Jane Austen Twitter Project

Follow Day 7 LIVE on Twitter at hashtag #A4T.

***REMINDER***
To sign up for a slot, go here!

1. When you finish your time slot, e-mail your tweets to austenproject@gmail.com, putting your tweets in order of earliest to latest. In paragraph form would be best.

2. Write the word DONE at the end of your last tweet so the next person knows to start.
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Day 6 of the story is now up!

And the Most Touching Tweet Award for Day 6 goes to @JaneAustenLIVES:
“He interrupted her and lightly brushed his hand upon her pale cheeks…’I will never leave you again, Anne. I promise you that.’ He looked deeply into her eyes and with not a blink of an eye, she knew that Admiral Wentworth had never stopped loving her.”

A Ball at Pemberley!

Chapter XXI

Swords and guns appeared from the most unlikely places as gentlemen sought to protect the women and the elderly within Pemberley. Ladies reached for smelling salts, fans, masculine arms and from their reticules, even mother of pearl inlaid pistols.

As cries and whispers echoed around the ballroom, one fiend, with an arm twisted up his back by Mr. Darcy, yelled, “Wickham, Wickham! Wickham, we want our money. You owe us! We want the Star of India!” (read more here…)

See this #A4T story by the Pop Culture Passionistas!

Follow those Day 6 tweets on Twitter at hashtag #A4T.

***REMINDER***
To sign up for a slot, go here!

1. When you finish your time slot, e-mail your tweets to austenproject@gmail.com, putting your tweets in order of earliest to latest. In paragraph form would be best.

2. Write the word DONE at the end of your last tweet so the next person knows to start.
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Day 5 is now up! We have reached our twentieth chapter!

The Pemberley ball, in a nutshell, courtesy of @sebazzel: “Mr Bennet, wholly satisfied by all that had occurred so far, could reflect on the evening with pleasure. Fond as he was of reading, he had never perused a novel so full of intrigue, scandal, and slander as he had witnessed in the ballroom.”

A Ball at Pemberley!

Chapter XVII

She pointed to Richard Armitage.

In any other woman, the evening’s progressions would have induced a nervous condition, at the very least a fit of the vapours. But Lizzy resolved to remain calm in the face of the storm, to be Mrs. Darcy, and she smiled as her husband squeezed her hand. She looked across the swaying sea of ebony and ivory in the ballroom, Mary in her view, but a Mary unrecognised.

“Darcy,” she urged. “Look.” (read more here…)

Listen to Lynn Shepherd and Adam Spunberg on BBC Oxford radio!
Skip to 2:20:48

Anne Elliot is secretly engaged to…RICHARD ARMITAGE!

Follow Day 5 LIVE! on Twitter at hashtag #A4T.

***REMINDER***
To sign up for a slot, go here!

1. When you finish your time slot, e-mail your tweets to austenproject@gmail.com, putting your tweets in order of earliest to latest. In paragraph form would be best.

2. Write the word DONE at the end of your last tweet so the next person knows to start.
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The next section is now up, for your discerning eyes!

Most devastating quote goes to @elizabethkarr: “she cheered herself up mightily with the lovely idea that there was always the possibility that Elizabeth Bennet, now Mrs. Darcy (she shuddered) would die in childbirth.”

A Ball at Pemberley!

Chapter XIII

The room fell silent with intrigue, and Mr. Firth acknowledged all of the guests at the ball with a prodigious smile on his face. Armitage continued, “He is but fine in the art of literature, and I’m sure you shall find he will be quite the intelligible guest.”

Everyone remained quiet, pondering what this unfamiliar face beheld. Elizabeth promptly broke the silence — (read more here…)

Day 4: Colin Firth is the self-deprecating writer from Love Actually. Will he find a love that goes beyond language barriers??

Follow Day 4 LIVE! on Twitter at hashtag #A4T.

***REMINDER***
To sign up for a slot, go here!

1. When you finish your time slot, e-mail your tweets to austenproject@gmail.com, putting your tweets in order of earliest to latest. In paragraph form would be best.

2. Write the word DONE at the end of your last tweet so the next person knows to start.

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Our story is now an audio book as well, thanks to Steve from @englishradio!
LISTEN HERE >>

Also, the story is now up on AustenAuthor’s
“THE WRITER’S BLOCK”

To join the Oscar pool, REGISTER HERE, and then use:
group password: muslin
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The next installment of A Ball at Pemberley is up, and it’s teeming with compelling storylines. In the eloquent words of @julietarcher: “the shades of Pemberley had certainly been polluted this evening. Wiles and wantonness! Duels and depravity!”

