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Writing Historical FictionMany authors whose books never hit the bestseller lists still find their work deeply satisfying because they love researching and writing about the past. A few authors even make a good living writing historical fiction.
Surprisingly few historical novelists have university degrees in history. Among those who do are some excellent writers. They include Steven Saylor, who writes a mystery series set in ancient Rome; Charmaine Craig, whose literary novel, The Good Men won critical acclaim; and Harry Turtledove, who writes in a variety of genres from science fiction and alternative history to straight historical novels. Some highly successful historical novelists have backgrounds in journalism. Geraldine Brooks worked as a newspaper reporter and authored contemporary nonfiction books based on her international reportage before writing Year of Wonders, March and People of the Book. Anita Diamant was a freelance journalist, contributing articles to newspapers and magazines, before she wrote her bestselling historical novel The Red Tent. Journalists know how to dig deep when researching and generally have people skills that help them write well about the feelings and aspirations of fictional characters. Most authors of historical fiction, though, are novelists first and foremost. Today, with an extraordinary range of historical resources available through interlibrary loan programs and the internet, those who devote the time and effort necessary to thoroughly research particular historical periods or events can find the information they need to bring history alive. Knowing how to write a good story, one that hooks readers from the start and keeps them turning the pages to find out what happens next, is as crucial as getting the historical details right.
Historical novelists must master all the basics of good fiction that successful contemporary novelists employ. Many books are available to help aspiring novelists and those who wish to be more successful write books that will attract editors and readers. A few I've found especially useful are: Plot by Ansen Dibell (first published in 1988). There's a good reason why this oldie but goodie is still on the market after 20 years. I didn't feel I really had a grip on plot structure until I worked my way through it. More info from Powell's Books The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman (2000). Lukeman is a New York literary agent, and this book is probably the best guide to basic manuscript revision for fiction I have ever worked with. More info from Powell's Books The Plot Thickens by Noah Lukeman (2002). After discussing the basics of good writing in The First Five Pages, Lukeman wrote this guide to more advanced techniques. More info from Powell's Books Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass. Maass is the New York agent who represents historical mystery author Anne Perry. Although his book is not targeted specifically to writers of historical fiction, he does use examples from historical novels. This book is for writers who want their books to sell well enough to allow them to pursue full-time careers as novelists. More info from Powell's Books
There are important differences between contemporary and historical fiction that aspiring historical novelists ignore at their peril. First and foremost, people who lived in the past had very different attitudes about many aspects of life than we do today. Historical fiction falls flat when the characters seem like modern men and women dressed up in fancy costumes. Some writers worry that readers might not like characters who exhibit typical prejudices of their time. But flawed characters who gain the readers' sympathy and understanding despite their flaws are a key element of good fiction set in any time period. Novels like Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner, about a boy in Afghanistan; Emma Donoghue's Slammerkin, about a seventeenth century prostitute; and Maria McCann's As Meat Loves Salt, about an angry young man during the English Civil War, are just three of many about deeply flawed characters readers love. These authors balance the contemptible qualities of their characters with qualities we can respect and admire, gaining sympathy for them without excusing prejudice, prostitution, cruelty and the like. Studying novels like this to see how the authors achieve this can increase your chances of writing historical fiction with characters who are true to their time and win readers' hearts. Historical novelist Elizabeth Crook includes an excellent article on her website about the "Seven Rules for Writing Historical Fiction". A thoughtful blog post by historical romance writer Amy Padgett (who uses the pen name Amy Corwin) tackles the question of how to balance historical accuracy with a story readers can understand and relate to. See her blog at Fiction Writing and Other Oddities. Three authors have written guides to writing historical fiction: Writing Historical Fiction by Rhona Martin (1988). This slender, 91-page book contains a lot of good advice, although some of the specifics are out of date. How to Write and Sell Historical Fiction by Persia Woolley (1997). Woolley includes some useful tips that go beyond the actual writing process. For example, she includes a chapter on research travel and how to make a trip pay for itself. With today's gas prices increasing the cost of travel, Woolley's advice on the subject is more important than ever. More info from Powell's Books Writing Historical Fiction by Marina Oliver (2005). Oliver is a British author of historical romance novels. Her writing guide has not been published in the U.S., but can be ordered from overseas. More info from Powell's Books
After several historical novels have made it onto the bestseller lists in recent years, publishers have grown more interested in them. Even so, many more contemporary novels appear every year than the relatively small number of historical novels published. Your historical novel must be well written and highly polished to interest a publisher. Several novels listed on this website were published by POD ("print-on-demand" or "publish-on-demand") publishers. This process is similar to self-publishing, since the author is 100% responsible for marketing and selling the books. POD publishers usually do not charge authors for printing costs, since the books are not printed until and unless they are sold, but they do take a large percentage of the sale price of each book. It's a good idea to thoroughly understand the pros and cons of using this type of publisher before you sign a contract. The Science Fiction Writers of America website includes an article about POD publishers. An article on the pros and cons of self-publishing is featured on the Writer's Helper website.
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