Happy Birthday Jane Austen!

It's that time of year again, Jane Austen's birthday!

Jane Austen's storytelling has inspired various stories for years! 

The most recent tribute I've seen for Austen was in the TV show Girl Meets World: 

The Riley and Maya, in all their confusion over what happened in Texas, relate to the story Sense and Sensibility.

 "What is essential to the situation, my dear Maya, is to host a ball. A grand ball, a New Year’s Eve Ball. We shall invite all the eligible gentlemen of good (….) standing in the village." - Riley

This episode was so well written, and it foreshadowed possible events in their lives. 

In my opinion: Riley related to Marianne. Her crush on Lucas mirrors the affection that Marianne

 feels for Willoughby. The simple fact that she was only in love with the idea of him. And what about Farkle you ask? Why was he so hell bent on exposing her secret? 

Farkle relates to Colonel Brandon who is always there for Marianne, but she doesn't see that until Willoughby breaks her heart.  

Now, what about Maya? Maya relates to Elinor, who hides her true feelings for Edward for a long time. It's been obvious that Maya has tried to hide her feelings for Lucas since the beginning of the show. 

I loved the shout out to Jane Austen in this episode, and I thought the parallel was well done. 

Austen's works are timeless. 

Some of my favorite adaptions are of course the BBC Pride and Prejudicce: 

The Lizzie Bennet Diaries: 

And Emma Approved: 

Happy Austen Day Everyone! ^_^

Happy Birthday Jane Austen!

Today Jane Austen is remembered as a classic story teller, and rightfully so! Her stories are still  recognized today, and they have inspired many modern storytellers. Without Pride and Prejudice, we wouldn't have The Lizzie Bennet Diares. And without Emma, there would be no Emma Approved. 

In honor of Jane Austen, these are my favorite stories and characters. 

1. Persuasion: This is my favorite Jane Austen novel. It is a story about hope in spite of regret. Anne's journey from living under the shadow of expectations to discovering what she truly wants has inspired me to do the same. Captain Wentworth himself is charming, and his letter to Anne is the moment I remember most from the story. 

2. Emma: Despite many people not liking this character, I admire Emma's confidence. She does have faults, but she doesn't let her mistakes keep her from moving forward. Her obsession with matchmaking is a reflection of her desire to be useful. Mr Knightley is her confidante, and he is never afraid to point out when Emma is wrong. Mr Knightly is actually my favorite Austen hero. He is awkward and shows his concern for Emma by teasing her, and his lectures are based on his care for Emma. 

3. Pride and Prejudice: Elizabeth Bennet is such an amazing character. She is smart, brave, honest and follows her heart. Her story is entertaining. She won't settle, and she is determined to help her sister find happiness. Her fault is judging others, and once she meets Darcy, a new game comes into play. Both Elizabeth and Darcy view the world by judging others and believing that they are better than them. Their faults are challenged when they meet, because they mirror each other. This is what makes Pride and Prejudice such a charming story. Both Elizabeth and Darcy grow once they learn to look past their judgements and give people a chance. 

4.Northanger Abbey: Catherine is the ultimate daydreamer in Austenland. Her love of gothic novels and excitement causes her to lose sight of reality. I can relate to this. Being lost in a story, and wanting something exciting to happen I often have my head in the clouds. Mr. Tilney is also a silly person, and the siliest of Austen's heroes. His charm and happy go lucky attitude really compliments Catherine's romantization of the real world. The novel is charming because not only is it a satire, but it is also a great lesson not to let your imagination remove you from reality completely. 

Jane Austen's stories are wonderful commentaries on social life, the process of growing up and the ability to listen to your heart. 

Here are my favorite adaptions: 

BBC Pride and Prejudice

The Lizzie Bennet Diaries

Bride and Prejudice

Persuasion (1998)

BBC Emma

Emma Approved

Aisha

Northanger Abbey (2007)

Which of Jane Austen's stories speak to you?

