Taking the Mystery
out of
Writing History
Step I: Start with STORY
I love teaching. Best of all, I love teaching writers.
As a writer myself, I’m drawn to historical fiction. I’m still learning about how to master its techniques, but I love passing along what I’ve learned so far.
Here goes:
The first and most important thing about writing captivating historical fiction is found in this word:
HISTORY
My advice to aspiring writers of historical fiction would be to focus on the story more than the history.
Of course, getting the history straight is important, in fact crucial. But creating a compelling STORY out of it is what distinguishes a mediocre historical novel from a memorable one.
Think about it. There’s a story behind the Valkyrie plot to assassinate Hitler. There’s a story behind Lincoln’s decision to sign the Emancipation Proclamation. There’s a story behind Edison’s invention of the light bulb. These stories are what makes the history memorable.
Books like A Tale of Two Cities, Johnny Tremain, The Good Earth, Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague make history come alive. Why? They are compelling stories.
So – Step number 1: START WITH STORY.
Stay tuned for more about TAKING THE MYSTERY OUT OF WRITING HISTORY. And contact me to share some of your own tips.
Trudy Krisher is the author of these historical novels: Spite Fences, Kinship, Uncommon Faith, and Fallout.
