Her father seemed delighted with the idea , and Frances Burney began writing the lively play , The Witlings . They tried reading it in the home of Burneyâ s old friend and mentor in writing , Samuel Crisp . Frances Burney had begun working on the novel in 1780 , after her first attempt at writing for the stage in a lively and promising comedy , The Witlings , had been suppressed by her father , Dr Charles Burney , and her literary mentor , Samuel Crisp .