Pride and Prejudice: The Lizzie Bennet Diaries Edition

I came home from work today to a wonderful surprise! For backing up the LBD DVD project, I was given a copy of the Lizzie Bennet Diaries version of Pride and Prejudice with a forward by Hank Green! The inside has black and white photos of various episodes and the cover art is from episode 80! I love it, and I will hopefully get an opportunity to meet the cast and crew and have them sign it for me! This was a great ending to a rough day ^_^

The Future of Script Writing

So many of you know that I have been watching The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, and I'm fascinated with the writing behind the series.
This is no ordinary writing, with direct and immediate interaction with the audience. The characters participate in social media sites, and actual events take place in both the story and real world timeline. I wonder if this type of entertainment is the future of stories to come. I remember people talking about books going in this direction, much like the choose your own adventure titles that are still sold today. But this type of show is very different from a reality show where  people vote, or a staged, planned and solid story that fans can ask questions of the writers or characters, but it is not part of the overall storyarc. In my scriptwriting class, we all turned in a short paragraph answering the same question, "What is the future of script writing?" At the time, many of us answered with more 3 D films and we actually argued about a type of film where the viewers were the characters, and the process would be similar to a role playing video game. But even after that argument, we all agreed that the world has always loved stories about characters. This new form of story, where the characters and audience actually interact, is a new idea that blends the world's love of characters and the viewers' desire to become part of the story.
I might take the challenge to come up with a story of my own in this format.

For more about the Lizzie Bennet Diaries:

http://www.lizziebennet.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/LizzieBennet
http://lizziebennetdiaries.tumblr.com/
http://www.facebook.com/LizzieBennetDiaries

Having a modern day Pride and Prejudice is a great way to engage an audience in a story, and the future of scriptwriting may be projects as fascinating and clever as this one.

RumBelle and Prejudice Part 3: In which Snow receives a letter from Regina

Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon A Time or Pride and Prejudice, I just found the characters to be fitting.

       The next morning found the French family in the dinning room. Snow, Aurora and Ashley were doing chores while Mr. and Mrs. French sat at the table to breakfast.
       " . . . and I really thought that Prince Charming would propose to Snow right there." Mrs. French exclaimed while Mr. French looked up from his book. Snow was mortified.
      "Mother . . ." Snow said while dusting.
      "Even you know that love doesn't work that fast dear." Mr. French said with a laugh.
      Belle walked in and poured a cup of tea.
      "As long as Prince Charming doesn't invite Mr. Gold very often, I think you will be happy together." Belle said with a smile.
     "Oh, Belle. Not you too!" Snow shook her head and moved around the dining table to dust the mantle.
Emma yawned as she found a chair and sat down.
     "I hate balls." she said while spreading butter on toast. "Make sure your husband doesn't throw any."
    Snow glared at them and left the room.
    Belle sighed and put down her tea cup. She followed Snow to the garden.
    "We're only teasing." Belle told her.
    " I know." Snow said with a sigh, "but you know I don't believe in love at first sight."
    "But you like him." Belle said.
    Snow didn't say anything.
    "You danced with him more than anyone." Belle said
    "Well, he did ask me." Snow said with a small smile.
     "It's okay to like him Snow." Belle grinned, "And I think you do."
     "He seems nice." Snow said, "But I do wish everyone would stop teasing me."
    "They mean well." Belle said.
     They were interrupted by a postman with a letter in his hand.
    "Post for Snow French." he said as he handed them the letter.
     Snow took the note and thanked him with a cursty.
     "It's from Regina." Snow said as she read the address.
      Belle smiled and watched Snow rush to the dining room. With an opportunity to return to her book, Belle found a bench and curled up with her book. It wasn't long before an uproar started and she heard her name called in earnest.
     "Belle. Talk to your sister." Mrs. French screeched.
     "What's wrong?" Belle asked.
     "I'm to go on horseback." Snow said.
     "Why? What's wrong with the carriage?"
     "Belle, don't you want your sister to succeed? It's going to rain. If Snow takes the horse, she'll have to stay the night."
     "Mother!" Snow shook her head.
     After an hour, Belle watched Snow take the horse and ride towards the gallery. While her mother smiled slyly, Belle watched the cloudy sky and worried about Snow. 
    

Happy Birthday Pride and Prejudice!

It's amazing that Pride and Prejudice as been universally acknowledged and appreciated for two hundred years! With its realistic characters and layered plot line, this book has been read and enacted over and over again.  It's one of my favorite classics and Elizabeth Bennet has to be one of the most clever and unique heroines in literature. From the adapted screenplay to the popular youtube series, this story is timeless.

Book earrings!

I made these earrings today from charms at Hobby Lobby :)
They also came with Romeo and Juliet charms which I might sell as a set on etsy.
If you can't find the charms in store, you can order them online as part of the fairytale line.