REGENCY literature has a following widely spread, even if the genre is not widely known.

Over 100 local fans of writing from that era (about 1810-1820) crammed into Oaks from Acorns on Friday night to hear from three exciting authors who have brought 'Reg Lit' to life.

Sharmini Kumar and Kelly Gardiner have co-authored 'Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Detective' as a spin-off about one of Jane Austen's lesser known characters from Pride and Prejudice.

"I'm a rank amateur who fell into it," Sharmini Kumar said before Friday's event kicked off.

"I have always loved Austen and was into theatre so I started making theatre about Jane Austen."

Kumar then invented her own Melbourne theatre company for that very purpose, in her own living room.

She said the secret to sharing writing with Gardiner was 'lots of hard work'.

"And we need a bit of respect for each other's styles," she said.

"We don't actually disagree on a lot of stuff so there is no butting of heads."

Kelly Gardiner said she was of an age which did not have much young adult literature.

"I went straight from Enid Blyton to Jane Austen and Charlotte Brontë and then Agatha Christie," she said.

Gardiner also said she liked how Austen invented character types 'which we now think are normal' that were not normal at the time.

"The feisty heroine, which we now take for granted especially in romances, originally started with Jane Austen - with Lizzy Bennet from Pride and Prejudice."

Acclaimed author of 'The Benevolent Society of Ill-mannered Ladies' Alison Goodman said her writing style was made all the more exciting by her contrasting genres.

"It is all about how you put them together and determining which one is most important when you are writing," she said.

"Mystery or romance? Which one is coming to the forefront?

"When you can answer that is when you bring them together and have a good romp!"

Goodman said she put much planning into her work and took time to think about structuring.

"I write chronologically so I do find I am building tension for myself and the reader, and that's when I get taken away.

"When I hit the midpoint of the story that's when everything starts to quicken up and I have that wonderful ride to the climax."

A few windows were opened for air, and a 'turn about the room' soon proved most refreshing.