And at the end of all that, we welcome…Richard Armitage and Colin Firth!

A Ball at Pemberley!

Chapter IX

“It would be my pleasure, Mr. Willoughby.”

The room fell silent, with the exception of Kitty Bennet who laughed, scorn in her expression. She could not believe that a man such as himself would even contemplate asking the most plain Bennet! (read more here…)

Dance well, Mary Bennet! Follow Day 3 LIVE! on Twitter at hashtag #A4T.

***REMINDER***
To sign up for a slot, go here!

1. When you finish your time slot, e-mail your tweets to austenproject@gmail.com, putting your tweets in order of earliest to latest. In paragraph form would be best.

2. Write the word DONE at the end of your last tweet so the next person knows to start.
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Unlike last week, this week’s poll isn’t a matter of life and death…unless you’re one of the ladies in question!

Thank you!
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Once again, an Austen Twitter Tuesday was a smashing success! Shocking revelations abound as the ever-growing number of characters prepare for the ball. Enjoy!

(Note: The entire story was written in turns over Twitter, using the hashtag #A4T.)

A Ball at Pemberley!

Chapter V

After a moment of contemplation, Elizabeth ascertained that the letter was from her beloved friend, Charlotte Collins. It was clear that the letter had been hurried, merely comprehensible as a consequence of her current temperament.

“Dearest Elizabeth,” it read. “An astonishing misfortune has fallen upon myself. Mr. Collins has passed away, unforeseen and forthwith. I am astounded! I am yet to learn the prospects for myself and for Longbourn as of present. I inform you with the assurance of your reliability as a friend in anguish; and it would be gratifying if you may keep this to yourself at this moment. Yours fervently, Charlotte.”

Mrs. Darcy was utterly aghast. What was to become of her cherished friend? (continue to read here)

R.I.P. Mr. Collins. Follow along Day 2 LIVE! on Twitter at hashtag #A4T.

To sign up for a slot, go here!

1. When you finish your time slot, e-mail your tweets to austenproject@gmail.com, putting your tweets in order of earliest to latest. In paragraph form would be best.

2. Write the word DONE at the end of your last tweet so the next person knows to start.

Thank you!
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Where will the story go next? YOU decide!

Thank you! See main entry below:

After much anticipation, Day 1 of the Austen Twitter Project exceeded all of our expectations. I’ll say no more…read for yourself!

(Note: The entire story was written in turns over Twitter, using the hashtag #A4T.)

A Ball at Pemberley!

A collaborative work by the Jane Austen Twitter Project

Chapter I

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that no diversion on earth so delights young people as the prospect of a ball, and a ball at Pemberley, that fine and celebrated house, in the beautiful county of Derbyshire, was a recreation devoutly to be wished!

The Darcys were but lately married, and the ball was considered by the neighbourhood as the culmination of the wedding celebrations. Invitations were sent with dispatch, and many a young lady went to bed that night with her head full of happy cares. Many an older lady too, for the groom’s mother-in-law was perfectly convinced the ball was given principally for her gratification.

When the letter duly arrived, bearing the Pemberley seal…(continue to read here)

At long last, the day we’ve all been waiting for is nearly here! Writing begins tomorrow, February 8, at 9:00 AM GMT (that’s 4:00 AM EST).

Many of you have already signed up for writing time slots. If you have not signed up for a time or times yet, please do so as soon as possible! Our schedule is online here; simply choose the times that work best for you (a maximum of 3 per day) and fill in your Twitter username.

If you’re new to the project and interested in contributing, we’d love to have you join us! Sign up to be a tweeter using the form here.

So, if you’re a contributor, how exactly do you go about writing your bits of the story? We’ve tried to make the instructions as simple as possible, since we know some of you are new to Twitter:

1. Use the #A4T hashtag to see what has already been written so that you can logically continue the story. Do a search for #A4T on Twitter or simply follow this link: http://twitter.com/#!/search/%23A4T

2. Make sure that each of your tweets includes the #A4T hashtag. Just write #A4T (with a space before it) at the end of each tweet. This will allow everyone to easily find your portions of the story.

