We spoke with Julia Quinn, author of Bridgerton: interview

The hit Netflix show draws inspiration from a series of books. Julia Quinn, the author, tells us about her connection with the showrunners and with her audience. Interview.

Michelle Nuhn / watson.de

In December 2020, the series The chronicles of Bridgerton made its big debut on Netflix. Since then, the show has become a worldwide success. The fourth season is therefore currently in production. The romantic story, which focuses on the Bridgerton family and their social environment, has its origins in literature.

Julia Quinn is the author of the famous book series. This is also a real bestseller today and has brought the American many successes.

watson spoke with the creator of the universe Bridgerton. The interview focuses on the mega-success of the series, its sequel and the criticism it has faced recently.

watson: We are slowly approaching the fourth season of Bridgerton. Did you expect the series to be so successful?
Julia Quinn: Shonda Rhimes always told me in the beginning that she hoped to do eight seasons — so I was optimistic. After all, she has a great track record, almost everything she does has been very successful. So, I was sure it wouldn’t be a failure. A lot of people had never seen a show like this before, and I knew there was a high demand.

Has global success changed your life in any way?
Not right away, because like everyone else, I was stuck at home during the pandemic. It wasn’t like I could suddenly go out and do something exciting and new. I just watched what was happening. I always make fun of the fact that I’m finally the “cool mom” to my kids. Success has simply made my life bigger, happier and more fun. Despite everything, I still drive the same car, the one I’ve had since 2017.

How involved are you in the development of the series?
In fact, it is minimal. I really stay away from everything and give them creative control. I’m just an advisor and I’m asked this regularly — I see the scenarios in advance. I have already been able to read the first two scripts for the fourth season, although not all of them have been written yet. This allows me to have a rough idea of ​​what will happen.

What can you tell us about the fourth season?
Even if I knew everything, it would still be a secret. I would be in big trouble if I said anything other than what is known. What I can say is that the first two storylines are fantastic and I love them.

Are there any changes that are non-negotiable for you?
When I care about something, it’s usually the same for the production. For example, I definitely wanted the Pall Mall scene to be in the second season. This is the scene where they are playing croquet. So I said she was very important to me and they told me not to worry. So everything was settled. The things that are super important in the book, like the legendary scenes, they usually already have them in mind.

There are several changes in the series. One of them is the gender swap in the third season. Do you find that criticism of this is justified?
I understand the criticism. I already knew, a year before everyone else, that this was going to happen. Change can, in many ways, still be part of the original story. Many people think that certain things should not happen.

You have also faced criticism…
The people who are outraged are always the loudest. My post on social media received many comments. But there were still many more likes. People who like it usually don’t bother to comment. So I think the majority appreciate it. Even though it’s not the original version, it can still bring more people closer to a story with a happy ending.

So the series is doing everything right?
I always thought that as an author of historical fiction, it was disrespectful to not acknowledge the very real trauma and some of the terrible things that happened in the past. We have never claimed that we reflect historical facts.

The changes are therefore of great importance.
A person of color seeing themselves in a beautiful dress…I’m not sure I really understood how meaningful that was until some of my friends came to see me.

What do you say to those who are unhappy with the series?
To all the people who are angry and who miss Michael, I would like to say that the book will always be there. I have no plans to rewrite it. It will always exist as it was originally written. Now there are two stories that complement each other very well.

For the Netflix series, the original order of the third and fourth books was changed. For what?
It was a decision of the producers of the series. At first I wondered because I thought those who loved Benedict would be upset. But then the context was explained to me, which made me feel at ease. We already knew Penelope and Colin quite well, which allowed us to see Benedict continue to evolve.

So was the approach wise?
It made sense for the overall suspense of the series. After all, we would still have Benedict, but a little later. So it wasn’t like we were going to lose him. One thing I always tell Benedict fans is:

Do you watch other romantic series on Netflix?
I haven’t seen yet Nobody Wants Thisbut it’s on my list. What I saw some time ago was the German series Cleo. However, I only discovered it because Stephen King had previously recommended it on Twitter. I really liked this series, although it couldn’t be further from Bridgerton thematically.

You portray confident, independent women in your stories. So do you consider yourself a feminist?
Absolutely. I have always considered myself a feminist. Even when the word was not yet fashionable. However, I didn’t specifically sit down and tell myself that I was going to write a feminist novel with feminist characters. These are just the people I want to write about. On the other hand, elements of an author’s worldview also find their way into the work — and not always intentionally.

Do you have any advice for young authors?
My main advice is to understand that there is no one right way to write a book. When many start writing, they listen to podcasts or read books in which other authors talk about their process. This often leads them to think that they themselves are doing something wrong. The truth is: just because I do it this way doesn’t mean it will work for you too. So you have to find what works for you.

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