A Writer's Life in the Nineteenth Century

"A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction." Virginia Woolf said it best. Only after transmigrating to nineteenth-century England does Katherine Ruskin truly understand the weight of those words. In her previous life, she was a renowned mystery writer. Now she's trapped in a novel she once read: The family in the book is on the verge of bankruptcy. Her father is honest but unlucky, and her mother does nothing but pressure her daughters to marry. Her eldest sister is beautiful but hopelessly romantic, determined to abandon her fiance and marry the army officer she loves. Her younger sister is upright but painfully stuffy, and at just sixteen, the neighbors already say she'll end up an old maid. Caught in the middle, Katherine feels the pressure. After much thought, she decides writing is her only way out. Armed with modern writing techniques from the twenty-first century, she leaves the country estate for London and finally establishes herself in literary circles. Whenever a new book of hers comes out, queues form outside the bookstores, newspapers fight to put her on the front page, and all of London is in an uproar. Charles Christin hates this engagement. He's engaged to the eldest Ruskin daughter, but they can't stand each other: he thinks she's frivolous, and she thinks he's an old fogey. Their elders won't let them break off the engagement, and the Ruskin family is on the verge of bankruptcy, relying on the match to turn their fortunes around. In the midst of his frustration, Charles finds comfort in reading a serial published under the name "George Bell." Critics accuse the author of courting attention and producing worthless work, but Charles, known for his refined learning, stands up for the writer alone, even going so far as to take on the entire literary world. Until the identity of "George Bell" is revealed: it's Katherine, the second daughter of the family of the fiancee he despises most. Katherine: "I'm sorry my sister has caused you trouble, sir, but she has someone she loves. You can break off your engagement." Charles stares intently at Katherine. "...How fortunate, Miss. I believe I, too... have found someone I love." * A protagonist who grows over time. The heroine isn't all-knowing or all-powerful, and she will face setbacks and difficulties. * She transmigrates into a book, but the story doesn't exist as an actual book in this world. It's a mash-up of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century British novels. I'll note any obvious sources in the story or author's notes. * All the worldbuilding serves the plot. I won't be too strict about historical accuracy, so the story may include things that don't fit the historical record for the sake of plot twists and turns. * The heroine's pen name combines the first name of George Sand with the surname "Bell," used by the Bronte sisters. She won't keep her secret identity forever and will eventually use her real name. * This blurb was revised from an old pre-release announcement. My apologies to everyone who was looking forward to *The Phoenix Carriage*. The previous announcement had been up for four or five years, and after writing several versions of the opening that didn't feel right, I changed it to something I'm better at. [The author's Three Kingdoms novel, available for advance reading] *Rebuild the Han Dynasty with a Team of My Own* Liu Wuxie transmigrates into the otome game she's been playing, *Love and the Three Kingdoms*, and becomes the child emperor Liu Xie, installed by Dong Zhuo. She's also been turned into a beautiful young woman. With the Han Dynasty teetering on the brink and warlords watching hungrily from all sides, Liu Wuxie stares at the anime-style handsome Dong Zhuo and wonders: What should I do? [System notice: Your "Recruit the Heroes" System is now online.] Liu Wuxie: Recruit the heroes? [System: The user posts tasks and positions. The System will select the best candidates from five thousand years of Chinese history to fill them.] Liu Wuxie is overjoyed. With the System, what does she have to fear from Wei, Shu, and Wu? She can assemble her own team of historical figures. Hiring the most famous assassin to take care of Dong Zhuo should be a piece of cake! [System: Request received. The assassination of Dong Zhuo has been assigned to Jing Ke.] Liu Wuxie: ...Wait, hold on, that won't work. His assassination success rate is zero! Uh-oh. This System's logic is seriously flawed. [System: The user needs an outstanding political adviser. The task has been assigned to Lu Zhi.] Liu Wuxie, sweating: You're asking Lu Zhi to restore the Liu family's dynasty? [System: The user needs an outstanding military adviser. The task has been assigned to Bai Qi.] Liu Wuxie: We really don't need anyone else who massacres cities and armies in the Three Kingdoms! [System: The user needs an outstanding diplomatic adviser. The task has been assigned to Qin Hui.] Liu Wuxie presses the cancel card button without changing expression. And so Liu Wuxie has no choice but to use this bizarre System and fight tooth and nail to survive from the start. Later, she looks at the court full of the officials she recruited and the unified Han territories. "...Believe it or not, I really just wanted to play an otome game at first!" Message: The heroine stands on her own and builds a future in London through her own abilities.