History is something that most people think is quite a dry and tedious genre. Many people usually don't prefer just to read about the dates and days when certain events happened which are now lost among the pages of some old books. Nevertheless, being educated about history and our ancestors is an essential element of progressing in life. One of the best ways to do so without getting bored is by reading historical fiction books. It is a widely known fact that human beings are biologically and neurologically designed in a way that they connect to stories. They engage with those stories which are well-told.
However interesting as historical reading fiction may sound, writing it is quite time-consuming and requires a lot of research, dedication, and hard work. A historical novel is far beyond just a story and a good plot; it is all about as accurately as possible the period, customs, manners, social norms, and traditions. These are what we may call the essence of a historical book, and when combined with a thought-provoking story with stimulating characters, the book can do wonders. A great example is a recently launched book, The Truth Together by Kelly Rodgers. It is the story of two young women, a black nurse from Atlanta and a white girl, who meet each other at Georgia State Sanitarium in 1922. Kelly's novel has all the ingredients, such as a great storyline, strong characters, emotions, pain, and drama, everything that make historical fiction leave its imprints on the hearts of the readers.
Seeing through the veil of time and describing it in words is a skill hard to acquire but not impossible. One can attempt to write a masterpiece with a few tips in mind.
Brainstorming: If you're looking forward to writing historical fiction but do not have a path to follow, sit back and relax. Now take out your notebook and start writing whatever comes to your mind about the particular time period you want to write about. Think of the cultural interpretations of the time you found relatable in movies or books and roughly sketch out the time frame and atmosphere of that era.
Research: A historical novel is absolutely incomplete without research and investigations of the past. When done without it, the reader would find it sham and forged without study and this would show throughout the story. Even if you grip a major event of history and study about it, you still need to delve into smaller details to keep the readers hooked. Your book should have just the right proportion of historical accuracy, truth, and interesting trivial details as these little things conclude up the bigger picture.
Use of Words: Sometimes, halfway through the book, you lose interest in it even when you want to know what happens next. Ever thought about why this happens? One of the reasons is the use of complicated vocabulary and jargons which are accurate according to the timeframe, yet feels incomprehensible to the readers. Using simple and understandable vocabulary while keeping in my mind your target audience is very important. All your readers who are interested in historical fiction might not be highly educated and well-versed with difficult terminologies. Hence, dialogues should always be written with your potential readers in mind.
Fictional Characters: Though your book has to depict a real story, developing some fictional characters will always put some spirit into your story. Think over it. How these characters should and can relate to the real event. Build an entire world in your mind and think what kind of people must have lived in that era. Once you create that historical world in your mind, characters start appearing themselves.
Read: Last but not least, read read and read other historical fiction books. The significance of reading cannot be emphasized enough. The more you read, the better you can write. Books like The Truth Together will help you understand the techniques of writing an interesting historical fiction book. A huge variety of books in this genre can be found on Amazon and other eBook platforms.
