Historical Fictionistas discussion

Liz wrote: "Elinor wrote: "It's a great observation that elderly people can pass along oral history from an earlier generation. Just as we know the stories that our grandparents old us, they know stories told ..."

Thanks, Liz. The best stories are not always found in the history books. Personal memoirs are the best, and I find that memoirs written by women usually have more anecdotal stuff about daily life in them.

Oral history is sometimes more reliable than written history in that it doesn't have a political axe to grind.

I've loved history since I was a child. I just prefer stories set in the past rather than modern day - I feel like people used to live more back then.

Rather strangely, I am inexplicably attracted to the era around 90 AD esp in Ancient Eire. When I first started writing fictionally about that time period I would write something, often random stuff, and then remind myself to research it just to ensure it was correct or at least possible. Much to my surprise I would often find that it was in fact accurate which was a little spooky esp as I was pretty sure I had no prior knowledge that it was! I've moved into historical/fantasy fiction - with a touch of fantasy only - and love it!

I've always read historical fiction and especially Roman fiction. The inspiration for my novel came when I was walking in North Wales a few years ago. I realised there was an old iron age fort not far from where we were and so took a diversion across a farmers field full of cattle to find the remains of a hilltop fort. The fort appeared completely forgotten by all but a few cows and so began researching it. The fort is called Caer Caradog and fell out of use around the 1st century as the Romans were invading Britain. I then turned my research into a the beginnings of a novel.

A Japanese American friend whose family had been through the WWII internment ordeal knew I was a writer. He began talking to me about his family history, taking me to see Japanese American historical sites and memorials, inviting me to get-togethers of his immediate and extended family. We went to museums, libraries, a gathering of Japanese American recipients of the Medal of Honor. He showed me photos and memorabilia from the camp years.

He didn't have to ask me to write a book based on what I was learning. He'd hooked me. But I didn't know much. I didn't know nearly enough to write a novel-length story aimed at young adults. I wanted--needed--to learn more. I wanted to write a story rooted in this history, and I wanted to get it right.

It took about five years to research and write and find a publisher and go through the revision process and finally get the book published. But it was worth it. Fourteen years later, it's still in print and selling reasonably well. And the story, a story that many people, young and not-so-young, didn't know, has gotten out to thousands of readers.

So that's how I got into writing historical fiction. It won't be my last of this genre. I have one coming out this summer and more on the way. And it all started with conversations with a friend.

My parents read me historical fiction when I was just a kid, and I guess it stuck! I wasn't too interested in the mundane, just the epic battles. Later I got into the Gilbert Morris series of Christian historical fiction novels, and eventually migrated to Bernard Cornwell, Ellis Peters, Conn Iggulden, and Ken Follett. As a Christian, I wanted action-packed historical fiction along the lines of Cornwell or Iggulden, but everything in the Christian market was too tame, shied away from the battles and really intense stuff (aka reality. :)) So I decided to write my own books, and here I am, 5 books later. My focus is Ancient Rome during the first and second centuries. The Catacombs and Coliseum, slavery and persecution, civil war and conquest. I blame my parents. ;)

When I discovered Murray's Travel Guide for 1895 for North Germany on line I knew I would be able to imagine train trips across Europe. When I found FreeBMD I knew I could unearth a few facts about the family I was wanting to write about. When I found Google newspaper archives, I went nuts trying to efficiently do research there, but there were a few nuggets.

I was born into a family with a direct genealogical link to an early French colonist in Acadia, a country that existed between 1610 and 1760 in Eastern Canada. I researched the genealogy and history of Acadia to write a family history, but decided that fiction would be a lot more fun.

Exactly. And writing HF made me read widely - lots of HF in fact for social history; the novels of the period, for language, and actual history. The research is the most fun.

I came across the story of the corrupt sheriff who led all the bad guys and thought it was fascinating. Historical fiction had always been my favorite genre
anyway. I have always preferred to be educated while entertained. Looking at attempts at historical fiction about this episode done previously, I felt I could do better.

