Helpful Hints for Writing Historical Fiction
Writing historical fiction and time travel have a lot in common. Both have the goal of whisking the participant through time and space to visit unknown realms of the past, or the future if we’re talking science fiction. (But that’s another story.) Since you as an author haven’t actually lived in any of these times or places, you will need to find your own version of the proverbial time travel device to help you write your book. Here a few hints to help you along your path.
Hint # 1: Build Your World
World building is a concept you might connect more with writing fantasy or science fiction than historical fiction, but the principles are the same. You haven’t lived when and where your story is set, so before you plunge in you need to take time to design your world. Readers want to smell, taste, feel and hear that world. What do the houses look like? What do your characters eat? What do they wear? What do they go to the bathroom? Don’t rely on Hollywood’s version of the past. Accuracy counts. The authenticity of your story depends on your knowledge of the time period and the historical details you weave into your story. Which brings us to hint #2.
Hint #2: Do the Research
Readers want and deserve accurate information. They read historical fiction because they already have a love affair with history. Some of them may know as much or more than you do about the period you choose to write about. And they will be quick to point out your mistakes. I find that keeping a simple three ring notebook helps. I photo copy important information from my print sources, print out my internet info, cut out pictures, maps and diagrams and place them into the appropriately labeled section. It stays by my side as I write, so I can flip it open to find the exact date of an event or refresh my memory on manners or the correct name for the coin my character is using in the market. Look to experts for help. This is not as difficult as it may seem. Many teach in local colleges and universities or work at your local historical society. Googling a topic can lead you to a website run by a credible scholar. In most cases, a polite email requesting help is all it takes.
Hint # 3: Know When Enough is Enough
You will do about five times the amount of research than you will actually use in your book. Be careful not to get caught in the trap of researching. Stop as soon as you’ve gathered enough information on all the basic workings of your time period. You can, and most likely will, have to go back from time to time to check a fact or to answer a new question that has cropped up. Once you begin writing, beware of the temptation to share all your new found knowledge with the reader. It’s easy to throw off your novel’s pacing by getting lost in the minutia and putting way too much history into the story. Fascinating as you may find it, some of those lengthy paragraphs about laundry day in ancient Greece will have to go. Be ruthless. Keep only what is important to advance the story or provide the reader with the information they absolutely need to know about your characters and their world. Everything else must go.
Hint # 4: Be true to Historical Characters
Short of using that time machine I mentioned, there’s no way of producing an entirely accurate portrayal of historical personages who might crop up in your story. Be faithful to the historical record if what that person did during a particular event or is quoted as having said is germane to your story. Feel free to fill in the gaps with reasonable actions and dialog. Unless the historical person is an important character, keep their characterization simple. Focus on a generalized physical description then try to find one or two personal habits, quirks, or well-known attitudes and use them to personify the person.
Hint #5: Avoid Anachronisms
The ancient Egyptians didn’t use zippers. Tiffany was not a popular name in the ll00s. Email was not available during the American Civil War. It’s highly unlikely that Henry VIII ever addressed any of his six wives as “Babe.” You may smile, but these and similar anachronisms have turned up in manuscripts and worse yet, published novels. While in the throes of writing, with everything else an author is trying to keep straight, sometimes contemporary references or modern slang creep into the story. Keep an eye out for these anachronisms. Having a trusted reader who can proof your story before you submit it can be helpful to weeding out these inaccurate slips. Sometimes it means going back to Hint # 2. Do more research. There are plenty of online dictionaries to check the etymology of a word. Make sure whatever source you use to select character names gives not only the origin but the time period when the name came into usage. Readers and reviewers will have no problem pointing out your mistakes, so take the time to be sure every aspect of your story accurately reflects the period of time you are writing about.
Hint #6: Avoid Political Correctness
Beliefs and attitudes about the world, and men and women’s proper place in it, have vastly altered since the beginning of recorded history. Prejudices, traditions, and values that we no longer approve of were the norm to those who lived in other times and places. Be objective and respect the people and the time you have chosen to write about. Avoid projecting 21st century values into the story. Make your characters genuine people of the time period they inhabit. There’s no need to apologize for their ideas or actions or worse to try to change them into the only right thinking person of their time to make them and the story more palatable.
Hint # 7: Ponder POV
Before you begin, decide which POV (point of view) will best suit your story. Third person, multiple POV is standard in commercial fiction. It is especially useful in historical fiction where there may be an extensive list of characters. Limit the number of POV characters to those who are the key players in the book. Using more than four or five, POV character may confuse the reader. Except in the case of letters and journals, using 1st person may make your main character come across as self-absorbed. Sometimes readers find it off-putting to have a character discuss what they look like, what they’re wearing, how their voice sounded, etc. On the other hand 1st person is often very popular with YA’s in the books they chose. Be aware of the challenges presented in using this POV and be sure it’s the best way of presenting your story.
Hint# 8: Beware of the Infamous Info Dump
You have a complicated story with lots of fascinating characters. Although it’s important for you as the writer to know each character’s back-story, the reader doesn’t want to be bogged down with all the detail. Avoid lengthy paragraphs about a character’s past (info dump) or an over abundance of flashbacks. Introduce the facts absolutely needed to progress the story in dribs and drabs. As much as possible, characters should reveal back-story through dialog. Or weave it into short passages of description or exposition broken up by actions. Keep in mind that you are writing a novel, not a history textbook. Again weave in the historical background and description in small bits.
Hint #9: Read, Read, Read
Writers are also readers. Don’t let your current work in progress chain you to your computer. Take time out to read. Keep a pile of books on your nightstand and read a little each night. Read in your genre and read out of it. You’ll find yourself reading differently, of course. As writers we can’t help but mentally note how the opening hook is set up, when the goal is brought in or how the author handles the turning points and the big black moment. Still, getting lost in a good book is still possible and also keeps us tuned in to the world of publishing.
Hint # 10: Think about Your Marketing Plan— Now!
Whether you’re just starting out or are already an established author, even before the book is finished you should already be working on strategies to market it. These days it’s up to you to sell the book. Set up a website, Myspace or Facebook page. Put out a newsletter and blog about your ups and downs as your work through the process. Set up a twitter account and give daily tweets. Attend conferences, join a writer’s group or loop on the internet, set up directory of reader’s email addresses. Collect examples of SWAG (stuff we all get) from other authors and ask which items they found to be most effective. Have a media file with bio, a photo and a press release ready to go. Look into library talks and developing possible workshops for writer’s conferences.
Hint # 11: Historical Romance Demands Everything Above Just in Smaller Doses
Don’t fool yourself. Readers of historical romance are a discriminating lot. Just make a mistake about word usage, manners or the correct length of evening gloves in a Regency romance and watch the emails fly. Authors of historical romance need to follow all the important rules of writing historical fiction, while keeping the relationship of the heroine and hero in the forefront and then wind it all up with a happy ending. No easy feat, especially in view of the unfair public perception of romance.
Notice these are hints not rules. Everyone’s writing journey is different. Take what works for you. Happy writing.