, and that's when he pulled out a small felt-covered box, the kind that held rings. He was grinning.

        Oh, my gosh! He's going to propose! Sharona was shocked. Not happily shocked. It was an unwelcome idea, that of getting married. They'd only been dating for five months!  Sharona's heart constricted. Pat was cupping the box reverently in one hand, waiting for her to take it. She reached for it woodenly, her mind a jumble of thoughts.  It was true Pat had given warnings, saying things like, "Junior partners don't become senior partners in my firm without a wife; preferably a couple kids, too." Pat's superiors were mostly old-school, white-haired men, and they liked things traditional. But Pat had always followed such statements with a laugh, so Sharona never took his words as a hint of something coming. She hadn't dreamed he'd been serious.

In this case, the app again flagged personal pronouns, but also every single compound word and contraction; as well as "constricted," "cupping," "reverently," "woodenly," "preferably," and "dreamed." Jane Austen did not, apparently, use many adverbs or modifiers. (Perhaps we can learn something here!) Most words, however, were not flagged.  

This tells me two things:
1. You cannot use this little tool to write like Austen, although it will tell you if a word was never used by her.
2.  Jane used quite a few words in her writing that we still use today. And that's it! 

Still, it was a fun exercise. 
If I could find an app to do the same for writing like Dickens, now, wouldn't that be fun?

Do you read Jane Austen? Or regencies? What is a favorite word of yours from the period?




Linore Rose Burkard  is best known for her Inspirational Regency Romance Series, which whisks readers back in time to early 19th century England. Authenticity and heart-warming adventure are par for the course in her books. Fans of romance in the tradition of Austen and Heyer (such as Pride & Prejudice, Cotillion, and even My Fair Lady), enjoy meeting Linore's feisty heroines and dashing heros.
   
All excerpts above, copyright 2015 Linore Rose Burkard 

  

 

Dress Like Jane Austen--Part 3--And Giveaway!

We've looked at women's and men's costume in the past two months, and now we get to zero in on a few details of the gowns. This is just a brief spotlight. For those interested, I'll leave a couple of links at the bottom of the post to books that give more in-depth details and study of Regency costume.

So, back to the JASNA Gala Ball, the source of my photos for the past three months' posts.
 I couldn't help noticing the lovely workmanship that went into the upper portion, or bodice, of a woman's gown, even the back. The Empire style (which reigned throughout the regency) certainly is a huge part of the appeal, but the fabric and craftsmanship really made the difference between a standard dress and an exquisite one, a difference which could be seen even from a rear view.

Even the back of the bodice is lovely and elegant.

A beautiful example of how lovely the bodice can be; again, even from the rear.

This is a "Wow"

Sweet and simple, though the waistline is rather low.

Doesn't appear to be an Empire waist, but sweet colors. 

If the date hadn't been given ("1815-1817"), I would not have been able to correctly date this gown--it does not have an Empire waist.   I'm not an expert, but in my opinion this is just wrong! Otherwise, the style and material are certainly fetching. 

The bonnet (an elaborate cap) that matches the above dress. In the rear: A redingote, which in this case, is like a caped pelisse. (The term 'redingote,' is actually the result of "reborrowing," in which one word or phrase--ie., riding coat, was used by the French as redingote, and then taken back in French form into English, though no longer used only to describe an actual riding coat!)  

On the right (in rear) a late Georgian style riding habit.

Forefront left: Regency; Others, Georgian.

Since the JASNA event was in October, there were a few whimsical pumpkins present (contest entries). I thought Cinderella's Coach was well done. 

Happy Harvest!

Don't forget to check out the additional photos of Regency costume on my website, here.

And here's a few links for further study: 

English Women's Clothing in the Nineteenth Century
(Do not buy the Kindle edition if your aim is to really study costume. You just can't see a full page the way you need to, and a book full of illustrations is more fun, period, in print format. Be prepared though; this is a huge book, with 459 pages. )

The History of Underclothes (Dover Fashion and Costume)

The Cut of Men's Clothes: 1600-1900 (Unlike the first two, I don't own this one, but the reviews are good.)

