Uncovering Historical Facts for Your Novel: A Step-by-Step Guide
Historic fiction serves as a captivating time machine, transporting readers to bygone eras. But creating such an immersive setting isn't merely a task for costume designers—as a writer, you must skillfully blend historical accuracy with an engaging plot. Here's how to accomplish that:
Optimize Your Historical Setting
Writing historical fiction demands a delicate balance between history and storytelling. Your realistic setting can't compensate for a flat plot, so prioritize your narrative while researching.
Inspiration: Quick tips for describing places, Writing about pregnancy & birth for historical fiction podcasts
Why pick a historical backdrop for your novel?
Deciding on the perfect setting is crucial, as the right one influences your story profoundly. When you set your narrative in the past, you unlock diverse challenges and character options inaccessible in present-day stories.
For instance, modern conveniences like instant communication via phone calls or online searches are absent in earlier eras. Communication is limited to slower, more laborious methods.
Historical settings offer abundant opportunities to explore unique characters and their situations, even without depicting war or historical events. Consider the myriad of roles, such as wet nurses, governesses, blacksmiths, and plague doctors, you could create.
Of course, ensure your chosen setting suits your story. If you could write the same narrative in any era without alterations, you'll need to add more depth to your work. Setting, characters, and plot ineffably interact.
Dive into Historical Context
The phrase "historical context" doesn't need to be daunting; it simply means "understanding the circumstances." Let's dissect this concept using social norms from various eras as an example. People's attitudes, values, and behaviors differ based on the time period. Your characters must reflect these differences appropriately.
To establish authenticity, research technological advancements, cultural influences, political landscapes, and social hierarchies, understanding how they shape your characters and story. Aim to eliminate anything that might distract your readers from the narrative with jarring inaccuracies.
Remember that Setting Encompasses Time and Place
While deliberating on the past, be mindful of the locale as well. People, conditions, and daily lives vary across the world, even during the same historical period. You might conduct extensive research on Victorian England, but the everyday life in rural America would be significantly different, demanding separate attention.
Getting Started with Your Historical Setting
Feeling overwhelmed by the grandiosity of historical research? Embrace the simplified "zoom-in" or "zoom-out" approach:
- Zooming In: Start with the broader aspects like global events, politics, and culture, then delve into smaller details such as family dynamics and home life. This way, you can choose a significant theme or issue and determine its impact on your story.
- Zooming Out: Begin with specific details, then build up to larger themes. Though the reverse approach might seem counterintuitive, it can reveal how smaller components fit within the broader narrative context. A micro-focus primarily on clothing, for instance, might not significantly affect politics.
Highlight Important Historical Events
Historical events that occurred during your chosen timeframe could enrich your novel, so consider including pivotal events or referencing them. For example, writing a story set in England during 1912 might lack credibility if there's no mention of the Titanic sinking. However, bear in mind that news traveled more slowly in earlier eras, so its effects might not be immediately apparent.
Consider focusing on lesser-known or local events that still add depth to your narrative, ensuring a seamless integration rather than an intrusive "info-dump." Wikipedia can be a valuable resource for discovering these events.
Cultivating Culture in Historical Fiction
Culture, an all-encompassing term, emphasizes how people choose to live, not just artistic pursuits. Researching culture for your historical work requires prioritizing elements relevant to your story, like culture in cities or rural areas instead of drowning in detail.
When imagining yourself dropped into the story, consider the following:
- Actions: How do people interact, where do they socialize, and what do they eat and wear?
- Unspoken Norms: Understand the values, attitudes, and beliefs that influence behavior and self-expression. Examine how social expectations can impact individuals in subtle ways.
Further Research Topics:
- Food
- Language (include regional variations)
- Heros and heroines (important figures)
- Celebrations (holidays, festivals)
- Recreational activities (hobbies, vacations)
- Travel (common methods, long-distance travel)
- Family dynamics
- Household obligations (distribution of labor)
Authentic Dialogue and Speech Patterns
While crafting dialogue, consider how people spoke, including the vocabulary, sentence structure, and colloquial expressions used in your chosen era. Aim for authenticity without overwhelming the reader with unfamiliar terms.
Keep in mind that there might be notable differences in word choice, grammar, and speaking rhythm. Modern idioms or expressions are likely unfamiliar to historical characters, so avoid using them (though they may sneak in during your first draft). Correct any inaccuracies during editing.
Mastering Historical Politics
Although politics might not be your interest, it's essential to understand how it affects your characters' daily lives. Wars, conflicts, or political changes can have a significant impact on both large and small details in your narrative.
Be mindful of basic political structures, particularly the individuals in power, laws, and the consequences of law-breaking or opposition. Consider how international relations and trade affected the setting, and research the reasons and consequences of conflicts.
The Role of Economy in Historical Fiction
Economy plays a crucial role in shaping your characters' lives, dictating societal structures, and impacting everyday decisions. Familiarize yourself with the following:
- Currencies
- Transportation and communication methods
- Culturally significant materials
- Industries and trades
- Wealth distribution
The Importance of Social Class in Historical Fiction
Wealth distribution and occupation determine social classes, affecting characters' interactions and lifestyles. To craft a vivid, believable setting, consider the economic makeup of your world, including the presence of working, middle, and upper classes (or variations thereof). Delve into the nuances of each social class, examining their lifestyle, values, and differences in language and social norms.
Exploring Technology in Historical Fiction
Technology can dramatically impact your plot by influencing communication, transportation, and access to resources. Ponder the following:
- Modes of communication (letters, telegrams, etc.)
- Transportation options (vehicles, horses, walking)
- Common household items and tools
History is a living, breathing entity that influences every aspect of life, from daily routines to major life events. By mastering the elements above, you'll craft an immersive, authentic historical setting that serves as the perfect canvas for your narrative masterpiece.
- Incorporating creative writing techniques can help you explore the history and culture of a chosen setting more vividly, as improvisation and the application of writing tips can bring your characters and story to life, enhanced by a well-structured plot and a deep understanding of the historical context.
- For inspired educational-and-self-development, delve into research about your selected time period, with a focus on understanding the technological advancements, social hierarchies, cultural influences, political landscapes, economies, and daily lives of the people in your setting. This comprehensive understanding will aid you in creating engaging characters, compelling story structures, and an authentic historical feel that adds depth and richness to your creative writing.