I liked to read espionage novels set in Europe in the 1930s and 40s (or during the Cold War) and decided to try to write a novel set in Vienna centered on a failed Nazi putsch that occurred there in July 1934. I decided to orient my fiction towards political and journalistic protagonists because I wanted to focus on the big political events of the era with an eyewitness "your are there" perspective to the big stories. So political intrigue is often at the center of my stories--a fictionalization of true political intrigues.

For me, this has led to five historical novels and two satires of contemporary European politics. History is a gift that keeps on giving.

The principle limitation with history is that it often all seems so inevitable in the re-telling. But history is shot through with contingency. Biographies and memoirs give a historical fiction writer a much better window into the drama inherent in those now distant but quite troubled times. Another important source for me has been the New York Times archives because there was in-depth daily reporting coming out of all the European capitals every day during the 1930s. The NYT reporters of that era were superb chroniclers of the events and often the intriguing backstories of the day, So the writer gets to watch history unfold right through the daily news stories.

For example, it is clear--overwhelmingly so--that all the western leaders and journalists understood that Adolph Hitler was a very bad person from the late 1920s and on and that his rise to power in Germany was going to end in something worse than tears.

My current project is a novel about young female ambulance drivers in the French army in Italy in 1944, which was tough arduous duty. This involves trying to fathom feeling and experiences quite different from one's own in a world where attitudes were distinctly different from today's. But fundamental human characteristics remain relatively similar over time -- so there is always the play between then and now.

Paul wrote: "I liked to read espionage novels set in Europe in the 1930s and 40s (or during the Cold War) and decided to try to write a novel set in Vienna centered on a failed Nazi putsch that occurred there i..."

I'd have to disagree with the assertion that all western leaders and journalists understood that Hitler was bad news. At least here in Canada, our Prime Minister McKenzie King seemed completely convinced that Hitler was a man who could be dealt with in a reasonable manner. And newspaper ads from the early 1939 here in Canada were still advertising vacation trips to Germany!

I love the WWII era; I'll have to check out your books. :)

I had an end-of-term assignment in (fill in long forgotten class name) where the prof allowed us to either write an evaluation of a period of history in the Roman Republic or a historical fiction piece covering the same matters. At the time I was a pure technical nerd, although the term had not been invented yet, and naturally thought that all liberal arts classes were an utter waste of time.

As writing some trivial piece of fluff seemed to be an easier task than researching through the tomes of the library in search of real facts, I started on this Conan-style adventure. (Library* A building where large stacks of scrolls... books were kept for use and found by the means of a search engine, which itself was a huge set of drawers with about a million cards, each of which would contain the title, author and a sentence of content of a single book.) To my surprise I began to enjoy the tale, probably in the manner of fantasizing myself as this young hero and his adventures (and wenching) across the entire Mediterranean. It got way out of hand and far too large to even fit an actual paperback, should some gullible publisher actually read it.

I cut it down and passed the course, I guess, but years later I found it in a box, scanned it so it could be used with Scrivener and rewrote it for mere pleasure. On a whim, I submitted it as a Kindle book and was surprised that it actually sold fairly well. Thus, writing historical fiction, all based in the Ancient Roman Republic, became my retirement pastime.

I feel my draw to Historical Fiction is the research. Although it can take more time than a typical fiction book takes because of the time involved to get the facts straight, I love learning as I go.
My ancestry came from East Germany and my mother kept incredible records of my grandmothers family history and through this, I was able to intertwine real names and situations with my imagination.

To future or secret writers,
Here are the secrets to write a good historical novel, secrets that allowed me to write mines!

First of all: dare. To dare to write what has always been in yourself: your stories, your most secret dreams.
Then, unveil yourself. It's much more difficult than it seems, to reveal to your beloved ones what is in your heart and soul. Personally, it took me 40 years to get there!

Then, allow yourself to live your dream. Very quickly, you realize that you can manage to remain careful and attentive towards your family. But also, you realize that the more you try to follow our own way, the better you are able to understand and help people around you to follow their own ways.
Working to realize your dream is a solitary work that paradoxically opens you to others.

