Historical Accuracy: How to Write Historical Fiction with Unparalleled Authenticity

Historical Accuracy in Historical Fiction Writing

If you have an interest in historical fiction of really any kind, then you're probably already aware of how crucial historical accuracy is to a story.

It's an important part of creating a believable world that readers can get lost in whether you're writing about ancient civilizations or recent 20th century history. If you are in the historical fiction game, you have to ensure that your work is both factually correct and feels authentic.

But you're probably also aware that historical accuracy is not always so easy.

Different sources can provide conflicting information, and historical records can sometimes be incomplete or unreliable. You have to learn to navigate these challenges and find a balance between authenticity and your creative license.

Stories still need to be entertaining, and sometimes history just isn't.

You have to learn to conduct real research, compare sources, and sometimes you even need to get out of your shell and actually talk to people in order to make sure your story is as accurate as possible.

Today, we're going to explore the entire topic of historical accuracy when writing your historical fiction. We're going to discuss the importance of accuracy, the challenges of achieving it, and I'll give you some tips for balancing authenticity with creativity.

Contents:

• Setting the Stage: Why is Historical Accuracy Important?

• Plotting With Accuracy

• Researching the Historical Setting

• Accurately Portraying Historical Characters

• Incorporating Authentic Dialogue and Language

• Avoiding Common Historical Inaccuracies

• Engaging with Beta Readers and Historical Experts

• Final Words

Setting the Stage: Why is Historical Accuracy Important?

Historical accuracy isn't just about getting the details right in your story. It is what you must use to breathe life into the past and make readers feel like they are actually there.

When we talk about historical accuracy, we are talking about so much more than bare facts—We are also talking about immersive storytelling.

Being historically accurate is vital to add depth, credibility, and richness into your historical fiction.

How Historical Accuracy Elevates the Reader Experience

With historical fiction, you're attempting to transport your readers into another time and place. By accurately depicting the history (and by accurate I mean creating an authentic feeling experience), the reader will be able to visualize the world that you've created more vividly, and they'll feel truly immersed in it.

Inaccuracies can be jarring and take the reader out of your story.

For instance, if you're writing a story set in the 1800s and your characters are using modern slang, it’ll be hard for the reader to suspend their disbelief. This might seem like an extreme example but it happens far more regularly than you realize.

So think of historical accuracy as part of the show don't tell technique for historical fiction writers.

Meeting Reader Expectations: Getting the Details Right

Readers of all kinds of historical fiction have certain expectations. They expect details to be correct, from the clothing and architecture to the language and social norms of the period.

If you get these details wrong, you risk alienating these persnickety readers. Because if someone's interested in a certain time period, chances are they know something about it.

And they will have a very hard time reading your work if they feel like they know more about your topic than you do.

Accuracy is especially important when it comes to historical events and figures. If you're writing about a real life person or event, you must research and accurately depict their actions and motivations. Depending on the time frame, it may even be seen as disrespectful or offensive to not do so.

Related Posts >>> How to End a Historical Novel Based on a True Story: Expert Tips

Though the farther back in history you go, the more artistic license you have and need.

Some say, and I think I might be in this camp, that as a historical fiction writer, you have a responsibility to your readers and to history.

This might be a bit of a digression, but I was speaking with my sister the other day about our family history. About how the farther back you go the harder it is to find accurate information which makes sense—nothing lasts forever.

But then you're stuck relying on people who tell stories about your ancestors, and a lot of those people have a vested interest or didn't like your ancestors.

An easy example of this is the Spanish recording and writing about the peoples of mesoamerica at the time of contact.

We can just about guarantee that much of that writing is highly biased and probably just blatantly inaccurate.

And for some reason this boils my blood.

Not because of racism or something like that, which was obviously a part of it, but because of what we've lost as a result.

The knowledge, the culture, the artifacts, and the history.

And I feel that even though historical fiction is fiction and should not be taken as fact, writers do have a responsibility to present the past to us in a way that is as accurate as possible, even if mythologized in a sense—which is what you're sort of doing by writing historical fiction. You’re creating mythologies around the past.

But I think maybe I'm getting too far into the deep end for what this article is so let's get back to the topic at hand.

Plotting With Accuracy

Plotting out a historical fiction novel can be delicate work. You must weave together factual threads of history with the colorful and vivid threads of storytelling.

