Description

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused immense hardship over the past year and a half, but out of crises, opportunity arises, as our guest today knows from all the time she has spent steeped in 1920’s archives. This has given her a hopeful outlook for the 21st century, and we all need some of her perspective in our lives! Jessica Fellowes is an author of 14 books, 5 of which were Downton Abbey companion books, and several of which made it onto the New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller lists. Jessica has been writing for a long time, first as an employee and then as a freelancer, and she really loves her work (some parts more than others). Our conversation today covers a wide range of topics; from authenticity, to celebrity interviews, to the double-edged sword of ambition. Jessica also has a lot of wisdom to share around knowing your worth, not being taken advantage of professionally, and the benefits of planning backwards. Listen in today to get a glimpse into Jessica’s life; you’ll walk away with valuable insights.

Key Points:

• Jessica talks us through her writing and editing process.
• Positive lifestyle changes that Jessica incurred as a result of her move from the country to the city.
• Challenges that lockdown presented to writers.
• Where Jessica’s interest in the between-the-wars era originated.
• How Jessica gains a deeper understanding of the era that she is writing about.
• The role that imagery plays in Jessica’s writing process.
• Advice from Jessica about how to approach authenticity in your writing.
• Parallels between the 1920’s and the 2020’s and Jessica’s thoughts about what our future might look like.
• Ways that the school system needs to change.
• Jessica’s stint as a celebrity interviewer, and how she feels about the experience.
• What Jessica wants her life to look like in 20 years time, and the value of planning backwards from there rather than the other way around.
• The double-edged sword of ambition.
• Jessica’s rule about payment, and the importance of honouring market value.
• Know your worth, especially as a woman.
• Elements that Jessica loves most about her work.
• Joy that Jessica’s dogs bring to her life.
• Advice from Jessica for humans in general, and women specifically.

Quotes:

“I like to build big image galleries of what I think my characters might have been wearing, what they might have looked like, what cars they were driving, what the street scene might have looked like.” — [0:10:17]

“You have to bear in mind that there is no one true version of what happened in the past.” — [0:11:40]

“I see the 2020’s as really being the beginning of how the 21st century is going to look. This is our opportunity to say, “This is how we want to do the rest of this century.”— [0:15:10]

“Ambition is a good thing because it keeps you moving forward, but it can be a curse because you’re never satisfied.”— [0:23:57]

“If you’re not getting paid in money you should be getting paid in something that is going to be of benefit to you.” — [0:26:39]

Links:

Website: https://www.jessicafellowes.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jessicafellowes

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/author_jessicafellowes/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JessicaFellowesAuthor/

On my website: https://heidihauer.com/podcast