Historical fiction novels are embedded in the past. The stories typically take place at least fifty years before the author's own lifetime, and tell a fictional tale that is set in a true, historical setting. This type of storytelling can transport readers to an amazing era outside of their own, firsthand experiences.
Some common time periods or “categories” of the historical fiction genre include World War II, the Renaissance, and the Victorian era, but the stories can be written about any time in history. Historical fiction may include elements of romance, mystery, or even fantasy, blending multiple subgenres. To appeal to readers, these stories are bound by maintaining a certain level of historical accuracy, requiring thorough research. If a story strays too far from an accurate historical portrayal, or, if everything is fabricated, it will disappoint avid readers of the genre.
Per historical fiction author AE Wasserman, “Research is the boon and bane of all historical authors.” This is because the best historical fiction novels are well-researched, often requiring more time and effort than other fiction genres. The characters need to be appropriate for their time period, the setting should be immersive, and the historical figures must be present in a believable capacity. When working on a book, about 50% of Wasserman’s time is spent on research. She uses maps, archives, old newspapers, and a collection of experts to conduct the research for her novels, which helps add small details that enrich the story.
Jeanne Lyet Gassman, author of the award-winning religious historical fiction novel, Blood of a Stone, recommends thinking outside of the box when it comes to resources of historical information. While publications and articles can provide some information, don't discount places like museums, zoos, and botanical gardens. These institutions employ people and experts who can provide a wealth of valuable information. While the internet can be good for maps and images, she warns that it is not the most reliable resource for facts and other information. Gassman also suggests consulting relevant experts such as professors and historians to review your work, if you have room in your budget.
Writing a historical fiction novel can be daunting, as readers of this genre tend to be very tuned in to their favorite time periods and can easily spot errors or inaccuracies. It’s important to fully immerse yourself in the setting and time period you are writing about, and then let your imagination take it from there.
So, how closely do you need to stick to the facts when writing historical fiction? There are no hard and fast rules, but you need to understand reader expectations. For example, if you are writing from the perspective of a well-known historical figure like George Washington, readers will expect a high level of accuracy. Alternatively, if you are writing a historical fantasy or mystery with lesser-known figures, you'll have more freedom to explore with your imagination. While you don't want your fiction to read like a textbook, it should factually align with major historical events, timelines, and figures. The amount of blending or real history and fictional invention can vary, but there are often fictional protagonists and characters, with historically accurate characters moving around them.
For award-winning author Susan Carol McCarthy, the most effective approach for balancing fact and fiction is using a historical event or crisis as the foundation for a story, and then layering in how she believes that event would have impacted ordinary people. “Bottom-up storytelling”, which is McCarthy's writing preference, is looking at the human heart during a certain time period and the effect of these major events on everyday lives. This approach leads to natural tension and conflict in her critically acclaimed novels. McCarthy doesn't vary the facts. Instead, she weaves together the larger political crisis and the crisis of the ordinary people. There is no magic formula for her when it comes to balancing fact and imagination, but she aims to spend equal time researching and writing when working on a novel.
Inspiration for a historical fiction story can strike from any number of things, and Madeline Sharples’ novel, Papa’s Shoes, is proof of that. She found written accounts from her aunt and great-uncle, who wrote about their lives and struggles in Danville, Illinois. Her great-uncle wrote about his escape from Lithuania and how he peddled tinware in Kentucky. Sharples then looked to picture books for further research. Many of the illustrations she came across inspired scenes in her novel, and helped her include more detail.
As with any fiction story, a historical fiction story must include specific elements and writing techniques to appeal to readers. What drives the setting, plot, and character choices made by historical fiction authors does often differ from other fiction genres. Here are the key elements of an engaging historical fiction story:
Solid Story Structure
For a story to feel complete and satisfying to a reader, the major events must happen in an order that give the story a clear beginning, middle, and ending. In historical fiction, the timing of these major events are typically predetermined, so authors don’t have to create the story arc from scratch – they can use history as the foundation. Some important story structure plot points or events to identify in your story are:
Inciting incident: The event that changes the status quo, sets a story in motion, and establishes the main character’s goals or desires.
Rising action and conflict: Conflict is what brings tension into a story, creates trouble for the characters, and makes the story more engaging. A great story has multiple points of intensifying conflict as it progresses, and there is often a midpoint of false hope or false defeat.
Climax: The highest point of tension in a story. The main character either succeeds or fails in achieving his or her goals or desires.
Conclusion: No matter the genre, your story needs to have some sort of satisfying conclusion. Even if you don’t want to wrap everything up—maybe you want to leave room for a sequel, for example—the majority of the conflict you introduce should be resolved by the end of your book.
Fully-Developed Characters
The most engaging characters are three-dimensional with likes, dislikes, flaws, fears, wants, and needs. In historical fiction, these character traits must resonate with modern readers, while also being believable in their historical context. Through research, imagination, and empathy, historical authors need to ensure their characters reflect the moral and social codes of the time period about which they are writing. Some development techniques to enhance your characters include:
• Defining your characters' formative years• Understanding body language and the use of physical space• How opposites create tension and interest• Using dialogue to illustrate emotions and need• How to make troubled characters likable
Accurate and Believable Setting
With any fiction story, the setting should do more than just serve as a backdrop for the characters—it should breathe life into the narrative. In historical fiction, the streets, smells, sounds, and daily rituals of the time period should be vivid and immersive. Rather than writing long paragraphs of descriptions, authors should weave historical details into the story through character interactions and the five senses. Historical fiction authors have the added challenge of making a time and place they are unfamiliar with feel authentic and believable. This is where thorough research can be beneficial.
Authentic Dialogue
Dialogue can be used in many ways to enhance a story. It can reveal character traits, provide backstory, show conflict, and describe the circumstances or setting. It’s an author’s tool for giving each character in the story a distinct voice. When writing historical fiction, the dialogue must evoke the past without alienating modern readers. Historical fiction authors need to use period-appropriate cadence, diction, expressions, and vocabulary sparingly, giving readers a taste of authentic dialogue, while avoiding overly-cumbersome text. Newspapers, sermons, pamphlets, political speeches, plays, and more from the time period can provide great inspiration.
Themes that Resonate
The best novels artfully weave themes and universal truths into the stories, making them relatable and engaging. With historical fiction, the themes often naturally arise from the events or circumstances of the time period. Some common themes in historical fiction include:
• Oppression and war• Political and social issues• Cultural shifts or social change• Identity and belonging• Coming of age• Good versus evil
An Enthralling Story Line and Main Character Readers Can Follow Through a Series
Everybody loves a good fiction series―readers, agents, publishers, and booksellers. This is because a well-connected series can gain loyal fans and increase sales long-term. A book series also creates opportunities for merchandise and incentives that can serve as lead magnets, give-aways, fan bonuses, and promotional tools. The historical fiction genre isn’t any different. A compelling story line and a fully-developed, likable main character can create a strong foundation that will support a series. Authors can boost their career with a well-structured and engaging historical fiction series.
Historical fiction is a delicate balance between fact and fiction. Writing in this genre does require considerably more research than other fiction genres, and challenges authors to think deeply about the authenticity of their settings, events, characters, dialogue, and more. The reward of writing historical fiction is being able to transport readers to a time and place they will otherwise never experience.
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