Finally, it is also important to have the pleasure of writing the story you have in mind. Be careful, having fun writing does not mean it's easy. A lot of work is required. But when you have the pleasure in writing your story, this pleasure will be felt by the reader.
Here you have the first priority: write a story that is close to your heart, writing it with your pen, your hand, your mind, your body, your heart and soul.

If your novel is a historical novel, the work is bigger: historical research must be your other priority.
So now, plunge headlong into the historical archives and come out, happy to have found the true decor, the picturesque anecdote, the endearing detail, which will make the unique and particular color of your novel. For this, there is no other way than to read large quantities of books about the period of your novel, written during this period by contemporaries of this particular period: memoirs, novels, government reports ...
Most of these books won’t appear in the novel's bibliography because they won’t have directly served the novel, but they will have served your understanding, not only chronologically and historically, but especially your understanding of the spirit of the epoch of your novel.

Thereafter, each writer his own way. Personally, to write my first novel, I listened to Beethoven's symphonies! In fact, this great composer allowed me to write my novel. His music searched the words deep inside me and drew them towards the paper. Feelings, passions, adventures, little pink mornings, violent dark storms, everything is in Beethoven's music. Close your eyes, and let yourself be carried away to the opera, in a steam train, or across the ocean on a boat in full sail, blown along briskly by strong tail winds ...
Ah, if my novels could be as full of feelings and thought as one of Beethoven’s note, I would be satisfied!

I agree wholeheartedly with everything you said! I couldn't imagine writing anything other than historical fiction! So many stories to tell.

Hello

As a voracious consumer of historical fiction and student of history I am constantly immersed in the medieval period. I remember (when in first year at uni) walking into a large modern mall and for some weird reason having a vision of that same mall as a medieval market place.

From that moment I knew I was going to write books that tried to give an insight into the look and feel of medieval times - especially the sensory experience and even the way people thought. It's not easy to do this while also telling a coherent story but that's my aim.

I'm mainly known for crime fiction (I'm a lawyer) but my first historical novel came out last December and I'm immensely proud of it.

Louisa wrote: "I agree wholeheartedly with everything you said! I couldn't imagine writing anything other than historical fiction! So many stories to tell."

Thank you so much Louisa!

The reason I write historical fiction is simple, really. My grandmother introduced me to the works of Shakespeare when I was eleven years old, and since then my love for English history increases with each passing year. She was an English Lit teacher and wrote articles for the Atlanta Journal/Constitution, so her love for writing and history passed right along to me. I visited England three times on research for my novels and the sheer excitement of learning about historical places and people, and then setting down on paper the details of their lives, is pure joy to me.

Historical fiction found me, I think. Though as I look back at my reading list, I find that it is what I was most attracted to. The idea I had for my first book involved an event that took place in the 1960s, and I counted back to the 1930s to put the characters in their youth. I found that I loved the research and all of my books have been historical fiction ever since!

I have always been an avid reader of history, primarily Civil War military history. A remarkable story of personal and family struggles, battlefield courage, and true romance conquering all odds was discovered while researching original letters involving a true Civil War hero, Rufus Dawes. Numerous side stories involving prolific family and friends all begged to be told. I decided that using historical fiction would best personalize this story. I wanted to bring the characters alive again, but made sure that scenes and conversations are closely based on actual correspondence for accuracy. One reader notes: "It is the way history should be told", and that is great to hear. HF can effectively interest and educate readers who otherwise might not venture to read a history book, and thus not be inspired by those who participated in significant historical events. Steve Magnusen

Hi Steve, while I agree with your main point about the telling of history, it's important to remember that authors take all sorts of license (intentionally or unintentionally) for the sake of a story, meaning that readers / viewers could be misled.

For example, anyone watching Braveheart may have assumed that the crown prince (Edward II) married Isabella before William Wallace's death, but he didn't marry her until 1308 (three years after Wallace's execution and one year after Edward I's death) so there is zero chance that Wallace and Isabella could have had an illicit liaison while she was Edward I's representative.

I could suggest plenty of other examples. Bernard Cornwell is very good at describing at the end of his novels where he departed from the facts for the sake of the story.