Empire Fashions  (I own, and love, this book.)

The above is enough to get any student of costume excited and enthralled. What about you? Do you enjoy studying period dress? Do you have a favorite go-to reference or illustrated book?

Leave a comment and a contact email and you'll be entered in a drawing to win a copy of my book*, THE COUNTRY HOUSE COURTSHIP.

(*Winner will be chosen at random using random.org)

Dress Like Jane Austen! Part II And GIVEAWAY

by Linore Rose Burkard

In last month's post I shared pictures of Janeites, that is, Jane Austen devotees, dressed up in their Regency-era finest. I took the photos at a JASNA conference in Portland, OR, and shared those of women only. This month, as promised, I move on to pictures of men and couples. We'll see that women aren't the only ones who enjoy dressing up in the style of Jane's era. We'll also see that, in some cases, they are equally challenged in getting it right! But hey, it's all about fun. Authenticity to the period is appreciated by those of us who CAN appreciate it, but it isn't everything.  [JASNA, by the way, is the Jane Austen Society of North America.]

Don't forget to enter the drawing at the bottom of the page. In addition to possibly winning one of my books there are lots of other great prizes. 
 

 Click on a photo to see it enlarged.

There was a promenade before the dancing began. This was a great opportunity for me to get lots of shots, and people were more than happy to have their laboriously designed costumes captured for posterity!  This gentleman is smartly dressed for the occasion, with a fine pair of wintry breeches.   

The military were always present in any large assembly, as Britain was at war. The trousers are absolutely modern

.

   

Dignity itself on the left. (Bonnet on right: Bad, bad, bad!) 

I could see him conducting music. (Music conductors were not yet de rigeur during the Regency, however.)

"Mr. Darcy" Pillow.   Like Mr. Mornay (in, Before the Season Ends) Darcy is a model of male sartorial elegance.

Above: A jolly Georgian male ensemble.

A noble attempt. 

Masqued fun with a modern suit. Love the second couple approaching!

A well-heeled couple. 

A grand military outfit, including a bicorne hat. 

Lovely.

Comfort in costume!

What? What? The Phantom, at our ball? Why not. (So nicely done.)

And now, two examples of  well-dressed Regency gentlemen.  Lord Grantham, below, undoubtedly inspired many a female swoon. :)

Lord Grantham. He wears the popular Hessian boots, inspired by Russian military.

Can it get any better than the famous Beau Brummel? The man who popularized the wearing of pantaloons? They say his toilet took up to four hours before he was satisfied enough to leave his home and face the world. Nevertheless, he is not my idea of Regency manly perfection in dress.

For more costume fun, check out my "Illustrations of the Month" on my website. I have pictures that are just as rich and atmospheric as the above but which didn't make it into either of my posts here on the blog.
Go to this page and scroll down. Enjoy!

Next Month: Pictures of the dance in progress.  Also look for special emphasis on the exquisite care and workmanship given to the back of a ladies' gown, by the way, as I'll be featuring some close up shots of fabulous examples. 

What do you think? Aren't costume balls fun? (And, will they ever welcome me to another one now that I've taken to being the fashion police?) Leave a comment, below, and share your thoughts. And don't forget to enter the giveaway! The winner of my book gets to choose any of my regencies for themselves.

Before the Season Ends: A young woman of faith must navigate the treacherous waters of a London Regency season while fending off the efforts of her wealthy aunt to marry her off to the richest suitor.  

The House in Grosvenor Square: The continuing adventures of Ariana Forsythe in London as she comes up against evil intentions and those who want revenge--not necessarily on her, but through her. (To say more would be a spoiler!) 

The Country House Courtship: Follow Ariana and her new husband to their country estate in Middlesex, where younger sister Beatrice learns to grow up, finding her own perfect husband in the process.  








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Dress Like Jane Austen--Part One

A few years ago I had the pleasure of attending a JASNA annual conference in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. (JASNA is the Jane Austen Society of North America.) At every conference, they end the weekend with a Regency Ball. Members consider this the highlight of the event and proudly show off their regency costumes for dinner and dancing. (A true regency ball would not include a full dinner, but that's beside the point.) What is the point? That we get to dress and dance like Jane Austen, of course!