The challenge lies in crafting a cohesive narrative that still manages to adhere to historical truths while never losing the essence of the period you have chosen.

Now.

History isn't always cut and dry. Events tend to bleed into each other and motives can be vague or unknown, especially the further back you go.

For instance, why did the Huns invade Northern Europe in the late 4th century? Well, there are plenty of theories, but we don't actually know.

Moreover, history doesn't come with clean beginnings, middles, and climaxes. That is something that you will have to craft through your retelling of it. And oftentimes that requires taking some liberties with the facts.

It is not as easy as it looks.

Image made with Leonardo ai

The Problem of Making a Plot Out of History

The problem is that history doesn't always make for a compelling story. Real life events may not fit into a traditional narrative structure, and some events are just too complex or obscure to be fully understood at all let alone told in less than 100,000 words.

To make a plot out of history, you first need to identify the major events that took place during the time period that you're writing about. These events will become the framework for your story, but they are not your plot.

It's important that you think of your story’s history and its plot as two distinct things.

History is what may have happened, but your plot is how you choose to tell those events in narrative form. If your history fits into your plot nicely, then great.

However, if the history is disjointed and unclean, meaning it cannot be easily fit into a plotting structure, then you have every right to change what is needed to make it so.

I'm not advocating that you just make up history, what I'm saying is you will need to pick and choose the most vital parts of the history and piece those into the plot as accurately as possible while still creating a cohesive narrative.

Making a Plan and Outlining

You may consider yourself a “pantser,” but if you have a brain in your head you will not do that with historical fiction.

I believe that every story needs a good outline, and outlining will always make for a better story. But in no genre is an outline more vital than in historical fiction.

You have to do a ton of research and planning before you put words on your manuscript. Decide exactly how and where you are going to incorporate the information gleaned from your research.

Once you have identified the major events in your history, you can start outlining your story and turning them into a plot. Your outline needs to include a timeline of events, the major plot points, character arcs, setting details, and more.

Also, within your outline, consider how you will be weaving the historical details into your story such as language, clothing, and customs.

Your outline is where you can decide what creative liberties are necessary to make the story work and which historical facts and events are absolutely vital in its telling (hint: as many as possible).

Please don't just wing it when it comes to finding a balance between historical accuracy and creative freedom.

You must outline.

Related Posts >>> Are There Rules for Writing Historical Fiction? A Guide to Best Practices

Researching the Historical Setting

By now you should be fully convinced of the importance of research for historical fiction—if you're not, I don't think I can be of any help to you, you’re lost cause. Sorry.

For those of you who do understand the importance of thorough research for accuracy in historical fiction—let's begin with settings.

Settings are extremely important in historical stories, and should really be thought of as like a character in themselves within this genre.

It is through the setting more than anything else where your reader will become immersed in the illusion that you are creating for them.

The setting serves as the heartbeat of a good historical fiction narrative, and a well-developed one will infuse life into the characters and the past, making it feel real.

Even if you are unable to fit history perfectly into your plot you should be able to make up for any weaknesses with a strong, vivid, and historically accurate setting.

Image made with Leonardo ai

What is “In-Depth” Research for an Authentic Setting?

All right, this needs to be said.

“In-depth” research is not watching movies set in the same time period as your novel. Research is not finding surface level details that others have already gathered on blogs or in fiction books.

In-depth research goes beyond the basics. It means truly immersing yourself in the time period and researching everything from clothing and food of the era to the political and social climate.

In-depth research means going back to school, at least figuratively.

To do this, you're going to have to consult both primary and secondary sources.

Primary sources are the firsthand accounts, diaries, letters, and other documents from the time. Secondary sources are your history books, academic articles, and stuff written by other researchers who’ve studied the primary sources.

These are your first and second level research resources. Please do not base your novel on the work of third, fourth, or fifth, or worse level resources. Historical accuracy will only get further and further out of your reach by that point.

Credible Research Methods

There are some tried and true ways to research your historical fiction. These are some of the most credible research methods to use:

• Visiting museums and historical sites to see artifacts and get a feel for the time period. Most museums have their collections online for virtual viewing now as well.

• Reading historical books and academic articles written by reputable historians.

• Reading primary sources such as diaries, letters, and other documents that you can find stored online most of the time. It'll probably just take a bit of searching to find them.

