Interview with DownAGravelRoad
So Hannah, it’s brilliant to have you as part of this series as your fic A Tale as Old As Time has basically been lauded by everyone I’ve interviewed! I think we can give you the crown in this fandom!
DAGR
This series has been absolutely brilliant, and I’m delighted to be a part of it! And you are so sweet to say - but as to any crowns in this fandom, I think we all wear one! It’s just too good to choose between so many fics.
LH
I’m really excited to hear about your writing journey, and your love for this show. So tell us how your love of Sanditon began?
DAGR
My love of Jane Austen and her works began in an eighth-grade English class where I stumbled upon a copy of Pride and Prejudice my teacher had tucked away in her library. I can still remember the smell of the pages, the quiet of the room as others read beside me, and I will forever be grateful for it. She leant me her copy the very next day and it’s been a lifelong affair every since, which I share with my mother.
LH
Oh that’s gorgeous. What a difference a teacher can make! And lovely to share it with your mum.
DAGR
I still keep in contact with that teacher. She was one of those special people who influenced my life for the better and - in many ways - why I became a teacher, too.
And my mother is my best friend. The absolute shenanigans we get into. But it was she who introduced me to Sanditon when it first aired.
I was building a home at the time and living in my parent’s spare room throughout the construction when she popped her head in to say, “There’s a series based on Austen’s unfinished novel, Sanditon, tonight. Grab the popcorn and let’s go!”
Needless to say, I hopped up from the blueprints and bank statements scattered about the floor to firmly attach myself to the couch with snacks in hand.
LH
I want to take a diversion and ask about home building but we should stay on task!!
DAGR
Ha! Three words on home building: Thoughts and prayers! A lovely experience that I wouldn’t trade for the world and hope to never do again.
LH
Ok staying on task, what did you make of the show?
DAGR
We were definitely surprised by the darker tones of the series - although, hindsight is 20/20 in creativity - and instantly fell in love with every female lead; rooting for Charlotte and Georgiana throughout the next eight weeks and being floored by its cancellation.
I had no idea there was a campaign to save it until a chance encounter on Instagram directed me to the Sanditon Sisterhood on Twitter (at the time) and its renewal.
LH
DAGR
As Alison would say: Yes! 100,000 times yes! To think Charlotte might have been left on that cliffside were it not for the Sanditon Sisterhood!
Ladies (& Gents), my deepest appreciation.
LH
So you mention that you love Charlotte, and the other female protagonists. Of all the people I’ve interviewed the only one to say she doesn’t write Heybourne specifically, but writes Charlotte, is Janice. The rest all definitely write Heybourne. So what would you say?
DAGR
I adore Charlotte Heywood and felt a strong connection to her own desire to learn and experience new things. As a country girl, myself, I also appreciated her hope to retain those strong ties to the land she comes from. So - in S1, at least - I was very much in it for Charlotte (& Georgiana, Esther, Mary, etc.) as I respected her choice of Sidney, but didn’t take to it quite so eagerly.
In all honesty, the scene were he screams at her was such a low point to me. Pardon my offence, but I wanted to box his ears and gently lead her from the room.
Just no. Absolutely not.
I write Heybourne because I think it is the type of love we all want in some way. Someone who understands you - sees you and wants the best for you even when there is no other possibility but pain for themselves. That’s a love that doesn’t go by feeling alone but action. It is quiet equality and a love I greatly respect.
LH
I think that’s a great way to put it, and definitely something you convey in your writing.
DAGR
Thank you so much!
LH
What is the easiest part of writing for you? The hardest?
DAGR
Oh, definitely handing a rough draft off to my phenomenal beta reader @peasemealBrose so she can work her magic on whatever hot mess I’ve managed to give her. I think I always attach a small HELP ME to every shared Google Doc along with several exclamation points. That and running like mad to the all-knowing Austen wonder woman that is @Felicia1866 for historical accuracy.
They are dear friends and absolute rockstars!!!
LH
Big shout out to all the betas out there! I’m thinking of doing a group interview with everyone who does that essential job for writers…
DAGR
Oh, please do! Those wonder men and women behind the scenes who not only sharpen your writing but bolster you when self-doubt rears its ugly head? A hardy thank you is not enough, but an excellent place to start.
LH
How did you connect with PB and Felicia, was it through social media?
