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Microsoft Word - The Newbie's Guide to Writing Historical Fiction_Updated Edition. The first time I started a historical novel, I made it through about 500 words before I closed out the document and declared, “I’m just not cut out to write historical fiction!”. I even documented this in my 2013 release, Go Teen Writers: Edit Your Novel ...
2 days ago · Unusually for a legal historian, she had a keen eye for the human dramas not entirely concealed behind the formulae of legal records – for instance, in Year Book reports. This characteristic echoes her little-known interest in historical novels, evidenced by her Historical Association pamphlet of that title (1961).
Putting it into practice. Exercise one: Explore a well-known historical event from several different point-of-view characters, like witness testimonies. Try writing a few short monologues. Exercise two: Write a dialogue between two people discussing a great historical event. Try to convey the details to the reader through dialogue, avoiding any ...
Mar 24, 2015 · 7 Elements of Historical Fiction. All writers of fiction have to consider seven critical elements: character, dialogue, setting, theme, plot, conflict, and world building. While every story succeeds or disappoints on the basis of these elements, historical fiction has the added challenge of bringing the past to life.
- Focus on The Story
- Choose A Specific Time Period
- Choose A Specific Place
- Do Your Research
- Pay Attention to The Small Details
- Weave Real Events Into The Plot
- Visit The Location
- Don't Insert Your 21st Century Sensibilities
As an author, you may be in love with a specific time and place. However, don’t let the time period overshadow the story. While time and place can serve as your muse, don’t forget to focus on the characters who create the story. Your characters are at the heart of your story, and it’s through your characters that your readers will experience the ti...
When choosing a time period for your historical fiction novel, get specific. Resist the urge to set your novel in “the 20th century.” Think about it. What exactly does that mean? For example, if you contrast the 1950s to the 1990s (which is only 40 years apart and in the same century), you have two different customs and cultures. If your time perio...
In addition to narrowing your time period, you need to also zoom in to a specific place. Here’s an exercise. What do you think when you picture “America”? Now, what do you think when you picture “Montana”? America is culturally diverse, bringing together multiple ways of life, traditions, and social norms. You may see a quick-moving slideshow of mu...
Research is important for every novel, but it’s an essential step for a historical fiction novel. You simply cannot write a historical fiction novel without researching first. Here’s why: Historical accuracy is a big reason why readers are drawn to this genre. Your readers want to be transported into a very specific time and place. And believe you ...
The devil is in the details. As I mentioned above, your readers want to get lost in the time period. If your details are off, you’ll lose them. You can use small details to accurately capture the mood of the time period. Something as small as the type of hat a man wears or the way they say goodnight can add authenticity and richness to your story. ...
Whether your story is entirely fictional or not, you need to weave real events into your plot. They anchor your story and turn it into historicalfiction, and not just fantasy or literary fiction. A historical fiction story needs to take place in an accurate historical setting. When researching for your novel, find milestone events that would natura...
When researching your historical fiction novel, take a trip to the location of the events. I know this isn’t always possible, but if you can travel, do. Visiting the setting of your novel can give you a sense of space. Even if the area is now modernized, you may still be able to see glimpses of the past, especially if your novel is set in the recen...
Be careful not to write contemporary characters and thoughts into a historical novel. It’s so easy to transfer your mindset and cultural attitudes to the characters in your story. But, your characters don’t know anything about the Internet or Popeye’s chicken. They may not even know what germs are. Perhaps, they’re still grappling with ideas like a...
Nov 10, 2022 · 2) Research the Basic Historical Context. Now you have to become a semi-expert in your era. This will require some in-depth research, but it’s hard to know where to start. I once heard a historical fiction writer say she starts by getting an overview of the time period from the children’s section of the library.
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This is a first approximation that, even though it is still too vague and general, coincides with a definition provided by Buendía: ‘To define the historical novel strictly speaking means simply saying that a novelistic action unfolds in the past; its main characters are imaginary, whereas the historical figures and the real facts constitute ...
