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Writing historical fiction offers a unique set of challenges. How far should you let the historical record dictate your own plot? Should you dramatise famous historical figures, or should your central characters be fictional? How do you build a vanished world in the pages of your book? It is a task that requires meticulous research, but at
- 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...
That first time I tried to write a historical novel, I had only vague notions about a story that involved the World Series of 1919 and maybe a boarding school. Anything vague can become frustrating in writing, but it’s especially true for historical fiction.
Take, for example, The Great Gatsby, written in 1925, and set during the same time period. To us, today, the novel is obviously set in our historical past. But does it fit what we think of as “historical fiction”?
Get inspired with our list of 60 historical fiction writing prompts, laid out on a historical timeline from 399 BCE to 1969.
Historical fiction is a literary genre in which a fictional plot takes place in the setting of particular real historical events. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature , it can also be applied to other types of narrative, including theatre , opera , cinema , and television , as well as video games and ...
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Oct 1, 2024 · historical novel, a novel that has as its setting a period of history and that attempts to convey the spirit, manners, and social conditions of a past age with realistic detail and fidelity (which is in some cases only apparent fidelity) to historical fact.
