Hey all! I’ve just gotten back from Gen Con and there were TONS of writing seminars there, one being how to write alternative history. Historical fiction, sci-fi, and fantasy have become so intertwined lately and a lot of writers are delving into the genre to start meshing more popular genres with historical backdrops. Seeing as how The Four Gods is a historical fantasy and alternative history and how relevant those panels were, I thought a review on some basics of historical fiction writing would be in order. 

1. Pick Your Poison

First and foremost, choose your time period and area of historical fiction you will be writing in. Don’t you know, historical fiction has multiple sub-categories like all genres! Are you writing traditional historical fiction that only encompasses an event that could have happened in a given time period? Are you writing speculative fiction that involves fantasy, sci-fi, and a lot of what-ifs with famous events? Whatever you choose, pick your time period, get an idea of your characters, and get your time machine ready.

2. Research

Research is key to demonstrating sufficient knowledge of the period you have chosen to write about. Look into books, articles, and if you can, interviews– or as I like to call it, “hands-on history.” You also have to know how to research. Wikipedia is a good springboard, but should never be used by itself. Look into the source list of the article you’re reading, or if you pick up books or physical articles from academic sources, look at their sources. Of course, it is up to each author to how much research is necessary, which depends on how deep your manuscript goes into the time period you have chosen.

If you are still in college and have access to online libraries, use them! JSTOR and EBSCOHost were invaluable research tools that I had at my disposal since I began writing The Moon-Eyed Ones when I was still in my Master’s program.

As for my “hands-on history” approach, museums and primary sources are wonderful tools. For instance, The Moon-Eyed Ones takes place in 1835-38 Tennessee, which was based on the area my family lives in. I used the Museum of the Cherokee Indian in North Carolina and Conner Prairie Interactive History Park here in Indianapolis as two of my big resources, as the Cherokee Museum has artifacts and tidbits I had missed, and Conner Prairie as an interactive setting let me use all of my senses and completely immerse myself into what it may have been like to live in the mid 1830s (and have a little fun on top of that :P).

Note: Also be prepared, depending on your subject matter, to run across sources in multiple languages.

3. Character Construction and World Building

Characters are the lifeblood of a story, and when writing historical fiction, you may have more restrictions than if you were writing in another genre. Your characters must conform to the time period you have chosen. For example, Silas in The Moon-Eyed Ones is affected by laws at the time that forbid him from voting or having a voice in public hearings. Because of his race (or perceived race), he is forbidden from certain activities that he would have no problems doing if he lived today. Be careful to not include references or abilities to modern privileges or luxuries. If you are writing speculative fiction, then you have a little more free space to run around and mess up the space-time continuum or include inaccuracies.

Same goes for your setting. What do houses or buildings look like? Did your character have access to electricity, running water, or transportation other than their own two feet? How accessible were stores, towns, or other gathering places? What occupations were available? How does your character eat, dress, or bathe, and how often? Keep an eye on modern amenities trying to sneak their way into your manuscript, as you may be shocked to find out that your dashing male lead may have only bathed once every week or two.

4. Say what?!

Language is important when your characters are speaking, especially if your story takes place many centuries in the past. I myself find this one of the most challenging aspects of writing historical fiction because while I would like everything to be accurate as possible, I would also like my story to be readable. For example, back in the 18th and early 19th centuries, Melungeons have been noted by some sources to have spoken a hodgepodge of Elizabethan English and the American English we know today. The language patterns are still apparent in many dialects of the Southern American accent, but how far is too far? Tread lightly here, and pepper in what you can, but use beta reviews and other reader opinions to gauge if your characters sound too modern or if they can’t be understood at all.

Another note on this is that depending on your time period, the people in your story may have a few things to say about certain things that would seem racist, offensive, and downright horrifying to our modern sensibilities. The “How far is too far?” question arises here more than ever, and while I personally don’t like sacrificing historical accuracy to make everyone sing Kumbaya, it all depends on your manuscript. But in this regard especially, should you run into this problem, be prepared to make your readers uncomfortable.

5. Read!

Yes, read! I personally like reading books with similar subject matter and in similar settings when I am writing, but reading, in general, is a given (especially because you’ll be researching). When I was writing the first draft of The Moon-Eyed Ones, I went for any fiction that involved Melungeons, Cherokees, or the American South in the 19th and early 20th C. To be honest, I didn’t enjoy every single book I picked up, but reading gave me insight on what I enjoyed, how the writing was executed in regards to the points above, or even what not to do. Reading makes you a better writer and can give you a better idea of what you want your manuscript to accomplish.

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And there you have it, the top 5 aspects of getting that historical fiction novel written! Of course, these are true with any piece of fiction and keeping your writing on track.