Like any genre there are tropes and devices that authors invariably
weave through their narratives, but whether the overarching genre of
Historical Fiction or its subgenres there are a succinct number of
characteristics upon which the most memorable of bestsellers rise. The
bedrock for authenticity has to be robust research but the inclusion of
fact doesn’t necessarily make for a compelling read. Historical nuances
have to be repurposed to serve the narrative without losing their
symbolic impact. whilst avoiding the trap of having historical events
whirling too perfectly around a novels main character.
Clearly,
any view is subjective but we think our top 3 tips for writing
bestselling Historical Fiction are a good place to start when setting
out to write or refine Historical Fiction or its subgenres.
1 -
Whether real or imagined, nuanced dialogue breathes life into a
character and the period in which they live. Dialogue invariably
reflects the attitudes, biases, beliefs and social expectations of the
time but when too rigidly adhered to can come across as unwieldy and
detract from a reader's enjoyment. The trick here is to include just
enough vocabulary and phrases from the period to establish setting and
authenticity.
2 - Readers read Historical Fiction because they
are drawn to a time or place. They expect the past to come to life as
they turn the pages and an author who fails to deliver in this respect
faces the looming despondency of literary obscurity. More importantly,
readers want to be immersed in time and place from the every start.
Historical Fiction readers tend to be particularly discerning and
failing to deliver this in the opening paragraphs will see interest
quickly wane. Clothing, architecture and modes of transport are just
some of hundreds of period aspects that quickly establish time and
setting whilst helping to establish a theme that feels authentic in the
context of a novels period of focus.
3 - Historical Fiction
might be fact-centric but a plot must still make sense for the period of
time it covers and be true to historical events. This is equally true
of conflict which must accurately reflect the underlying social
commentary of the chosen era and helps to establish that all important
air of authenticity. It’s important to remember that Historical Fiction
not only represents a different way of doing things but reflects a
different way of thinking as well.
Despite its ever growing
popularity and the vast dearth of Historical Fiction novels released,
relatively few authors truly distinguish themselves or manage to carve
out a niche which sets them apart. A fine example of an author who has
successfully achieved this is Mary Morony whose Historical Family Saga
series Apron Strings has won a host of rave reviews with Kirkus
describing it as "Brilliantly written" and Mid West Book Review declaring it "The Perfect Read! "The BookViral review can be found HERE
As
we said earlier, any view is subjective and what we wanted to do with
this blog post was to provide a point of reference upon which you could
build. As always we hope we’ve given you something to reflect upon.
Whatever your thoughts we are always open to comments and ideas and if
you have a book you’d like to submit for review you can do so HERE
