Monday, June 3, 2013

LDStorymakers Conference ~ Historical Fiction with A.L. Sowards

Since I'm editing my WWI historical romance, I decided this class would help me.

One thing I learned was that historical fiction has a built-in fan base. If you think about it, it's true! There are hundreds of history buffs in the world.

Characters~ Know them!
  • How has society shaped them? Did women vote? Or work?
  • If there is a sword on the wall, how would your characters react to it? A boy wanting to go to war might know what kind of sword it is, how it's made, who used it last. A widow might remember something from the past.

World building~ Know it!
  • Food, clothing, architecture, religions, etc.

Setting~ Write it!
  • Balance your facts in your plot. Use dialogue etc to set your time and setting
  • Don't manipulate dates.
  • Don't give credit to fictional characters of what a real person did.
Research~ Rule of Three
  • If you see the facts three times, it's more than likely correct.
  • Pay attention to when your source was published or created.
  • Also, pay attention to who created your source. Are they biased? Where did they get their info?
Be honest with your readers about condensing or manipulating historical events.



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