by Alisa Libby
Writing historical fiction is, in many ways, similar to writing high fantasy. The writer of historical fiction has to create a believable world for her characters to inhabit; a world far removed from the reader’s reality. Luckily, there are a lot of great books out there (not to mention art and music and artifacts) where you can find these details, instead of having to create them from scratch! If you’re interested in writing historical fiction, here are a few tips that might help you out.
Consider researching the class structure, daily customs, clothing, food, art, music, and religious beliefs of your character, or in general for the time period and region. In researching The King’s Rose, a novel about Catherine Howard, the fifth wife of King Henry VIII, I learned a lot about the mentality of the Tudor court just by learning how they dressed, ate, and their daily customs. What was your character’s childhood like? What is her daily life? All of these details will inform your character. You won’t be able to use every detail, but those you do use will enrich the text.
Some writers do a lot of research before they begin writing. While this makes perfect sense, I’m never that patient. Experimenting with the character’s voice is the best part, so why wait? Try a writing exercise: describe your character doing something she enjoys, like eating a piece of fruit or riding a horse or climbing a mountain. Consider her daily routine. Have your character describe the room she’s standing in. She may be standing in the middle of a grand castle, but this could be commonplace to her if she’s 16th century royalty. She wouldn’t be like us, poring over the tapestries and snapping photos.
Find a way to connect with this character, to make her feel human to you. That doesn’t mean that she has to be just like you. She could be difficult, even despicable. But if you find some way to connect with her, to empathize with her, then that will help you to see the world through her eyes. You don’t have to agree with all of her actions, but it will help you imagine her logic. What are her faults, her weaknesses, her desires? What is important to her? What does she want? These desires are what will help drive her story forward, and keep it vital and interesting for your reader if your main character has a lot at stake.
There are a lot of other important details—a good historical chronology, for example—that I haven’t discussed here. I generally start with what I find fun and inspiring. That’s the best way for me to get motivated about a project, and I develop the character’s voice as I learn more about her in my research.
Alisa Libby is the author of two YA novels, The Blood Confession and The King’s Rose. To learn more about Alisa and her books, visit her at alisalibby.com. Be on the lookout for an upcoming interview with Alisa!
- Categories: A Closer Look, Craft, Guest Post
Great tips, Alisa. Historicals can be like high fantasy to write as far as world building. Not sure if they’re easier (there could be tons of info available on the period) or harder (you’re stuck with the specifics of the period and can’t make stuff up). I just finished a ya historical last year (out on sub now, fingers crossed) and am trying to get started on a ya historical fantasy. Need to get away from the research and notes and into the writing, so this is a good post to read today!
Excellent post, Alisa. I don’t have patience to do all the research first, either; I do enough to get started (clothes, timeline, general living conditions) then dive in to the writing. The writing tells me what I need to research next. The best is when I find something completely unexpected that fills a need in the story. The hardest is deciding what details to keep, and what to leave out (even if I find them personally fascinating!)