• Using resources such as academic databases and historical archives.

• Conducting interviews with experts in the field such as professors and historians or people who have lived through that time.

• Contacting people who have good genealogical records from around that time period. You can find these people on websites such as Ancestry or MyHeritage. You’d be amazed by the detailed information you can get from these history sleuths.

When you're researching, it is absolutely imperative that you keep track of your sources. You must take detailed notes and you stay organized. Make sure that you can easily reference your sources later on.

You're going to need these things sooner or later so you must be able to find them.

Image made with Leonardo ai

AI Tools for Research

Anyone who's read my articles for a while will know that I am very excited about the future of technology, particularly AI. You have no idea how lucky you are to live in this time if you are a historical fiction writer.

Well who am I to say you don't know how lucky you are, maybe you do.

But there are some fantastic research tools out there to help you get through all of the resources that you need, organize them, and even read them for you (probably more accurately than you can) and then sum them up.

I have not done too much playing with these tools but from initial testing with a few prompts each, there are some that really stood out to me.

I know I will be using them regularly.

These are the top AI research tools that you will want to look into when studying up for your novel:

• SciSpace is a tool that allows you to upload a PDF into it. It will give you a summary and then answer whatever questions you have about the topic. This tool will cut hours down on your research reading time.

• Scholarcy does the same thing, but they have some interesting extra tools that allow you to generate flashcards and organize the information.

• Cognosys is by far my favorite tool. It is an agent that takes your request and scours the best information (academic articles and books) for your answer, breaking it down and summarizing it. It gives you the sources directly to expand your research.

These tools will save you so much time on your research and allow you to spend the rest doing things like interviews and looking at primary sources. These tools are ever expanding and getting more accurate.

From what I could tell all three did a good job, but Cognosys was the most accurate and reliable.

Play around with AI and find something that can help you be more accurate and save more energy for writing.

Accurately Portraying Historical Characters

Equally as important as historically accurate settings are historically accurate characters.

These are characters who are believably entrenched in the time period’s norms, culture, and social conventions. This includes their beliefs, their values, and attitudes toward various issues such as race, gender, and class.

Whether you think it is politically correct or not, your character needs to reflect the values of his time not yours.

For instance, it would be ingenuine to portray a female character of the 16th century as a feminist activist or as a brash, speaks her mind, z-snapping sort of type.

Crafting believable historical characters means avoiding anachronisms and other elements that are out of place in the historical context. This could include language, clothing, or technology that didn't exist during the time period in which your story is set.

Character Development vs. Historical Accuracy

Something else you need to consider within the outlining process is how you are going to create your characters as engrossing and unique fictional people while staying true to their historical development.

This means that their actions, motivations, and decisions should be based on their historical context just as much as their entertainment value and moving the plot forward.

I like to use feminism as an example because it is something that has changed faces quite dramatically over the years.

We have an idea of feminism as equality of opportunities—so women can find equal opportunity in the same work as men or have the same ambitions as men without being restricted or punished for it.

But in the 18th and early 19th centuries feminism (though I don't think it would be labeled as such) took on a very different look.

The idea of equality then for women wasn't equal opportunity but rather to have their roles in the family and in society seen as equal to the roles of their male counterparts. Roles such as child rearing, educating those children, and taking care of a household.

So it's crucial that you understand the societal context in which your character lived for developing their motivation.

Because two female characters could be fighting for the same ideal but in different times what that ideal could look drastically different.

You must be able to take your own modern perspectives completely out of the story, at least when it comes to outlining for accuracy and balancing the fictional elements with the historical.

Incorporating Authentic Dialogue and Language

This might surprise you, but dialogue in historical fiction is perhaps one of the most inaccurate parts of it. And it has to be that way.

Dialogue is about creating an illusion of historical speech, but I don't think any novel or film has presented accurate historical dialogue ever. The piece would be unreadable or unwatchable (at least requiring subtitles).

I've included an interesting video for you to watch about the evolution of the English language. Check it out if you want to know more about what English sounded like over the years.

In this area I'm going to tell you to do something that might shock you:

To write good historical dialogue, watch historical films and read historical books. Make your dialogue sound like their dialogue. Because they just made it up as well.

It's about immersing your reader in the tone and mood and illusion of history, but not representing it accurately through language, especially with anything before the Victorian era.