DAGR
It was! peasemealBrose actually messaged me about a fic I was writing at the time to pay me a very sweet compliment. We immediately took up like a pot and kettle and became fast friends. The beta reading was a natural progression. I met Felicia in much the same way - when I say she knows all about Austen, the woman is a guru and one of the kindest people you will ever meet. Sanditon brought many a very lovely person into my life!
LH
That’s totally been my experience too.
And so what’s the hardest part of writing for you?
DAGR
The hardest is actually second-guessing everything I put to print - the going back and forth on a single line can be exhausting - as well as working up the nerve to actually post something. Sanditon was the first fan base I have ever endeavoured to write for - and that alone says volumes about my own social anxiety. But it also speaks to the kindness and general support of this fandom as a whole. I knew the Sisterhood was a safe place to be where (for the most part) differing opinions were allowed; and I decided to try.
I’m very much an introvert, so it was a big step for me.
LH
I’m very glad you did! It’s such a vulnerable feeling sharing your work, isn’t it?
DAGR
Vulnerable. Terrifying! But I have enjoyed almost every moment.
Tell me about how you go about planning your stories…
DAGR
Ideas will generally grab ahold of me and the ones that refuse to let go are those I create an outline for. The outlines consist of chapters (an approximation) and chapter summaries, where I detail what I want to happen and the connections I plan to make along the way. I’m always interested to see how many threads I can tie together before the story is complete.
LH
At last I meet another plotter!! It’s been weird talking to so many pantsers through these interviews, I was feeling like a freak…
DAGR
Oh, I am a notorious planner and somewhat envious of those who can string together a work of art without meticulous preparation. I am in awe!
LH
Me too! Like how can they not have a plan?? My brain cannot compute, hahaha…
DAGR
Again. Completely in awe of those that can plot as they go. It must be a superpower because I have no idea how, either!!
LH
How do the characters form in your mind? Do you hear them telling you what to do or what they want to say?!
DAGR
In a way, I actually do hear them. Their voices are so unique - which is a credit to Andrew Davies, Justin Young and all the other incredible writers from the show - so it is fairly simple to latch onto that perspective and write accordingly.
LH
Hear hear! I think there was so much unspoken and subtly conveyed with her.
So what research do you do for your stories?
DAGR
Oh, rabbit holes. So, so many rabbit holes of research. I once spent three hours studying the layouts of sixteen different castles for a fic, just so I could mention the beauty of the rooms in passing. Then, there’s social structures, currency exchanges, clothing and the food!!! The food has to be on point at all times. I am a stickler for a good meal and celebrations…sort of like a Hobbit. *grins*
LH
Love this! Stuff like that can really make a story come alive, I adored the castle in ATAOAT, which I’m assuming that was for. It was incredibly atmospheric.
It was! And then the amount of research on Tintern Abbey for What Happens In Between… But that’s half the fun! Getting to research these wonderful time periods and all the nuances that make them so rich is an absolute pleasure.
LH
What’s the scene from the show that you go back to again and again?
DAGR
Season 2 Episode 1. I fell in love with the idea of Charlotte and Xander almost immediately and felt their connection as if I were in the room with them. Also, now knowing Xander was perfectly bewitched from that first moment makes it all the sweeter. Love a good trope where the grump falls first and harder.
LH
Yes that’s a great element of their love story, isn’t it?
What are you most proud of having written?
Hmmm. Truly - at this point - I’m just proud at having worked up the courage to post my writing online. After days of working up the nerve to create an AO3 profile, pressing that submit button on my very first fic took a long thirty minutes of going back and forth between - Why? Why do this? This is such a horribly, stupid idea! - and - What can it hurt? Give it a go. But, if I had to pick an actual fan fic, then A Tale as Old as Time (with What Happens in Between as a definite runner up). Beauty and the Beast has been my favourite fairytale since childhood and getting the opportunity to combine it with Heybourne? I was such a happy, little writer!
That and the fabulous @elanor15firefly (or littleglowingfirefly another fantastic author and friend) made such incredible photo boards for the chapters.
The talent of all these people!!!
LH
Like I said at the beginning, ATAOAT has been mentioned by practically every single fellow writer as something they admire. It’s so creative and evocative, so true to the fairytale and quintessentially Heybourne. It’s everything a variation should be - I love it! You should definitely feel really proud of it.
