Jane Austen overcame the limitations of early fiction by pivoting from superficial adventures to the psychological studies that have defined the novel since. Her creativity and technique grew as she wrestled with pragmatic writing issues. This evaluation of Austen's creative process brings into focus the strengths and weaknesses of her six novels. Each is examined in its use of major fictional techniques--description, scene-building, point of view, and psychological development--to reveal unique literary attributes. The result is a revealing analysis of how world-class fiction is built from the ground up.