Side note: The people of the Victorian era spoke pretty much like us, but with different slang and depending where you sat on the class hierarchy, just as it is today, you'd speak a little more eloquently than most. You'd be using big boy words.

But interestingly enough, we still put distinct old-sounding language on even our low class Victorian era characters. And readers wouldn't appreciate it if we did not, because it would pull them out of the story.

Image made with Leonardo ai

Anachronisms and Ensuring Historical Accuracy in Conversation

Anachronism = a thing belonging or appropriate to a period other than that in which it exists.

One of the biggest challenges in writing a historical fiction is avoiding anachronisms, in dialogue especially. They can quickly pull the reader out of the story and undermine the illusion of authenticity that we are trying to make.

To ensure historical accuracy in conversation you must research the language and speech patterns of the time period.

But like I said you can do a lot of that by mimicking much of what you have read in other fiction or have seen in movies and television.

Avoid using modern slang, idioms, and expressions that did not exist during the period.

And be especially mindful of the conventions of polite speech and formal address and deference to authority (ie; your class distinctions and the dynamics between them).

How to Research Language and Historical Speech Patterns

Apart from being lazy and watching movies while vegetating on your couch, researching historical language and speech patterns can be done through reading primary sources from the time period.

These are the letters, the diaries, and the other personal documents that can provide valuable insights into the language and speech patterns of the time.

Pay special attention to the syntax, vocabulary, and grammar used in these documents. Take note of the differences between the language of the time period and modern language.

Use this information to inform your dialogue to create a sense of authenticity by picking and choosing which pieces will make the most impact in your story.

If you are writing further back than modern English, say early medieval Britain, then movies are really your only recourse, because I doubt you’re going to go as far as learning a new language (Old English) to read the primary sources.

Image made with Leonardo ai

Creating the Illusion of Authentic Dialogue

All right, so you should be fully convinced at this point that authentic dialogue is not about replicating the language of the time period word for word but rather creating the illusion of authenticity.

Dialogue should flow naturally and feel true to the characters, the setting, and the times, but it should still be readable to a modern audience.

Creating this illusion it done through using historic language and speech patterns sparingly. Incorporate key phrases and expressions that are unique to the time period (or at least feel like they are unique to the time). But avoid overusing them.

Instead focus on creating dialogue that feels natural and believable and would be what historical readers have come to expect.

Avoiding Common Historical Inaccuracies

While taking liberties with history is acceptable in most cases, there are some things that just drive readers absolutely nuts.

These are certain mistakes that should be avoided in order to maintain historical integrity and your readership:

Anachronisms in the details: Especially when it comes to what your character is saying, wearing, and eating. This is common in settings as well. Architecture styles that would not have been used yet, or things that would be gone by that time, etc.

Revisionist history: Distorting or altering real historical events or figures to fit your version of the narrative, rather than staying true to the actual facts.

Modern biases on historical details: This is when the writer portrays history with contemporary values and beliefs, disregarding the social norms of the period. A have had a number of historical fiction manuscripts come past my desk and it is strange how many fall victim to this.

Historical dress and mannerisms: Errors in describing clothing, hairstyles, and manners of the time period, leading to jarring inaccuracies in character depictions. These are not anachronisms, but the writer just plain doesn’t understand the details enough.

Ignoring social hierarchies: Failing to acknowledge the societal structures and hierarchies prevalent in the historical era, resulting in unrealistic relationships and interactions between characters.

Strange inventions and discoveries: Introducing future inventions, scientific knowledge, or discoveries into the past, which can undermine the realism of the historical setting and events. Usually in the form of some character MacGyvering something too modern to make sense.

Perpetuating rumors: When the author repeats something commonly heard but with no real basis in historical reality. Corsets is one of the worst repeat offenders.

Nearly every writer whose story is set in a time where women wear corsets, portray these as being tight and constricting. The idea is that women just walked around not being able to breathe all day, how painful it must have been.

But if you do your research, you find that the vast majority of women wore their corsets with comfortably loose/taut lacing. The common practice was to make your waist look smaller by adding padding to the hips, making the skirts fuller.

Very few women tight-laced to the point of achieving the very tiny waists. There are numerous papers and medical documents of the time discussing the negative effects of this practice and shaming them as silly and dangerous.

But I digress.