3. Look at who is before you on the schedule and check that person’s tweets (go to his/her Twitter page) if you don’t see them when you search for the #A4T hashtag.

FOR  BACKUP PURPOSES: When your 15 minutes are up, PLEASE COPY YOUR TWEETS INTO AN E-MAIL AND SEND THEM TO austenproject@gmail.com

(This makes sure we have all the data if Twitter goes through a malfunction. It should take only a second and we REALLY appreciate it).

And that’s about it! Writing will take place on Tuesdays and appear compiled in story form at austenproject.com on Sundays. As always, feel free to email us or direct message us with any questions you may have.

Hello, contributors!

The time has come to sign up for time slots! If you have signed up to be a contributor, you will need to sign up for a 15-minute time slot for each day of the project. You may sign up for a maximum of THREE time slots per writing day.

The project doesn’t end until May 3, but right now we’re letting people sign up through April 26. You obviously don’t have to pick time slots for every day right away, but the sooner you choose, the more likely you are to have a time that suits you. However, please don’t commit to a particular time if you’re not 100% certain that you’ll be able to tweet then.

So, how do you sign up? We’ve created a public spreadsheet on Google Docs that you can fill out yourselves. Here’s the link to the spreadsheet:

Austen Project Weekly Schedule

As you’ll see, the times are in 15-minute increments. So, if you sign up for 4:00, you’ll have from 4:00 to 4:15 to write. Please sign up with your Twitter username. We’ve included a few examples on the spreadsheet to help you get started (you’re welcome to delete those examples if you want the time slots they’re occupying).

If you have any difficulties in signing up, please contact us at austenproject@gmail.com or send @Austen_Project a direct message on Twitter. We’ll try to help you out as soon as we can!

One last important detail:

Don’t forget, since @fangsupnicolee won the story contest with A Ball at Pemberley, she has the honor of kicking off the project. We will get her submission well in advance of our official start time so that early contributors will know what they’re working with.

OFFICIAL INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO WRITE COMING MONDAY, FEBRUARY 7!

CLICK HERE IF YOU WANT TO BE A TWEETER!

Everyone loves a ball, especially when the Darcys play host at Pemberley.

“It is your turn to say something now. I talked about the dance, and you ought to make some sort of remark on the size of the room, or the number of couples.”

In all seriousness, we are very proud to have our winning story! Major applause to @fangsupnicolee, for conceiving a most exciting premise for our Austen Twitter Project.

The writing begins THIS TUESDAY on FEBRUARY 8, so dust off your old copy of Pride & Prejudice and get ready! We’ll be updating the site with very specific directions on how to post, when to sign up, etc. Look for instructions on Saturday.

Also, we now have our own Twitter account: @Austen_Project

And we’re on Facebook!

Please feel free to follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook. Here’s the winning story:

A Ball at Pemberley! – @fangsupnicolee

After the demise of Mr Dashwood, Mrs Dashwood is invited by old acquaintances – Mr and Mrs Bennet –  to reside at Longbourn until other arrangements are made. Mrs Bennet has recently lost three of her daughters to matrimony and, whilst Elinor and Marianne are sure to be good company for Kitty and Mary; her intentions are that by providing suitable hospitality for them it will be an excuse to meet more families than already in her acquaintance. Upon their arrival, they receive a letter from Mr and Mrs Darcy, stating that they are residing at Pemberley; and that there is to be a lavish, substantial ball held there. Mr and Mrs Bennet, Kitty and Mary are all thrilled at the idea of being reunited with Elizabeth and Jane on the evening; and Mrs Dashwood, Elinor and Marianne are honoured to be invited to such an event. Among the people attending the ball include Willoughby, whom Kitty, Mary and Marianne immediately find attractive and compelling – but he only has eyes for Elinor, much to the discontent of Elinor herself (and Marianne particularly). Henry Tilney and Eleanor Tilney, who are very old acquaintances of Mr Bingley, are also invited to attend the ball. Henry immediately becomes the object of Elinor’s affection…

CLICK HERE IF YOU WANT TO BE A TWEETER!

Thank you, everyone, for your incredible support as we’ve been gathering story ideas! We now have over 20 contributors officially signed up, spanning five continents and six Austen novels.

You can now vote below for the story you’d most like to see! To make your decision, PLEASE READ EACH OF THE SUBMISSIONS HERE!