[Hong Kong - June 27, 2018] Historical fiction is a fantastic genre that is extremely rich in source material. As editors and proofreaders, we really enjoy getting to work on this type of manuscript. It’s also an extremely vast category that has numerous subgenres, including fictional biographies, historical mysteries, nautical fiction, and alternative history, to name a few. You might not think so, but historical fiction usually counts as anything set more than fifty years ago. Shockingly, that almost counts as the 70s now. As with any genre, there are a number of things to remember when embarking on an historical fiction writing project. So to help you, one of our editors has compiled a short article on some of the do’s and don’ts of historical fiction writing. It’s not completely comprehensive by any means, but hopefully it will give you some pointers and guidance before setting off. So let’s dive right in...
First of all, it’s important to make your work feel authentic and include the right details. However, you also don’t want it to come across as a dry history book. As editors and proofreaders, we are always stressing that nothing will disappoint your reader more than a boring historical account, when what they were expecting was a gripping narrative.
It might sound a bit obvious but if available, old photographs are a great way of helping you visualize the time period. You can really mine them for detail, so that when it comes time to set your scene you will be able to make it as authentic as possible.
Libraries should be an integral part of any research for a novel, but while they can be an endless source of inspiration and background information, be careful not to get lost doing endless research. It’s important to find a good balance between research and writing.
Write about what you love. This is crucial. Many people might say that you should write about what you know, however, oftentimes this can lead to jadedness or a lack of enthusiasm. If you’re not enthused, this will come across in your writing. After editing and proofreading a great many manuscripts, we have come across plenty of writing that lacks passion. Crafting a novel will take up a large amount of time, so it’s probably best you enjoy and are excited about the subject at hand.
When starting historical fiction, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with the sheer amount of information out there. There are probably hundreds, if not thousands of books on your chosen period of time. So don’t get bogged down researching right away. First, establish your story, the characters, and the setting. In this way, you can be smart about what you actually need to find out. If you’re not going to write about a particular detail of that time period, then you don’t need to research it.
Just because you’ve done the research and put the hours in, doesn’t mean you need to show you have. Be sparing in what you write, and only include details that are important to the narrative. You might know what types of birds were native to your location and time period, but if it’s not relevant to the story then it doesn’t need to be said. When editing a novel, we are always trying to cut back on unnecessary detail and description.
However, the details that you do include need to be right. The average reader might not be aware of minor details, such as a brands that might have been around at the time, or the styles of clothing that were worn, but many of your readers will either be knowledgeable on the era and/or might have been around at the time (depending on when you set your story that is!). If you get a detail wrong, those readers will spot it. All that aside, it helps the setting feel authentic. There is also one big caveat: get the details correct at the end. If you spend too much time fact-checking as you go, you’ll never get finished. Plus, analysing the details is what we’re here for as editors.
An important thing to always remember though – you’re writing fiction, not a detailed historical account. Don’t chase accuracy for the sake of it – research for authenticity and inspiration.
Finally, you’re a writer; you’re supposed to be writing. Research is an important part of the process, but it’s a means to an end, not an end in itself. Don’t use research as an excuse to procrastinate.
Over the years, we have built up a great deal of experience editing and proofreading historical fiction. To boil it down, here a few of the key things to bear in mind before you start writing:
Take notes. Being able to go back and look over your observations and thoughts at a later date is invaluable.
Use archives. An absolute wealth of information and authentic detail can be dug up from old archives.
Study old pictures. A picture says a thousand words, and they will really help you create an accurate representation of your setting.
Go on location. Nothing beats actually going to the location your writing about, seeing it for yourself, and getting a sense of the place.
Read old books. Not only will they contain a vast amount of information in their own right, but the style and tone of old books will really help you get in the right mindset for the period.
Visit museums. Going to a museum will allow you to get up close and personal with objects and artifacts of the time.
Use the internet. It hardly needs to be said but it’s a near endless resource of information.
Finally, and most importantly, stop researching and start writing!