It all started with me discovering the novels of Alexandre Dumas in primary school. I have been writing historical fiction (though not exclusively) ever since.

I wanted to write a story that was loosely based on my grandmother's life. She grew up in Utah during the Great Depression - a time period that is often overlooked in historical fiction in favor of WWII.

Shelley wrote: "My work is based on my grandmother and grandfather surviving one of the worst crises in U.S. history.

History and literature are the two places where we can learn about what human beings are capa..."

I briefly looked at your blog, since you also write about the Great Depression. I'm impressed by your keen attention to the dialogue and details of that time - beautiful job!

I've been a history nerd since grade school so it was natural for me to write historical fiction ... but first I did a detour through fantasy and humor. I tend to weave back and forth between each genre.

I found the perfect subject - an extraordinary 40 year period in the mid 17th century when England experienced civil war, regicide, being a republic and royal restoration. It was also a time of unprecedented social, scientific and mercantile development.

It's a treasure trove of material, providing the perfect backdrop to my hero's adventures. Book 1 is out and Book 2 is in development!

I "found" re-read an old diary/journal of mine, 30yrs old, and based my first historical novel on those events.

Historical fiction, real and alternative, were always my favorite novels. Real enough so I could genuinely transport myself into these worlds. When is decided to seriously try my hand at writing fiction, of course I chose the genre which I loved. The result was Wolves at the Gate.

I started writing whilst I was still serving as a soldier in the British Army. It came out of a period of frustration – after almost back-to-back operational deployments. I needed a change and almost left the Army. In retrospect, I think I was very close to exhaustion.

In the end, I did not leave. Instead, I looked for something else I could do – something I could do without actually leaving, something different. Naively, I thought, I know. I will write a novel. It will be easy.

Of course, it was far from easy. It took years. However, I think it was good to have an alternative outlet, a creative focus. Not just the Army. Not just conflict. Perhaps it saved me. There are so many veterans still struggling to find peace and a sense of worth.

Read more at: https://charlescordell.com/army-autho...

I am now a full-time author with two traditionally published historical fiction novels set during the English Civil War - reviewed in The Times.

Charles Cordell

Klara wrote: "It all started with me discovering the novels of Alexandre Dumas in primary school. I have been writing historical fiction (though not exclusively) ever since."

Ah, Dumas! Have you read Dorothy Dunnett's Lymond Chronicles? Different period, but I have a feeling you might like her style of writing.

Historical fiction is a wonderful way of addressing things in one's own life by transposing them to other people living in another time. My first novel is about love and marriage and the bonds they put on us. This was something I was trying to come to terms with at the time I wrote it, and since I enjoy reading Elizabeth Gaskell, Jane Austen, and Georgette Heyer, my ruminations took the form of a romantic novel set in 1814.

At present I’m working on my second novel, set in 1818, which revolves around a one-armed sea-captain and a bright young heiress and is partly set in Greece. It has an underlying deeper theme as well, but it’s so well hidden that I doubt anyone will notice it.

I grew up in Newport, Rhode Island, which has a rich history. My 8th grade English teacher had us read a historical novel written by a local author that took place in Newport during the American Revolution. It was called "The Christmas Tree Hessian". It was the story of how Hessian soldiers, who were in the US in support of the British, imported the tradition of the 'lit' Christmas Tree. It sparked a love for history, to the point that I got a degree.

I'm a writer, genetically I guess, and it was only a matter of time before I incorporated historical fiction into my writing. About 30 years ago I woke up from a dream that I'd found a perfectly preserved town in the mountains, that had been abandoned for 100 years, and was taken care of by an elderly caretaker.

This notion kicked around for a long time, until I was driving with my wife through Montana, and saw a small sign on the side of the highway that said, "Garnet Ghost Town" with an arrow. I almost flipped the car turning off the road. Turns out (after driving for almost an hour through the woods of Montana) it's one of the best preserved ghost towns in the country.

That was it - it sparked something in my brain, a hook that took me another 10 years to start working loose. I started writing my first historical novel back in 2020, and just released it.