DAGR
Thank you! I’m still blown away by the response.
LH
Do you write in other fandoms? If so, what are they and why are you drawn to them?
I do not write for other fandoms. But, if I ever did, it would still be in the Jane Austen realm of creativity. Darcy and Elizabeth. Anne and Wentworth. That genre - that time period - holds my heart.
That isn’t to say I don’t read in other fandoms, though. Besides Heybourne (or any other Austen fanfic) Harry Potter and Star Wars are my absolute go-to’s.
LH
Any recommendations? I think PeasemealBrose wrote and reads Rogue One fics, but I’ve never read any in that fandom despite loving Star Wars and raising kids in the Way…
DAGR
As a teacher, I’ll sometimes find myself muttering under my breath THAT’S NOT HOW THE FORCE WORKS when a child is doing something particularly - eh - Han Solo-ish. One actually heard me a few weeks back and screeched HOW DO YOU KNOW ABOUT STAR WARS???
HA! My young padawan…
As for recommendations - anything with Rogue One. The found family trope runs deep and I will live in my own self-imposed, happy suspension of disbelief regarding the ending in canon. *cries in Death Star*
Rogue One is my favourite of the modern films, so I’m happy with that.
What scene by another writer (fanfic, screenwriter, or any writer actually!) are you most jealous of and wish you’d written?
DAGR
*cracks knuckles*
Allow me to wax poetic, here. There are dozens! Although, I wouldn’t say jealousy. More of a your-mind-is-a-glorious-thing sort of fangirling over them.
Anything by @peasemealBrose. A Summer’s Ball. Holdfast. The Ghosts of Christmas. That little dip in the wash basin is enough to have me staring at the ceiling in a daze, I tell you!! Her dialogue is always so rich and perfectly attuned to the characters we know and love from canon. She writes them as I imagine them and I honestly can’t get enough. She is my favourite author!
Then there is Hoodie622 and Mile2Meryton (String of Stars) who both capture the essence of the regency period - their way of speaking and historical accuracies - with humour, grace and such biting wit!! Anything they write, I will read. And love.
I have enjoyed works by AnnieWrites13, BilberryLane, Cocofy and GatHeart (all the kudos to her for the lovely Drabbletoberfest - what glorious stories were created for us). Then there is Aries614 (still pealing myself off the floor from Profoundly), Guest1138, JayReid1 and even farther back, Lovey2022, eviejean, and ModernBonnett.
And Sanditon1820, of course! Your Sandcastles is the type of story I adore.
LH
Aww thank you. And great shoutouts there!
DAGR
I could go on, but there wouldn’t be enough room, and I know I’ll be kicking myself across the room later for having forgotten to mention someone. EVERYONE, really.
We are truly blessed with writers in this fandom.
LH
You’re so right. And the supportive community of people who read and comment too.
So what would you say is the essence of good writing, for you? What do you always hope people experience in yours?
I suppose I take my essence of good writing from Tolkien, in that, our stories might allow for an escape. There’s enough heartbreak and disappointment in the world without adding to it in the form of a broken fairytale. That is in no way a shot at any one - creative differences make the world go round in a way - but I feel strongly we should make the day a little brighter at the end of it all. I want those who take the time to read my writing - a high compliment I do not take lightly - to feel better at the end of it. To feel as if they’ve forgotten their troubles for a little while and when they look up into reality once more, it doesn’t seem nearly as dark as before.
LH
I love that, you’re completely right.
DAGR
The best compliment I’ve ever received was from someone I will never meet, telling me how posting one of my chapters made a truly terrible day better for her when she got home. It was like getting a hug.
I’ve been hugged by books often enough to know what that means.
So, I hope to do that as often as I can.
LH
What a terrific comment, and compliment! And I can definitely say you do.
Amanda and I were saying that we miss your writing, do you have anything in the pipeline?
DAGR
Oh! *sniffs* Thank you!
And yes! Most definitely, yes. The Christmas season is taking precedence and - hooooooooboy! - is everything busy.
But I am currently working on the last three chapters of In Between (sort of sticking the landing as it were) as well as two AUs.
*sighs in Mistletoe*
Just waiting for the seasonal rush to calm down.
LH
Well I’m even more grateful for you taking the time to chat at this busy time of year. It’s been a blast! And very much look forward to your AU coming soon. Cheers!
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