My own gown, alas, was not ready. (My bonnet and reticule were, and one day I will post a picture of them. I often take them with me for book signings.)

I took scads of pictures. Last month, if you recall, I promised to post some. It was hard to choose, but the following are among my favorites. Many of the ensembles are handmade by their wearers. I noticed that some seamstresses are more concerned with authenticity than others, so I'm posting those I consider truer to the period. In Part Two of this post (next month) I'll show pictures of men, couples, and snapshots of the ball in progress.

So here we go. I get to play fashion police and I hope you enjoy this Regency costume parade--in which we

DRESS LIKE JANE AUSTEN!

Lovely spencer!

Love this one. I believe she is holding a lorgnette--the female equivalent to a quizzing glass.

Restraint and enthusiasm, side by side. (Are those really green net gloves? Why, I must ask, are they green? Why must I ask? Because I'm a stickler!)

Some could not resist making it a "Masqued Ball"

Woman on the left: Tastefully done! She looks perky and pretty and born to wear this style. On the right: A turbaned headband to die for. Love how the underdress matches the bodice.

A whimsical-looking fashionista.

The Three Graces?

 The puff sleeves are a bit too large, the waist rather low--but the colors and overall effect are lovely. Trains were not common, but not out of place, either.

Sweet!

Love that turbaned headband.

On the right, her hairstyle is apropos! Bravo. It really adds so much to the overall effect.

Another hairstyle-inclusive ensemble, in the simple and popular regency white. The demure smile would be fitting for a lady accepting  the offer of a dance from a gentleman!

A handsomely dressed woman.

The bonnet is rather wide for the period, but there's something sweet about this lady and her gown that I found charming.

Another dubious bonnet, but full points for trying when the outfit matches so well!

Similar to the above, but with a period correct bonnet.

On the right: A picture of good taste. A sweet attitude, coupled with an unpretentious gown that is fitted properly and hits the right note. A regency miss, for sure!

Hair divine, with an early regency style and perfect pose!

 And now for a personal note: Because this was my first trip to the Northwest, I took advantage of the opportunity to meet my editor at Harvest House Publishers--the wonderful Nick Harrison. Here we are in his office in Eugene, Oregon.

(My middle daughter saw this and said, "Wow, Mom, you've lost a lot of weight since then!" [30 pounds, but who's bragging?] I smiled. My youngest daughter came by and said, "Why are you putting that up? You look....(silence)." I said, "C'mon, I'm smiling, at least!" She said, "Yeah, but your head's on the wrong body." I'm choosing to take that as a compliment.)

  To continue: I was also able to meet my then new agent, Chip MacGregor. He was kind enough to show me and my husband around Portland a little.

Chip MacGregor, the cute. (With me, I promise, on the right. I didn't need my daughter to tell me to get out of this one!)

     Finally, fellow author Miralee Ferrell, a resident of southern Washington State, kindly welcomed me and my husband for a night in her beautiful Northwest home. The Ferrells took us up (far, far up!) to see Mount Hood, the location of Overlook Hotel, the infamous exterior of which was used in the film, "The Shining." (It was a neat old place but never gives the feeling of being as large as it comes across in that film.)

Here I am with Miralee, standing in front of a tiled mural on a wall of the hotel. Thanks again, Miralee!

Are you a member of JASNA? Have you attended a regency ball? 
This year's conference is in Quebec, Canada, in October. See this link for more information or to get tickets.
And be sure to tune in next month to see more regency costume photos!



Linore Rose Burkard is best known for her inspirational regency novels with Harvest House Publishers, including Before the Season Ends, the award-winning The House in Grosvenor Square, and, The Country House Courtship.

Linore teaches workshops for writers with Greater Harvest Workshops in Ohio, is a homeschooling mother of five, and is currently putting the finishing touches on a YA novel. Keep up with Linore by subscribing to her free newsletter.