Get to Know Your Genre

Perhaps one of the most important mistakes to avoid in any genre you're writing is not knowing what other people have done before you.

You must read your genre. With historical fiction you will want to read as much of the genre that has been written in the same time period as yours as possible.

Find out what other people have done right and wrong so you can incorporate or avoid those same things.

This will also always help you create something that is unique and your own that readers haven't seen before.

How did other writers achieve the feeling of historical accuracy? Where did they deviate from it? Could you do it better?

Image made with Leonardo ai

Get to Know Your Audience’s Boundaries

Another important step in deciding how to incorporate history into fiction as accurately as possible is finding out what your audience’s boundaries are. What really makes them mad?

Look through reviews or articles to find out what readers did or didn't like about certain stories.

Which inaccuracies threw them off? Which did they allow?

By understanding your audience, you will be able to give them a better overall experience and possibly avoid some bad reviews in the process.

Engaging with Beta Readers and Historical Experts

It's always a good idea to test the waters before you jump into the publishing process. When your manuscript is done you should be engaging with beta readers and historical experts.

Beta readers are the group of people who will read your manuscript and provide feedback on various aspects of your story including its historical accuracy.

If you can get readers who are also experts in the field, then you have a leg up because they will have an extensive knowledge of the time period and the events you are writing about.

How Beta Readers Help You Find Balance

Your everyday, non-expert beta reader is going to help you find balance between historical accuracy and good storytelling. Let these beta readers provide feedback on whether your characters, setting, and events feel authentic and true to the time period.

Ask them to give you suggestions on how to improve the historical accuracy without sacrificing the narrative flow of your story or if anything throws them off in particular.

As always, when working with beta readers, keep in mind that not all feedback is equal.

Really think about whether or not the suggestion aligns with your own goals for the story and remember that ultimately, it's up to you as the author to decide how much historical accuracy to include in your own work.

But laymen beta readers will at least help you come to an understanding of how your book might be received by a wider audience.

Image made with Leonardo ai

How Experts Help You Find Mistakes

On the other hand, historical experts will be invaluable for giving you feedback about the legit accuracy of your story. They will help you find mistakes in your research and provide guidance on how to improve the historical details of your novel.

They will also offer you insights into the time period and events you're writing about, which can help you create a more engaging story and maybe even give you some extra ideas.

Hopefully, you are talking to these people before you start writing and while you're writing, not just after you have finished writing.

But when working with historical experts, please do your own research and come prepared with specific questions. If someone is nice enough to give you even 5 minutes of their time don't waste it.

Tip: Try to develop a good working relationship with whomever this expert is in your field. Don't just expect something from them but try to find something that you can possibly do for them in return whether that be payment or something else.

(This is starting to sound like dangerous advice: don't sleep with them, that’s not what I mean…unless you want to.)

But when all is said and done, and you have completed your manuscript, consider asking them to write you a forward. If they enjoyed working with you, they might be more willing to do that.

Whether you are self-publishing or going the traditional route, having an expert in the field write you a forward for your book is going to give you a boost.

Final Words

Every historical fiction writer needs to strive to ensure their work is as accurate as possible while still remaining engaging and entertaining. Remember that you're telling a story, but you're also representing a time period, culture, and people.

You have to be able to balance both of those things.

Research is essential for everything in your historical fiction. You must be willing to spend time reading and learning about your topic. Use primary sources whenever possible and be sure to cross-check your information with other sources to make sure that you've got it in hand.

AI can be a really helpful tool but also should be fact-checked.

Accuracy isn't just about the facts.

Sometimes accuracy is about creating the illusion of authenticity rather than recreating reality on paper. It is possible to become too focused on accuracy to the point where it detracts from the story. Some creative license is going to be necessary.

It really isn't a one-size-fits-all concept. Each author will have to set their own rules and considerations for their work. Use the guidelines provided by experts in the field, but also trust your own instincts. Fiction is a creative endeavor after all.

So until next time, keep writing.

Feeling overwhelmed by your historical fiction novel?

Sometimes it is hard to know where to start in this genre, and new writers are often left with a whole lot of questions and not enough clear answers. That is why I have put together a list of the most asked questions about writing in the historical fiction genre and have provided clear and concise answers to them.

With direction for idea generation, how to research, structure, outline and more, my historical fiction Q&A article is a great place to start.

Next: Historical Fiction Q&A