How to Write Historical Fiction

Introduction

Western historical fiction has its roots in the works of Sir Walter Scott, Honore de Balzac, James Fenimore Cooper, and Leo Tolstoy. However, the genre itself is much more ancient. Take the Iliad and the Odyssey for example or even Beowulf or The Tales of Gilgamesh. Telling tales about history has long since been a part of human history, and as our history unfolds over the course of the next generations, the historical fiction genre will no doubt continue to be a popular and favorite genre among many.

Popular subgenres of historical fiction include documentary fiction, fictional biographies, historical mysteries, historical romance, and historiographic metafiction. For more information on the tropes of any of the other genres, please refer to our other articles. Works of historical fiction are generally understood to be stories that take place in a past time. The key defining characteristic of a work of historical fiction is that the story pays great attention to the details of the past, including the history, social conditions, physical appearance, culture, manner of speaking, clothing, music, etc.

Depending on the novel, works of historical fiction might either adhere greatly to the nuances of the period in which the story is set, or great embellishments may be made, depending on the author’s understanding and interpretation of history. Subgenres such as historical fantasy might insert imagined or unrealistic elements. Take for example the famous Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children. There are many elements of magic realism that are situated well within the context of apartheid India, making the story seem as though it could have really happened.

Works of historical fiction are expected to hold a certain degree of authenticity in that the story must be appropriately framed by facts and evidence reflecting the appropriate time period. Readers sometimes criticize works of historical fiction for not being factually accurate. Others might argue that certain attitudes of characters are implausible given the social environment of a specific period. Either way, works of historical fiction must adhere to genre expectations to ensure readers are not distracted from the story. Historical fiction writers must closely navigate historicity and fiction to captivate readers.

Writing Historical Fiction

Beginning a work of historical fiction can feel extremely overwhelming, but here are some tips to help get you started.

Works of historical fiction are generally extremely well researched to ensure that the story is as accurate as possible. While works of historical fiction are still considered fiction, to provide readers the slice of history they are looking for when picking up such a book, authors should make sure they understand the time period they are interested in. By incorporating essential elements and details that reflect the time period, authors can satisfy savvy readers and their breadth of knowledge.

Try to creatively brainstorm some ideas to find a unique angle or perspective into a given time period. A work of historical fiction should be unique. How is your retelling of this version of history different? Is it the characters? Is it their knowledge? Is the perspective unique? Are you telling the story from a marginalized or unconsidered character’s point of view?

Try to create a list of the defining characteristics or important themes of a time period. This way, you get an idea of what major points to include in your book to ensure that your reader gets the gist of the setting. Furthermore, ensuring to include elements of your list will provide your work with overall thematic consistency.

Look up jargon. One of the most commonly used ways to get a reader to believe in the authenticity of the novel is the dialogue between readers. One really great way to ensure consistency in atmosphere is through diction and dialogue; imagine an author tried to write an Austenian work without using the diction of the time—not many would be very pleased with the book. What slang did people use in your time period? How did they speak? What were the manners of the time?

Engage in world building. This is a tip that can be applied to many other genres, but this one is especially important for historical fiction. By building a world before beginning the actual writing process, you can create a reference point in which to situate characters, events, and places. Think about the characters’ environment; how did they grow up? Who were their immediate family members? What were the greatest concerns of the time? What was the climate? How did people dress in response to the climate?

What was a part of the popular culture of the time? What did people read? What musicians were popular? Who were the major politicians? What was the political climate like? What was the geographical landscape like?

Think of ways to add depth, like adding character quirks or providing little-known facts. Memorable details can go a long way into adding nuance and depth to a work, and the more specific the detail, the more memorable it is likely to be. Consider the following: what are some quirks of the time that people from the modern age might find extremely strange? In what ways did people behave that sets them apart from modern behavior? What are some obsolete tools or practices that were common in the era in question?

What are some obsolete games or activities that characters might have partaken in? What are some foods that might have been eaten?

While these tips can help you get started, writing a full-length work is nonetheless an extremely daunting task for beginners and experts alike. That is why the most essential tip I can offer you is this: find the right editor.

The Importance of the Right Editor

Editors are an immensely valuable part of any creative writing process. You can find an editor for any specific subset of language or genre. Editors are trained in the language arts, and they have knowledge of not only how to craft elegant and pleasant works to read but are experts in the publishing field. They bridge the market (the reader) and the writer. To lighten the load, you can rely on your editor to help you do not only genre research but also market research.

They can tell you the most popular books of the year, the most popular books for your genre, or the most popular genres. An editor also understands your target audience and can help you create a work that is catered to the kind of readership you want to engage.

On top of their statistical knowledge, editors (from developmental editors to stylistic editors and proofreaders) can assist you with every step of the writing process. They know how to best round out ideas, how to find all the plot holes, how to help you craft readable and easily digestible sentences, and how to write in a way that doesn’t alienate your reader. Editors can greatly improve the flow and organization of your work, and they can also ensure that any reader expectations are met.

Works of historical fiction aren’t like many other genres in that this genre relies heavily on facts. Editors can be objective eyes that help you fact check your work to ensure silly erroneous mistakes aren’t present so that the past can be properly highlighted. Additionally, they can ensure consistency in terms of your ideas used. They will remember what details that appeared in chapter 1 should also be present in chapter 10. Ensuring this type of consistency can convince your readers of the world you’ve built and help with ensuring the attention stays on the main plot and themes of the story.

Furthermore, an editor’s advice can work worders in helping stimulate your creativity and thought process.

To find more information on how to start the creative writing process, explore our writing guides.