The perils and pitfalls of “writing like Austen” (part one)

by Alice McVeigh

I’m always being asked how I can write in Austen’s style. Trouble is, I don’t know how I do it.

Though I suspect it has something to do with having been a professional ghostwriter for 15 years — and learning how to inhabit celeb’s/other writers’ voices — and something to do with being a musician and ‘getting’ the rhythm of it. She’s the most marvellously rhythmic writer. Only Shakespeare can compete!

What I do know is that being able to pull this trick off can be a frigging nuisance when scribbling contemporary fiction.

Now I haven’t written much contemporary fiction lately — my volume of Austen-inspired short stories will be published early in 2024, is why.

But I recently recovered the copyright from Hachette to my two traditionally published novels, inspired by my performing, all over the world, in various London symphony orchestras. (“The orchestra becomes a universe in microcosm — all human life is here.” THE SUNDAY TIMES.) And… well… it seems really sad to let them dwindle out of print, when I can now do new editions with different covers and sell them on my website, right?

While the Music Lasts was relatively easy to edit, and bring up to date, but I’ve been pulling my hair out with its standalone sequel, Ghost Music, the one about the haunted cello. (Though both novels are mostly about the loves, rivalries etc. of London orchestral musicians, there is a supernatural element in Ghost Music.)